A modern classic lace pencil skirt is a versatile party separate that can be remixed with different support acts occasion after occasion. Traditional pairings include a tucked button-down shirt or silky blouse, a sparkly sweater, or silk camisole with tuxedo jacket. These combinations have longevity and are always in style. 

Now think out of the box and pair the classic with a good dose of modern by matching it with on-trend and fashion forward tops. That way you can have even more fun with a romantic lace pencil skirt. 

Choose any colour palette. Here are the components of the outfit formula:

Lace Pencil Skirt: Black lace pencil skirts are the most available, but I’ve also seen them in navy, ink blue, burgundy, shades of grey, shades of white, and taupe. They come in knits and wovens and vary substantially in quality. I vote for a woven lace pencil skirt because it tends to look more polished, dressy and crisp. Furthermore, make sure you like the visual effect of the lining. A version with a contrast lining showcases the pattern of the lace thereby making it look like a printed skirt (version on the right). A self-colour lining creates a subtler lace texture (version on the left).

Trendy Tops: Here you have many options, most of which you would wear untucked: 

• Fuzzy Pullover: The texture complements the lace. Choose a fluid fit.  
• Oversized Chunky Pullover: Super fashion forward and all the rage. Choose a solid or a pattern, cropped or regular length, and scrunch the sleeves for extra structure. 
• Short-Sleeved Turtleneck: A little retro and divine in soft cashmere. 
• Shirt and Tie: Match a tailored button-down shirt or tuxedo shirt with a men’s necktie or bow tie. Wear the necktie loosely tied, either inside or outside the collar.  
• Leather Top: Think leather paneled sweatshirt or leather shell top. A little hard leather with pretty lace is a fun combination. 
• Graphic T-shirt: Combining casual with dressy items in one outfit to create unexpected juxtapositions is a trend that is defining our fashion era. WHY NOT choose a graphic tee that is close to your heart. Tuck it into the skirt if it’s not fitted, and add the bling.

Footwear: I deliberately left boots and booties off the ensemble because they aren’t formal options. I vote dressy heeled pumps, ankle strap pumps, or dainty and dressy slipper flats. High vamped ankle strap shoes are extra fashion forward, and T-strap pumps are fun and retro. 

Accessories: A small clutch is essential. After all, this is a party. Finish off the outfit with watch, eyewear and jewellery as desired. It’s especially effective to pile on the bling if you are wearing the graphic tee or leather top. 

Top off the outfit with a wool coat, trench coat, dressy evening coat, faux fur coat, or moto jacket. By all means wear hose for extra insulation. Sheer black hose is pretty flop proof, as are a pair of fine gauge black fishnets. A subtle pin dot can be lovely, or stick to nude hose.

Autumn always seems to fan my love for tweed, and this week I had fun browsing tweed-inspired pinboards by pinners like Vesper Fawkes, Elena, Poupe’e Pornpakamethee and Cathryn Davis.

The Guardian reports that the UK has seen a rise in popularity of Harris tweed and wool products in general, with eight new mills opening in the past ten years. Companies that produced early estate tweeds are now also adapting their approach to changing fashion tastes, and are starting to bring out “lighter tweeds, brigher colours and wilder designs”.

Prada, meanwhile, has created a “felted tweed“, “which reinterprets classic seasonal knits like herringbone and bouclé into a distinctive ‘rough’ but refined texture”. The material is being used to craft tweedy blazers, swingy coats and retro-luxe handbags.

Fab Links from Our Members

MaryK was fascinated by this Slate article about the rise and fall of the coolness of one-strapping backpacks.

We recently linked to an article about “Fabulous Fashionistas”, a British documentary featuring six inspirational women whose average age is 80. Now Caro is pleased to report that the documentary is available to watch on youtube. Forty-five minutes well spent!

While on the subject of aging fashionistas, Vildy thought this essay in The Guardian, in which Anne Karpf poses that “ageless seems to have become a euphemism for age” was spot on.

Lisa is starting to think about holiday parties and liked the recap of makeup and hair pairings here.

We’ve had several discussions lately about how we look affects others’ perceptions of us. Deb found this Into The Gloss video very interesting because it discusses how it affects our perception of ourselves.

Angie enjoyed reading Sally’s post on Consumer Expectations versus Market Reality, in which she summarizes common complaints about our wardrobe needs, and how the market place cannot deliver all of them. The Venn diagram illustrates the trade-offs pretty well.

After some of the conversations on the forum about shopping, budgets and shopping your closet, La Belle Demimondaine found this article to be an inspirational breath of fresh air. Erin also linked to a forum discussion that gave La Belle a new perspective: “It helps just to be conscious of your shopping and what you’re buying. Not paying attention yields a closet full of duplicates… But no one needs 10 of anything, and lots of people have that in their closets. So thinking about what you’re doing helps stop all of that.”

Yesterday I spent a few wonderful hours shopping the sale with a client and close friend. Here are a few more items that caught my eye. 

• Theory Gabe B Tailor Jacket: Pretty fabulous on petites. Crisp, fitted and stunning quality. You might need to size up a size. 
• Theory Adashi K Crop Jacket: The best non-black mixed media moto jacket I’ve seen all year. A very tailored fit. It almost earned a place in my wardrobe, but an ink Gabe B 2 Theory blazer which is not on sale won out. 
• Theory Tollie Wool Blend Sweater: A simple and impeccable piece ideal for boot cut trousers and heels. 
• Theory Indra Wool Pants: Ideal for a narrow hipped and slim legged figure. Finally, some length amidst a sea of cropped pants. Size up a size. 
• Theory Double Breasted Cardigan: This looks unattractive on the model, but was magical on my client. She kept it zipped up like a pullover and not a cardigan, and wore it with bootcuts and black booties, looking like a million bucks. It’s round shouldered and on trend. I nearly came home with one myself.  
• Nordstrom V-Neck Cashmere Sweater: Great on a strong shoulder line or large bust. The welt and high-low hemline structures the volume. 
• Marc Andrew Print Down Feather Jacket: This pattern is genius. It’s a digital photograph of real fur, and that’s what I call cool. Check out the close-up. Super cozy cuffs, extra tailored, side entry pockets, and blanket collar. Simple and chic for Team Casual. 
• Kate Spade Jackson Square Small Damien Crossbody Bag: Stylistically you can’t go wrong with a satchel. This one is small enough to be worn across the body. Very ladylike and available in happy colours.
• Steven Madden Kate BKate Satchel: Gorgeous in the burgundy and cinder. Comfortable both on the shoulder and clutched in the hand. 

Now is the time to stock up on chunky and warm knitwear. Remember that by the time the truly freezing weather of January and February rolls around, stores will be prepping for brand new Spring merchandise and warm knitwear pickings will be slim.

Three years ago, I bought a pair of inexpensive vegan cream booties with a colour blocked black heel and strap. They arrived and felt heavenly, which is a tall order for my fussy feet. The heel was low, the ankle fit was sufficiently tailored, AND they were cream, which is a rarity. I wore them daily when they were new because they refreshed my style and I loved them so much. 

The boots went on sale a month after I purchased them and were even cheaper. So I bought another identical pair. Since these boots were made of vinyl, traipsing around in the rain would wear them out faster than a pair of great quality leather boots. Why not have a back-up pair? That way I wouldn’t be sad to see the first pair go once they were finished.   

The second pair of boots arrived and I kept them boxed in our closet for more than two years. Now that the old pair are worn, torn and peeling, it’s super sweet to have a brand new pair to replace them. 

I have never kept a brand new identical back-up wardrobe item in my closet before. I have bought duplicates of the same item, but they have always been in rotation at the same time. For example, I have two Brook Brothers white button-down shirts and two Banana Republic black turtlenecks in rotation to prevent laundry bottlenecks. The fact that years would have to pass before I would wear the second pair of boots is a different scenario entirely.

I thought about whether the styling would look dated by the time I busted out the second pair. But the Mod and Retro integrity of the booties provides a higher longevity factor. The bigger concern was that my own style preferences would change over time, but I was willing to take the risk with an inexpensive and fun pair of booties.

As it turns out, my risk was rewarded. I still enjoy wearing this style of bootie, despite my preference for pointier toes and simpler styling. In fact, I recently wore the new pair in an outfit post that debuted my new pink man coat so there you go. The old pair is history. 

I’m not sure I will make this kind of back-up purchase again, because it’s pretty risky. I seldom purchase off-season, precisely for fear of changing style preferences. But it was an interesting exercise, and happily, a positive outcome.