I find foot volume to be a simple summarizing concept that is very helpful when thinking about shoe fit. I first heard the term many years ago when a sales assistant explained why a particular shoe worked well for me, but not for my client. I had low-volume feet, she said, whereas my client’s feet were high volume. Since then I often use the term when I’m describing shoe fit. Please refer back to my post in 2014 if the term isn’t clear.

I mention this because today’s roundup of shoes refers to foot volume a lot. These are all shoes that are comfortable, low-heeled or flat, and go the distance. Many of the styles have a classic integrity and a timeless look about them, making them versatile to remix into outfits. Browse the many colour options and width availability.

• Franco Sarto Jolette by SARTO: These are classics that saved my feet last Summer, and I have FOUR pairs. They work with just about every outfit because they're a Modern Classic. Size down half a size. Works on regular and low-volume feet.
• Frances Valentine Elyce: Trendy snip-toes with a casual integrity. The flat square heel has a Japanese vibe, and they are just as nice in cream. Works on a variety of foot shapes. Size down for low-volume feet.
• Bandolino Liberty: I LOVE the colour, and it's very hard to find turquoise at the moment. Streamlined, and very tidy on a range of foot shapes. Comes in many colours and read the glowing reviews. Runs half a size big.
• FitFlop Cova Closed Toe Sandals: These will ONLY work for higher volume feet and wider ankles. Very casual and surprisingly supportive. All the colours are nice.
• Naot Frankie: Naots are well made and good for your feet. They are well suited to high-volume feet, but can work for low-volume feet that enjoy arch support. Size down for low-volume feet. The colourways of these slides have a Mod Earthy look about them. Great with neutral and black outfits. They come in all sorts of colours so take a peek.
• Söfft Nola: Fably soft and squishy slides for regular and higher volume feet. Both metallics are subtle.
• CAMPER Kobo - K200342: Excellent comfy sandals for higher volume feet. They look equal parts classic and trendy. Well made and come in a gorgeous blue.
• Miz Mooz Carey: Sandal booties with a dystopian integrity. Super soft leather and lots of colour options. Best on higher volume feet.
• Earth Hera: Dainty and elegant, and comes in wide widths. Many colour options. A fab dressy-casual hybrid. Too wide for low-volume feet. Read the glowing reviews.
• Frances Valentine Katy: I haven't seen these in person yet, but they look gorgeous and got a good review. For Team Magpie.
• Calvin Klein Genoveva Pump: Fably versatile pair of classics with a trendy block heel. They have a Modern Retro look about them too. ONLY suited to low-volume feet, and are a perfect fit on my own feet. You can try them if you have regular volume feet, but they might be too narrow. Lots of great colours. The metallic is very subtle and pewter.
• Stuart Weitzman Pocoglobe: A beautifully ornate pair of party shoes for low-volume feet. Discounted to $200.
• Loeffler Randall Brooks: Trendy pumps with lots of foot coverage. They don't work well for boney feet because the sides come up too high. Best on regular volume feet and available in black.
• Clergerie Peket: These stunning darlings mould to your feet so they work on a range of foot types. Wide toe box. The elastic cuts into you a little, but it does relax. Super soft leather and a magnificent colour if you like an orange tomato red. A dressy shoe with relaxed flair. A quality item.
• Clarks Tri Etch: Go Team Bowling Shoes. These are super cute on the foot and very comfy. They look as good in the bone. Orthotic-friendly. Great for wider feet. Ventilating for Summer.
• Clarks Pure Tone: Casually dressy. Super soft and cushioning. Comes in light blue in stores. Best on higher volume feet. Too wide for my low-volume feet.
• Clarks Chartli Daisy: A classic that works well on higher and lower volume feet. The dark pewter is unique. Read the rave reviews.
• Spring Step Maiche: A Modern Retro ladylike lovely with interesting cut-out detailing. DIFFERENT. An acquired taste but to my eye, very pretty on the foot. Works for a range of foot types, and looks as nice in black. Read the rave reviews.
• FitFlop Novy: A more structured flip flop for high-volume feet. Comes in black.
• Franco Sarto Vellez: Super cute slingbacks that fit both a higher and lower volume foot.
• FLY London PATS801FLY: Extremely comfy casual ankle strap wedge for high-volume feet. The olive is unique but all the colours are nice.
• Via Spiga Darwin: A pointy-toe slingback for higher volume feet. Not good on narrow ankles.
• Naturalizer Stella: An elegant pointy-toe ballet flat with reasonable support that comes in different widths. The lilac metallic is unique.
• Gentle Souls Gisele: A polished casual sandal that's best on regular to high-volume feet. The wedge provides relatively good arch support.The taupe is pretty.
• Frye Ashley Slip-On: The textured metallic looks like fish scales, and is a refined look on a Tomboy style. Well made, very comfy, and can work for both lower and higher volume feet. Lower volume feet can add an insole to create a snugger fit. All the colours are nice.

Visit the collection page to see the items alongside my descriptions.

I like the vibe of this modern classic, yet trendy outfit. I love that the trousers, jacket and lightweight trench coat are in exactly the same equestrian checked fabric. The fluid fits are comfortable, and the fabric drapes well. Earth tones for Spring look lovely and new. Although I’d shorten the length of the sleeves on the yellow top, the pop of sunshine makes me smile. The cropped length of the bottoms create a Spring integrity, and the layers are dead right for a fresh Spring morning or day.

But for me the outfit falls flat because of the slides. The very Summery open-toed hot-weather shoes combined with an insulated transitional outfit with two long-sleeved toppers looks seasonally confused and jarring to my eye. All I can think is very cold feet. Mules would have looked less jarring, because the toes are closed. Ideally though, I’d have liked to the see the outfit with closed shoes like loafers, pumps, oxfords, cut-out booties, or very covered sandal booties. Or fewer layers up top with the slides.

Maybe the point is to remove the layers during the day as the weather warms up so that the outfit looks right with slides. That would make more sense. The second outfit shows what that combination would look like although the slides and trousers are a little different.

Ignore the impractical length of the sleeves, which can be shortened and scrunched to an unfussy length.

Granted, I can’t handle cold feet and wear closed-toe shoes even in hot weather because I like the insulation. I also visually prefer the polished look of a closed-toe shoe, but don’t mind an open heel. These sensitivities and sartorial preferences are causing the bias against the first look shown here. I do have a double standard, because I don’t mind boots and booties worn with sleeveless Summer tops, Summer dresses, and shorts. That’s as much of a seasonally confused look, but a more grounded combination to my eye.

Over to you. Is the first layered outfit seasonally confused to your eye? And if so, does it matter?

I have naturally dry skin on my face and neck. I keep it thoroughly moisturized and hydrated with five layers of product. I apply all five in the morning, and only the first three in the evening. I used to layer four products in the morning, but hot yoga dries out my skin, so I recently added the fifth. 

I use an essential oil, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen and tinted moisturizer. Three of the products are from French Caudalie, one from Japanese Nivea, and one from French-American Laura Mercier. The exact products that I use are in this collection:

It’s important that the essential oil goes onto a clean face. The idea is that you apply moisture — like Caudalie’s Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil — to your skin first so that moisturizers and sunscreen are more effectively absorbed afterwards. A moist sponge is more absorbent than a dry one — and the same applies to your skin.

I apply a serum for extra moisture as the second layer, and a moisturizer for dry skin as the third. Sunscreen is the fourth layer despite the weather or season. I don’t use foundation because I don’t fancy the visual effect of the coverage. Instead I use a tinted moisturizer for dry skin as the last layer. It’s illuminating, shiny and doesn’t hide the uneven skin tone on my face, which keeps it looking more natural and a better match to the rest of the skin on my body. I don’t apply powder because it dries out my skin and creates a matte look. I prefer a dewy look with a bit of shine.

Over to you. What’s your facial moisturizing routine, and do you stick to a strict layering order like I do?

High-end jewellery comes to Yoox Net-a-Porter, a new Alexander McQueen documentary, and other fashion news that caught our attention in April.

• The Hunter for Target collection is now available in select stores and online. Here’s a look at what’s on offer.
• A new Alexander McQueen documentary shows the late designer’s trajectory from working-class son of a cab driver to global fashion star using never-seen footage provided by his family.
• For its next designer collaboration, H&M is teaming up with Moschino.
• Nordstrom has opened its first-ever men-only store in New York City.
• Yoox Net-a-Porter is adding a section for high-end jewellery and watches to its website.
• Fashioned from Nature, the new Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition, “traces the complex relationship between fashion and the natural world from 1600 to the present day.”
• New plus-size clothing brand And Comfort offers minimalist wardrobe staples that focus on quality, clean design and inclusive sizing.

Fun Fashion Word

Did you know that a Stevengraph is a type of small picture made from brightly coloured woven silk, produced during the late 19th century. They are named after English weaver Thomas Stevens, whose company made them. Many of the designs were used to produce bookmarks, and the colourful details make the featured subjects, like clothing, stand out beautifully.