Spain has once again proven that it is the world leader when it comes to the commercial fashion scene for women. Mango is a Barcelona-based apparel chain that operates in 81 countries and 5 continents. Its young and enthusiastic employees’ have an average age of 30 and about 82% are female. It targets demanding modern, urban and cosmopolitan women.

“Mango is dedicated to the distinctive design, manufacture and marketing of clothing and accessories for women only”. Despite their Spanish heritage – Mango is not Zara. The merchandise at Mango is richer, less mainstream and more avant garde. It is also of superior quality and hence more pricey. Shopping at Mango feels like shopping in a boutique – not unlike BCBG stores in America. The good news is that it is completely affordable despite the swanky environment they create for their consumers.

Mango seems to have what it takes to compete with well established brands like Zara (sophisticated fast fashion) and H&M (funky cheap ‘n chic). It is another one of my absolutely favourite shopping destinations – especially good when looking for professional or dressy attire. Make Mango a place to peruse if you are after a runway look at a reality price.

Mango is rapidly expanding into the US market. It has a store in Santa Monica and plans to open stores in LA, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Seattle by the end of the year.

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.