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Weekly Roundup: Winning Socks

— by Angie

on January 18, 2017

With the weather turning really cold, ’tis the season for comfy socks. Here’s a small assortment that are client favourites at the moment. My own current favourites are from Uniqlo’s Heattech collection. They are warm, not too thick, non-scratchy, super cosy, and stay on my feet. Feel free to share your favourite sock styles in the comments below.

UNIQLO Women Heattech Socks 2 Pairs: Cosiest socks of the year. Lightweight, warm, and better than SmartWool in my book. NOT scratchy, and stay put.
Chelsea28 Sheer Dot Anklet Socks: Super cute fashion socks to wear with pumps or loafers in very mild weather. Keep the footwear low contrast to the socks and you're good to go.
Nordstrom Knee High Socks (3 for $18): These socks feel like butter, and are long enough for tall gals. Extra soft and a little slippery. Great for tall boots.
Nordstrom Compression Trouser Socks: Snug fit and super cosy. Read the rave reviews.
Zella Moda Cashmere Blend Crew Socks: These worked surprisingly well for a client who is extremely sensitive to wool. Pricey, but on sale, and available in lovely neutrals.
SmartWool 'Cable II' Crew Socks: The most popular basic Winter sock with my clients. I didn't like them because they slipped off my feet, and I found the ribbed texture uncomfortable. My goodness am I in the minority! They work well for high-volume feet. Read the rave reviews.
SOCKWELL 'Circulator' Knee High Compression Socks: Comfortable compression socks that won't cut off your circulation. Many rave reviews.
SOCKWELL 'Goodhew' Graduated Compression Socks: The pressure of these compression socks is subtle, and therefore extra comfortable. Fits a larger calf.
Plush Fleece Lined Knee High Socks: Socks with fleece lining are fab for extra cold feet. Quite thick so consider yourself warned.

You can see my descriptions alongside the items on the collection page.

UNIQLO

Women Heattech Socks 2 Pairs

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Nordstrom

Chelsea28 Sheer Dot Anklet Socks

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Nordstrom

Knee High Socks (3 for $18)

$8.50

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Nordstrom

Compression Trouser Socks

$15.00

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Nordstrom

Zella Moda Cashmere Blend Crew Socks

$45.00

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Nordstrom

SmartWool 'Cable II' Crew Socks

$16.95

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Nordstrom

SOCKWELL 'Circulator' Knee High Compression Socks

$24.99

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Nordstrom

SOCKWELL 'Goodhew' Graduated Compression Socks

$24.99

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Shopbop

Plush Fleece Lined Knee High Socks

$22.00

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Taking Velvet from Fringe to Mainstream

— by Angie

on January 17, 2017

Velvet was supposed to be one of the biggest trends for Fall & Winter 2016, but that was not the way it turned out. I saw a few velvet jackets, skirts, dresses, shoes, scarves, belts, coats and bags to wear for the holidays at the end of last year. There were even some velvet trousers, leggings and jeans in the casual department. But at best, velvet was a fringe trend.

The rarity of velvet at retail surprised me. I had expected to see a fair amount in July at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, which kicks off the Fall shopping season. When that didn’t happen, I thought for sure it would be a mainstream trend by the end of November. That didn’t happen either, and I wondered why retailers were holding back on the trend.

My conclusion is that velvet is for the most part perceived as a very seasonal and dressy fabrication. It’s hard to launder, majorly lint-attracting, impractical in bad weather, and quite fussy. Retailers thought it too risky to supply in large quantities, and opted to give us an overdose of lace instead. They didn’t want to be stuck with racks of velvet attire that they’d have an even harder time selling after the holidays.

Traditional velvet does have all of those drawbacks, but this is 2017 and I believe that a more modern and current approach to the fabrication is in order. For example, there are machine washable polyester velvet blends. Velvet can be worn throughout the year as an accessory or as a pair of shoes (Summer velvet shoes DO exist, and why not wear them!) Velvet jackets can be remixed with denim and sneakers to amp down the dressy factor. Crushed velvet is durable, lightweight and the right colour masks lint and pet hair. Casual velvet jeans and trousers can be worn at any time of the year if the weather is right. I also think of velvet as a dandy and romantic fabric with a high longevity factor when it’s used in a Steampunk, Modern Retro or Avant-Garde item.

My feelings about velvet for my own style are moderate. I neither love it nor loathe it, but fully support you wearing it at any time of the year in your favourite wardrobe items, and in YOUR way. What’s your verdict on velvet?

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Trends · Winter 2016/2017

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Ironing and Your Style

— by Angie

on January 16, 2017

The ironing or steaming routine of my friends, family and clients runs the gamut. Some of them enjoy the chore and find it relaxing. Some do so regularly, despite not enjoying it. Others iron or steam sparingly, putting things off as much as they can. And some don’t iron or steam at all because they can’t stand doing it. In fact, they don’t even have an iron or steamer.

I believe that the amount of ironing or steaming you do depends on how at peace you are with creases and how particular you are about the fit of knitwear. If you enjoy a very polished style and pristine looking wardrobe items, chances are high that you’ll go the extra mile. If your style is a little or a lot more RATE (rough around the edges), you’ll probably be more relaxed about having some creases.

I do not enjoy ironing or steaming, but I have a very low tolerance for wrinkled clothing. I’m also pedantic about how things fit and drape. I do make the exception with linen, because that’s the nature of the beast. For the rest though, I cannot make peace with the crease. Creases make me feel unpolished and untidy. I like my wardrobe items to look very neat and new, even when they aren’t new. My style is the opposite of RATE. And since creases are for the most part under my control, I haul out the iron and ironing board and get on with it.

I send some clothing items to the cleaners, which greatly reduces the amount I have to iron. But I still iron a few items every day because it makes a huge positive difference to how I feel in my outfits. Items that can be worn multiple times before going into the laundry are usually re-ironed every time I wear them. I’ll give some of my coats a quick iron too. Clean clothing, like knitwear, can crease while it’s being stored folded, which means I have to give it a quick once over with the iron before I pop it on. And knitwear often loses its shape after the laundry or a visit to the cleaners, so I’ll re-iron knitwear to achieve the original fit. And last, I absolutely re-iron my clothes when I’m on a trip because suitcase creases annoy me.

For someone who doesn’t like ironing, I iron very regularly because I loathe wrinkles even more.

Over to you. Does ironing or steaming play a small or large part in your style?

Clothing Care

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Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

Ensemble: Ink, Rust & Tomato

— by Angie

on January 13, 2017

Nordstrom

Topshop Check Scarf

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This ensemble was inspired by the colour combination of my cosy and comfy new checked Topshop scarf. The top side is patterned and the underside is ink blue. I’ve worn ink blue with rust quite a bit, but only added tomato red to the palette this year. Rust and tomato red look great together to my eye. The ink blue tempers the brightness of the red and cools down the warmth of the rust. The dash of Winter white in the scarf refreshes the combination. I love it.

Combine ink blue rust and tomato red in any way at all. Note that dark blue denim counts as ink blue, and cognac leather counts as rust. Feel free to sport tomato red as an accent if it’s not your thing. Throw in a patterned wardrobe item in the colour combination of the palette if you have one.

Here are dressier and more casual renditions to get you started.

Ink Top, Tomato Topper & Rust Footwear

Combine dark blue jeans with an ink blue top, tomato coat, cardigan or jacket, and finish off the outfit with rust or cognac footwear. Add a scarf that works with the palette. An ink blue coat can work if the scarf has tomato in it, or perhaps carry a tomato bag instead. I added a turquoise bag to this combination, just for fun.

Tomato Top, Ink Topper & Rust Footwear

Combine a tomato top with black or ink pants, an ink topper, and finish off the outfit with cognac footwear. I threw in a pair of ink and brown duck boots because they look great with the puffer coat. A cognac, black, or tomato bag is fab. A scarf in the palette is optional. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired.

I wore this combination a few times last week with a change of coat, pullover and footwear. The exact items of the outfits are represented in the collection below.

Custom Find

by Angie

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COS

Dot stitch high-neck jumper

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COS

Long high-neck jumper

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J.Crew

Italian cashmere long-sleeve T-shirt

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Shopbop

AG The Jodi Crop Side Slit Jeans

$188.00 $131.60

Sale

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Nordstrom

Topshop 'Mary' Chelsea Boot (Women)

$140.00 $70.00

Sale

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Zappos

KENDALL + KYLIE Logan

$190.00

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Custom Find

by Angie

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Ensembles

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2017: Your Year for Accessories

— by Angie

on January 12, 2017

The Maximalism trend is in full swing, which means that wearing lots of accessories at once is very fashionable. By all means combine all sorts of accessories together in one outfit because the only limit is your own tolerance for the combination. This includes earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, eyewear, brooches, handbags, watches, belts, ties, scarves, fascinators, wraps, hats, socks, hosiery, bag charms, earmuffs, wallets, and hair fastenings. Umbrellas, activity trackers, headphones, nail polish, fragrances and phone covers can also be thought of as accessories.

There is no one accessory formula to suit us all. The accessories that you enjoy wearing, and how you wear them, are as personal as your style. Some like to make a bold accessory statement, whereas others prefer a more subtle aesthetic. Either way, your accessories should be comfortable, work with your outfit, add visual interest to your style, reflect your personality, style preferences and mood in some way, and make you feel fabulous.

If you enjoy wearing accessories and do so frequently, then this fashion era is for you. Try grouping together new accessory combinations, and sporting new-to-you accessories to change things up. Wear a metal or stone that is atypical for your style. Wear a new toe or finger nail polish. Wear dainty jewellery if you’re used to wearing chunky styles and vice versa. Or keep your accessory style the same if it feels dead right.

For the accessory averse, I’m challenging you to find a few that you enjoy wearing this year. There’s no need to pile them on “maximal style”, or swap them out daily if that’s not your thing. But you’ll probably enjoy the addition of some well chosen pieces to finish off your outfit, especially if you’re feeling like your style is in a bit of a rut. Updating your accessory style is a cost-effective way to change up your look, with few fit challenges to boot.

The Maximalism trend was well timed for my own style journey. I’ve been rediscovering accessories over the last year and enjoying every minute of it. For many years, I used to sport my specs, watch, wedding ring and a bag daily, and threw on a belt and a scarf occasionally. Last year I started wearing my chunky pearl necklaces again, updated my watch collection, added a pearl bracelet and pearl ring, embellished my scarf, gloves and hat collection, and continued having fun with my large handbag capsule. I’m now at the point where I wear my specs, wedding ring, watch, pearl bracelet and bag daily. I often wear a pearl necklace, scarf and belt. I wear a hat to brave the elements both in the Summer and Winter. Since I made these fairly big accessory changes to my style quite recently, I’m going to continue along the same path for a while.

Now it’s your turn to think about your current accessory style. Do you like it? Do you want to shake things up? What are your accessory challenges, and how can I help?