Trying a new-to-you trend can be fun, but a little expensive and risky, especially when you’ve had negative feelings about the trend in the past. And sometimes when you love an item in store and know exactly how it will work in your outfits, it doesn’t work out when you road-test it later. In these cases, purchasing the new-to-you trend at a cheaper price is a safe strategy. That way you’ll have tried something new, kept your style evolving, had fun dipping your toes into fashionable trends, AND kept the cost factor low if the item does not work out.

Here’s an example from my own wardrobe. The new ruffled blouse trend tickled my fancy because the soft and pretty silhouette looks fresh amidst a sea of voluminous drape and oversized slouch. But my negative feelings toward ruffles eight years ago stayed put in the back of my mind. So although I’m drawn to the romance of ruffles, I’m not convinced I will enjoy wearing them again. Enter this patterned blouse from H&M. For $35, I was prepared to explore my current feelings about ruffles and take the gamble. 

The ‘70s Victoriana integrity of the blouse is in line with my current love for Retro Futurism. Its high turtleneck is a good match for my long neck. The smocked detailing makes me smile and the alluring back neck slit is different. Plus the drape of the polyester is sublime. Feels like silk – I can scarcely believe it’s polyester. The rust and black pattern would work well with the rust, black, denim and cognac items I have in my wardrobe. Here are my exact wardrobe pieces that I thought would work well with the blouse.

I showed Greg the blouse semi-tucked into my high-rise cropped jeans with cognac belt and patent rust booties as soon as I got home. In-house fashion stylist Greg is generally allergic to ruffles, but to my surprise liked this blouse. HAH! 

I wore the retro ruffled darling the very next day to a YLF gathering, but styled differently to what I had originally imagined. Instead of going neutral I threw in some shocking pink and did some pattern mixing just for fun. The pink was just the happy bright I needed to create a little sunshine on an awfully wet Seattle day. Here are the exact pieces of the outfit. 

After road-testing the blouse that day I’m pleased to report that I felt fab. In fact I want to add another soft ruffled blouse to my blouse capsule because I’m loving the vibe. Trying the trend on the cheap — and liking it — has made me confident about purchasing the look at a higher price point. Perhaps this strategy will work for you too. 

Holiday parties are much more casual these days, which often means combining festive separates that can work with jeans, trousers or a simple skirt rather than creating a formal outfit with a dressy frock. This has been the case when shopping for holiday attire with my clients over the last few years, and this year is no different. In fact, I will be going that route too. 

Although I sometimes lament the casual nature of holiday parties these days, festive separates are a lot more versatile and cost-effective than a fancy frock. They can be remixed with denim AND worn to the office when dressed down with business separates. Three cheers for those aspects!

• NYDJ Metallic Pointelle Knit Sweater: A good piece on a curvy figure because the fabric molds to the contour of the body. Not great on the relatively slim hipped because the welt stands too far away from the hip.
• A.L.C. A.L.C 'Billy' Cutout Wool & Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater: An alluring black turtleneck. I have my eye on this piece.
• Karen Kane Lace Inset Sweater (Plus Size): Comfy burlesque fabness. Roomy but skims the sides of the body. Great over black bottoms.
• BCBGMAXAZRIA Upas Cape: I gasped when my client tried this on in the dressing room. It was absolutely killer stunning WOW. Beautifully made. Architectural, dramatic and unique. Will not date. Comfortable and not nearly as fussy as it looks. A size large will fit a size 12, and it did so to perfection on my client who also has a curvy bust. She will wear it with black bottoms or jeans both for work and play. Wear it fastened or unfastened. A magical piece.
• BCBGMAXAZRIA 'Shania' Merino Wool Poncho Sweater: Structured Poncho Fabness. Best on a broad shoulder line. Comes in many colours.
• 1.State V-Neck Sweater: A casual holiday peplum. Best on a curvy pear or hourglass with a shorter neck. Not good on apple shapes.
• Chaus Herringbone Sparkle Knit Faux Wrap Top: Draped, soft and extra comfy. You can eat to your heart's desire at a holiday party in this piece. Fun over leather or waxed denim bottoms to create a soft matched with hard look. Fab on apple shaped body types.
• Jen7 Floral Jacquard Skinny Pants: Fun jacquard jeans to wear with all sorts of tops. Comes in burgundy and blue too. Good on both a straighter and curvier body type. Not good on a very curvy bottom half.
• NYDJ 'Alina' Print Coated Stretch Skinny Jeans (Black Chevrons) (Plus Size): Fun to wear with a soft tunic blouse or sweater for the holidays. Or to work with a blazer and heels. Works well on both curvy and straighter hips and thighs.
• NYDJ 'Ami' Stretch Skinny Jeans (Black Coated) (Regular & Petite): Comfy leather look jeggings with girdling tummy support.
• BCBGMAXAZRIA Lennox Draped High-Low Moto Jacket: A dramatic draped moto jacket with handkerchief hem. Dress it up or down, and looks good worn over a simple sheath dress. Hard edge.
• Express Metallic Long Sleeve Surplice Blouse: A classic wrap top to wear with trousers or over a pencil skirt. Works well on narrow shoulders and /or a curvy body. Looks quite good on a rectangular shape too. Runs small.
• BCBGMAXAZRIA Brenton Double-Breasted Capelet: A short cape jacket to wear with skirts or dresses. Could be fun with bell bottoms too. Dramatic and distinctive. Very well made. Good on petites.
• Karen Kane Lace Inset Sparkle Sweater: An easy pull-on-and-go knit top with textured ruffles. Comfortable and crease-resistant. Good over black Lyssé leggings.
• BCBGMAXAZRIA Colt High-Low Draped Bomber Jacket: An architectural smart casual topper that looks as good zipped up as it does worn open. The cascading drape is dramatic and avant-garde. The fabric looks "weather resistant" - although I doubt it would stay dry in a downpour.
• Vince Camuto Chiffon Yoke Bell Sleeve Blouse: '70s bell sleeves to wear with fitted flared jeans or trousers. Comes in three colours.
• Vince Camuto Sheer Yoke Shell with Feather Hem (Regular & Petite): A little festive feather fun over black trousers or a skirt.
• Vince Camuto Stretch Lace Pencil Skirt: A stretchy black knitted lace skirt to wear with a comfortable cropped woven blouse.
• Vince Camuto Embellished Front Bell Sleeve Blouse: I love the sleeve and hem treatment of this short blouse. Great over a pencil skirt or flared trousers.
• Vince Camuto Windowpane Velvet Burnout Kimono Wrap: A little iridescent and fringed purple to drape over a column of colour.
• Vince Camuto Pleat Sleeve High/Low Floral Blouse: A stunningly romantic blouse that looks beautiful in motion. The pleats and flounces are heavenly. Might run a size big.
• Vince Camuto 'Carlotte' Pointy Toe Pump (Women): Festive and flattering pumps if you can manage the heel height. Read the rave reviews.
• Vince Camuto 'Nihal' T-Strap Pump (Women): Elegant and versatile if you can manage the heel height. Read the rave reviews.
• Vince Camuto Wide Leg Pants (Regular & Petite): Wide legs that drape quite well. Best if you showcase the satin waistband with a full or semi-tucked top, or crop top.
• ETIENNE AIGNER 'Medium Eva' Leather Wristlet: A little casual and tasseled crocodile bling for your arm.
• Tasha 'Night Owl' Feather Fascinator: Feathered Fascinator Fun.
• Ann Taylor Bella Suede Clutch: A gorgeous deep blue clutch with a strap. Also available in deep red. Retro.
• Banana Republic Vee Peplum Tank: A fitted peplum vest to wear over a blouse with jeans or layered under a jacket. Fun texture.
• Banana Republic Chiffon-Fringe Blazer: A GREAT textured tuxedo blazer. The silky peplum fringe is fab in motion, and the notches in the lapel are quite unique. The sleeves are very slim, especially on the forearm, so consider yourself warned. Great with jeans or jacquard pants.
• Banana Republic BR Monogram Metallic Blazer: A modern classic comes alive in metallic. Not scratchy. A fun tuxedo jacket to wear over a column of black.

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

A new outfit from Jean Wang of Extra Petite, whom we introduced to YLF in October 2014.

Jean, who stands just under 5 feet, shows us that petites can rock over-the-knee boots too! She’s paired her black suede stiletto boots with a short full skirt that completely covers the top part of the boots. This keeps Jean’s knees warm and insulated. The low-contrast effect lengthens the leg line, so does tucking the mock turtleneck sweater. The windowpane pattern in combination with the ivory pullover makes for a crisp graphic look. Signature pearl earrings and a chain link Chanel bag are the Modern Classic finishing touches.

The description of this footwear trend might sound odd, but it makes sense when you look at the examples. The toe box of the shoe is square but the edges are rounded off to create a softer effect. Not as severe and angular as the square toe styles of the ‘90s.

The round square toe trend has been fringe for a while, leaving room for almond toes, round toes and pointy toes to take centre stage. You’ll find most round square toe shoe styles in designer footwear collections. For some designers the round square toe has become a signature silhouette associated with the brand. Here are a few examples from Gucci, Prada and Miu Miu.

Despite the exclusive and fringe nature of the trend, the round square toe has filtered down to more affordable price points of mainstream retailers. Here are some examples from Clarks, Topshop, Sam Edelman and Zara. 

The beauty of the round square toe is that it’s a naturally good fit for your feet, making it a more comfortable shape to wear than pointy designs that squish your toes. Round square toes tend to shorten the foot visually, which can be good or bad depending on how you want to accentuate the shape of your foot. They can also make your outfit look stumpy, especially when they’re flat, in comparison with the way that pointy toes elongate the foot and the outfit overall.

I’m a diehard lover of pointy toes, but I did get two pairs of round square toes this year, and they have become wardrobe workhorses. A pair of snakeskin ankle strap pumps for Summer, and rust patent high shaft booties for Autumn & Winter. Although I have small feet for my height — making my foot look even smaller — I LOVE these shoes. They are more comfortable than most of my pointy toes, and have refreshed my footwear assortment. Both styles have low block heels that help to offset the stump factor.

What’s your verdict on the round square toe trend?