Outfit Formula: Leopard Skirt and Heels

Leopard patterns are classics, which is why we see them every season and throughout the year. The pattern is versatile, and to some as neutral as wearing black, white and grey. Leopard patterns come in any wardrobe item, but today we’re focussing on the leopard skirt and combining it with heels in a neutral outfit. 

Here are four examples to get you started:

1. Hard-Edged Utility

Combine a leopard print skirt with a white top and olive or tan utility jacket. Finish off the look with heeled black sandal booties or boots to create the hard edge. A black bag and belt are optional. The fluidity of the jacket and A-line skirt are what make outfit proportions look fresh and new. Lots of movement.

ALTUZARRA Caroline Leopard-print Silk Crepe de Chine Skirt

2. Classic Pretty

This outfit creates traditionally flattering proportions, which is just as fab. Combine a leopard print pencil skirt with a tucked black top and fitted black moto. Choose a blazer if motos aren’t your thing. Finish off the look with red heels and bag. Easy to pull together.

Eloquii Neoprene Pencil Skirt

3. PlayfulLy Prissy

This version is fashion-forward. Combine a straight or flared leopard skirt with a slogan tee or sweatshirt. Semi-tuck the tee or sweatshirt if it’s too baggy. Finish off the outfit with dainty black heels like sandals or pumps, and throw in a structured bag. A fun juxtaposition of items.

CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC Leopard Print Cotton Full Skirt

4. Elegantly Pattern Mixed

The last version combines a bombshell bottom half with a relaxed top half. Dressy meets sporty in a sophisticated way. Wear a tight leopard skirt with a tee, and drape a pattered pullover over your shoulders. In this case we have leopard squared. Finish off the look with dressy black heels and bag. Or throw in some red if you dare. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired.

FIVESEVENTYFIVE Ruched Leopard Print Midi Skirt

Weekly Roundup: Vince Camuto

Vince Camuto is one of the more affordable brands found at retailers, especially when you score it on sale. They offer extended sizes in the clothing options, which is reason alone to like the brand. The vibe is mainstream and wearable. Lots of classics and trendy pieces. Quality is fairly good, although inconsistent at times. Fits run large or true to size. 

Here are some Vince Camuto items that have worked well on clients recently.

  • Vince Camuto Stripe Asymmetrical Hem Dress: This dress looks clingy, but it's not thanks to good drape and fit. The knit is quite substantial and forgiving. The diagonal lines do an excellent job of creating interest and streamlining the silhouette. Comes in regular sizes. It's BLUE and not black.
  • Vince Camuto Revey Wedge Sandal: Orange Sandal Wedge Fabness. Cute, comfy, different and runs a size big.
  • Vince Camuto Indigo Released Hem Denim Jacket: Fun tough denim jacket with stretch so it's soft and comfortable. Moulds to the body, and the wash is lighter in person. Runs a size large.
  • Vince Camuto Geo Asymmetrical Dress: I haven't seen this dress in person yet, but it has potential and comes in two colours. The centre front seam creates great vertical integrity, and the handkerchief hem is fab in motion. Great on a curvier body type.
  • Vince Camuto Vince Camuto Asymmetrical Hem Scuba Crepe Sheath Dress | Nordstrom: A substantial knit scuba dress that works on a range of body types because the stretch of the fabric moulds to the shape of your figure. Good structure and comfort. Nice cool colours too.
  • Vince Camuto Parisian Crepe Blazer: Modern Classic Blazer Fabness. Easy, versatile and flattering. Nice Summer weight for the office. Comes in five colours.
  • Vince Camuto Breshan Ankle Strap Espadrille Wedge: An espadrille sandal and sneaker hybrid that looks unique, especially in earth tones. Comfy on a regular volume foot.
  • Vince Camuto Polka Dot Sleeveless Blouse: An excellent essential to wear as is or under jackets and blazers. Packs well for travel and looks sharp. Easy to launder. Works extremely well on petites. Runs a size big. Comes in plus.
  • Vince Camuto Ruched Detail Top: A soft and comfy knit top to wear under a jacket or on its own. The V-neck and ruching detailing are extremely flattering, and not too low. Comes in black.
  • Vince Camuto Textured Foulard Jersey Maxi Dress: An easy and flattering casual dress that can be hemmed to any length if maxis aren't your thing. The V-neck and midsection ruching create excellent structure in a non-clingy way. Comes in animal print, and plus sizes. Might run a size big.
  • Vince Camuto Keannie Sandal: Classic Sandal Bootie Fabness that can work on a wider foot. Lots of fab reviews and colours. I like the pink and vanilla.
  • Vince Camuto Stencil Stripe Ruched Sleeve Tee: One of the best structured knit tops I've seen this season. Soft and lovely fabric that's not too clingy. Very fitted and a little dressier. The ruched sleeves are pretty, different, and a nice length. They work well on both broader and narrower shoulders. It runs TTS and not large as Nordstrom suggests. Comes in white. The regular size works well on petites. Fab under jackets. It's crisp and polished, and therefore unexpectedly found a home in my wardrobe.
  • Vince Camuto Floral Mesh Ruffle Sleeve Top: I enjoy a good mesh top because the fabric does not crease. If you liked those iconic Sweetpea tops from way back when, you might like this. Very flattering on petites in the regular size, and it does not run large as Nordstrom suggests. V-is not too low.
  • Vince Camuto Vice Camuto Stripe Crepe Fit & Flare Dress: I haven't seen this dress in person yet, but it has potential. The play of horizontal and vertical stripes looks interesting. Probably best on someone a little shorter in the waist and décolletage with a regular size bust. Comes in plus.
  • Vince Camuto Vince Camuto Cap Sleeve Drape Front Dress | Nordstrom: Easy, arty, fun drape, and very comfy. Fab over leggings, or as is. Dress it up or down. Breezy yet structured. Size down. Read the rave reviews.
  • Vince Camuto Button Front Shirtdress: A classic shirtdress in a fun lilac pinstripe. The ruched effect of the stripes is genius, and interesting. Can work well on a straighter or curvier figure because of the fluid shape. Forgiving on midsection bits, but does narrow at the waist. Fab as a tunic worn over cropped straights too.
  • Vince Camuto V-Neck Rumple Satin Blouse: A repeat silhouette with good reason. An excellent essential to wear as is or under jackets and blazers. Versatile, easy and flattering. Comes in an assortment of colours and patterns.
  • Vince Camuto Bristie Sneaker: A comfy soft slip-on sneaker for a wider foot. The pearl grey is versatile and pretty for Spring and Summer. Can fit an orthotic.

Go to the collection page if you would like to see the images alongside my descriptions.

Team Store or Team Online

You bat for Team Store if you prefer to shop in brick-and-mortar stores for your wardrobe and style needs. You bat for Team Online if you prefer to shop online. We last ran this poll in 2010, and Team Store won the race. But shopping has changed enormously over the last ten years, so I’m very interested to see what happens this time round. 

The variety, practicality, privacy and convenience of online shopping cannot be beat. There are extended size curves and colours. There are no sales staff if you prefer to bypass them. You can avoid traffic, crowds, bad weather, and public dressing rooms. It’s an ideal way to shop if you’re physically not up to browsing city stores. And it’s fun to see boxes arrive on your doorstep.

Shopping in brick-and-mortar stores on the other hand can be more of an exhilarating and social experience. You can touch, feel, assess quality, and fit items on right away thereby making a decision about them. You avoid the guessing game of size and quality when you see an item in person before purchasing it. There are no shipping costs, and you avoid the tedious repetition of opening and resealing boxes.

I LOVE to shop in brick-and-mortar stores because I enjoy the atmosphere and activity. I adore shopping with clients and fab shopping buddies because it’s fun, rewarding, active, and frequently the way I make my bread and butter. I adore to shop when I travel so that I can bring back interesting treasures and sentimental souvenirs.

That said, I’ve grown to appreciate online shopping because half the time it’s the only way I can find the right size, fit, colour and vibe. Retailers seldom carry the full spectrum of sizes, widths, lengths, colour options and silhouettes that I need in city stores. But I do have the option of getting exactly what I need and want online. It’s amazing! I’m grateful for the large assortment, availability, and that shipping in the US is very easy and often free.

I can’t pick a side so I’m sitting this one out on the bench with garlic and honey baked chicken, wild rice, steamed broccoli, and Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Over to you. Do you bat for Team Store or Team Online. Tell us why. No batting for both teams, but feel to join me on the bench.

Roundups

Simpler Items

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

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Assorted Items

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

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Casual Summer Vibes

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

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Summery Earth Tones

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

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Hints of Spring

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

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Dressier Items

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

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The Challenging Longevity of Pristine Knitwear

Knitwear that pills gets my award for most frustrating quality challenge. These days there is zero guarantee that knitwear won’t pill. I’ve bought designer and budget knitwear that pilled after a couple of wears. I’ve also bought designer and budget knitwear that’s pill-free after several years of wear. 

I used to think that a particular type of wool or fabric composition caused pilling, but threw that theory out the window after seeing too many exceptions. I’ve had 100% acrylic, merino, cashmere, cotton, and lambswool pullovers that haven’t pilled at all. I’ve had the same that have pilled awfully. I’ve bought fabric blends that have pilled badly, or not at all. It’s all terribly, terribly inconsistent. The only yarn that I can confidently say will pill after a couple of wears is cheap cashmere. Don’t buy it unless you don’t mind pilling.

Generally, most of my knitwear begins to pill a little after two to three years of wear. I take my wool-rich knitwear to the cleaners where they do a brilliant job of de-pilling the item. Items look pristine after their magic touch. I launder cotton and cotton-rich knitwear myself, and so far, the pills have been minor to non-existent.

I am extremely impressed with the following pullovers from my wardrobe that haven’t pilled at all. Not a hint of pilling, and I’ve worn most of them till the cows come home. Some of the items are new this year, and others are at least six years old. Most are at the two to four year mark, and looking good. My point is that the brand, price point, colour and fabric composition runs the gamut. From 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander McQueen and Bella Freud, to COS, Reiss, Boden, Ann Taylor, the Loft and the Gap. Fabrics range from 100% cashmere, merino and cotton, to polyester/cotton/nylon blends.

Bottom line: pilling involves more luck than wisdom, unfortunately. It’s important that my knitwear looks pristine for longer because it amplifies outfit polish and crispness. I wear a lot of knitwear and loathe pilling. So last year I came up with a personal knitwear purchasing strategy that’s working so far. I’m far less frustrated with quality issues, and can continue to enjoy my knitwear.

Here’s my strategy:

  • No more pricey designer knitwear despite how gorgeous it is because the possibility of it pilling after a couple of wears makes me too angry.
  • No cheap cashmere.
  • Purchase wool and wool-rich knitwear from a shortlist of brands who haven’t let me down in the past.
  • Freely purchase 100% cotton and polyester/cotton/nylon blends from a range of brands because the likelihood of them pilling is far lower.

I wish I could suggest a flop-proof way to purchase knitwear so that it won’t pill after at least a few years of wear – but I can’t. The best I can do is pass along info after I’ve road-tested the items and hope for the best. Taking good care of knitwear by laundering it properly also helps, but is no guarantee.

Over to you. Tell us about your knitwear pilling experiences.

Outfit Fomula: Wrap Skirt

These looks have one item in common: a wrap skirt. But the outfit vibes are very different because wrap skirts come in many variations. The way you style the skirt sets the mood of the outfit. Change up the colours and patterns to match your taste. 

1. Classically Crisp

If you enjoy wearing dressy classic structure, this look is a good way to go. It combines a simple A-line wrap with a tucked silk blouse and trendy footwear. Pointy-toe heeled mules, sandal booties, booties, ballet flats, pumps or sandals are great shoe options.

TORY BURCH Ruth Stretch Cotton-blend Wrap Skirt

2. Florally Tough

If you’re a casual gal with a hard edge, try combining a floral wrap skirt with a tee or knitted top and chunky black combat boots. Here, the tee is tucked, but you can semi-tuck, or wear a top that does not require tucking. Black combat boots work particularly well when there’s black in the pattern of the skirt. The pink bag is a fun touch.

MARQUES' ALMEIDA Floral-print Asymmetric Cotton-voile Wrap Midi Skirt

3. Romantically Ruffled

This is an unusual combination because it combines a wrap skirt AND a wrap top in a positive and negative pattern. The effect is like a two-piece dress. The wrap skirt does not have a bulky tie at the waist, which makes wearing a top over it okay. The wrap top fits very fluidly like a kimono. But a tailored version will probably be easier to wear. To my eye, the fact that the wraps fasten on the same side of the body is important. Add footwear that works with the outfit.

Zara Ruffled Floral Print Skirt

4. Casually Elegant

A Friday outfit formula would not be complete without a version with sneakers because sneakers are the shoe of our fashion era. Combine a wrap skirt with tee and sneakers, and Bob’s your uncle. The faux wrap skirt here makes things streamlined and easy. The tucked white tee is sporty yet polished. The white sneaks are crisp and pick up the white of the top. Of course, you can choose any colour tee and sneaks. But when their colours match in some way, the outfit looks visually pulled together.

Mssguided Plus Size Khaki Polka Dot Wrap Over Midi Skirt

I like the idea of a patterned ruffly wrap midi skirt with ample movement for Summer. I’ll wear it with a basic body-con tucked top and white pointy-toe ballet flats, loafers, sandals or sneakers. I’ll top it off with a denim jacket, cotton moto, or chore jacket in air conditioning.