Ten years ago, it was a landslide victory with almost everyone batting for Team Black Neutrals. I’m taking the poll again to see if things have changed. You are on Team Black Neutrals if you prefer to wear solid black and/or black in patterns. You are on Team White Neutrals if you prefer to wear solid white, and/or white in patterns. Note that white includes all shades of white like bone, off-white, ivory and cream. You can still pick a side if you don’t wear black or shades of white — just choose the option that most tickles your fancy.

Ten years ago, I was on the bench because I wore both solid black and shades of white. I also wore black and white patterns, and was happy to have either black or white as the background to a colourful pattern. Slowly but surely, and over the course of many years, I phased out black and replaced it in my wardrobe with dark blue, which I prefer as a dark neutral for my style. I am now at the point where I do not have a single solid black clothing item, and want to keep it that way. I don’t mind a bit of black in a pattern, but prefer to keep it to a minimum.

White wardrobe items have been my thing for a very long time, and across many shades of white. I LOVE wearing white footwear, pearls, jeans, sunnies, bags, and tops. It works well with my complexion, and adds the freshness and crispness I aspire to in my outfits. I bat for Team White Neutrals.

Over to you. Do you bat for Team Black or Team White Neutrals? No batting for both Teams. But if you can’t pick a side, there’s a feast of sushi and edamame on the bench with a gigantic Toblerone for dessert. The big Toblerones taste better than the smaller ones!

I’m pretty sure Team Black Neutrals will once again win the race, but wonder if more people will bat for Team White or Team Bench this time round. Let’s hear it.

Today I want to share two recent style inspirations. One is quite general, and the other is very specific.

I spent a lot of time in the Netherlands last month. As always, I was inspired by how pulled together and interesting people look, in the most practical and real way. The street styles are hip, practical, casual and Trendy Classic. I especially admire how those older than me get on with life with verve, stamina, humour, and a great sense of style. People frequently wear jeans and pants because the Dutch bike and walk almost everywhere, although you see a lot of shirt dresses and flared skirts in the Summer too.

Generally flat, with an incredible system of designated bike paths, the country is set up for biking. It’s a very healthy way of life, and I love it. It definitely impacts what people wear, which is generally casual, current, comfortable, and with shoes that go the distance. My own style is a little dressier, yet I relate to a lot of how people dress in the Netherlands. I aspire to dressing just as stylishly when I grow up.

Second, I’d like to thank an 80-year-old client who I’ve had the pleasure of working together with for fourteen years. She has a very good eye. Five weeks ago, she wanted my opinion on a pair of Pilcro floral slim boyfriend jeans from Anthropologie. She modelled them for me, and I absolutely adored them on her. They are fun, very flattering, fluidly tailored, lightweight, comfortable, and fably on-trend. My client wears them with panache and confidence, which is just how it should be. I could see them becoming wardrobe workhorses for her style, and gave her the big thumbs up. Pandering to my own gung-ho-pattern gene and affection for patterned pants, I got a pair for myself later that week. They were instant Summer favourites that I took with me to the Netherlands, and I’ve worn them many times. Without seeing them on my client, I’d have missed purchasing and enjoying them. Thank you, so much! 

I remix the floral slim boyfriend jeans with a variety of white, blue and blush tops, a white lace camisole, dark and light denim jackets, white sneakers, light blue loafers, and a light blue and blush bag. Here are the exact items from my wardrobe that I used to create outfits with the new blue floral jeans. Yes, I wear denim on denim. Yes, I pattern mix, and yes I’m wearing neutrals from head to toe for a change.

Over to you. Have any inspirations positively impacted your own style recently? If so, feel free to give them a shout-out in the comments below.

A new outfit from Veronica Popoiacu of Bittersweet Colours, whom we introduced to YLF in August 2013.

Veronica’s striking dress steals the show in this polished casual look made for Summer. The sunny marigold is eye-catching, and the design details on this fun frock remind me of 1960s style. The voluminous A-line silhouette and above-the-knee length make it playful. The tiered layers create horizontal lines that are countered by the vertical pleats running from top to bottom. The high neckline creates structure while the flowy sleeves are fluidly dramatic. Pairing the dress with pointy-toed flats in a black and white check pattern is unexpected, and adds extra pizzazz. The white sunnies bring retro glam to the look. And, as always, Veronica picked the perfect bag that both echoes her yellow dress and the colours and pattern of her footwear.

Most of my sneakers are white or blush. They get a LOT of wear because I walk almost everywhere — rain or shine — and they do get dirty. But I like to keep them looking clean and pristine because it amps up the crispness and polish of my style. So I clean them regularly. I do a fair bit of easy and fast daily wiping, and haul out the OxiClean for extensive cleaning.

My sneakers are leather, not canvas. I’ve found that wiping them down with a damp sponge or some paper towel every day, or every few days, takes the edge off the dirt and grime that accumulates over time. It absolutely keeps the white soles looking cleaner for longer. When my sneakers get really dirty, I unthread the white laces and soak them in water and OxiClean for a day. After rinsing and air-drying, I marvel at how sparkling white they are. I also use OxciClean to clean the leather and soles of the sneakers.

Dissolve a bit of OxiClean in water and scrub the sneakers. Scrub the soles vigorously and the leather gently. Allow them to dry in the sun or indoors. Thread the laces back into the sneakers, and Bob’s your uncle. Clean!

Some of our forum members have successfully put their white and light leather or canvas sneakers in the washing machine with stellar results. I haven’t tried this yet, but might do so in future. How do you clean your white and light sneakers?