This outfit has been a workhorse and fast fall back outfit for Spring. I’ve worn it many times to work with clients and out to dinner. The individual items, remixed with other items in my wardrobe, have been workhorses too. I bought them early in the season and have been able to wear the heck out of them already in our lovely warm and sunny weather. 

I was drawn to the Ditsy Chorus Floral Handkerchief Hem Blouse because it’s bright, happy, romantic, and pretty. Its ‘70s vibe appealed to my love for Modern Retro. But when it arrived, it looked different to the online photo. More neon in colour and more voluminous in silhouette. I loved the neon coral pattern but I couldn’t size down. Being a stickler for good fit, I gave this some thought.

Making sure that tops, dresses and toppers are sufficiently tailored around my neck, shoulders, and on the arms is extremely important to me and I will not compromise. So I moved the back button and added a snap to make the neckline fit more neatly around my neck. That pulled the shoulder seams into the right place and made the neckline a little higher. The sleeves were already a great length for my long arms. 

The additional structure that I created up top, plus the stellar soft drape of the fabric made me feel completely comfortable with the voluminous swing on the torso. I don’t feel like it overwhelms my slight frame because the fabric collapses back onto the body. The side views don’t look overly “muu muu” either — at least not to me. Sorted! 

There are few things that make me feel as good as a great fitting pair of white jeans, which is why I have several pairs across silhouettes. Current Elliot’s straight crops are my favourite white jeans at the moment because they showcase the alluring ankle and are ever so slightly relaxed. I prefer to wear the floral swing blouse with white jeans because it looks more dressy, crisp and dramatic than it does with blue. It looks nice with my extra long, white flares too. 

I saw the bright red jacket at Zara and it was love at first sight. The colour launched me into orbit, as did the stiff popped collar. The ‘60s vibe was perfect, and so was the fit. The very tailored shoulders, structured collar, and cropped length offset the boxy silhouette. I’m not usually a fan of belted jacket welts but this belt is short, attached, lightweight and therefore not fussy. I wear the jacket open, and it works over many of my tops and some of my skirts and dresses. Wearing the boxy jacket over the swing blouse surrenders the waist in a big way, so I’m going with “just flattering enough.” 

Louise et Cie’s Esperance Pumps in a vibrant floral pattern seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate sunny and warm weather. Their ankle straps are a match made in heaven with cropped jeans. They’re very comfortable and were mine right after trying them on. Most fashionistas are wearing trendy chunky footwear at the moment, but I’m sticking with pretty, dainty and tailored because that’s better suited to my feet and style. I once went shopping with a client all day in these shoes and they go the distance.

I couldn’t resist pairing the floral pumps with the floral blouse and pearl grey satchel to create a very Matchy-Matchy look. Why not! That’s a new thing for me, as is the boho-lite blouse. I’ve left off the pearls, but added my specs, watch, wedding ring to complete the outfit. 

A new bright Spring and Summer jacket becomes an instant workhorse for me. Four years ago, I wore my citron blazer with everything. It wore through, so it’s resting in peace. I replaced it with a better quality neon green jacket that I wore so much Greg’s eyes began to hurt. Last year’s Dutch orange blazer was a hit, and this year’s Retro red jacket is the winner. As for the jeans and blouse, they’re workhorses because I miss them when they’re in the laundry. Instead of purchasing more of the same, I’m simply going to continue wearing the heck out of these pieces.

Today we’re going to celebrate the most important style-related things you’ve done so far this year. It can be anything at all. A well-curated closet. The realization of an important style epiphany. Tracking your wears. Wearing a trend you thought you couldn’t wear. Thinking of your wardrobe in terms of capsules. Dressing the body you have now. Taking off your sales goggles. Organizing your jewellery box. Wearing more colour and pattern. Tempering your poison eye. Being more patient with your style. Going grey with pride. Taking a stand with your Summer body. Sticking to your style moniker. Successfully taking yourself out of your comfort zone and trying something new. Resisting the temptation to “compare and despair”.

Or simply that you wore the heck out of your clothes. I’ll go first.

I’m celebrating four things. First, taking a stand with my Summer body has been liberating.  It’s been FABULOUS wearing dresses and skirts more than ever in our gorgeous Spring weather. Self-acceptance is therapeutic, calming and strengthening. Second, embracing the waves in my hair has been a revelation after using a flat iron for what seems like forever. My style feels soft and refreshed. Third, I am officially back on Team Sandal after buying two pairs. It took a while getting used to seeing my toes in outfits again, but I’m over the hump. And fourth, I’ve stayed within my budget, even when shopping for Spring and Summer wardrobe items is a shopping weakness. I’m done shopping for the season until the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in July. All that’s left to do is wear the heck out of my clothes.

Over to you. Time for me to pat your back.

H&M’s next designer collaboration, two stand-alone stores for Canada Goose, the Speedo Olympic swimsuits for Team USA, and other style news that caught our attention in May.

• The Missoni exhibition at the London Fashion and Textile Museum explores the connection between the brand’s designs and modern and contemporary art.
• Canada Goose has plans to open its first two stand-alone stores in Toronto and New York City this Fall.
• H&M joins forces with Kenzo for its next designer collaboration which will be in stores on November, 3.
• After the successful relaunches of the Stan Smith and Superstar sneakers, Adidas Originals will now also reissue the 1991 version of the Gazelle.
• Designer Jonathan Saunders becomes Chief Creative Officer at Diane von Furstenberg.
• “Uniformity“, a new exhibition at The Museum at Fit, “probes our relationship with uniforms as markers of authority, servitude, sport, and style.”
• Speedo has unveiled the swimsuits for the USA Olympic team.
• H&M and Bloglovin’ are launching a global blogging mentorship programme with Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine.
• Hudson Bay Company will open 20 stores in the Netherlands at the beginning of 2017.
• Levi Strauss has teamed up with startup company Evrnu for the world’s first jeans made up of more than 50% post-consumer cotton waste.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that the word “seersucker” comes from the Persian phrase for “milk and sugar”, šir o šakar. Some people weren’t sure of the practicality of seersucker fabric. So legend has it that Joseph Haspel Sr., who introduced the seersucker suit to the U.S. around 1909, waded into the ocean sporting his suit, “hung it up to dry and wore it to an official banquet dinner that night, looking sharp as ever.”

All my business casual clients have added cropped black trousers to their bottoms capsule over the past few seasons, because it’s a trendy, practical and easy way to evolve their workwear looks for Spring and Summer. This style of bottom is extra versatile because you can wear it with at least four untucked lengths of top. The Polyvore set below showcases tops in various lengths for visual reference. 

I’ve stuck to black bottoms because they are winners with my clients who work in corporate offices, but feel free to use any colour palette.  Here are the components:

Cropped Pants: Choose slim-fit trousers that are cropped two to four inches above the ankle bone. The hems can be skinny or straight. Jeans will also work if trousers are not your thing. Note that leggings are NOT a substitute here because this is a dressier outfit combination. 

4 Different Lengths of Top: Experiment with four different lengths of untucked top in any colour, pattern and fabrication. I’ve chosen wovens because that’s my preference, but feel free to choose knits: 

1. Shorter Boxy Top: The boxy fit offsets the shorter length of the top. High-low hemlines are fab. 
2. Regular Length Top: A top with a curved hemline tends to create a little more structure when the fit is fluid or oversized. 
3. Tunic Top: Asymmetrical tunics are ideal because diagonal lines are magical. 
4. Shirt Dress: Wear a shirt dress that hits you above, on, or below the knee. If unstructured shirt dresses feel off, add a belt for waist definition. A curved hem will also go a long way to adding structure to the outfit. Longer shirt dresses that finish below the knee tend to look better with a heel unless you are very tall. 

Ankle Accentuating Footwear: You’ll need the right footwear to wear with the cropped length of the trousers. Think heeled or flat sandals or closed toe shoes (like pumps) with ankle straps that are positioned high on the ankle, sandal booties or cage heels. Also high-vamped sandals with broad straps, or loafers. 

Accessories: Finish off the outfit with bag, jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

I’ve worn this look quite a bit with slim-fit cropped skinny or straight blue and white jeans and unstructured shirt dresses. I wear flats with my shorter shirt dresses and heels with my long olive shirt dress. I’ve popped a long trench coat or short denim jacket over the top when I need an extra layer.