We’re enjoying a blissful mild and sunny Autumn in Seattle. My outfits have been all about lightweight layers, lots of neutrals, bold white accents, texture-rich separates, pattern, a little shine, and booties. Dresses and skirts have gone into hibernation, and so begins the awfully long stretch of wearing trousers and jeans daily. 

I’ve fallen back in love with layering a knitted shell top over a shirt. I overdosed on the combination a decade ago, and thereafter stayed clear of it for a long time. But I was instantly drawn to Chelsea28’s Textured Mixed Knit Shell at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale earlier this year. Yes, it’s grey, which isn’t my happy colour. But the bright white stitched pattern and shiny lurex thread does make me happy, so I loved the piece. The preppy, boyish shirt and shell top combo that reminds me of a school uniform feels surprisingly fresh for my style. 

I visualized the shell top over a white or plaid shirt, with patterned pants, white jeans, black cigarette pants or blue jeans. The layers are ideal for our current weather, and one way to add texture, pattern and shine to an outfit. 

It was important to get the fit of the shirt and shell top right so that it looks current and feels comfortable. I’m wearing an old Brooks Brothers Non-Iron Tailored Fit Dress Shirt, which I wear boxy to create a fluid fit. The shell top is a little looser than tailored so that it hides the creases of the shirt that are created by the roomier silhouette. The welt of the shell top adds structure, and the length (to my hip bone) allows the tails of the shirt to peak out. I’m also wearing a white camisole underneath for extra insulation.

Modern dressing is partly about creating movement in your outfits with sufficient fluidity. I can move freely in this new version of the outfit formula, which was not the case the last time round. I’m enjoying being physically more comfortable, and not having to tug at my layers to keep them in place. 

After sporting baggy and slouchy trousers and jeans almost exclusively for a couple of years, I’m back in the mood for some tailoring. I unexpectedly found a pair of Sloan-Fit Checkered Slim Ankle Pants that were long enough to wear with booties. They are fitted, but not body con, and I’m enjoying the change. It’s the small black and white blocked pattern that drew me to the pants in the first place, along with the good fit, and non-crease sturdy fabric. I could wear these on a long flight and feel comfortable and polished. The “false plain” effect of the pattern and tapered hem width make them versatile and well suited to my rainy climate.

I top off the layers with either a black moto jacket or a citron trench coat. Here, you see a black moto jacket I’ve had for eight years. It’s still going strong and I see no reason to replace the classic piece until it falls apart. Although it has silver hardware, I chose to wear my gold watch and wedding ring to add warmth to the look. My white Rosie satchel adds softness by amping up the white component of the colour palette. I do prefer the outfit with my apple green specs, but I was squinting in the sunlight so I switched to my Ray-Bans.

I’ve worn this exact same top combination with white jeans, and with my dark blue Boden Boyfriend jeans. The latter combination is shown below. I like the white piping on the rolled seams of these jeans because they pick up the white in the rest of the outfit. The dye of these dark blue jeans does not rub off onto your clothes, which is brilliant for pairing them with white footwear and tops. I bought flat white pointy toe booties at Zara last year and they have been absolute workhorses. They are amongst my most comfy shoes, and I wish I’d bought two pairs when they were still in stock. They are extremely versatile, and add a trendy integrity to my outfits. I will miss them when they are no longer wearable. 

Surprisingly, after gravitating towards solids for a while, I’m back to wearing patterns. Most of the items I’ve bought to refresh my style for Autumn and Winter are patterned, which is a wildcard in itself.

Brooks Brothers

Non-Iron Tailored Fit Dress Shirt

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11

Banana Republic

Sloan-Fit Checkered Slim Ankle Pant

$89.50 $59.99

Sale

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8

Nordstrom

Chelsea28 Textured Mixed Knit Shell

$78.00 $38.97

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11

Boden

Boyfriend Jeans

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6

Nordstrom

Marc New York By Andrew Marc Front Zip Leather Jacket (Regular & Petite) (Online Only)

$398.00 $198.98

Sale

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5

Nordstrom

Topshop 'Margot' Leather Ankle Bootie (Women)

$140.00 $40.00

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4

L.K.Bennett

Rosie Leather Small Bag

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26

Greg chose Seattle City Hall as the backdrop for these photos. Towering over us was Columbia Center, a completely coincidental reflection of the black and white checks on my new pants.

Officially September is the transition to Autumn, but we hung on to Summer for as long as we could. It was a bumper outfit month, with two more of Karen’s summer outfits and two more outstanding outfit bloggers. 

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UK-based Debs Stubbington (33) is a Theatre Stage Manager who shares her personal style and fashion finds over at Bang on Style. Debs’ style is casual, on trend, and girly with the occasional grungy twist. She is Queen Floral, adores colour, and loves to experiment with different shades of lipstick. Debs is also into nail art, which adds a playful element to everything she wears. Her colourful nails, together with her body art and fondness of jewellery automatically make her outfits more maximal. It’s become her signature look. Debs doesn’t wear jeans all that often because she’s more of a trousers and skirt gal. Her love for florals is unique, and makes us smile, so we decided to make her feature into one big celebration of all things floral.

“My style has evolved so much over the last few years. I used to dress quite casual and simple really with a very boyish edge. These days I would say my style is still quite simple and casual but much more feminine and very eclectic. I love so many trends especially prints and bright colour and I’m a sucker for affordable fashion including great shops like New Look and Primark, plus I love a vintage find too.”

If you’re a novice pattern mixer, then a shirt like Debs’ lime floral print one with contrast pink check collar and cuffs might be just the ticket because it comes with built-in pattern mixing. The large roses and butterflies could be straight out of a classic painting. I find the combination with the crisp, modern check eye-catching and unusual. Debs buttoned her shirt all the way up for a strict touch that juxtaposes nicely with the grunge-y effect of wearing it untucked over ripped light wash denim. Slim ankle straps peek out from under the rolled straight leg jeans. The black and white flats also add a crisp touch, and echo the colours in the floral print. A light grey bag, multiple rings and nail art — a black and white aztec print — finish off the look

Now this is a two-piece dress with pizzazz. Our blogger has paired a printed floral cropped top in a vibrant cobalt blue with a matching midi pencil skirt. Opting for a high-waisted skirt allows you to only show a sliver of midriff. Debs is wearing the ensemble with a fluid fit long sleeveless blazer. The mid-thigh length and wearing it open creates a column of colour that is elongating and elegant. An on trend, high-contrast look that is perfect for Summer days when you want to add some extra polish. Keeping the footwear and accessories white lets the bold florals do the talking. Chunky peep-toe booties with cleated soles ground the look. The large clutch with clean lines, light blue nail polish and simple silver cuff complement the outfit beautifully.

This is the more casual rendition of Angie’s Sleeveless Top with Vest Ensemble. Debs is wearing her signature look (floral print bottoms) with a tunic-length, drapey linen top that covers the top part of the leggings for extra coverage. The sleeveless blazer hits our blogger at the hip, and adds nonchalant polish. It subtly nips in at the waist to create structure up top. The lilac colour of the top is repeated in the leggings, which creates visual coherence. The black ankle strap of the sandals is low contrast against the hem of the leggings, which elongates the leg line. The open, low-heeled sandals also showcase some of Debs’ fun body art. The gold hardware on the footwear and small bag ties in with her gold jewellery. Pretty pink lips amp up the girly factor.

I asked Queen Floral where her love for floral patterns comes from, and if she had any tips for those of us who are “pattern beginners” who would like to incorporate more florals into their wardrobes:

“I love wearing florals as it’s a print that works whatever the season I think. I wear bright and vibrant florals in the Spring and Summer and rich, darker florals for Autumn / Winter. I own a lot of floral pieces including dresses, shirts and tops but I really like floral trousers too for a real statement. For anyone who’s a pattern beginner I’d say try incorporating a floral scarf or even a floral pair of pumps into a plain outfit for a simple start to wearing print.”

I’m calling this ladylike figure skate punk. Debs built this look around a classic pencil skirt with an antique-esque black and white floral print. Then she threw in a touch of retro with the mock turtleneck crepe dip hem top. The shorter length in front elongates the leg line, and the round hem creates softness in this high-contrast look. The white chunky lace-up booties remind me a little of Dr. Martens boots. They add a playful punk toughness and figure skating vibe at the same time. So fun! Debs’ updo emphasizes the figure skater integrity of the outfit. Bare legs and arms provide structure. The gold chain bracelet with white leather detailing works well with our blogger’s simple white clutch and light blue nail polish.

Debs loves colour, and likes to wear more than one bright colour in the same outfit. It makes me smile. Here she’s paired a neon yellow boxy top with fluid fit tapered trousers. The shorter top length emphasizes the soft drape of the trousers, and elongates the leg line. The pants are slightly cropped, but the thin ankle strap on Debs’ two-toned flats comes up high enough to avoid cutting horizontal lines. A black leather moto jacket adds hard edge that is toned down by the pretty colours, footwear and scalloped edge detail on the tote. The Summer meadow floral print trousers, scalloped and perforated bag, arm candy party and necklaces, multi-coloured nail art, and our blogger’s body art make for a maximal look that is not overwhelming. Definitely Debs’ trademark.

I am completely smitten with this matchy-matchy shorts and vest ensemble. Debs found the set in a vintage store, and transformed it into an utterly modern and fashion forward look. She’s layered the silky, lightweight vest over a short-sleeved button-down with lace effect for some subtle and very pretty pattern mixing. The hem of the shirt peeking out from under the vest breaks up the large head-to-toe floral print. Rose gold metallic cage sandals add soft edge, and elongate the leg line because they match our blogger’s skin tone. The colour also works beautifully with the pinks in the floral print. Running with the same theme, Debs kept all the jewellery rose gold. The stiff leather on the small barrel bag is a nice contrast against the soft vibe of the look. And the pink colour matches our blogger’s pink lippie and nails.

What do you think of Debs happy florals and soft-edged casual style? Let us know in the comments, and then hop on over to Bang on Style to check out the rest of our blogger’s outfit archives. Or have a look at her Pinterest boards for more browsing fun.

Matching the colour of your belt and your footwear was the stylish way to go until about a decade ago. Fashion loosened up and mismatching became the trendy thing to do. These days, both options are current and stylish. I went through a stage where I preferred the mismatch, but over the last three years my preference has returned to matching my belt and footwear. It creates instant outfit cohesion and makes me feel more pulled together. 

Here are two examples where the belt and footwear are closely matched. The one on the left matches a burgundy belt with booties. The outfit on the right matches a tan belt with sandals. The colours of the leather are exactly the same, and the repetition makes a strong visual statement.

The belt and shoes do not need to be an exact match. The effect can be subtle, like the outfits below, and still be an effective way to pull the outfit together. The first example pairs a silver belt with white and light grey snakeskin shoes instead of silver shoes. The second pairs a grey and black patterned belt with black shoes instead of a black belt. The third pairs a black and red piped belt with black moto booties. And the fourth pairs a cognac belt with two-toned, cognac booties.

The more subtle pairings can be more visually interesting. They also make less of a visual statement, which is a useful styling strategy when you want another part of the outfit to take centre stage.

I like to wear patterned belts, and pick up one of the colours of the pattern in the colour of my footwear. I will also match the metal of my belt buckle with the same shade of metallic footwear. Today I paired a silver buckled white perforated belt with mirrored silver flat oxfords. 

Over to you. Do you like to match your belt and footwear? If so, do you prefer to wear a matching statement, or go the more subtle route? Or do you prefer to mismatch your belts and footwear?