A functional and versatile wardrobe has items that relate to each other. They can be mixed and matched to create outfits that look and feel great. One way to create such a wardrobe is through building and wearing what I call complements. 

A complement is a small group of accessories and footwear that match in colour, pattern or vibe, and can be worn together. Adding the items from a complement to an outfit makes it look more cohesive and gives it a punchy finishing touch. I create seasonal colour complements with footwear, bags, scarves, belts and sometimes eyewear.

It’s become second nature for me to shop deliberately as I create and embellish these complements. For example, I recently embellished a cold-weather blush complement. I bought a big pink cashmere scarf at this year’s NAS, which I knew matched the pink Furlas I had at home. Coincidentally, the scarf and bag also match an old cream beanie with pale pink pom-pom. Last week I committed to a pair of pale pink boots which perfectly match the rest of the items, and completes the complement. I can wear two to four items of the complement together, adding it to a slew of outfits. The exact items are shown in the collection.

Over the years, I’ve intentionally built cream, orange, watermelon, navy, chartreuse and citron Winter accessory and footwear complements with trendy classic and smart casual pieces. Some of them include polka dots but for the most part they are solid. I wear these complements over and over again, and year after year until they wear out (or the shoes no longer work for my feet). They don’t look dated, and add a grounding and fun aspect to my Winter looks. Plus, they are very practical, since I walk around in the elements many times a day. I’m thinking of building turquoise, shocking pink and red Winter complements too. But all in good time.

Here’s my very well loved citron and chartreuse complement. Sometimes I wear only two of the items at once, but have the option of wearing all four. I do enjoy items that match.

I’ve been looking for pale pink cold-weather boots and hi-top sneakers for years. Along with white, blush footwear is a wardrobe essential for my style. I haven’t found the right hi-top sneakers yet, but I have found the boots. They are Frye’s Billy Inside Zip Bootie that I got on Amazon for half the price. 

After a little doctoring with some additional insoles, they are very comfortable, the perfect-for-me heel height, and fit well. They are adequately crisp and refined for my sartorial preferences, and awfully pretty in the pink. They are a trendy classic, so I won’t get bored with the way they look. They are an exact colour match with two old blush handbags. They are perfect, apart from the impractical pink suede and my urban walking lifestyle in rather wet Seattle.

I wear white footwear year round and manage to keep them looking pristine, but pink suede is much harder to keep clean. I thought long and hard about it, and decided to keep the impractical purchase for the following reasons. First, it’s very hard for me to find comfortable shoes that look pretty, fit well, and that aren’t sneakers. Second, I’m spraying them with Suede & Nubuck Protector to help them stay clean and repel water. Third, I’ll wear them less frequently, and definitely not in the rain. Plus, I’ll keep looking for a pair of workhorse blush hi-top sneakers to do the dirty work.

As much as I advocate a practical-for-you wardrobe that you wear with joy, meets your needs, don’t save for good, and goes the distance — we’re allowed a few impractical purchases too. The occasional impractical purchase can be therapeutic and make fashion and style more fun. Wardrobe items do not need to achieve workhorse status to be winners. It can be special to save some items for good.

This is one way to wear an easy, smart casual Autumn look in mild Fall weather. Or, if you’re in the southern hemisphere, wear the combination for Spring. These are neutral earth tones, but you can wear any colour palette in any season as long as the items and fabrics work with the temperatures of the day.

Combine a pair of cropped, on-trend relaxed straight leg jeans with a swingy knitted or woven earth-toned poncho top. Keeping the top’s sleeves tailored and slim allows for the easy layer of a topper, like this moto jacket for cooler evenings and mornings. The tailored sleeves temper the volume of the top. Wearing a structured topper further tempers the volume. But if the top is overly voluminous for your liking, wear something more tailored. A blazer can work as well as a moto.

Finish things off with cognac footwear like these peep-toe booties, cut-out booties, regular booties or loafers. Add a bag to match the shoes, or throw in another neutral. Add jewellery and watch as desired.

Every year, more than 2 billion pairs of pantyhose end up in landfills after only one or two wears. An ambitious and clever Katherine Homuth wanted to change that pattern of waste. Her wild idea was to create indestructible tights, and Sheertex was born. Say goodbye to disposable hosiery, and hello to sustainable tights that last.

Ethically manufactured in Montreal, Canada, Sheertex created a knit made of the fibres used in bulletproof vests. Sheertex items are antimicrobial and water-resistant. The patented material is the base of their products, and they’re finding more and more uses for it.

Sheertex uses the extra material from their production process to make new products like masks, headbands, scrunchies, and underwear, thereby minimizing waste. Although I see socks in the assortment, I don’t see my beloved knee-highs, and hope that’s one of the products in the up-cycle pipeline.

Sheertex’s current assortment is size and gender-inclusive, and thumbs up for their diverse set of models. The collections include multiple shades of nude, some patterns, sheers, opaques, shaping options, thigh highs, footless tights, and half & half sheer looks. Prices are high, but reasonable if the items last as long as advertised. You’re spending $60 to $100 on a pair of hose that you can wear for years. I have a bit of a hard time getting my head around that, but it sounds good in theory.

Sheertex are unable to accept products for return or exchange, so review their size charts carefully. They do offer a 30 day warranty if you find that your sheers have sustained damage that makes them unwearable within 30 days of receiving them. I will be giving Sheertex a try the next time I need a pair of sheer hose.