High gloss continues to make a stylish impact. While black and red patent leather (both real and fake) were must-haves for winter, patent kicks it up a notch in colours for Spring. Designers continued to show patent accessories at Fall 2007 fashion weeks which makes me think that the trend is going to be around for at least a few more seasons. Invest in high-shine shoes while stocks are still available. This fab fad is not going fade!

Spring patent collections from Nordstrom, Macy’s and Zappos.com in both bold and sundrenched hues.

Can your wardrobe function in style with fewer than 50 pairs of shoes? Absolutely. Excluding utility shoes (slippers, work-out sneakers, wellington boots, ski boots and gardening clogs), the 6-shoe-complement is my suggestion for women who are only interested in the essentials:

• Knee high boots – in a neutral colour with some sort of heel so that they can double up for smarter occasions.
• Fashion sneakers – as your stylish walking shoe.
• Fashion flats – as a comfortable and smarter alternative to  sneakers.
• Summer sandals – for skirts and dresses.
• Pumps – to dress up anything from a suit to jeans.
• Dressy heels – to match formal attire for special occasions.

You’ll be covered if you choose these 6 pairs of shoes with care. Matching them up meticulously with your wardrobe and choosing a quality shoe is imperative if the complement is to yield a high return.

But if you are like most women and you absolutely love shoes, it is less about what you need and more about what you want. To some extent this is justified – fabulous shoes are one of the fastest ways to accomplish a stylish appearance. Enjoy shopping for shoes ladies – who’s counting?

Electric 80’s cobalt blue is back and it’s quite a challenge to wear. Cold and hard unless you have the complexion and eye-colour to complement this remarkably overpowering hue, Cobalt seems to look best on blue or brown-eyed beauties with darker skin tones. However, it can be softened successfully when matched up with:

• Neutrals like black, white, grey and silver
• Yellow for warmth and glow (my personal favourite)
• Brights like red, pink and green

Keep these colour combinations crisp and select rich, dark and intense tones of cobalt for the most flattering effect (there is something very unflattering about a watered down shade of cobalt, especially in a knit). Include this colour for Spring if it tickles your fancy and doesn’t overpower your look. I personally like it best when paired with yellow.

Cobalt blue separates from Bebe and Anthropologie.

This is a frequently asked question on youlookfab. Unless you’re off to drinks, dinner or a party straight afterwards, casual attire is perfectly fine for the cinema. The possibilities are endless, but breaking outfits down by the bottoms is a good way to summarise your options. Here are three formulas that will work in the cool weather most of us are experiencing at the moment:

• Jeans – match denim up with a longer length T or collared shirt, cropped pinstripe jacket or cardigan, and fashion sneakers or flat boots. Finish the look off with a hand held satchel and string of pearls or boho beads.
• Casual pants – match combat pants or khakis with a collared shirt, sweater, military jacket or denim jacket and converse sneakers. Accessorize with a slouchy hobo or messenger bag.
• Skirt – match a denim, corduroy or cotton twill knee-length skirt with a turtle neck, tweed jacket and tall flat riding boots. Add a waist belt and oversized tote to the ensemble for a bit of extra oomph.

Sweats are not appropriate for anything other than lounging around and working out. If you do need to be smart casual after the movies, stick to the flop-proof outfit. And remember to layer with a camisole underneath and a trench on top for extra warmth. Voila! You are stylish for the movies or any other casual event.

Khakis and sneakers (Esprit), collared shirt and jacket (Gap), cropped hooded cardigan (Anthropologie) and Isabella Fiore messenger bag (Nordstrom).