One clear sign of a glaring wardrobe hole is when you regularly reach for something to complete your outfits, but it isn’t there. When dressing for our glorious Spring weather over the last few weeks, I kept on reaching for an imaginary pair of comfortable gold flats to match my pearls, outfit hardware, belt, watches and wedding ring. 

I do have gold footwear, but the styles aren’t fulfilling this particular need. They need to be flat, covered for this time of year, and fairly casual. My gold ankle strap flats have open backs and are reserved for hot Summer days. My gold pumps are heeled and dressy, so not a good option either. I have silver laceless oxfords that are great, but they aren’t gold, which is my preferred metal. And although I have comfortable white flats that I can run around in — a wardrobe essential for my style — I like to change things up with a metallic from time to time. 

So I’ve ordered the styles in this collection, and hopefully one of them will work out. 

Have you found wardrobe holes this way?

A Kit and Ace store opened in Seattle recently and I finally had a chance to pop in to assess the product. The brand is all about beautifully made upscale casual wear in luxurious fabrications. Sporty Luxe with “luxe” being the operative word. Their on trend designs aim for maximum comfort in terms of silhouette and fabrication. I tried on some pieces and the fabrications do feel heavenly against the skin. The workmanship of the items is excellent too. I stroked the seams and hems, admiring how each garment had been carefully manufactured. 

Most of the items in the Kit & Ace assortment are black, white and a shade of grey. The hardware on all the pieces is rose gold, which is fun and unique. Most of the items are knitted, and a portion of those are in a fabrication called technical cashmere, that you can wear year round. 

Unfortunately, their size range is narrow, running from a US size 2 to 10. Many of the size 2 in bottoms fit like a 0, therefore running a little small. But their tops run more true to size, and some even a size big. The store manager told me that they will be introducing a US size 0 in the Fall, but there are no current plans to add larger sizes. I do hope that they expand their size curve soon. 

Items are quite pricey — $78 for a simple T-shirt, for example — but that’s because Kit and Ace is creating a simple item that is far from basic in terms of quality and design. And you’ll need to be prepared to pay extra for that. Here’s a selection of items that I liked from their Spring and Summer collection.

• Kit & Ace Wave Tee: A longer length tee that drapes like a dream. The fabric creates a wave on one side of the body which looks interesting. The diagonal sleeves are flattering on all arm shapes and the fabric does not cling to the midsection.
• Kit & Ace WATTS FLARE: Dramatic weighty cropped flares in a substantial knitted fabrication. Shaped with panel lines to create a good fit. Fab in ink blue. Too long for petites.
• Kit & Ace Rhodes Trouser: The cut and drape of these woven trousers is sublime. Roomy, yet very tailored on the waist and hip. Incredibly flattering on a curvy and straighter figure. Defines the waist, hip and bottom quite beautifully. Not good on apple shaped body types. There is a hidden pocket for a regular size cell phone. Can easily be hemmed for petites.
• Kit & Ace Come Back Pleated Mid Sleeve: A stiff and weighty architectural piece. Good neckline for all shapes of neck. Despite its stiffness, it's ultra soft. Special! The strategically placed back pleats are genius. Voluminous yet grounded because of the drape of the fabric.
• Kit & Ace Loose Is More Short: Adorable woven long shorts to wear with a blazer or moto jacket. Waist sits lower on the hip. Not that good on curvy thighs.
• Kit & Ace Just Coasting Drop Shoulder Tee: My favourite T-shirt in the collection because the neckline was flattering but not overly wide. Fabulous sleeve detailing and great semi-tuck slouching potential. No need to wear a camisole.
• Kit & Ace Saturday Night Fever Flare: The best knitted cropped flares of the season. Beautifully tailored and forgiving of "lumpage and bumpage". Creates a wonderful sleek silhouette.
• Kit & Ace Last Call Jacket: A heavy weight and very robust cropped trapeze jacket. The boxy silhouette is well cut because it hangs off the curve of the body with grounded intention. The back pleat detailing is a fun surprise.
• Kit & Ace Straight and Narrow Trouser: The easy to wear "Audrey" cigarette pant that will provide structure to a voluminous top. Works well on both curvier and straighter figures.
• Kit & Ace Mulberry Pant: High on the waist so if you like a long rise - this is an option. Provides a girdling effect on apple shaped body types, and works quite well on curvy figures too. Hems are easy to shorten.
• Kit & Ace Leona Blouse: A glorious architectural woven blouse. Looks crisp and starched yet feels soft and comfortable. Runs big. Great on broader shoulders.
• Kit & Ace Wave Dress: A knitted architectural dress with sufficient length for tall girls. Its asymmetrical waved drape is fabulous. The armholes might be a little wide though, especially when you're petite with slender ams and short in the waist. The tapered hem adds plenty of structure.
• Kit & Ace Find Your Flare: I haven't seen these trousers in person, but they look interesting. The relaxed fit on the stripe is a good idea, and the back hem zippers are fabulous. The length cannot be hemmed though. This style is for Team Tall.
• Kit & Ace Avalon Brushed Pant: Comfy harem pants fabness. I love the way they've structured the waist with a proper waistband, darts and short zipper.
• Kit & Ace Meridian Necklace: A fun Y-chain that looks great with V-necks and scoop necks.

I’ve seen most of these pieces on myself or modelled by sales assistants. The feel of the fabrications against the skin is quite remarkable. My favourite items in the collection were the Rhodes Trouser and the Watts Flare. If the trousers came in a colour other than black or grey, they would be mine because they are excellent with a tucked top and cropped jacket. I love the way they tailor the waist, which looks fresh to my eye. The flares come in ink blue which I loved. Knitted trousers aren’t my thing, but these might change my mind because they’re shaped with panel lines and made of a very weighty fabric that feels woven.

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

Our warm Seattle weather has brought with it lots of sandal excitement on recent shopping trips with my clients. Here’s an assortment of styles across a range of price points that worked well for them. Of course, some styles are more comfortable than others. Many of the styles are available in multiple colours so be sure to browse through the options.

• 'Falls' Sandal (Women): Soft and trendy. Good on higher volume feet. Runs half a size big.
• 'Evel' Leather Sandal (Women) (Nordstrom Exclusive): Despite the higher heel, these cage sandals are very comfortable. Also available in wider widths. Read the rave reviews.
• 'Tutsi' Slide Sandal (Women): An extra cushioning footbed that makes up for the leather that feels a little stiff at first. Fun colours.
• 'Jennie' Clog Sandal (Women): Boho clogs that are lightweight and very spongy. Feels like you're walking on clouds. Works surprisingly well on low volume feet.
• Ankle Wrap Wedge Sandal (Women): A glorious dressy wedge sandal that is sleek, alluring and elegant on the foot. The criss-cross strap works well on larger and smaller ankles. Gorgeous shade of metallic. Works for low volume feet.
• 'Stam' Studded Ankle Strap Sandal (Women): A fun flat gladiator with criss-cross strap, which slims the ankle. As nice in black.
• 'Ava 2.0' Platform Wedge Sandal (Women): A very cushioning platform sandal if you can manage the heel height. The lavender is delicious.
• 'Dance' Ghillie Sandal (Women): A lace-up sandal with a more streamlined effect because the lacing is less fussy.
• Stuart Weitzman 'Broadband' Slingback Sandal (Women): A brilliant dressier sandal for low volume feet. All the colour options are nice.

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

I am constantly amazed at how looks that are quite daring, jarring and even shocking to the eye at the start of a trend become the new “normal” after a period of time. The adjustment can take anything from a season to many years. Here are some examples.

Seattle is full of people with tattoos, rainbow hair and disconnected haircuts. Body art used to be a very dramatic and bold addition to one’s appearance. But these days it’s sported by men and women across a range of ages. In Seattle, it’s almost as popular as jeans and sneakers. It looks very normal. 

Green, blue, pink and purple hair looked quite shocking six or seven years ago, but in my neck of the woods, it’s beginning to look “natural”. Disconnected haircuts (when parts of the hair are shaved leaving other parts longer and “disconnected” from the rest of the hairstyle), used to be a very daring look. But the drama has been tempered as it has become more commonplace. 

Green, blue and black fingernail and toenail polish used to be a jarring look that hard-edged punks sported back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Now those nail polish colours are completely mainstream and can be sported in professional settings. 

Taking myself back to the ‘80s, it wasn’t long before hectically large linebacker shoulder pads looked completely right. The more inverted triangle you could make your outfit, the more fashionable you were. It was quite a shocking concept at first, especially after the sensual figure hugging styles of the ‘70s. Yet the new ‘80s silhouette looked “normal” in no time. 

When harem pants made a comeback about nine years ago, I did not fancy the look. The dramatic dropped crotches looked very odd and I couldn’t get my head around the silhouette despite loving rock star Hammer in his pants back in the ‘80s. Then we visited Israel where I saw many women sport harem pants with panache. I was very inspired and purchased a silk pair right away. My eye adjusted to the strange silhouette virtually overnight, and now harem pants look “normal” to me. Still a little dramatic and avant-garde, but not jarring and shocking like they did many years ago.

I count it a blessing that we’re able to adjust our visual perceptions to new fashion trends. After all, daring new trends create change and keeps things moving forward. It keeps us hungry for the next new thing. It’s fun to be shocked with a new look because the surprise creates an adrenaline rush and keeps things fresh. When we get used to the aesthetic and it appears more “normal”, we feel a sense of calm and even accomplishment.

So when you’re shocked that fashion-forward make-up artists suggest blue lipstick and white eyeliner, remember that after a while the look will probably become the new normal.