Outfit Formula: Pale Pink Coat

Pale pink clothing is an acquired taste. Personally, pale pink is one of favourite pastels, along with light blue. I find it very versatile, and quite “neutral”. It works with sour brights, earth tones, jewel tones, dark neutrals and light neutrals, so take your pick. Pale pink is soft, sensual and pretty visually, and can work beautifully in a hard edged look too. That’s why pale pink makes sense as a coat. Years ago, I had a classic pale pink wool coat that I wore into the ground. I’m on the look out for another because I’d wear it into the ground again.

There are countless ways to incorporate a pale pink coat into outfits, and you don’t need to wait till Spring to sport it. Wear a pale pink coat in Autumn and Winter because why the heck not! Here are four easy ways to wear a pale pink coat to get you started.

1. Casual and Comfy Grace

Combine a pair of blue jeans with a burgundy printed or solid blouse or sweater. Add white sneakers or another type of casual shoe, and top it off with a pale pink coat. Feel free to wear burgundy, tan or blush footwear instead of white.

RACHEL Rachel Roy Wubby Jacket 1

2. Trendy Hard Edge

Combine cropped black pants or jeans with a top in a shade of white. Add trendy black boots or oxfords, and top things off with a pale pink coat. The black bag picks up the black in the rest of the outfit, and adds the hard edge. The white adds a crisp touch. Perhaps you’d like to wear a column of black under the pink coat, and add statement jewellery or belt hardware for textural interest. Personally, I’d throw in white boots and bag that match the white top.

NANUSHKA Alamo Robe Coat

3. Frocked and Sneaked

This is the easiest outfit formula of the four. Throw a pale pink coat over a dress and add sneakers or other footwear that works with the outfit. In this case, the dress is a burgundy floral, but you can wear any colour or pattern that you think works with pale pink. Add hosiery for warmth.

RACHEL Rachel Roy Wubby Jacket

4. Business Casual

Combine a black skirt with a grey top. Finish off the look with black footwear, a pale pink coat, and a bag that works with the palette of the outfit. This is my favourite of the four combinations because it’s dressy, pretty, and exudes a retro, modern and relaxed elegance. The grey pullover is a comfy and casual pairing with the voluminous midi. The pale pink coat screams dressy glam. I love that the model was styled with dressy black flats instead of heels. Feel free to add sheer black or nude-for-you hose for warmth. Add jewellery, eyewear, head gear and watch as desired.

Kate Spade Faux Fur Trim Coat

Cropped Welted Sweaters Are Fab with High-Rise Bottoms and Skirts

High-rise jeans and pants are the new normal in fashion. The point is to showcase the length of the high rise by wearing tucked and semi-tucked tops, or wearing untucked cropped sweaters. 

Cropped sweaters can be very short and midriff baring, which are hard to wear unless you’re confident exposing most of the midsection. A slightly longer cropped sweater with a fluid fit and tapered welt is a much easier silhouette to wear because it covers and camouflages most of the midsection, while exposing the rise of the bottoms. The sweater is sufficiently short to be worn over a high rise without covering it up. The welt on the hem of the top tapers the garment and gives it structure.

Cropped welted sweaters can be fluid or very fluid. Some are shorter, and some are longer, creating a blouson effect. Most are long-sleeved because they’re meant for cooler weather, but versions for warmer weather will pop up soon. This collection shows an assortment of cropped welted sweaters.

Shopbop
Joie Yerrick Sweater
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3

1. With High-Rise Pants

Here the cropped welted sweater is pulled far up the waist to make it look even shorter. But you can pull it down a little over the waistband and achieve the same blouson effect while showcasing most of the high rise WITHOUT the tuck or semi-tuck. Unless you wear a camisole, you might expose a little skin when you bend over or reach up high, and you’ll need to be okay with that.

& Other Stories High Waist Gingham Pants

2. With a Flared Skirt

Cropped welted sweaters work extremely well with flared skirts that usually need a tucked or semi-tucked top to create flattering proportions. The tapered welt does a magical job of adding structure to the outfit because it hints at a waistline. The cropped length of the sweater adds further structure and lengthens the leg line. The high yet open boat neckline here works well on the model’s larger bust and shorter neck. Cropped welted sweaters look great with pencil skirts too.

SHEIN Plus Eyelet Detail Textured Crop Sweater

Fab Find: Hurraw Lip Balm

I’m a bit obsessed with keeping my lips moist so I use a lot of lip balm. I also apply lip balm before applying lipstick because I like the texture and dulled effect of the lipstick. I have lip balm stashed away all over the house, in my bag, and in the car so that I can moisturize at any time. 

I used to be a loyal Labello lip balm user because I found it the most moisturizing and long-lasting. But a friend recently gifted me with Hurraw’s lip balm, and now I like that better. It’s even more moist, lasts forever, and I like the sheen on my lips. It turns out that my friend saw the Hurraw lip balm in an “earl grey” scent and thought of me, since I’m a tea pot and Earl Grey is my favourite tea. It’s always nice to be thought of and surprised.

I later learned that Hurraw lip balm is made of organic ingredients, vegan, and cruelty-free. Even better. It comes in a slew of scents that are extremely subtle. There’s an unscented option if that’s your preference. What’s your favourite lip balm?

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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My Fashion Era Nostalgia

I am very nostalgic about my favourite fashion eras, which are the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. I thought that most people shared the same emotion, but as it turns out, relatively few people have fashion era nostalgia, and very few are as nostalgic as I am. 

When I see fashion and style from from my favourite fashion eras, I feel a surge of positive emotion. A happy excitement runs right through me, and I want to wear the items again — but with a big dose of modern and current so that I don’t look lost in a time warp. Maybe I feel this way because I’m an extremely sentimental person.

I was born in 1970 and was blessed with a very happy childhood. Part of this happiness came from seeing my Mum and her friends rock their glam ‘70s fashion with verve and panache. I was in awe of their beauty and style, and wanted to look just like them. All these years later, and those ‘70s childhood images are as vivid and aspirational as ever. That’s why I’m nostalgic about ‘70s fashion and like to incorporate it into my style.

I wasn’t around for the ‘60s, but seeing photos of my Mum & Dad in that era — as well as in many movies — pulls at my heart strings. I used to watch ‘60s movies with my late Mum, and together we would passionately “ooh and ahh” at how incredibly well dressed everyone was. These are happy moments that I hold in my heart forever, and why the fashion era is special to me.

I was a teen and student in the ‘80s. Although the years were amongst the most challenging of my life, I LOVED the fashion and the music. The tough times were thankfully juxtaposed with the very best moments. The decade touched my soul like no other fashion era, and that’s why I am the most nostalgic about the ‘80s. I liked the early ‘90s because it was very ‘80s, and I loved the Seattle grunge music scene. I incorporate the ‘80s aesthetic into my style because it rekindles these euphoric feelings, which makes me happy. It also makes me chuckle and shake my head at the types of cringe-worthy things I thought and did at the time — all of which still make me smile.

Case in point when I saw these new season items, I was instantly excited because they’re deliciously ‘80s and bring back very happy memories. Back in 1985 with the help of my Mum, I made a pair of pants just like the pink plaid, but in a turquoise tartan. I had a red top very much like the the puffy sleeve darling back in 1983. I lived in athletic white hi-tops as a student in the late ‘80s. The jeans are styles I loved to wear back then too. The bias-cut skirt is a little later in the ‘90s, and I loved wearing the silhouette. I want all these items in my closet right now!

I will wear a look from a past fashion era that I’ve worn before and enjoy it just as much as I did then. Maybe more, because I’m more comfortable in my skin now than thirty years ago. Are you nostalgic about fashion eras? If so, which ones?

Weekly Roundup: Winter & Spring Refresh

Spring and Summer collections are making their mark, although there’s lots of Wintery merchandise too. It’s all good depending on whether you want to refresh for a long and cold Winter, or get cracking with Spring and Summer. 

Here are items that have been winners on clients and forum members recently.

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

Zappos
Naturalizer Selah
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8
Boden
Elodie Wrap Top
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6