New York City-based Dayle is a retired advocate and public speaker. She now work as a docent in a New York art museum, and documents her outfits on artfulcitystyle. Dayle is an arty, avant-garde dresser who loves drape, layering, voluminous silhouettes and asymmetrical details. She has a closet full of unique pieces in countless patterns and colours, and a collection of one-of-a-kind accessories to match. Her exuberant curls and bold eyeglasses are also very much a part of her delightfully individual style.

“I have always had my own way of putting things together. My style is definitely art-inspired and I love to go for the dramatic. I love strong colors, mixed patterns, and architectural lines. Of course, as a New Yorker, I do have my share of black, which is a great backdrop for accessories. Style is all about self-expression. When I see a piece of clothing, I immediately think about how I could play with it. That is where the creativity comes in. Accessories are definitely the key. I can start with a scarf or piece of jewelry and build a whole outfit around it. Mostly, dressing up is about having fun — playing with colors and patterns and textures and shapes.”

Matchy-matchy in autumnal colours. Wearing an asymmetrical tunic over barrel-shaped trousers in the same geometric pattern creates a cohesive and visually interesting ensemble. The uneven hemline and extra length on the tunic create a dramatic effect. The asymmetrical hem draws the eye upward and is vertically flattering. The flowy trousers add movement and volume, which is tempered by the top’s tailored fit on the shoulders. Dayle’s ankle-strap pumps match the black in her outfit and bookend her specs and jewellery. The low-vamped footwear also lengthens the leg line. Our blogger finishes off the look with a pile of chunky bangles, super long earrings, arty glasses and raspberry lipstick.

A statement dress if there ever was one. Dayle combines her love of colour and pattern in this playful voluminous dress. The waistband is slightly more fitted which adds a bit of structure, and the explosion of different patterns is reminiscent of an artful quilt. The black leggings and booties echo the black in the dress, as does the black background on the polka dot scarf. The silver metallic fold-over flap on the booties adds subtle shine. As always, our blogger’s attention to detail is impeccable. Here Dayle’s red and black rimmed specs are an exact match to her scarf. Red lipstick and fabric bracelets are the colourful finishing touches.

Dayle loves bold colour but as a true New Yorker also wears black regularly. Here, she’s sporting knee-high black boots with a fit-and-flare dress in a soft fabric that drapes beautifully. The jagged, diagonal lines of the handkerchief hem give it structure by breaking up the expanse of the solid colour. The glitzy gold accents that create an architectural pattern break up the black. Also note that however minimal or maximal Dayle goes, she often colour coordinates her accessories to the rest of her outfit, making everything come together brilliantly. Here the black and gold bangles in solids and various patterns and our blogger’s statement earrings do the trick.

Layering is one of Dayle’s go-to ways to create visual interest, and she has a closet full of unique pieces to do it with. Here’s she’s put together a column of black with a turtleneck top and soft, flowy trousers. The ruching on the top and subtly asymmetrical hems on the trousers add interest to the solid black. Our blogger then picked an avant-garde jacket with statement red and black pattern as her third piece. The bold topper is fitted on the shoulders and voluminous everywhere else with a drapey shawl collar and wide origami-esque pockets. True to form, Dayle bookends the jacket with red wedge sandals and a one-of-a-kind oversized necklace in shiny silver and red. Dayle’s arm candy and arty specs match the necklace. As always, her signature curly bob adds a great deal of textural interest to the mix.

Avant-garde Summery volume on volume. Dayle is wearing wide-legged trousers in the new shorter full length with a breezy elbow-length A-line top. The exaggerated volume of the pinstripe pants is tempered by the asymmetrical hemline and cut-away detail on the top. The graphic vibe of the baggy trouser pockets juxtaposes cleverly with the frilly ruffle on the top and Dayle’s delightfully exuberant curls. Pewter sandals with wide straps work well with the pinstripe, and once again our blogger uses unique accessories to further put her own stamp on the look. The whimsical green and yellow necklace has a folklore feel to it, while the bangles bring a more architectural vibe to the mix. Leave it to Dayle to complete the look with green-rimmed glasses that match the rest of her accessories.

Earthy, rich mustard combines beautifully with black in this “reverse matchy-matchy” outfit. Dayle is sporting a long-sleeved top with sharp asymmetrical hemline that features a single bold black stripe and subtle black accent on the neckline. This colour palette is reversed on the bottom in our blogger’s black lantern trousers with bold graphic mustard stripes. The reversed yet same colour palette brings the look together. The cropped trousers show off black ankle-strap pumps that lengthen the leg line. A patterned scarf in warm cinnamon, black and mustard complements the palette of Dayle’s outfit. Her trademark arm candy, oversized hoops, dark red lippy and another pair of gorgeously unique specs create a cohesive finishing touch.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of Dayle’s brilliant arty style. Let us know in the comments, and be sure to browse the rest of her amazing outfits on her Instagram account.

On December 4, Greg’s Mum passed away. Her given name was Maureen, but everyone called her Tuppy. The loss is immense, and we are deeply saddened that she’s no longer with us. This post is my tribute to a woman that I have known since I was 17, and has been like a mother to me since my own mother died almost twenty years ago. 

I won the lottery when I married Greg. And part of the winnings was getting the best Mother-in-Law of them all. Tuppy was modest and reserved, but the more you got to know her, the more you realized how fabulous she was. Kind, wise, confident and very down to earth. Tough and strong, yet soft and gentle. Extremely sensitive, kind, loyal, and generous. So, so grateful and appreciative of the smallest things in life. Always full of compliments, and awfully gracious. She saw the best in people, and made the most of every situation. In the 32 years that I knew her, I never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word. Her wicked sense of humour and glorious mischievousness were the cherries on top.

I have high energy levels, but they were no match for Super Tuppy. She was a bookkeeper by profession, but also a tenacious and hard-working entrepreneur who, together with husband Gerald, successfully started and operated several small businesses, while raising two children and running the home. She was the rock of the family, loved and respected by all, and an incredible role model to me.

There was no end to Tuppy’s talents. She could cook, sew, knit and garden with the best of them. But she could also lay concrete, draw electrical wiring diagrams, weld metal, and she had her skipper’s license. She could do arithmetic faster than you could use a calculator. She loved games of all descriptions, and kept Greg on his toes at long distance as they played iPhone games like Words with Friends and Letterpress while living on different continents.

Tuppy’s favourite colour was yellow. She loved tea and cake. The pets in her life were treated like royalty. So it’s no wonder that we got on like a house on fire. We enjoyed the same types of food, music and movies, and both loved to travel. I loved to spend time with her, because she was so fun to be with. We enjoyed so much laughter together and she was a wonderful listener. She made you feel like you mattered.

May the sweetest, most selfless person I know rest in peace. I’m privileged to have known her, and to have meant something to her. I loved her very dearly, and will hold my fond memories of her close to my heart. I will miss her precious, incomparable presence in my life.

This is a photo of Tuppy back in Cape Town in 1960, just after she got engaged to Greg’s Dad, Gerald. It captures her quiet, strong beauty, both inside and out.

Raise your hand if you wore flowing midi dresses with Dr. Martens or rugged flat, stompy boots back in the ‘90s. Even I wore the look, but with brown boots instead of the usual black. My dresses were as floral as can be. Perhaps you wore a midi skirt with stompy black boots instead of a dress. However you wore the vibe, the outfits in the collection showcase a look that might bring back memories. The juxtaposition of pretty dress and tough boots is fun and interesting.

Nordstrom

Topshop Ribbed Long Sleeve Funnel Neck Midi Sweater Dress

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3

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Topshop Ditsy Meadow Ruffle High/Low Skirt

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2

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Free People Heartland Long Sleeve Velvet Midi Dress

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2

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Topshop Leopard Satin Flounce Skirt

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3

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Topshop Cut And Sew Animal Print Long Sleeve Midi Dress

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1

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Topshop Long Sleeve Acid Wash Drop Waist Midi Dress

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1

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Topshop Ditsy Floral Flounce Midi Skirt

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3

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Topshop Long Sleeve Acid Wash Drop Waist Midi Dress

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1

Nordstrom

Topshop Heart Satin Flounce Midi Skirt

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3

Shopbop

Stine Goya Clarabelle Dress

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3

Shopbop

Petersyn Lorna Dress

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3

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Tibi Split Neck Sequin Dress

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3

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Essentiel Antwerp Tekken Long Dress

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1

Shopbop

Free People Retro Romance Midi Dress

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1

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Ganni Printed Cotton Poplin Skirt

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2

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Custommade Vila Skirt

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Shopbop

3.1 Phillip Lim Window Pane Trench Skirt

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3

Shopbop

Rag & Bone Rower Skirt

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4

Shopbop

ANINE BING Bar Silk Skirt

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6

Shopbop

VELVET Calley Skirt

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5

Shopbop

BB Dakota Ruched Awakening Skirt

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Shopbop

Muse Scarf Skirt

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Shopbop

Muse Camo Handkerchief Skirt

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Nordstrom

Akris Punto Starry Sky Tiered Tulle Maxi Skirt

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The outfit formula is easy: 

Midi dress + stompy boots + topper + accessories

Midi Dress

The dress has to be midi length because that’s the point of this formula. Think smart casual, casual, or even cocktail styles. Sweater dresses can work too. Personally, I like the vibe best when the dresses are flowing as opposed to tight sheaths.

Stompy Boots

These should be flat with chunky or less chunky heels/soles, and with a higher shaft than an ankle boot. Black is the classic norm, but white looks fresh, fab and crisp. Metallic is sweet too.

Topper

If you live in a mild climate, motos, denim jackets, aviators and blazers look great over a midi dress. If it’s cold, you’ll need a puffer, maxi coat, or knee-length coat.

Accessories

Finishing off the look with hosiery for warmth is ideal. Wearing decorative scrunched socks is another way to go. A scarf and hat can work, and might be necessary for warmth. Add a bag that works with the look, and add jewellery and watch as desired.

This week’s poll is about your pants and jeans preferences, and more specifically about the widths of their hems. You are on Team Tapered Hems if you prefer pants and jeans with narrower hem openings. You are on Team Wide Hems if you prefer the hems of your pants and jeans a little or a lot wider. Note that the distinctions are trickier than they seem. For example, trendy pants and jeans at the moment can be baggy and pleated on the hips and thighs but taper to a narrower hem. This silhouette qualifies as a tapered hem even though the silhouette is roomy. Bootcuts are very fitted on the hips and thighs, but flare out from the knee to a wider hem. Bootcuts therefore qualify as wide hems.

Silhouettes like skinnies, jeggings, leggings, jodhpur pants, harem pants, lantern pants, cigarette pants, boyfriend jeans, joggers and narrow straight legs fall under tapered hems despite the fact that some of the silhouettes are very roomy. Silhouettes like bootcuts, baby bootcuts, wide legs, wide crops, palazzo pants, cropped flares, culottes and wide straight legs fall under wide hems because the hems flare out instead of tapering back in towards the body.

Despite the fact that fashion has generally been moving away from skinnies, cigarette styles and tapered hem silhouettes, I’m willing to bet that Team Tapered Hems will win this poll. Pants and jeans silhouettes with wide and roomy hems is where it’s at trends wise, but the tapered hem is more practical, streamlining, less fussy, and easy to style. Most of my clients have included wide hems back into their styles, but continue to enjoy tapered hems. A handful of clients only wear wide hems and welcomed the less trendy skinny and narrow straight leg with open arms.

I’m on a current wide hem kick. I’ve bought many pairs of cropped flares, wide crops, a pair of bootcuts, and very roomy straights over the last five years. I’ve also bought a few pairs of full-length denim wide legs. But I continue to enjoy tailored and dressy cigarette pants and straight legs and added a few more of those to my wardrobe this year too. I enjoy a wide hem as much as a tapered hem, so I’m sitting this one out on the bench with butternut and orange soup laced with lots of ginger and cumin, cheese tosties, a crisp green salad, and Greg’s delectable lemon meringue pie with perfect ginger crust for dessert.

Over to you. Do you bat for Team Tapered Hems or Team Wide Hems? Tell us why and no batting for both teams. But feel free to join me on the bench, although I have dibs on seconds of my favourite pie.