If you live in the Northern hemisphere, you may have noticed that retail stores are full of autumn merchandise. The first item that retailers tend to replenish going into the winter season is jeans. The best assortment of size, length, wash and style is available right now. This does not only hold true for women, but for men and children as well.

Some stores will offer denim specials at this time of year, to help move huge volumes that have been bought in. If jeans for the family is on your shopping list – now is a good time to buy them.

Stylish people are not only well dressed, they are usually also perfectly polished. Style icons like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller that exemplified the “just got out of bed look” are a rarity (and have the advantage of being adorned with designer clothing). The rest of us need to be immaculately groomed.

This doesn’t always come naturally, so here are some tips that will make it easy for everyone: 

• Dress well – your clothes need to be current, fit well and suit your body type irrespective of your fashion persona.
• Stay neat, clean and crinkle free – make sure that your clothes are ironed, stain free and in place when you wear them.
• Wear well cared for clothes and shoes – refrain from wearing anything that’s shabby.
• Make sure your eyebrows and lips are defined – eyebrows frame your face and shaping them is imperative (see “Make-up, or Make-down?“). Nourished lips (gloss or a bit of lipstick) always seem to finish off an outfit.
• Style your hair – acquire a hairstyle that is simple, easy to manage and that you can keep down if you want to. A hairstyle that requires you pull it back with numerous hair slides, clips and anything else resembles clutter (especially if they have to compete with accessories), and clutter is not good grooming. If you are going to pull your hair back, a neat low pony tail with a side parting is always classy.
• Care for your hands and feet – keeping your nails one length is important but wearing nail colour on your hands is not. If you wear open toe shoes – it’s always a good idea to have buffed your feet.
• Accessorize correctly – be mindful of how you match your accessories. Wear pieces that compliment your outfit without resembling a Christmas tree.
• Shave and wax regularly – There is nothing more polished then smooth shiny skin.
• Maintain good posture – standing up straight always makes you look taller and slimmer.
• Wear a scent – people should be able to tell when you have arrived if they can smell you before seeing you.

Looking polished is not just for those that need to look professional. You can look polished while you garden, shop, cook, travel, take the dogs out for a walk or play with children in the park. It’s not about being smartly dressed – it’s about being well groomed.

Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly epitomized immaculate grooming.

Through my experiences as a personal dresser I’ve been relieved to find that I’m not alone when it comes to having fussy feet. There are varying degrees of fussiness and basically 2 solutions:

• Buy comfortable shoes
• Doctor existing uncomfortable shoes

Shoes that are hard on the inside and that lack arch support are a common problem. We are instantly drawn to sneakers because of their cushioning comfort. The good news is that sneaker comfort technology has filtered down to smarter and prettier shoes. Certain shoe brands have specialized in this which doesn’t make thick-soled-caveman-looking sandals your only option. Look for brands like Josef Seibel, Think!, Beautifeel, Oh Shoes!, Indigo, Bally and Cole Haan. Thanks to the fact that Cole Haan is owned by Nike, we can expect to find classy shoes with all the comfort. These brands also offer numerous styles for men.

The bad news is that shoes like this are pricey. It’s the price you are going to have to pay if you have fussy feet!

Chic, comfortable shoes from Cole Haan, Oh Shoes! and Think! They are available at department stores or specialized footwear stores like The Walking Company.

Women are fortunate when it comes to dressing for warm summer weddings and occasions – breezy dresses and open toe sandals without hose is perfectly acceptable attire. Gents, on the other hand are expected to swelter in shirt, tie, jacket, socks and closed shoes unless otherwise stated on the invitation. Are there cooler dressing options for men for formal occasions? This has been a frequent “Ask Angie” over the last few weeks.

Unfortunately, if the dress code is formal, men will still have to bring a dinner jacket, and wear socks with dressy shoes. They can, however, drop the tie:

• The Prada look: An ultra trendy look of black pants, black pinstripe shirt, black jacket and no tie. Alternatively, try an iridescent navy, brown or burgundy shirt instead of a black pinstripe one. As long as the ensembles’ palette is dark and monochromatic, they’ll look formal enough. Tom Cruise often wears this look on the red carpet. It’s a super look for formal evening functions.
• The light suit and bright shirt: A tan suit with any brightly coloured shirt usually works best for this look. It’s always festive to wear a bright colour in summer which makes this ensemble especially suitable.

Dressy collared shirts will allow gents to look formal enough without ties. With a spot of luck there will be air conditioning as well.

The Prada look from Nordstrom, and Light suit with bright shirt from Macy’s, both formal, but without ties.