H&M set for a major expansion, a pop-up store that will allow you to pay for your purchase with social media currency, and more fashion-related stories that made the rounds this week. 

• We are curious to see how retailers will be using animated GIFs now that Pinterest has made that option available.
• Brooks Brothers is bringing its menswear line to Australia and New Zealand. Perhaps womenswear will be next?
• Fans of girly, retro-vibe frocks: Zooey Deschanel’s capsule collection for Tommy Hilfiger will debut at Macy’s on April, 14. Here’s a first look at some of the designs.
• Paying for your purchase with tweets, FB posts or Instagram updates? Marc Jacobs’ pop-up store will allow just that.
• Design duo Peter Pilotto was announced as winner of the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund.
• After a Greenpeace investigation showed that 82 garments by 12 brands contained hazardous chemicals, Burberry pledges to banish potentially harmful substances from its clothing.
• Good news if you’re in London this Spring. The Paul Smith exhibition has been extended until mid-June.
• H&M has plans to widen its product range and open around 375 new stores in 2014, Australia is one of the countries on the list.

Citron is an extremely bright, neon version of lemon. It is not everyone’s cup of tea. If wearing citron as a top or topper is too much of a commitment and not your colour, sport it away from your face through accessories and footwear. Or substitute citron for softer shades of pastel yellow, or earthy tones of chartreuse. 

I adore citron and wear it frequently. It’s deliciously fresh and makes my mouth water a little just looking at it. I love citron matched with black and white, ink blue, or shades of white. I also like it with faded blue denim and white. And since grey is not my colour, adding citron to the dull neutral effectively livens up my complexion. It’s actually thanks to citron that I haven’t eliminated grey from my wardrobe. 

This outfit formula is more about a colour palette of grey, white and citron, than it is about the items themselves. There are two dressier outfits and a casual rendition in the middle. I’ve used trousers and jeans, but by all means throw in a skirt or dress. A grey dress, topped with a white jacket and finished off with a citron bag and silver shoes is a magical combination. 

Here are the components:

Bottoms: Think jeans, casual pants or dressy trousers in any shade of grey, white or light blue denim. False plains, jacquards and pinstripes are good alternatives. Throw in a skirt if that’s more your cup of tea. Keep black out of the outfit.

Tops: This is where you can add citron to the outfit in a strong way. Think blouses, shirts, pullovers, tees and knitted tops in citron, or in the substitute colours I mentioned earlier. Or wear a grey or silver top matched with white bottoms. Alternatively, pair a white top with grey bottoms and incorporate citron through a belt or bag. 

Toppers: Grey and white toppers, in any style that works with the rest of the outfit, are the easiest options. A citron topper makes a larger citron statement and is another way to go. I like to wear a citron top under my citron toppers for a twinset effect. 

Footwear: You’re after light coloured shoes in a shade of white, beige, nude, light grey or silver. Pewter, dark grey and gold work pretty well too. 

Accessories: Adding citron through a bag or belt is one way to incorporate the bright in a subtle way, as seen in the outfit on the far right. White accessories, like a belt and bag, are fab when combining a citron top with grey or denim bottoms. Silver belt, bag and shoes create a lower contrast against the palette. Combine citron through the use of a scarf if that tickles your fancy. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired. 

I threw in a light blue bag just to showcase the versatility of the pastel. It looks pretty and unexpected with this palette, and effectively repeats the colour when you’re wearing faded denim. 

I love wearing citron with my grey pinstripe suit, and finishing off the outfit with white belt and pumps for a crisp effect. In that outfit I wore an aqua bag, but will substitute that for a light blue one as soon as I’ve added a light blue bag to my wardrobe. In that outfit post I also substituted the suit jacket for a citron blazer in order to create a twinset-like effect over the citron top. Like I said, I love citron.

The BoF has an interesting report about the Fashionable Return of Fine Jewellery. This paragraph caught my attention: “Interestingly, the emergence of a consumer prepared to spend four- or five-figure sums on contemporary fine jewellery is thanks, in part, to the dramatic rise in the price of other fashion products over the last five years. Indeed, as those dedicated to high fashion become acclimatised to spending thousands of dollars on a coat, handbag or pair of shoes, it has become less of a psychological leap to spend a similar sum on a piece of jewellery that will almost certainly last longer.”

Brides-to-be who are into more minimalist jewellery might find something to suit their taste in Refinery29’s roundup of 18 discreet engagement rings.

T Magazine confirms that it’s absolutely no longer passé to sport matching jewellery, and shows us a short roundup of coordinating sets in case you need further convincing.

Fab Links from Our Members

Krishnidoux says that ” On est né nu” (We’re born naked), is the best song to listen to while either getting dressed in the morning or while putting together outfits. It’s a song about getting dressed and dressing up, with a smile. She has translated the lyrics here.

MuseumGal was surprised to learn that Cara Delevingne’s full eyebrows have spurred a huge increase in enquiries for eyebrow transplants.

Over at the Vivienne Files, Janice has timely advice for the cold snap North America is currently experiencing. Laurinda had never heard of frozen hair snapping off before! She’d also like to add that opals can crack from the cold or from extreme temperature changes.

Angie enjoyed reading Sally’s logical and helpful guide on how to shop for boots.

Deborah loves Garance Doré’s short ‘do, and adds that what Garance describes in this post is almost exactly how she felt with her recent cut. It seems “going short” is a big deal for almost every woman.

Vildy wants to share this article, warning us about the dangers of preservatives methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, as she has firsthand experience with their potentially damaging effects.

Create a column of colour by wearing the same colour on the top and bottom under a third layer like a jacket, coat or cardigan. The colours needn’t be identical. Similar colours can create the same low contrast effect. The third layer can emphasize the column of colour by creating a high contrast with the column, or it can be low contrast for a more subtle overall effect.

Columns of colour needn’t be neutral, but those are the easiest to create because most people have neutrally toned tops and bottoms in their wardrobe. A black column of colour is probably the most common of all. But a column of colour can be any colour. It can be any fabric, including denim. And it can include a pattern, as long as it’s the same pattern on the top and bottom. Jumpsuits, rompers and some dresses are ready-to-go columns of colour. 

The column of colour is effective for four reasons:

1. It creates outfit cohesion by connecting the top and bottom of the outfit.
2. It elongates the body by emphasizing the vertical and eliminating horizontal lines across the middle of the body. This is one way for petites to look visually taller.
3. It is slimming.
4. It is simple, and simple is a beautiful thing when you bat for Team Less Is More. 

You can further accentuate the lengthening effect of a column of colour by wearing footwear in the same colour. 

Stylish dressing isn’t always about lengthening, elongating or slimming. That would be boring. But creating a “long lean line” is the conventionally flattering way to dress, which makes the column of colour an easy formula to incorporate into a three piece top + bottom + topper outfit. 

A column of colour is particularly useful for making hard-to-style toppers instantly wearable. So think column of colour the next time a jacket, cardigan, coat, sweater coat, or any topper is hard to style. Or if you want to elongate your outfit proportions without wearing heels.