In the light of this season’s all important white shirt, I thought it best to address how to wear white successfully if you feel that it washes you out.

Misconception: you need to be an olive-skinned brunette to wear white and cream

I am blonde with pale skin (which is never tanned) and wear white and winter-white all the time. I absolutely love pearls and often wear them against my white skin. And it works. Here’s how to make it work for you:

• Keep your face polished – this means grooming and filling in your eyebrows, wearing mascara, keeping your cheeks rosy and your lips a darker shade of your natural colour. I am an advocate of showing restraint when it comes to applying make-up – but just the right amount adds polish to your face by making your features more distinctive.
• Create a contrast on top – layer an item in a strong colour over your white shirt (e.g. black waist coat or red jacket) or wear a necklace in a strong colour close to your face (e.g. green choker beads).
• Create a contrast on the bottom – wear your white shirt with dark jeans, pants or skirt.
• Opt for cream instead – sometimes the tone of a warmer version of white (like cream or off white) is better than pure optical white.

Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Renee Zellwegger are excellent examples of women who successfully wear white and cream despite their creamy complexions.

The white shirt is my number one must have for your wardrobe this season. Irrespective of your age, height, size or body type, you’ll be able to make this item work for your own personal style. Unlike the usual mantra that “a white shirt is a basic that everyone should have” – it’s actually a big fashion statement this season and not a basic at all.

As with all our clothing and accessories, it’s the combinations that will make the difference. There are different shirt lengths to choose from this season – anything from hipbone to knee length will be available. When it comes to your white shirt, think “out of the box”. Here are a few new suggestions:

• Tuck it in (if it’s tailored enough) and combine it with a skinny belt
• Leave it hanging out and pop over a wide waist belt
• Wear a fitted waistcoat over a standard or knee length version
• Layer a lacy camisole underneath your shirt and wear a sleeveless pullover or cardigan on top of that
• Wear a tight, printed baby t-shirt over your white shirt for a bit of extra spunk
• Pop it underneath a sleeveless black shift or A-line dress
• Consider it underneath a black corset if you are truly daring
• Keep it modernly classic underneath a tailored black jacket or completely on it’s own

A white shirt combined with a black layer will give you the best effect. Alternative colour combinations are certainly an option – but black and white remains most stylish this season. I personally have 4 white shirts in my wardrobe because one is just not enough.

These fancy white shirts are available from Nordstrom, but you’ll be just as stylish if you layer a fairly plain version from the Gap or Express.

Mango’s commercial runway looks at reality prices have arrived in Washington! Its location is on the ground floor of the Belle Square Mall in Bellevue. I went there a few days after their grand opening and was greatly impressed. Their store concept and standard of clothing is identical to any one of their branches around the world.

Their trendy and elegant collections remain extremely affordable. I had assumed that Mango’s clothing in America would be more expensive then what they offered in Europe – but the prices seem the same. Their sizes remain small regardless of what is indicated in the size label. Remember that European stores seldom have stock rooms, so if your size is not there, they won’t have it. The company’s philosophy is to keep their clothing exclusive which is why they only bring in about 8 of a style across 4 to 5 sizes. I was already frustrated to find that they had run out of my size in styles that I liked after only 2 days. However, the store replenishes its collections weekly, which always gives you a reason to buy something else!

Mango is planning to open a store in downtown Seattle within a year. It’s well worth a look if you fancy sophisticated high fashion that won’t break the bank.

It’s important to wear the right type of shoe for the shape of your ankle when you are wearing a skirt, dress or walk shorts. Women with fine boned ankles will look best in shoes with dainty ankle straps. A strap enclosing the ankle draws attention to it, making ankle straps an unflattering option for sturdier, less shapely ankles.

The shape of your ankle has nothing to do with your height, weight, or size. If you are a plus-size woman with bony ankles – by all means wear shoes with ankle straps. On the other hand, if you are slim with thicker ankles, it’s best to opt for shoes that don’t have ankle straps.

Because we reveal our ankles more in summer, we have to be particularly mindful of how we dress them. Ladies with less shapely ankles have more options in winter when we tend to cover our ankles up for warmth.

Fine ankles will look great in the Anne Klein sandal on the left, but sturdier ankles will be better off in the Kate Spade slingback on the right (both options available at Zappos.com).