We’ve been saturated with colourful footwear choices this season and it’s a breath of fresh air. Pink, blue, green, yellow, red, purple, orange, turquoise and lime. Name the colour and you’ll find the shoe. So how do you integrate bright shoes into an ensemble?

• Pick up a colour in a top with your shoes. This is the obvious way of wearing bright shoes and my least favourite because it’s predictable. I personally prefer to mix it up. But matching in this way continues to make a stylish statement, so don’t feel obliged to mis-match if it’s not your style.
• Match bright shoes with the same colour handbag. This rule is flop proof because a matched shoe and handbag pulls an outfit together. Some stylists feel that this type of matching is passé but I believe it works, as long as you don’t try to match anything else of the same colour in the outfit. “Matchy-matchy” ensembles are not stylish.
• Wear bright shoes with a neutral ensemble. You don’t need to match shoes with your handbag or pick up another colour in your ensemble. Bright shoes make a statement on their own. They pack extra punch if you’re wearing neutrals like black, brown, white, cream, grey, tan or navy.
• Wear several brights of the same intensity. I’d limit an outfit to 3 brights at a time. A pair of jeans worn with an emerald tunic and cobalt blue handbag works with a pair of yellow shoes, if the brights are of the same intensity. Throw in a pair of baby pink shoes and you’ve lost the harmony.

Multi-coloured bright shoes complicate matters so stick to a single toned bright shoe. Red shoes are a particularly good choice because they’re bright, but operate like a neutral. And I’m beginning to have the same opinion about yellow.

The first example is matching the shoes with the bag, which pulls together an outfit with multiple brights. The other examples show a purposeful mismatch, where the brights make a statement of their own. This topic originated as a question on the forum. Go there for more discussion on integrating brights.

Nothing shouts Spring and Summer quite like the perfect pair of white jeans. It’s an absolute must in your wardrobe if you enjoy wearing denim. White jeans are the perfect bridging piece because they instantly make black and brown tops look Summery. Ensembles look fresh and contemporary when you add a white pair of bottoms and it’s one of my favourite warm weather looks. Buy white jeans and you’ve increased the ROI of your wardrobe.

You don’t need to be ultra slim to wear white jeans or pants. This is a fallacy. A flattering pair of pants or jeans is not about the colour, it’s about the fit and fabric. Denim is an especially good choice of fabric for white pants because it’s thick, 100% cotton, easy to launder and doesn’t require lining. Standard 5-pocket denim detailing is also easier to wear than side-entry pocket detailing because they don’t add bulk. I’ve popped loads of plus sized ladies and pretty pear shaped gals into white jeans and they look incredible.

White jeans are everywhere right now. Brands like Elie Tahari, the Loft, NYDJ’s, Joes, Hudson, Old Navy, Diesel, Gap, Seven for all Mankind Levis, David Kahn, Esprit and Mango are to name but a few. White does get dirty quickly, but that’s what washing machines are for. It’s worth it.

An assortment of white jeans in different cuts. Wide-legged white jeans are fun, but dramatic and eye-catching. Be prepared to stand out. I have two pairs of white jeans: bootcuts and skinnies. I wear them all Summer long and they feel magical each time I put them on.

A forum thread on extreme budget shopping made me think that I should clarify YLF’s focus on mainstream fashion and style.

We have chosen this mainstream approach because it caters to the widest audience. The idea is that you can apply the information, regardless of your budget for clothes, footwear and accessories. We do sometimes talk about maximizing your budget in the Frugal Style category, but there are other bloggers that focus more on this topic. Two examples are the well known Budget Fashionista and the Budget Babe (one of our regulars on YLF), who will help you to stretch $100 further than you might imagine.

We seldom post pictures of designer wear or budget wear because they’re not mainstream. We post pictures that illustrate the point in the best possible way. Pictures from mainstream department stores appear frequently because the details of the clothing are clearly visible, which is helpful to our readers. The intention is not that you purchase your entire wardrobe from Nordstrom!

I believe that having great dress sense and style can be learned and our job at YLF is to help you make informed wardrobe choices. Once I’ve planted the seed, it’s up to you to find the item that suits your pocket. Whether it’s Saks, Ann Taylor, Target, Ebay or Consignment is of little consequence. It’s important that you make savvy wardrobe decisions no matter what your budget or where you shop because that’s how effective and stylish wardrobes are built.

Tops over pants look best when they’re worn a little longer. One to three inches above your crotch point (somewhere between where the inseam of your pants start and the zip fly of your pants end) is the perfect length. Hip-bone length is perfect for skirts, but not long enough when you’re wearing pants.

You need to find the specific length that works best for you. Generally, the curvier the thighs, the longer you’ll need to wear your tops. It makes a huge difference when a pretty pear shape wears her tops a little longer. But don’t wear them too long. Tops slightly over crotch point create a horizontal line over the widest part of your body, which is unflattering for pear shapes (but ok for inverted triangles). Fortunately, a top that’s too long can be ruched or “scrunched” to its correct length if you’re short-waisted.

If you haven’t bought tops over the last two years, your cupboard is probably full of shorter lengths. Fashion has moved on and I’m thrilled with the flattering update. Demote shorter tops to wear with skirts and sport a longer length for pants.

Models sporting longer length tops a few inches above crotch point. Longer length also creates a wonderful visual layering effect as the top peeps out. It’s a win.

Models sporting shorter, less flattering tops with pants.