Many of my business casual clients can wear a leather, pleather, Ponte or knitted type of a moto jacket instead of a blazer to work as a topper. It gives their blazers a break, makes them feel less classic, more fashionable, and changes things up. Most look for a lightweight and streamlined moto with fewer bells and whistles, minimal hardware, and in a tailored fit. Black, navy, grey, olive, taupe and burgundy motos are the most popular. Some have thrown teal, purple, blush, cream and red motos into the business casual mix. Shorter motos work particularly well with dresses and skirts, which is an outfit formula I covered last week.

I found fab examples of business casual moto looks with pants. Two of the renditions incorporate jeans because some of my clients can wear black or white jeans to work (but not blue). Allow the combination of silhouettes to inspire you, and sub your colours and patterns to suit your taste.

1. Simon Le Bon

If this outfit were black and white, it would be very similar to what the lead singer of Duran Duran wore at his 1985 concerts. High-waisted, baggy, pleated and tapered FULL-length pants with a tucked top and short boxy jacket scream the ‘80s. The combination is hip and trendy in 2019, and looks fably fresh. The high waist and tucked top are an acquired taste, and best suited to a longer torso. Sub the mock T-neck with a neckline that’s more to your taste. The Western boots add an on-trend touch. The full-length pants and high waist elongate the the leg line. The collarless moto is great on a shorter neck. A wonderful androgynous look.

2. Playful Wide Crops

This is my favourite of the four because the jacket is bright and white footwear is my thing. That said, you can wear the look in your colours. Combine wide crops with a shorter top, a moto, and tailored booties or pumps. Feel free to tuck or semi-tuck the top, or leave it untucked. The tie-waist on the crops is not essential.

3. Wide Legs & Dressy Flats

It’s fresh and fun to see tailored wide legs worn with dressy flats, which to my eye looks just as professional as pumps and dressy boots. Tucking the top elongates the leg line from the hips upward, which is an effective styling tool when combining flats with wide legs. Choose a shorter top if tucking and semi-tucking is not your thing. The black moto adds hard edge, and the white loafers soften things right back up. You could sub oh-so-trendy white sneakers for the loafers – but that would not be business casual.

4. Earthy Graphic

Combine white jeans with a black top, black boots, and finish off the look with an earth-toned moto. Throw in a bag that tickles your fancy. Brown looks serene, and black works with the palette. I’d have thrown in a burgundy, navy or red bag.

Clients who wear black or white jeans for business casual make sure the denim is polished and not distressed, which keeps the vibe dressy and professional, but in a more relaxed way. You can pop a roomy puffer, cape or cocoon coat over the top for warmth if you need the extra layer.

I’m very much enjoying “The Artisans“, a photo documentary series on The Guardian website that portrays artists and craftspeople in their working environments to learn more about their processes and working methods. Not all of them are style-related, but they are all wonderful. Have a peek:

Silversmith Shona Marsh creates jewellery and lifestyle objects out of fine metals, woods, crystal and gemstones. The modern and timeless designs are made by hand using traditional silversmithing skills.

Here you can see how a master watchmaker and an antiquarian horologist restore antique and vintage timepieces, and design and build their own watches.

Fab Links from Our Members

Nemosmom wanted to share this article about the pleasure of sitting out a trend.

She also thought this sobering look at our cycle of return-happy shopping was interesting.

Finally, she and Suz both enjoyed this article about the rise of second-hand shopping.

Shevia thought this was a good overview of the various misdeeds and overall problem in the fashion industry.

Wise Shopper directs us to this skin-care related article: “I didn’t know much about light therapy, and found it pretty interesting.”

Barbara Diane found this video fascinating: Dutch artist Suzanne Jongmans recreates/reinterprets old masterpieces using recycled packaging materials.

High-rise pants and jeans are once again a mainstream trend. It’s getting harder and harder to find mid-rise bottoms, so grab them when you find a good pair. Most of my clients enjoy the high rise because it girdles midsection extra bits, or “the bits” as one of my clients calls them. It also minimizes muffin top. They can wear tops untucked over high-rise bottoms and feel comfortably structured.

The point though, of the fashionable high-rise bottom is to wear tops tucked/semi-tucked or to wear cropped tops so that the high rise is exposed. This means exposing some midsection extra bits without the coverage of a top, which puts some my clients off. It’s understandable. I want my clients to feel fabulous and confident in their outfits so that they can forget about them and get on with life. I don’t want them to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable for the sake of fashion.

That said, some of my clients with midsection extra bits are rocking exposed high-rise pants and jeans with tucked and semi-tucked tops. They neither have flat tummies nor smooth waistlines, and look absolutely fabulous. They feel confident too. It just goes to show that you don’t need to be void of midsection extra bits to wear the fashionable look. This throws a spanner into the so-called golden mean of beauty and body type, and I LOVE THAT.

Shapewear can smooth out midsection extra bits, but it’s not essential. Wearing substantial panties with a high rise can do the trick. Wearing flimsy low-rise panties with high-rise bottoms can accentuate lumpage and bumpage so be mindful of that. The high-rise panty keeps the waistbands of panty and bottom in the same place which smooths out the belly area in an effective way.

Semi-tucking a fluid top into high-rise bottoms will expose the high rise, and camouflage midsection extra bits above the waistline. The right semi-tucked fluid top with a lower neckline can work for a larger bust. It lengthens the leg line from the thighs upward. It also makes a short waist look longer than when a top is fully tucked. Semi-tucking is a magical styling technique that works more often than not, so keep it in mind.

And last, the rounded belly is quintessentially female. I see many women across a spectrum of sizes wearing body-con outfits with round and far from flat tummies – and they look great. These outfits are much tighter and less forgiving than wearing an exposed high-rise bottom with a fluid semi-tucked top. Yet they are unaffected, confident, and proud. Power to them. That is stylish.

London-based Patricia B. (24) is a full-time blogger who documents her outfits over at Peexo. She is an on-trend dresser who loves all things animal print and has made hoop earrings a signature part of her style.

“I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with my style but through the years I’ve become more in sync with what works for me and what looks good (in my eyes at least!). I would say my style is somewhat girly but with an edge — and pretty casual too, I love jeans and jumpers!”

Earth tones meet soft edge in this cosy Fall look. Patricia is wearing tapered faux leather trousers with an on-trend paper bag waist. Tucking the beige mock neck sweater emphasizes the waist and shows the full details of the tie-waist trousers. Pairing the cropped trousers with black suede booties visually lengthens the leg line, and adds extra textural interest. So does the cosy teddy coat in a shade of rust that is unexpected mixed with the beige sweater. A simple gold necklace and large hoop earrings add subtle bling. The faux leather newsboy cap bookending our blogger’s footwear is the playful finishing touch.

Patricia built this outfit around a black and brown tiger print mesh wrap dress that she bought for an evening out. To dress it down for daytime (and to keep warm), she layered it over a fitted black turtleneck sweater. The black is then repeated in her croc pointy toe booties that add subtle shine. Patricia’s long brown teddy coat works well with the midi length of the dress, and adds another shade of brown into the mix. She accessorized the outfit with a black crossbody, thick gold hoops and an oversized initial necklace that fills the V-neck of the dress perfectly.

Patterns are one of the big trends for Spring/Summer 2019, and Patricia is very much on board:

“I’m looking forward to animal print filtering through to spring/summer this year. It’s one of my favourite trends (even when it isn’t considered a trend) and I always find a way to incorporate it in my style. Whether it be with a pair of shoes, coat or with my accessories.”

A pantsuit in an unexpected colour, like this rust-coloured number, makes a fun statement. The wide-legged pants have an on-trend high rise and sweet tortoiseshell buttons that echo the buttons on the blazer. Patricia casualizes the suit by wearing it with a simple white T tucked into the trousers. This showcases the high waist and lengthens the leg line from the waist up. Ladylike leopard print slingback add dressiness, and echo the tortoiseshell buttons on the suit. Patricia continues that theme with her statement earrings. Dainty necklaces, coral lipstick, and a chain-strap crossbody complete the look.

I had to smile when I read Patricia’s honest account of “what not to wear skiing.” While her cute outfit didn’t quite cut it for a visit to a Scottish ski resort — despite layering with warm thermals — it would work nicely for a cold day in London. She’s wearing black faux leather leggings with a grey cashmere turtleneck sweater. The waterproof Sorel boots keep our 5’9 blogger’s feet dry, while the olive adds a subtle colour kick. The wave-effect faux fur coat has a collarless design which gives more room to layer with turtlenecks and scarves. The white, grey, black and tan colour palette is eye-catching, and works well with Patricia’s neutral-coloured scarf. Her tan gloves match the tan in the coat perfectly. The bright cable-knit beanie with oversized pom-pom is the cheerful finishing touch.

Boiler suits are big for Spring 2019. Patricia choose a streamlined cord one that creates a texture-rich effect. The rich navy looks beautiful with our blogger’s brown hair, and details like the built-in belt add visual interest. Patterned footwear is an easy and effective way to jazz up any outfit. Here, Patricia has rolled the hems of the tomboy-esque boiler suit to showcase a pair of kicky leopard print block-heeled booties. The resin ring handles on her bucket bag complement the brown footwear. Patricia adds a pair of trademark hoop earrings, and red lipstick, and is good to go.

I love the “positive-negative” effect of Patricia’s elegant two-piece dress. She’s wearing a Dalmatian print blouse with white background that is playfully matchy-matchy yet not the same as the Dalmation print skirt with dark background. Tucking the blouse streamlines the look, and shows the flirtly flounce of the midi skirt to the fullest. Our blogger’s black croc booties make their second appearance, adding soft edge to the ladylike outfit. The black satchel works well with the elegant vibe of the outfit, so does Patricia’s pulled back hair. Her brown maxi coat subtly introduces a third colour into the mix. Patricia finishes off the look with go-to gold hoops and signature red lippie.

Let us know what you think of Patricia’s wonderful style in the comments, and be sure to check out the rest of her lovely outfits on her blog.