In writing about a recent closet edit, I mentioned that I kept some infrequently worn wardrobe items. They are in excellent condition, fit well, look great, and most importantly continue to spark joy when I wear them. For a variety of reasons, however, they don’t get much wear. 

I don’t worry about items that don’t get much wear, as long as I love them and feel fab wearing them. Usually, I’m very into wearing my newer items, which does mean that older items can fall by the wayside. But infrequently worn wardrobe items often come back into favour, which is why I hold onto them.

1. Skirts & Dresses

These are more formal pieces that come out from time to time. I bought them knowing they’d be worn infrequently. I’ve worn the skirt, and a few lace dresses with denim jackets to work with clients and out to dinner in the past, and enjoyed the outfits. I might do that again next year with my new pointy-toe ballet flats since I no longer wear heeled ankle strap pumps.

2. Jackets

These jackets are old, and very old. The first ten year old navy jacket is a beautiful, well-made, tailored piece that I used to wear a lot with skirts and harem pants. Then I got into longer, more fluid jackets so it fell by the wayside. The Theory blazer in navy is eight years old and fell out of favour because I went off modern classic blazers. It’s impeccable, and I knew I’d wear it again. I did just that recently when I combined it with my new flowing navy 3.1 Philip Lim high-low midi skirt. The combination feels fresh and new, and I adore it. The seafoam moto is four years old and is seldom worn because I’m no longer into leather jackets. I’ll wear it from time to time because it’s a gorgeous colour.

3. Suits

I have a funky black Summer ruched suit with cropped pants that I bought in Tokyo six years ago. It’s fitted, gorgeous fabric, unique, and looks fabulous. I’m not into wearing much black right now, although the shorter sleeves and pant hems show a good bit of skin which offsets the black. It’s somewhat sentimental so I’m never passing it on. The mood might strike me to wear it at some point, and I’m looking forward to the day.

4. Jumpsuit

I’ve had this Summer jumpsuit for four years and worn it twice. It’s the most impractical, uncomfortable, and fussy item in my wardrobe, but quite spectacular if I don’t drink fluids, dodge the loo, and keep my movements to a minimum. It’s hemmed for two inch heels which I seldom wear, so there’s that too. (Ideally, I need to have the suit hemmed for one and half inch heels). It’s a Modern Retro item with a high longevity factor so it won’t date. I see no reason to pass it on because at some point I’m going to want to wear the fun piece, even if it’s just to a ‘70s party.

5. Outerwear

I’ve had the earthy cape for three years, and knew it was an impractical Seattle topper before I committed to purchasing it. It’s too long to drive in, and not very insulating for city walking. It’s not the best item to wear indoors when I’m out and about either. That said, it’s a fun Modern Retro piece that won’t date, and I love it. I won’t be passing it on because it sparks joy staring back at me from the coat closet. My ten year old arctic Soia & Kyo puffer is immaculate, impeccable quality, and fits like a dream. I have a newer arctic Soia & Kyo puffer in ink blue that I wear instead so this one fell out of favour. I much prefer dark blue to black, so it’s a no-brainer. But the old black puffer is a very practical, quality piece that I cannot part with. And it’s good to have a spare in the coat closet.

When you have a moderately sized wardrobe, you can’t expect every item to be a workhorse, especially when there are formal and some less practical pieces in the mix. But you CAN expect every item to spark joy. As long as I have the storage space and the items fit, aren’t dated, and are in good nick, I’m keeping them.

A sustainable children’s collection at H&M, a new fashion documentary series, and more news from the fashion trenches this month.

• Grace Coddington, former creative director at Vogue, is hosting a new fashion documentary series for M2M.
• H&M is collaborating with the World Wide Fund for Nature on a sustainable collection of children’s clothes.
• J.Crew has launched its Fall Mercantile collection on Amazon.
• Orla Kiely has closed its stores and website in the UK and Ireland after parent company Kiely Rowan went into administration.
• As part of the new brand direction, Club Monaco is releasing a dual-gender capsule.
• Burberry is ending its practice of burning unsold clothes, bags and perfume, and will also stop using real fur after criticism from environmental campaigners.
• Target is bringing out a new collection that focusses on workwear and everyday essentials.
• Madewell is branching out into home goods.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that the word duffel bag refers back to the town of Duffel in Belgium, where duffel, a coarse heavy woollen material with a thick nap, has been made for more than five centuries. The duffel bag may take its name from the fabric, but it may also come from another meaning of duffel: i.e. “transportable personal belongings, equipment, and supplies.”

We see animal print every season, but this year it’s on steroids. The plush and furry leopard coat or jacket is a Trendy Classic with a high longevity factor, although it’s having a fashion moment in 2018. One of countless ways to wear animal print, the leopard topper makes a loud and strong statement. It’s an acquired taste and one I enjoy seeing because it reminds me of the ‘60s and ‘70s (a few of my favourite fashion eras).

Here are four ways to wear a leopard topper with neutrals that are easy to pull together. The leopard prints are earth-toned, but feel free to create a similar look with leopard prints in other neutrals or non-neutrals.

1. Stripes & Jeans

Leopard print and stripes are classic patterns that work well together, especially when the palette of the patterns are similar. The repetition of the black in the leopard print and stripe creates a cohesive statement. It’s further complemented with black footwear. Tucking or semi-tucking a top to showcase a high rise is a trendy statement, but you can leave the top untucked. Wear full-length or cropped jeans in a silhouette of your choice.

2. Pattern-Mixed

This outfit takes pattern mixing a step further and is not for everyone. It combines the leopard print and stripe we saw in the first example, and adds a floral. The black across all three patterns AND the footwear unites the items, gives the eye a chance to rest, and creates a combination that is just cohesive enough. The tucked top, shorter coat and heels elongate the silhouette.

The remarkable part about this outfit is how it combines four Modern Classics to create a funky, arty, chic and creative vibe. It’s all about HOW you put items together that makes the difference.

3. Column of Colour

Columns of colour are an easy go-to way to create a long lean line and calm down the hectic pattern of a topper. Here, the column is black, but it can be just about any colour. It’s nice to see a skirt in the mix, but jeans and pants work as well. The topper is more of a jacket, which is better than a coat. That way you don’t need to remove the jacket indoors, which would take the punch out of the look.

4. High-Waisted Jeans & Black

Combine a high-waisted pair of full-length or cropped jeans with a tucked or semi-tucked top. Repeat the black in the shoes. Layer the leopard top over the lot and Bob’s your uncle, it’s that easy. Add jewelley, bag, watch, headgear and eyewear as desired.

I bought a new leopard coat from Boden which is not as high contrast as the ones you see here. I can easily put the first look together, which appeals to me most since I adore the pattern mix. I have options across blue, faded blue and black jeans. I’ll change the footwear to white, add pearls, and either a light blue or tomato red bag to make the outfit more to my taste. I adore the rendition with the floral skirt, and would like to add something like that to my wardrobe too. In the meantime, here are the exact items from my wardrobe to create the look.

According to The Guardian there are four main camps when it comes to boots this Autumn: knee-high, ’80s ankle, western, and hiking.

Refinery29 rounds up 15 pairs of hiking boots that can be worn off the mountain.

There’s also no shortage of other lace-up boots on the market this season.

There are plenty of fun rain boot options out there too.

If black booties are your thing, then have a peek at these.

Or if you’re eager to try the on-trend white boot, browse these 30 options.

Fab Links from Our Members

Wearing multiple necklaces is one way to wear a maximal look. Joy saw lots of good ideas in this blog post.

Everything eventually comes back and Vildy liked this article on how to wear a skirt suit. She adds: “Jess Cartner-Morley best says what I always struggle to explain about ironic outfits or items, i.e. ‘if the joke revolves around finding people who aren’t as cool as you are intrinsically hilarious, doesn’t that make you a bit of a twat?'”

Lucy loves ‘how it’s made’ videos, and found this one featuring Dr. Martens being hand-made in their only factory in the UK fun viewing.

MsMaven graduated from law school in 1977, just as John T. Molloy’s The Woman’s Dress for Success Book came out. Here’s an article about whether Molloy’s advice is still good. She adds: “when I went to be sworn in at the federal district court, I swear the majority of women there were wearing a navy blazer and gray flannel skirt, and hair cut in a chin-length bob. It was weird. Well, I had the same outfit and haircut.”

Fashintern found this article about why 3 brides didn’t wear make-up on their wedding day interesting. Where is the line between personal choice and societal pressure, in make-up or fashion, she wonders.

Beth Ann loves this video of the dancers from Ballet Nacional de España doing a show for Spanish fashion designer Oteyza. “It’s delicious to see how the clothing moves, and the dancers create a sense of esprit de corps, drawing the eye and the audience in, rather than executing the rapid fire now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t of traditional runway shows.”