On Friday Neiman Marcus announced that the company was hacked and that some customers’ credit and debit card information may have been stolen. The facts date back to mid-December last year, with a third party intelligence firm confirming the security intrusion on January, 1. This is the second cyber attack on a major retailer in one month, after the credit card data of over 70 million Target shoppers was compromised around the same time in December 2013.

In a statement company spokesperson Ginger Reeder said she ‘did not know how many customers could be affected by the breach”, but that the company has “begun to contain the intrusion and has taken significant steps to further enhance information security”. The investigation is still underway, but it seems that the customers affected recently used their credit card in a Neiman Marcus brick-and-mortar store. Currently there is no evidence that shoppers at the company’s online stores were affected.

Neiman Marcus is notifying “customers whose cards they know were used fraudulently after purchasing at their stores”. If you shop at Neiman Marcus look out for communication from them.

By the way, a great place to learn about data security breaches at retail is Krebs on Security (via Andréa Lopez). Read their coverage of the Neiman Marcus breach for more information.

For several seasons now it’s been hard to find wardrobe items in shades of dark brown. About six years ago, dark brown clothing, footwear and accessories were fashionable and therefore very accessible. I remember walking through Ann Taylor, Nordstrom and the Loft with clients back then, and the landscapes were a sea of rich chocolate brown. Today it’s a sea of grey and black. 

It used to be equally difficult to find wardrobe items in navy and ink blue. But that’s no longer the case, because shades of dark blue are ultra fashionable and there’s no stopping the ink trend. It’s as if shades of dark brown have been replaced by shades of dark blue. And for some reason the fashion world doesn’t have room for more than one strong, dark neutral at a time, aside from black or grey.

Dark brown isn’t unstylish just because it’s not the fashionable choice right now. All colours are in style if they complement your complexion and make you happy. That’s why you have to stock up on “your colours” when they’re in fashion, because when they do fall out of favour they might stay off the fashion radar for a good long while. 

Excluding my high school uniform back in the ’80s, I can probably count the dark brown items I’ve purchased on one hand. When it comes to brown, I prefer lighter shades like cognac, camel and taupe. So I don’t miss the neutral for my own style. But I do miss it for those of my clients who gravitate towards earth tones and look sensational in dark brown. These clients much prefer wearing brown and navy to black and grey. Plus, dark brown complements a navy, peach and burnt orange palette. So I hope that dark brown resurfaces as a fashion colour for their sake, and because a fashion season with lots of options is always best. When that will happen is anyone’s guess.  

Do you wear dark brown, and do you miss it as a fashion colour? Do you wish for more dark brown wardrobe items at retail level? Or do you prefer black, grey and navy?

Former model and beauty entrepreneur Linda Rodin (65) stars in The Row’s new Pre-Fall 2014 lookbook. According to the silver-haired style icon, designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen selected her to be the face of their high-end luxury line “for her age”. The decision to feature older models — Linda is joined by Esther de Jong (39) and Ursuall Wallis (age not disclosed) — is applauded in the fashion world and blogosphere as another step in the right direction towards more diversity and the end of ageism in fashion campaigns. It’s an especially important season for the brand as it will open its first store in Los Angeles this Summer, meaning that the clothes in the racks will be from this collection. Quite risky, it is said, to use older models at this point then, and a sign that the designer duo is committed to celebrate style at all ages.

According to Style.com, “the sisters were influenced by images of older men and women at work in their gardens”. The collection consists of sophisticated, simple pieces in black, grey, brown and ink blue with a focus on superb fit, sumptuous fabrics and ageless elegance.

• Browse the collection and read the review on Style.com.
• Fashionista’s and Refinery29’s take on the collection.
• Find out what Linda thinks about the collaboration, the clothes, and the photos in this Elle interview.

This ensemble serves as colour inspiration more than anything else. I recently saw actress Piper Perabo wear an ink blue suit with a peach blouse, brown shoes and clutch on TV show “Covert Affairs”. I was very inspired by the combination for my clients who do not enjoy wearing black, grey, and shades of white. Shades of orange look fabulous with shades of blue, so combining the pastel with navy makes sense. 

Here are the components: 

Bottoms: You’re after bottoms, trousers or a skirt, in navy or ink blue. By all means throw in a pinstripe, tweedy texture, sparkle, jacquard, or tonal blue pattern. Dark blue jeans are another way to go. I bat for Team Faded Jeans, so I popped faded blue boyfriend jeans into the ensemble, just to change things up. 

Tops: You’re after any style of peach top that works with the silhouette of the bottoms. Knitwear, shirt, blouse, knitted top, or tee. Dressy or casual. If peach is not your colour, a rich burnt orange or shade of muted coral is another option. 

Footwear: Think shades of chocolate brown, chestnut and cognac, in styles like booties, shooties, pumps, loafers, oxfords or flats. Knee-high or mid-calf boots could work with the skirt. And animal print footwear is a punchy alternative. 

Topper: Think ink blue or navy blazer, moto jacket, sweater coat, denim jacket, trench coat, or wool coat. Any style topper at all, really. Mixed media and pinstripes could be fun. 

Accessories: Finish off the outfit with a brown handbag. Match the shade of brown with the footwear or incorporate another shade of brown. Or add a brown patterned bag. Finish off with jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired. Rose gold and yellow gold look particularly nice with this palette. 

Although I haven’t shown it here, you can turn the formula upside down and wear peach or burnt orange bottoms with a navy or ink blue top. 

I’ve wanted to add a peach blouse or pullover to my wardrobe for a while, but got sidetracked with light blue and blush as “my pastels”. I’ve got the ink blue covered, so maybe 2014 will be my year for peach.