One of the reasons I pin outfits from runway shows is to remember unique and interesting colour combinations. They provide inspiration when I shop and put together outfits for my clients, and for myself. For example, I learned how versatile blush pink can be from last month’s Spring 2014 collections, when it was remixed with all sorts of colours and the combinations worked beautifully. 

Blush was used as a dominant, accent or secondary colour in these outfits:  

• Blush with tomato red and white. My favourite of the lot.
• Blush with chartreuse. As fresh as an apple.
• Shades of blush with silver grey and a hint of mustard. Different and delightful.
• Shades of blush with red and charcoal. Strong, yet soft.
• Blush with fuchsia, silver grey, a mid-tone green and a hint of orange. An amazing rainbow of prettiness from Chanel.
• Blush with orange, mid-tone purple, and assortment of pastels and a touch of black. An intricate palette from Miu Miu.
• Blush with buttercup yellow, black and a hint if white. Sporty and graphic.
• Blush with citron. Dramatic.
• Blush with mint, black and a hint of white. Cool and edgy.
• Blush with cognac, mustard and cream. Earthy sorbets.
• Blush with black, white and a hint of red and yellow. Crisp and ladylike.
• Blush with white and shades of light blue. Great bookending between the model’s hair and the tan and silver of the sandals. My next favourite because of the soft, yet crisp effect.
• Blush with apricot, white and silver grey. Gelato edge.

I love that there are few outfit colour rules these days. Mix black with pastels. Mix colours of different levels of saturation. Wear mismatched tones of the same colour. Wear colours that “clash” because the effect is quite harmonious. Mix dirty tones with clean colours.

Perhaps most importantly, we can wear colours that don’t love us back, and perhaps blush pink is one of those colours. It is for me, yet my blush pink moto jacket functions as a neutral and is an unexpected wardrobe workhorse. 

Although these colour combinations have been shown for Spring and Summer, by all means sport them year round. I’m going to wear blush pink with tomato red and cream as soon as possible. Why not?

Club Monaco is one of my favourite stores because the lines of their clothing are clean, and the quality is usually high. I love the way the brand interprets hot of the press trends in a simple way, and with luxurious fabrications. The clothing often runs small, especially on pants and jeans, but it’s more true to size when the styles are fluid and oversized. They focus on neutrals but occasionally add a sprinkle of colour. 

• Laurine Peplum Belt: This might be the only way I’ll wear a peplum and a belt over a skirt. Keep the contrast low or high over bottoms and add interest to trousers that don’t have belt loops. Fun vibe for business casual and formal. 
• Jamie Wool and Leather Coat: A semi-structured ’70s coat with magnificent leather insets. 
• Samone Coat: It’s a pity that this coat is badly photographed because the cut is magnificent. The fit on the back on the bottom is sculptured and quite haute couture. If it had a collar and longer sleeves, it would be mine. It’s great for petites with shorter arms and neck. Love the unstructured structured silhouette and pretty shade of pink. Chic Deluxe. 
• Brittney Wool Coat: A fably classic peacoat, yet super modern in an unusual shade of icy light blue. Warning: it’s not tailored like most peacoats. The fit is a little oversized with a dropped shoulder line for a fashion forward effect.
• Samira Plaid Wool Leather Coat: Retro, unstructured and eye-catching. You have to love plaid to wear this number. Perfect with white jeans in Fall, Winter and Spring. 
• Mariah Silver Foil Sweater: High-low casual glitz. Great with faded jeans, trousers or a pencil skirt. 
• Lynn Foldover Clutch: Sleek, refined and minimal.
• Julie Graphic Print Turtleneck: A digital floral pattern for Team Grey and Team Turtleneck. 

It’s also nice to see Club Monaco provide V-neck pullovers because those have become a rarity. Although I don’t wear V-neck pullovers, I have clients who love the neckline. Thank goodness we have options.

The peacoat is a familiar outerwear silhouette. It’s a short, double-breasted wool coat with a revere collar and long sleeves. Lengths vary from just below the waist to hip skimming. There are two rows of buttons, and pockets which range from side entry to patch and welted styles. Tab and epaulette details on the sleeves and at the back are optional. Most fits are pretty tailored, but fashion forward designers are also showing oversized variations. 

I’m celebrating the glory of the peacoat because it has a high longevity factor. It is a true modern classic that influential design houses like Burberry and Ralph Lauren make every season. Leading American designers like Alexander Wang, Altuzarra, Marc Jacobs and Rag & Bone showcase their peacoat interpretations each season too. I love it when a classic silhouette like a peacoat, which is also pretty unisex, is incorporated into modern fashion and stays in style for a long, long time. 

Peacoat colours run the gamut. Navy, ink blue and black peacoats with self-colour or metallic buttons are true classics. But don’t think you have to limit yourself to those colours. Any colour peacoat is fab, and the pictures below are great examples. Tartan and colour blocked styles are fun too. 

The beauty of the peacoat comes from its versatile design that suits a range of body types. So far, I have been able to match the right peacoat with any body type and size when shopping with clients. The revere collar allows it to be worn as a V-neck, which is extremely flattering on a larger bust, and a smaller bust. And although double-breasted styles are usually harder to fit on a larger bust and apple shaped midriff — the right fit absolutely works. The structured shoulder line and tailored integrity of the style is excellent across all body types. Adjusting the position of the buttons to create great fit is usually an option. Smaller scale collars work well on shorter necks, and oversized collars are great on long necks. Options with back tab details that nip in the waist are ideal for very curvy bodies. 

And furthermore, wearing a peacoat unbuttoned looks as great as wearing it fully buttoned to showcase its shape. Can you believe that wearing double-breasted jackets and coats open was a fashion faux pas ten years ago? And now the look is completely modern, fashionable and fabulous. I guess these forever changing opinions on style are part of what make fashion fun. 

Here are three great examples of peacoats in action:

• Shades of navy from head to toe with wide leg jeans and chunky turtleneck. Effective colour repetition with bag and hair.

• Oversized striped tee and trendy leather track pants with caramel peacoat.

• French Vogue Editor in Chief Emmanuelle Alt in navy peacoat and white jeans. Enough said. 

If you’re after a versatile coat that looks pulled together and flattering, may I suggest the modern classic peacoat in a tailored fit. It can be dressed down with jeans and dressed up with a pencil skirt and trousers for work. It won’t date, and wearing it unbuttoned provides ample “oversized trendiness” if you’re worried about looking too classic. I love the citron peacoat that I bought a few years ago, and I don’t think we will ever part ways.

This is a fashion forward outfit formula that is based on wearing a roomy top over a roomy skirt, so essentially “volume on top of volume”. In some versions the volume is subtle like the outfit on the left. Or silhouettes are more baggy like the outfit on the right. 

The trick in either case is to create just enough structure so that you still feel attractive despite throwing a few conventional figure flattery guidelines out the window. You need to create a hint of waist definition. There are two ways you can do this.

1. Wear a cropped pullover with a welt or tapered high-low hemline that reins back in the volume of the top to showcase some waist. Create further structure by going very cropped and exposing your midriff.
2. Choose a full skirt that is fitted on the hip and flares out somewhere below the waist.

Select any colour palette and remix patterns, solids and textures to your taste. Here are the components: 

Full Skirt: Choose your length and voluminous threshold. Remember that full skirts needn’t be full all over. Wearing a style that is fitted on the hip creates a more streamlined silhouette. 

Cropped Pullover: The pullover or upscale sweatshirt must be sufficiently cropped, or short enough so that you can pull up a welted style to a length that sits close to the waistline (see the grey sweatshirt in the ensemble below). That is how you create structure for this outfit. A fluid or oversized fit is best because it offsets the cropped length. Note: you are not baring your midriff in this outfit unless you wear a very short cropped pullover. 

Footwear: Keep the footwear fitted for extra structure. Sleek dressy knee-high boots get my top vote, especially since tall boots are making a comeback. But tailored booties and shooties are another way to go, with or without hosiery. And pretty pumps are always a great option. Heeled footwear, which includes low heels, is the obvious choice with this type of outfit because it lengthens the leg line. But I have worn flared skirts with roomy cropped pullovers and slipper flats and not felt dumpy. 

Accessories: Add watch, jewellery, bag and eyewear as desired. I’ve chosen a structured bag because I fancy the contrast of its straight lines with the roundness of the skirt and top. 

A knee-length wool coat or trench is a good choice of topper if you need another layer. Or go with a moto jacket of sorts.

Here are two examples of the formula in action:

• A column of colour makes this rendition like a two-piece dress with exposed midriff.
• A roomier version with sandals. To make this version seasonally appropriate, you need to wear closed footwear.

I love this business casual outfit formula because the proportions look fresh and new. I wore it a lot during the Summer with pointy toe pumps, textured grey full midi skirt and short welted knitwear, both in cotton and cashmere. For Fall I’ve got two cropped cream chunky pullovers to wear with full skirts and sleek black knee-high boots. Dressy, but slightly relaxed, which is the best of both worlds. There is life after jeans, ladies.