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.

• Banana Republic High-Rise Straight White Ankle Jean: Straight legs are more fashionable than skinnies. These are fairly substantial, and not too see-through, although the pocket linings grin through a little. Might need a back waist alteration on a curvier body type. Might need to size up. Not overly high in the rise. On sale.
• Naturalizer Selah: Extremely comfy and sleek sneaks to wear to the office with a dressier support act for a Sporty Luxe vibe. Of course, great with casual wear too. Comes in black and wide widths.
• Banana Republic High-Rise Straight Ankle Jean: Straight legs are more fashionable than skinnies, and so are higher rises. These work well on a curvier body type and aren't too high. The distressing is even and quite flattering. On sale.
• Madewell Double Hoop Earrings: Refined hoop earrings that look a little different. Great price.
• Madewell The Brady Lowcut Bootie: These versatile well-made shooties are a repeat style that look sharp in a smart casual way. They work quite well for a narrower heel. Best on regular volume feet. Very comfortable, and come in black and brown.
• Treasure&Bond Treasure & Bond Crewneck Sweater | Nordstrom: Super cute, crisp, simple and very comfy Spring pullover that comes in yellow, green and navy too. Runs a size big.
• Street Level Street Level Bowtie Faux Leather Clutch | Nordstrom: A sculptural clutch that looks even better in person. Has a strap. Great price.
• Street Level Street Level Straw Crossbody Bag | Nordstrom: Adorably Chic Straw Bag Fabness.
• Banana Republic Vegan Leather Jacket: A FAUX leather moto-lite jacket that looks better in person. Sharp and nice quality. Works well on a larger bust and shorter neck. Quite structured, and light enough to wear indoors. Minimal hardware is good for business casual. Comes in black.
• Everlane The Soft Cotton Crew: These short welted pullovers are fabulous to wear over skirts, culottes and high-rise pants. They look best UNTUCKED, and unfortunately, they've been styled tucked in the stock photo. Comes in an assortment of colours. Nice quality.
• SOREL Phoenix Lace Up Boots: If ever there was a chunky combat boot that I would wear - this is it. Comfortable, crisp and weatherproof. Works for an assortment of foot shapes because of the flexibility of the lacing. Nice quality.
• SOMETHING NAVY Something Navy Patch Pocket Coat (Nordstrom Exclusive) | Nordstrom: A very lightweight, unlined and cosy mustard topper that works on a variety of body types. Streamlined yet fluid.
• City Chic City Chic Mesh Romance Tunic (Plus Size) | Nordstrom: Playfully structured, fashionable and interesting. Read the rave reviews.
• Topshop Topshop Slouchy Denim Boilersuit | Nordstrom: Very trendy, fun and fab on a narrower boyish figure. Looks amazing with white boots. Might need to size up.
• Topshop Topshop Tie Dye Bias Midi Skirt | Nordstrom: A crisp and fab bias-cut skirt that is a remarkable fit. Drapes like a dream and feels like a luxe piece. Curvy gals try it too. It's doing a marvelous job of gliding over curves in a flattering way. VERY long, but easy to hem.
• Boden Elodie Wrap Top: Versatile, flattering, and works well on a curvy body type. Great layer under jackets. Comes in four patterns and goes up to a size 18.
• Karen Millen Abstract Pleated Midi Skirt: Sunray pleated skirts in interesting patterns that lie quite flat are rare and this one fits the bill. Pleated on the bias in a swirly diagonal stripe is extra interesting and with busloads of drape. I want this skirt.
• Karen Kane Karen Kane Asymmetrical Turtleneck Sweater | Nordstrom: Cosy, comfy, and a little architectural. Like the structured drape, and that it can be worn out. VERY casual. Comes in pink and read the raves reviews.
• Standards & Practices Standards & Practices High/Low Denim Shirtdress (Plus Size) | Nordstrom: Denim Dress Fabness. Works on a curvier and straighter body type. Love the high-low hemline. Can be worn over black leggings, cropped flares, or cropped straights.
• UNIVERSAL STANDARD Universal Standard for J.Crew Chevron Long Puffer Coat (Plus Size) | Nordstrom: An extremely flattering puffer coat for those without a defined waist. Excellent on apple-shaped body types. That said, I've seen it work on a defined waist because of those magical chevron diagonal lines.
• UNIVERSAL STANDARD UNIVERSAL STANDARD Long Sleeve V-Rex Tee (Plus Size) | Nordstrom: A fabulous simple V-neck tee is not to be underestimated. This one ticks off the boxes although it only comes in two colours. Structured, yet forgiving. V-neck not too low.
• Foxcroft Foxcroft Michaela Solid Tie Front Shirt (Plus Size) | Nordstrom: A fun belted shirt that only belts in front so that it's less fussy. The tie lies flat. Good structure and works on a slew of body types. Best on those with a defined waist.
• Karen Kane Karen Kane 'Maggie' Three Quarter Sleeve Trapeze Dress (Regular & Petite) | Nordstrom: I like this dress best as a tunic. Comes in plus sizes. Fab over a pair of patterned or bright cropped straights. VERY comfy, and flattering on most body types because of the heft in the fabric and great drape. Controlled easy volume.
• Maggy London Maggy London Laurel Faux Wrap Maxi Dress | Nordstrom: A good dress for Team Tall & Broad Shoulders. Flattering and forgiving of midsection lumpage and bumpage. Good on a shorter neck. Works well on a curvier body type. Beautifully structured, yet forgiving.
• Maggy London Maggy London Print Scuba Dress (Regular & Petite) | Nordstrom: Fab dress on an inverted triangle or rectangular body type with a shorter neck and larger bust. Works on a gently curvy body type too. Fabric has substance and stretch. Great for the office. V-neck is not too low. Can be worn with a cami.
• White House Black Market Tweed Sweater Moto Jacket: Best tweed moto of the season. GORGEOUS stretch tweed fabric, and flattering fit. Rich navy. Must size down.
• White House Black Market Draped-Front Floral Top: This top looks better in person. The asymmetrical pleating is architectural and clever. It's the kind of top that works well under a jacket, but looks fab when you take off the topper because it has interest, coverage, and a good fit. Streamlining, yet forgiving of midsection bumps. Easy to pack and launder. Comes in black.
• Chelsea28 Chelsea28 Plaid Blazer | Nordstrom: The blazer has GREAT back and front panel and topstitch detailing that doesn't come through in the photo. Lined, quite well made, and works on a straighter and curvier body type.
• Equipment Equipment Essential Silk Blouse | Nordstrom: STUNNING classic silk blouse with a punchy graphic floral pattern. Easy to pattern mix. Gorgeous quality.

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

Karl Lagerfeld passes away, a sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand from the BBC, the Met Museum’s new exhibition, and other style news that caught our attention in February.

• Madewell has launched a sustainable swimwear collection for which all pieces are made from recycled plastic.
• Target is coming out with three new lingerie and sleepwear collections.
• The BBC is launching a sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand based on its Blue Planet and Planet Earth series, in an effort to capitalise on viewers inspired by the shows and presenter David Attenborough’s warnings about the effect humankind is having on the world.
• Renowned fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has passed away at age 85.
• After the designer’s death, Chanel has appointed Virginie Viard and Eric Pfrunder as new artistic directors.
• The Met Museum will showcase the power of camp in its new exhibition.
• Style influencer and sister of Jackie Kennedy, Lee Radziwill has died at the age of 85.
• Victoria Beckham is launching her own beauty brand.
• British department store Selfridges will stop selling exotic skins by 2020.
• Gap is planning to spin off Old Navy into a separate public company.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that back in the day modelling for a Paris couture house like Dior was an exclusive job? Each designer had their own select group of models, and each garment shown by the model would be made to her exact body measurements. Moreover, the model would receive a commission if the garment sold well.

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.