I was recently shopping with a client for Summer footwear and we decided that she shouldn’t purchase more than two new pairs of shoes for the season. That’s because she tends to have only three pairs of shoes in regular rotation during a retail season, leaving the others neatly packed away in their boxes. Having fewer options simplifies her outfit creation process, which is important to her because she wants her daily dressing routine to be very efficient.

I’m similar to my client in this respect. I add new footwear to my warm and cold weather capsules every season, but I’ve found that it’s a mistake to add multiple pairs at once. I just don’t have that many pairs in rotation. In fact, I often wear the same pair of shoes several days in a row. A smaller, versatile assortment that I wear frequently suits me better than a large assortment with fewer wears per shoe.

It’s been warming up over the last six weeks, so I’ve been wearing my new white loafers and pointy toe flats quite a bit, swapping them out for ankle strap Okala pumps (the cow print colourway, which is no longer available) and Sole Society pumps when my outfit needs a heel (with my flared jeans, for example).

I’ve been able to sport my Franco Sarto Holts a few times so far because it has to be warm weather to wear them. But I think they’ll probably replace my loafers on hot days. And now I’m carefully thinking about adding Sole Society’s Emma’s ankle strap pump in cognac because I really enjoyed wearing my cognac booties in Autumn and Winter. 

This adds up to three pairs of flats that will be in frequent rotation for the season, and three pairs of heels that I’ll wear less frequently. I also have last season’s white Munro loafers and an older pair of white and gold pumps that will come out from time to time when my outfit requires the look. 

Right now I am re-evaluating the optimal size of my footwear capsule. I currently have 27 pairs of shoes (excluding workout sneakers), and I’m thinking that I might be able to reduce that to 20. I don’t want to have too many pairs in the capsule that go unworn. 

Of course, this is a personal thing. Some people prefer to have a lot more variety in their footwear closet. And although my footwear needs lean towards the minimal side, the same cannot be said for my maximalist handbag tendencies. I definitely change my bag more frequently than my shoes. 

How about you? Do you have a small footwear capsule, or are you a footwear maximalist?

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

A tailored Modern Classic coat feels extra fresh in this shade of baby blue. Pairing the delicious pastel with white is a slam dunk. An on trend colour combo that is soft, yet strong. The bold high-contrast horizontal striped tee adds fun graphic oomph. Jean’s nonchalant ponytail adds further playful pizzazz. Our blogger has rolled the relaxed fit skinnies to showcase the back part of her refined ankle strap pumps. The quilted Chanel bag is an interesting touch: the bronze doesn’t match but goes with her taupe pointy-toe pumps. Jean finishes off the polished smart casual look with her trademark pearl earrings and necklace.

My perspective hasn’t changed in the four years since I wrote “When to Stop Wearing a Bikini“: As long as you feel fabulous wearing one, don’t stop. There is no age or body type restriction on the item. 

Taking my own words to heart, I recently tried on my three bikinis before a trip to Arizona that would include a little poolside action. Surprisingly, at age 44 I felt better in them than I would have in my early twenties, which is more about confidence than anything else. My skin is not as tight and smooth as it was twenty years ago, but I’m definitely more accepting of my body today than I was back then.

I didn’t end up sporting a bikini in Arizona after all. Right before our trip, I bought Seafolly’s boy leg swimsuit in shocking pink (it was one of the suits in last week’s roundup). As with any other clothing item, variety is wonderful and I needed a change from my bikinis. I also find that I gravitate to one-pieces for more intimate poolside settings. Somehow the bikini feels more appropriate in the relative anonymity of a beach or resort.

What are your swimsuit plans for this Summer?

A short documentary about Martin Margiela, Style.com to become an e-commerce site, Eva Chen stepping down at Lucky Magazine, and other style news that made the rounds this week.

• Online eyewear retailer Warby Parker is named Fast Company’s most innovative company of 2015, beating out tech giants like Apple.
• This Fall, Condé Nast is transforming Style.com into an e-commerce site and moving the editorial content to voguerunway.com.
• In the same week, Eva Chen announced that she is stepping down as Lucky‘s editor-in-chief.
• Zac Posen is designing new uniforms for Delta Airlines flight attendants and airport customer service agents.
• The skin sensor in the new Apple Watch is reportedly not working properly for people with dark, solid ink wrist tattoos.
• Yoox Group has released The Artist Is Absent, a short documentary about Belgian fashion designer Martin Margiela, on YouTube.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that back in 1999 Marks & Spencer, named most ethical high street fashion retailer by Ethical Consumer Magazine in 2014, was “one of the first companies to publish global sourcing principles, outlining standards on ethical issues, from protecting workers’ unions, to working hours, wages and safety”.