Team Crossbody or Team Any Other Bag

You are on Team Crossbody if you sport a crossbody bag all or most of the time. You are on Team Any Other Bag if you don’t. Note that any type of handbag counts for Team Any Other Bag. You are also on that team if you don’t carry a handbag at all. 

I bat for Team Crossbody, but this was not always the case. I used to find crossbody bags uncomfortable on my neck and shoulders. I got annoyed with the body of the bag on my hips. But the devil is in the detail. After figuring out the types of crossbody bags that work, the types of straps that are comfortable, and making sure that I don’t pack everything and the kitchen sink into my bags, I am as comfortable as can be. I wear crossbodies 99% of the time because I’m on foot and need my hands to carry other things like groceries, dry-cleaning, packages to return to the post office, and our Yorkie Sam. I LOVE how practical they are. Aesthetically, I also think crossbody bags look great.

Fortunately, all my satchels and clutches convert to crossbody bags so I have the option of sporting them with or without a strap. I also have an assortment of guitar straps that attach to the satchels making them even more comfortable.

Over to you. Do you bat for Team Crossbody or Team Any Other Bag. Tell us why, and no batting for both teams. If you can’t pick a side, sit this one out on the bench where there’s sushi and South African malva pudding in takeout boxes to eat in the safety of your homes.

Outstanding Outfit Bloggers

Striking Patterns and Playful Accents

Christine lives in Stuttgart, Germany, and documents her outfits on her Instagram account. Her relatable style is a mix of casual looks with the occasional dressy accent. Our blogger loves pattern, rocks skirts and dresses, and her gorgeous curls add pizzazz to everything she wears.

Christine Stuttgart - 1

A silky just-above-the knee dress is a great option for a warm day. The silky material has a subtle sheen that makes Christine’s beautiful shiny curls stand out even more. The flattering diagonal sleeves and V-neck create an interesting and structured visual effect. Eye-catching zebra- print pumps with cute bow detailing work great with the black dress, and add a touch of pattern to the look. The light blue handbag is unexpected, and brings softness to the black and white palette. Christine finishes off the look with bright red lipstick.

Christine Stuttgart - 2

Christine has layered a simple white tee under a spaghetti-strap dress with V-neckline. The playful white polka dots on the cinnamon dress echo the white of the tee, as do her white slides with warm gold buckle. The midi dress accentuates our blogger’s waist and flares out for a flattering and breezy effect. A light-wash denim jacket acts as the third piece, and casualizes the look. The tailored fit creates structure. The mustard headband adds casual glam and refers back to the gold buckle on the footwear. Mirrored sunnies, a dainty necklace and red lippy complete the look.

Christine Stuttgart - 3

The full pleated denim midi skirt is the star of the show here. Christine has tucked a blue and white striped slogan tee. Tucking the tee shows the skirt’s self-belt and lengthens the leg line from the hips up. Pairing the polished skirt with white athletic sneaks with light blue accents dresses down the outfit in that on-trend, very-now way. Christine’s circular straw bag echoes the colour of the Paris logo, and gives the outfit that extra Summery vibe. Our blogger’s bright orange-red tassel earrings and green headband are the sassy finishing touches.

Christine Stuttgart - 4

Christine combines her love for The Beatles and stripes in this eye-catching casual outfit. She’s paired the fluid fit white Beatles tee with wide-legged cropped trousers. Semi-tucking the tee exposes the tied belt on the trousers and lengthens the leg line. The graphic black and white stripes further elongate the look. Our blogger’s red and white striped pool slides are a fun and playful nod back to the striped pants, and add punchy colour to the black and white. She keeps the accessories to a minimum with only a dainty ankle bracelet. Putting her hair up adds to the playful vibe, and bright red lipstick matches the footwear perfectly.

Christine Stuttgart - 5

This is a great example of how Christine likes to mix romantic pieces with hard-edged footwear. She’s paired a patterned midi dress with black-patterned pointy-toe boots. The studded buckles give the boots a hard-edged Western rocker vibe that juxtaposes splendidly with the boho-prairie vibe of her dress. The black stripes running down the skirt part of the dress create vertical integrity, while the horizontal set-ins around the collar and hem draw the eye from left to right. Christine accessorizes with a taupe chain-strap bag and toffee headband that echo the colours in the dress. A dramatic dark red lip fits the mood of this outfit perfectly.

Christine Stuttgart - 6

Christine is rocking this romantic Fall look in soft neutrals. She’s layered a dressy white button-down tunic over light-wash skinny jeans. Tying the self-belt in a bow adds to the romantic vibe, and accentuates our blogger’s waist. Tall boots are making a comeback, and this flat pair in a gorgeous light toffee colour works beautifully with the light blue denim. Christine is wearing her hair down and is sporting a jaunty beret, which also plays up the soft romantic vibe. Also note how the beret bookends the boots. A gold bracelet and ring, and fiery red lipstick are the polished finishing touches.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of Christine’s wonderful outfits. Let us know in the comments, and then hop on over to her Instagram account to browse the rest of her looks.

The Pros and Cons of Blazers

A blazer looks like a suit jacket. It’s most often a formal and structured topper, but casual and unstructured versions are also available. Most are lined and made of woven fabric, but knits and unlined versions are gaining momentum. Lengths and fits vary. Tailored and gently fluid fits at hip lengths are the most traditional blazer silhouette.

My clientele run the gamut when it comes to blazers. Some adore them and have a large assortment. Some feel off in a blazer and do not wear them at all. And others keep a few on hand and enjoy the times they come out to play.

Here’s how I would summarize the reasons for this wide range of opinions on the blazer.

Pros

  • It’s a classic with a high longevity factor
  • It adds interest to an outfit and finishes it off
  • It adds polish, dressiness, structure, and a sharp integrity to a look
  • It provides practical insulation, especially in cold, air-conditioned settings
  • It’s a versatile item that can dress up casual bottoms, like jeans, joggers, corduroy and athleisure pants
  • It can effectively streamline the contour of the body
  • It conveys a sense of authority and professionalism, making the wearer feel pulled together and powerful
  • Knitted blazers are soft, stretchy and comfortable

Cons

  • It is constricting and not as comfortable as a cardigan
  • Woven versions can be hard to fit on broader shoulders and a larger bust 
  • It looks too stiff and straight
  • It looks too classic
  • It feels conservative and overly corporate
  • It’s too formal for a casual lifestyle
  • It is an impractical item that is only worn a few times a year
  • It’s not as practical and easy as a coat
  • It’s hard to layer under a coat
  • It’s not as rock ’n’ roll as a moto, aviator, or denim jacket

I love blazers for the advantages I listed, and personally find them comfortable in gently fluid fits. They are practical for my climate, excellent in air conditioning, easy to fit when I pick the right brands, and can layer them under many of my coats.

That said, I am not as fond of classic and simple streamlined neutral blazers as I used to be. I’ve gravitated towards blazers that are playful, bold and energizing in some way, because those are the ones I keep on wearing.

Here is my current collection of blazers. The first four are the ones I wear the most and give me great joy. A thick checked blazer that’s like a short coat, a velvet floral, a navy polka dot, and a denim blazer with a large cuff that you can’t see in the photo. The burgundy pinstripe blazer is part of a matching suit, which makes me happy too. The very old navy Theory blazer is practical for plane travel, so I keep it around. I hardly ever wear the two old Smythe blazers because they are grey and lack the energizing integrity and fun factor I seek in a blazer these days. But I keep them on the off chance that I might change my mind.

Over to you. Do you wear blazers, and how do they feature in your style?

Veronica Beard Aitana Dickey Jacket

Torrid Light Taupe Plaid Double Knit Blazer

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

Read More

Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

Read More

Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

Read More

Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

Read More

Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

Read More

Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

Read More

Shop All the Retail Departments

For the most part, retail is divided into gender-specific and age-specific (adult, teen, child, infant) departments. It’s a way to make stores easy to navigate, keeping large assortments of merchandise simple and organized. That way we can shop more efficiently when we’re looking for something specific.

That said, the winners are sometimes in departments you don’t normally shop. For example, my head is a little on the small side so I sometimes find winning headgear in the children’s department. Here are three children’s hats that fit perfectly and work well for my style. The cream beret was bought in the girl’s department at Nordstrom. Both beanies were bought in the boy’s department at Scotch & Soda.

Some of my clients and friends prefer their V-neck pullovers, flannel pyjamas, scarves, and button-through shirts from the men’s department. Clients with larger heads have found that hats in the men’s section are a more comfortable fit. Some of my very small and petite clients do well with jeans, denim jackets and footwear from the girl’s department. If it works, why not! Leave no retail stone unturned.

Do you sometimes find good wardrobe items from alternative retail departments?

Outfit Formula: Easy Fall Black and Grey

A few of my clients and friends wear black and grey exclusively, throughout the year, with a little white and silver thrown in the mix. This post is for them, and for those who like to wear black and grey in the Autumn. 

These outfits showcase pants, but I’ll cover skirts and dresses in the same palette another time.

1. Sporty Luxe

A Sporty Luxe vibe combines dressy, luxe pieces with casual sporty components to create an interesting juxtaposition that is modern and very comfortable. This outfit is one way to achieve the vibe. Dressy black pants and a grey leopard top coat are combined with black sporty sneakers and a grey hoody. Switch out the sneakers for boots if that’s more your thing. Feel free to add bling and a baseball cap, beanie, or bucket hat.

Banana Replublic Mid-Rise Skinny Sloan Pant

2. Professionally Relaxed

Casual pants made of dressy fabrics are popular because they relax the business wear look. These grey dressy joggers are paired with a black tucked top, and topped with a black leather blazer. A black moto jacket or regular blazer could work too. I like the addition of the dressy black loafers, which keeps it professional without the need to wear higher heels. Nice bookending too. Feel free to sub the loafers for black pumps or boots.

Eloquii Pintuck Jogger

3. Late Summer

This outfit is fab for warm Autumns and incorporates a lot more white than black, just to change things up. Create a column of white with a top and bottom. Any shade of white is fab, and so are jeans instead of pants. Top it off with a pale grey wrap, poncho or jacket, and finish off the look with black mules or the like. The black mules effectively bookend the model’s hair. Alternatively, create a column of black and keep the rest the same, or add silver shoes.

Cuyana Baby Alpaca Square Edge Cape

4. Booted and Sweatered

Combine a pair of skinnies, leggings or jeggings with a black top. Wear the top tucked or untucked. Jeans are a way of adding blue to the mix, which might be your preference. Add a pair of tall black dressy or casual boots and a patterned or solid grey cardigan or sweater jacket. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired.

Ashley Stewart Houndstooth Duster Cardigan