It’s hot in most of the northern hemisphere, and we’re probably ready for cooler weather. Here are some houndstooth looks to get you into an Autumn mood. Houndstooth is a two-colour pattern made up of a broken check. The repeated geometric shape of the check looks a little like the shape of a tooth, which is how the pattern got its name. The most traditional form of houndstooth is black and white.

These houndstooth outfits are a little different to the norm. If black and white houndstooth is not your thing, feel free to sub the doggietooth for a colour that’s more to your taste.

1. Houndstooth Dress

This is the easiest outfit to pull together. Combine a houndstooth dress with black boots and topper. Add a bag, some jewellery, and you’re good to go. Here, the dress is a midi and the boots are tall and dressy. The topper is a short black vest. Instead, you can wear casual boots, keep them short, and choose any type of black topper that works with the dress.

2. Houndstooth Skirt

This outfit has interesting layers, and adds earthy olive and deep red to the graphic black and white. The skirt is an interesting combination of TWO patterns. There is a false plain micro houndstooth as the top layer, and a silky geometric layer that drapes underneath it. The larger pattern has an olive component. To match the olive, the skirt is topped with an olive twinset that’s belted at the waist with a red belt. The belt adds colour and waist definition. The long end of the belt draws the eye up and down creating vertical integrity. Tall dressy red boots match the belt and bag. Personally, I LOVE the addition of the high-contrast red complement! But opt for something brown, black, white, or olive, if you prefer a more neutral palette.

3. Houndstooth Jacket

You can wear black pants, white jeans, or blue jeans with this outfit. Or you can throw in a pair of bright red, green, pink, cobalt, or purple pants. Keep the layering top a solid black or white if that’s your preference. Personally, I love the outfit the way it is. If you do too, combine a patterned black and white tee with a houndstooth jacket. Wear that over a pair of bright pants. Finish off the look with black or white shoes. The lilac bag is an unexpected and fun addition. Feel free to sport a bag that picks up one of the colours in the outfit instead.

4. Houndstooth Pants

And last, here are three patterns that vary in scale, two of which are houndstooth. A micro houndstooth pair of pants is combined with a large black and white geometric pattern. It’s topped with an olive coat with houndstooth trim. The patterns harmonize because their colours are the same. The micro check is a false plain, which allows the eye to rest. Silver pumps add bling and glam, and pick up the silver buttons on the coat. The red bag adds some colour, as do the teal heels of the pumps. Mismatched matchy-matchy, for the win. Add jewellery, watch, and eyewear as desired.

I’m sharing three articles on different style-related topics I quite enjoyed reading this week:

“The Man Who Amassed 10,000 Vintage Scarves (and Wrote a Book About It).”

“‘Wild’ And ‘Chaotic’: Inside the Job Of A Nail Polish Creator.“

“How Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Recreated a Real-Life Dior Runway Show.” (Have you seen the movie?)

Fab Links from Our Members

Suntiger thought the “Señora Era” is somewhat like the Latin American version of “Coastal Grandma.”

Related to this, Minaminu came across this article in The Guardian: “I’m shocked: Britain’s ‘coastal grandmothers’ on becoming TikTok style icons.”

Jaime thought this was a good one for those who love to “overanalyze” their style.

Which led her to this older article: “In 2021, We Finally Have the Words to Talk about Personal Style.“

Which in turn, led her to “My Closet Was Holding Me Back. I Purged Half My Clothes. First I Panicked. Then an Unlikely Guru Appeared.”

This blog post on Instagrammers over 50 by Alyson Walsh is tempting Runcarla to join up.

Angie found this perspective on the labeling of “straight sizes”, and why the author refuses to use the term, food for thought. 

Vildy is enjoying how this YouTuber breaks down different trends, like this one about dressing like Ralph Lauren ads.

Subsequently, she stumbled upon this Instagram account that focusses solely on vintage Ralph Lauren ads.

One of the biggest factors impacting our style is our climate. A wardrobe must reflect our dominant season in order to be functional. Shopping for an imaginary climate makes little practical sense. 

When our climate changes, we must adapt our wardrobes accordingly. Sometimes the changes are subtle, and sometimes they are dramatic. Sometimes we enjoy the wardrobe changes, and sometimes we don’t.

For the last three years, Summers in Seattle have been hot and record-breaking. No longer mild, we are experiencing heatwave after heatwave, and it’s Summer weather right through to September. We used to be wearing boots and Fall clothing the second week of September, but not anymore. 

Adapting to this new normal, I made it a style goal to embellish my hot-weather capsule. I added some pretty, breezy tops, a bias-cut skirt, two dresses, and two pairs of sandals. I’ve also been wearing my old long denim and white shorts from my beach capsule. I will continue embellishing my hot-weather capsule next year, because I’ve passed on some dresses that will need replacing. I hope to find fab non-neutral dresses, a white dress, another skirt, dip my toes into the soft wide pants trend, throw in another pair of long shorts, and refresh my beach and pool capsule.

The alarming impacts of climate change aside, I do enjoy Summer dressing and the wardrobe changes I’ve made. Our Winters are also wetter and snowier than they used to be. But I have my cold-weather dressing formulas down, and simply replenish and refresh as needed.

Over to you. Have you needed to adapt your wardrobe to a change in climate? Are you adding more hot-weather items like I am?

Fifty-something Debra Da Costa lives in New York City, and runs her own made-to-order clothing brand, La Canuck Kreyòl. Sporting her own creations, she wears one-of-a-kind pieces. Debra loves bright colours and creative pairings, and documents her outfits on Instagram.

“One of my fondest childhood memories is watching my mom make quilts by hand. Yes, by hand! She would use a variety of fabrics to make one quilt, which could take months. I loved the different prints, colors and hues, and textures. I was seven years old, and through this experience, my love for vibrant colors and fabrics was born.

As an avid shopper of designer threads, I used to experiment with and closely follow the latest fashion trends. But my style has evolved over the last five years. I now love to balance low- and high-priced fashion. Because of my attention to detail and obsession with striking colors, and funky prints, making clothes that I can’t find from my favorite brands or stores has become a must. As a result, I have been able to express my personal style rather than being boxed into the fast pace of fashion.

Today I would describe my style as versatile with a consistent bold undertone, and unabashedly unique with a touch of edge. And, who knows, my style may evolve in another five years. That is what I love about fashion.”

Debra’s lace sunflower blouse is a bright ray of sunshine in this casual denim outfit. She’s layered it over a black camisole tucked into on-trend and extra slouchy boyfriend jeans. The distressed denim dresses down the look while the unique blouse adds back some dressiness. The black cami matches the black flower hearts, and makes the sunny yellow sing even louder. The broad cuffs on the jeans showcase vibrant red pointy-toe cowboy boots. The red footwear and lipstick addition makes the yellow pop even more. Finally, our blogger’s gorgeous curly blunt bob amps up the WOW factor.

Debra wears neutrals and colours equally well. Here she’s paired a black tiered midi skirt with a cap-sleeved chambray shirt and black leather peplum belt. The two tiers on the skirt add volume and movement. The wide belt accentuates our blogger’s waist, and by dividing up the shirt into two parts creates the clever optical illusion of two extra tiers. This draws the eye up and down. She adds some pattern with playful black and white gingham peep-toe wedges. The gold hardware on the structured satchel, black and gold cuff bracelets, and gold watch add polished shine. Debra’s signature bright red lippy finishes off this dressy skirt look.

A patchwork dress is an easy way to pattern mix as it comes with a built-in mix of different patterns. Debra’s loose-fitting midaxi dress is easy breezy for hot days. The patches create a high contrast with each other, yet look very intentional and coherent at the same time. The flouncy elbow-length sleeves add playful volume. Our blogger takes the pattern mixing a step further by pairing the dress with black and white block-heeled sandals that combine stripes with polka dots. The shoes echo the polka dot patches and striped necktie of her dress, which ties everything together. A dressy black satchel and red lipstick complete this delightful Summer outfit.

Debra’s extra slouchy boyfriend jeans make a second appearance in this borrowed-from-the-boys look. Here, she’s wearing them with a vibrant orange crew neck sweatshirt and voluminous mixed-media bomber jacket. The bomber with high-low hemline is a mix of silky olive material and cream teddy fabric. Olive and black booties add hard edge and bookend our blogger’s dark curls. The neoprene in darker olive relates back to the jacket. The distinctive rubber tip matches the black on the circular patterned tote bag, that creates subtle texture. Orange red lipstick matches the sweatshirt and adds bright polish.

This eye-catching monochromatic look in different shades of red is divine! The combination of cool and warm-toned reds creates visual depth and interest. Debra is sporting a tomato red midi pencil skirt with flirty flounce. Her unique cherry red jacket with dramatic collar and brick-esque pattern adds tons of visual interest. The self-coloured belt cinches in the waist and adds structure. Round-toe platform booties introduce a third shade of red into the mix as they almost but not quite match the colour of the skirt. Then Debra skilfully adds two more reds with her crossbody bag and moody dark red lipstick.

Another striking skirt outfit, this time built around an olive above-the-knee flippy skirt with asymmetrical flounce. Debra has paired it with a black ribbed sweater with big turtleneck. The vertical ribbing has a lengthening effect. Our blogger’s hard-edged black rubber Chelsea booties with cheery chartreuse sole cleverly echo the colour palette of the skirt and sweater. Her midi colour-blocked coat adds gorgeous colours that work brilliantly with the base colours and brings maximal drama to this fashion-forward look.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of Debra’s stunning outfits! Let us know in the comments, and be sure to browse her Instagram account for loads more style inspiration.