These items piqued my interest because most of them are quite simple in design, but have a good dose of added interest. This makes them a step up from basic, and therefore a little more interesting. 

• Vince Breton Stripe Cashmere Turtleneck: A striped cashmere T-neck with a trendy twist. It has wearable extended sleeves, especially if your arms are long. The cropped fluid length looks fresh, and the vertical stripe going up the shoulder is clever. Might run a size big.
• Nine West 'Konah' Buckle Bootie (Women): The shade of tan is cooler in person (not as yellow), and more of a taupe or mocha. The low patent heel is fab, and the buckle detail is maximally on trend. Very comfortable and fits quite neatly around the ankle. The shafts do not dig into you as you stride.
• Zara Printed Blouse With Plunging Neckline Details: A blouse for cat lovers. Best on a large bust and broader shoulder.
• J.Crew Structured peplum top in stripe: A peplum top with strategically placed bias cut stripes to create an interesting effect. Runs a size big.
• Zara Double Look Leather Mini Crossbody Bag Details: A small crossbody bag with a removable guitar strap is playful. Teal matched with pink looks fresh and fab.
• CAMPER 'Kobo' Oxford Pump (Women): A good style for lower and higher volume feet. Very comfortable. The sturdy block heel is wonderful, and the colour combination launches me into orbit. Blush and neon green FTW. These may have followed me home. Also available in solid black.
• Alice + Olivia Anila Ruffle Sleeve Sweater: An elegant and trendy bell-sleeved pullover that works best over skirts or high-waisted jeans and trousers. Quite fitted.
• CAMPER 'Lea' Bootie (Women): Comfortable if you can manage the heel height. Good on higher volume feet and wider ankles. The same style is available on a lace-up oxford for a tighter fit on the foot. Great shade of dark teal.
• MARC FISHER LTD 'Zala' Pump (Women): A trendy version of a classic pump with chunky block heel. Quite comfy and available in many colours. Best on low and regular volume feet. Read the rave reviews.
• Chelsea28 Print Open Stitch Blouse: A rust blouse with short bell sleeves. Fluid fit and rich colour. Available in grey.
• Karen Kane Lace Inset Sweater: This top drapes like a dream. Luxurious fabric and fun tiered lace hem. Forgiving on the midsection and very comfortable. Instantly fab over slim black bottoms. Also available in regular sizes.
• TOPSHOP Boutique Stripe Twist Top: Architectural Striped Shirt Fabness. You have to be at peace with the peculiar drape and fit on the sleeves and torso because that's the point of the avant-garde silhouette. Good on a narrower shoulder line.
• Banana Republic Sailor Flare Jean: Versatile and slimming sailor pants that make your legs go on for miles. Very comfy and higher in the rise. Size down unless you are curvy.
• Banana Republic Riley-Fit Bow Shirt: The colour is sublime (it's blue), and the bow deliciously Modern Retro. The fabric is gorgeous. Silky, stretchy and weighty. Well made. French seams, a subtle French cuff, and tailored. It narrows on the waist. My larger bust client looked amazing in this - she simply sized up to accommodate the bust, and it was still tailored at the waist. Plenty of length for tall gals.
• Hispanitas 'Loralyn' Bootie (Women): These booties look amazing from the front. The zippers make a big statement, and are quite unique. Cushioning comfort and well made. The shafts don't dig into your shins either. Fits a low and regular volume foot.
• Hispanitas 'Omega' Pump (Women): A trendy block heel ballerina pump in ink and black. Dainty and ladylike. The buckle makes a vintage statement. Very comfortable, and can work well for bunions if you size up half a size because of the stretchy and soft leather.
• Vionic 'Caballo' Pointy Toe Flat (Women): A flat with AMAZING arch support. WOW. I couldn't believe it. Very comfortable if your foot likes arch support. It stays on the foot too, and has a lovely shape. Might showcase toe cleavage. Can work for bunions. All the colours are soft leather except for the animal print.
• Vince Camuto Print Long Sleeve V-Neck Blouse (Regular & Petite): A fab blouse for a larger bust, shorter neck and apple shaped body type. The centre front pleat is unexpectedly flattering. Roomy yet streamlined. Also available in plus sizes. Really good on petites. Read the rave reviews.
• Rag & Bone / Jean 'Charley' Roll Neck Wool & Cashmere Henley: A back to front pullover. Delicate, well made, wearable extended sleeves, and a little fluid. Good on a long neck.
• Topshop Lace Grommet Oversize Sweatshirt: '80s Sweatshirt Fabness.
• Nordstrom Collection Techno Stretch Crop Pants: Trendy Versatile Dressy Fabness. The fabric and colour do not come through in the photo but they're sublime. Thick, sturdy, and beautifully iridescent. Team Blue will be enamoured. The fit is flattering on a thicker midsection, and the rise provides ample coverage. Easy to hem and size down a size.
• J.Crew Rhodes blazer in Italian wool: A stunning classic blazer in every sense. Luscious fabric, gorgeous drape, and a good fit on straighter and gently curvy figures. Love the Retro gold buttons.
• Rag & Bone 'Edith' Plaid Silk Blouse: Extended sleeves on a round-hem tunic shirt are luxurious and very trendy. The diagonal lines of the pattern are magical. The cuffs can be turned back. Not good on petites.
• J.Crew Collection Drake's for J.Crew perfect shirt in Pink Bengal Tiger: An avant-garde conversational blouse. Silky, luxurious and very trendy if you mix it with other patterns.
• J.Crew Rhodes pant in Italian wool: An early '90s style trouser in a delicious colour. Luscious fabric, gorgeous drape, and a good fit on straighter and gently curvy figures. Easy to hem for petites. It has a matching blazer to create a suit.
• J.Crew Sailor pant in bi-stretch wool: Marvelous sailor pants for straighter figures on the bottom half. Fun cuffed hems.
• J.Crew City trench: A "rough around the edges" trench coat in a lightweight golden mustard cotton blend. It's not nearly as dressy as it looks, and will stand the test of time. Urban Fabness.
• J.Crew Ruffle-front chiffon top in vibrant paisley: The prettiest pink paisley blouse of them all. California Indian Summer. A straight cut so best semi or fully tucked. Size down a size unless you have a full bust.
• J.Crew Matte crepe trouser: Amazing pull-on and go cropped crepe pants for the office. They will work on most body types. Inverted triangles will need to size down. Super easy, crisp, crease-free, comfy, and trendy. Great with untucked or semi-tucked tops. The dark olive colour way is very interesting. Available in blue and black too.
• J.Crew Avery heels in tweed: A very sharp shoe with a manageable and sturdy block heel. Not for fussy feet because the tweed is quite hard, but gorgeous all the same. Size up for higher volume feet.

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

Sonia Rykiel has passed away, J.Crew is coming to Nordstrom, a documentary about Japanese denim, and more fashion news that caught our attention in August.

• As was widely anticipated, Raf Simons has been named Chief Creative Officer of Calvin Klein.
• Iconic French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel has passed away at the age of 86.
• Have a look at Christophe Lemaire’s first collection as Uniqlo’s Artistic Director.
• The new documentary Weaving Shibusa tells the story of Japanese craftmanship and dedication through their love and fascination of denim.
• Stuart Weitzman is stepping down as Creative Director of his eponymous label.
• French Vogue is launching a two-day Vogue Paris Fashion Festival which will target both industry and consumer audiences.
• The top-pinned lipstick of all time is M.A.C’s cult favourite Ruby Woo.
• J.Crew plans to start selling an assortment of women’s clothes at Nordstrom stores.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be staging a solo exhibition about Rei Kawakubo next Spring.

Fashion Fact

Sonia Rykiel, often dubbed the Queen of Knitwear, not only invented the “poor boy” sweater — a ribbed pullover with high cut arm holes and a shrunken fit — but also was one of the first designers to feature words and motifs on sweaters, inspiring generations of women to make a statement.

Carolina Hellal hails from Colombia and currently lives in Denver. She documents her fresh, chic and crisp style over at Chic Talk. She mixes up casual and dressier outfits with pizzazz and is currently loving boho looks. Our blogger also adores statement shoes, likes a dramatic sleeve, and is into bare-shoulder styles. Piles of arm candy and lots of rings are part of her signature look.

Crisp Romantic Boho. The elasticated smocked waist on Carolina’s dress complements her curves, and creates volume on the skirt part at the same time. It billows as she walks, which creates a kind of “bloomers” effect. Fun! The ruffle sleeves and collar, smocked waist and shadow-stripe provide textural interest. So do the animal print bag with gold chain detail and the suede lace-up sandals with stacked heel. Opting for khaki instead of black is more unexpected, and the colour complements Carolina’s olive skin fabulously. Our blogger’s wavy locks add to the romantic, carefree vibe of the look. The sandal laces tied in a pretty bow finish off this romantic boho Summer look to perfection.

Carolina adores a dramatic sleeve and fell hard for this blue and white bell-sleeved smock top. Aren’t the scalloped hems amazing! Flared jeans work well styled with a bohemian sensibility, so this pretty top with lace cutouts was just the ticket for this ‘70s vibe look. The jeans are fitted on the thigh, which balances out the voluminous top and flared hems. Nude high-heeled sandals elongate the leg line. Carolina’s white shoulder bag with black piping complements the colour palette beautifully. Her dark hair also creates a crisp contrast with the light blue. Fun finishing touch: our blogger loves to match her nail polish to the colours in her outfit, so she went with light blue for this occasion.

A Chic Boho look that shows petites can rock maxi dresses and large floral patterns. Bare forearms and the deep V-neck on Carolina’s beautiful kimono-sleeved wrap dress create structure. The self belt and asymmetrical hemline effect (created by the wrap style) also rein in the volume. The dress’s black background complements our blogger’s dark pulled back hair. Dainty gold necklaces fill in the V-neckline. Skin showing through low-contrast cream cage sandals helps to show more leg. The tall wood block heel gives our blogger a boost of height. Oversized sunnies, a two-toned crossbody, white watch, and dainty gold jewellery are the pretty finishing touches.

’70s Rocker Boho. Carolina found her airy woven blouse and black embroidered vest on two separate occasions. Both have glittery silver thread running through them, and have the same boho vibe, making them the perfect match! Semi-tucking the blouse with billowy sleeves tempers the volume and elongates the leg line. The circular embroidery on the beaded and sequined vest makes for fun pattern mixing with the stripes in the blouse. The long tassels provide tons of boho textural interest. Blue skinny jeans tucked into black suede block-heeled ankle boots streamline the look and also add length. A pile of arm candy and rings on several fingers is signature Carolina. Mirrored sunnies, a black crossbody and our blogger’s dark ombré locks are the finishing touches.

Carolina is loving bare-shoulder looks at the moment, and this strapless jumpsuit with pale blue leaf print fits her beautifully. The wide-leg style is playfully retro and glam. The low-contrast pattern and tailored fit up top keep it from not overwhelming our petite blogger. Wooden platform studded sandals play up the retro Summer vibe even more. Carolina’s two-toned mini crossbody picks up the nude colour of the footwear. The large tassel is a fun decorative touch. A dainty necklace and a mix of bracelets and rings in rose gold finish off this soft Summer look.

I call this one Boho Coco. The above-the-knee tweed dress in deliciously bold colours is undoubtedly the star of the show. The mix of vibrant colours looks very modern and makes the outfit pop. The boxy fit on this sheath dress with elbow-length sleeves makes it easy to move in. The long fringe paired with suede lace-up sandals and bare legs creates a chic boho vibe. The khaki sandals work as a neutral while adding extra interest at the same time. A light brown saddle bag adds a casual touch. The chain strap detailing and Carolina’s pearl bracelet are a fun nod back to Miss Chanel.

Let us know what you think of Carolina’s Chic Boho style in the comments. You can also check out the rest of her outfits on Chic Talk, or find out what inspires her on Pinterest.

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A new style direction can be inspired by all sorts of things. Runway shows, fashion magazines, trend reports, bloggers, an outfit we see on a mannequin at a retail store, a friend’s style, and street style, are all style influencers. The street style in my favourite cities tends to influence my style direction the most, as do trend reports, and what I see at retail. 

Sometimes, a single item that I see in retail can be the catalyst for a new leg of my style journey. For example, seeing a red ruffle front blouse at Banana Republic made me want to add a more Romantic integrity into my style. After its purchase, I’ve added five more flouncy tops to my wardrobe, embraced flared bottoms wholeheartedly, and left my hair naturally wavy. 

Seeing a ripple dot silk scarf at Nordstrom made me want to experiment with Graphic items. Since the scarf followed me home, I’ve added two pairs of jeans, a pair of trousers, a clutch, and a pair of booties with a graphic vibe to my wardrobe (half of these items were birthday gifts.)

When thinking about how to add a Graphic integrity back into my style, I thought that I would only pursue it if I could keep the vibe of my outfits Soft and somewhat Modern Retro. It just so happens that having the Romantic support act in my wardrobe was just what I needed to achieve the look that I wanted. I christened the short side trip on my style journey “Romantic Graphic”, just for fun. 

Over to you. Has a single item that you’ve seen and bought in retail been the catalyst for a new leg of your style journey? If so, what was the item and how did it evolve your style?