I was thrilled when Angie recently started a white shirt pinboard. I’ll never tire of this timeless classic, and love to browse the many inspiration boards with tons of gorgeous white shirt eye candy. I’ve also been enjoying Rebecca Bartel’s, Amber Bailey-Nel’s and Kate Wood’s pins.

For those who are still a little hesitant to sport white, Invisible Woman’s take on “Why white clothes are worth the effort” might make you see things in a different light.

Which shoes to wear with a Summery white shirtdress? Garance Doré poses the question to her readers and gets tons of suggestions in the more than 200 comments. Which footwear would you pick?

Fab Links from Our Members

Austin photographer Jaime Moore did a very creative photo shoot for her daughter’s fifth birthday. Debora loves that she chose five inspiring and strong female role models for her daughter to dress up as.

Charmian recently discovered The Trend Ender, a tumblr blog that covers one current trend per post. There aren’t many entries, but the detailed historical background is marvelous.

Although Angie has a hard time liking cropped ankle pants with a wider hem, she loves this trousers outfit over at Bittersweet Colours. The brilliant citron colour, the extremely dainty footwear, and the grace with which Veronica carries herself is what makes the look for her.

During World War II American designer Carolyn Schnurer brought creativity and originality to the US fashion scene. Vildy especially loves that “She opened peoples minds to styles and textiles from across the globe and also provided beautiful casual wear that enhanced the leasure times of women”. Vildy also recommends having a look at this comparison between Bonnie Cashin’s robust sporty style and Carolyn Schnurer’s delicate elements.

Parsley has been fascinated and amused by the ongoing “Switcheroo” photo series by Hana Pesut in which couples are photographed in their own clothes and then switch outfits.

Creating playful ensembles with pencil skirts is an ongoing project with many of my clients because tight pencil skirts are often thought of as overly corporate, strict and bombshell, especially when they are matched with a classic pair of black pumps. Of course, there is a time and place for strict corporate pencil skirt outfits, and it’s a great look for some specific work environments. But there’s also room for a less serious pencil skirt outfit in a more casual setting. So with de-bombshelling strategies and colour top of mind, we’re going to tickle that pencil skirt until it laughs right back at us. Choose one or more of the following tactics:

• Wear it in a colour
• Wear it with a roomy top that’s less expected than a tailored and tucked button-down shirt
• Keep the footwear lighthearted

The components of the ensemble:

• Pencil Skirt: A non-neutral pencil skirt tends to look less serious. Choose brights, pastels, mid-tones or jewel tones. A neutral pencil skirt is an option, as long as its support act has a sense of humour.

• Roomy Top: You have many options, and here are four to get you started (from left to right in the picture). Wear them untucked.
  1. Sassy Sweatshirt: Choose a fashionable sweatshirt with a banded bottom for extra structure, and scrunch the sleeves. This is the fashion forward option that’s a touch sporty.
  2. High-low Pullover: Choose one in a fine gauge knit, and scrunch the sleeves. It’s on trend and very comfortable.
  3. Swing Top: This one’s more flirty and ideal for hot weather. A sleeveless style adds structure to the outfit.
  4. Drapey Top: This is the arty option with added drama.

• Footwear: The point is to stay away from a conventionally corporate look, so if you’re going to wear pumps, wear them in fun colours, white, and sci-fi metallics. Or wear ankle strap sandals or caged wedge sandals. And for Team Flats there’s slipper flats or gladiators.

• Accessories: A daytime clutch is a great option, but so is a satchel, tote or crossbody. To my eye, light neutrals, metallics and non-neutrals are generally less serious than black or dark brown bags. Add jewelry as desired and eyewear as required.

I’ve left out a jacket to keep the vibe a touch relaxed. Peasant blouses, oversized boyfriend shirts and silky tees are more options for tops. And apart from the slipper flats, I’ve kept the ensemble solid. But feel free to add pattern in any one of the outfit components. Pattern mix to your heart’s content! That in itself is a playful styling concept.

Summer is around the corner, and for some, that means wearing extra casual outfits. So this week’s roundup showcases super relaxed items, ideal for casual settings. 

1. Vince Camuto ‘Lancaster’ Flat: Comfortable, breezy, on trend and I vote la creme. Fits an insole and orthotic.
2. Joe’s Kody Sandal: Super soft leather and with the oh so popular broad ankle strap. It’s very flat and lacks arch support so consider yourself warned. 
3. Michael Kors Print Flutter Sleeve Top: I saw this top on the hanger and was not all that impressed. But the fabric is unbelievably soft, so it’s ended up in the fitting with several clients. The top looks so much better on the body. It’s a great alternative to a basic T-shirt, layers well under toppers, and is forgiving on the midsection without being overly voluminous. Comes in other patterns and plus sizes. 
4. Amber Sun Tab Trim Stripe Tee: A striped tee with a difference. The raglan sleeve is fab, as is the curved heme and tab sleeve. Slightly fitted, not too boxy, and great on a hot day sans camisole. 
5. Sperry Top-Sider Audrey Boat Shoe: A nice little alternative to sneakers. 
6. Kut from the Kloth Catherine Boyfriend Denim Shorts: Size up and sport an adorable pair of baggy shorts on very casual days. Also available in a lighter wash. Read the rave reviews. 
7. Three Dots High/Low Midi Skirt (Plus): A great length and flattering fit. Great with a tank, tee or mesh sweater and wedge sandals. 
8. Allen Allen Tiered Linen Skirt: One answer to breezy casual dressing. The skirt looks particularly good on petites when matched with casual sandals and tank top, or roomy cotton shell. 
9. Free People High/Low Hoodie: More arty than sporty. Love the high-low hemline, cropped cut, roomy fit and dolman sleeves. 
10. Eileen Fisher Harem Pants (Plus): An acquired taste! Pretty fabulous with a cropped high-low top and pretty sandals. 
11. Olivia Moon Linen Bomber Jacket: An earthy take on a sporty trend. Gorgeous in linen if you make peace with the crease. Also available in plus sizes. 
12. Topshop Perforated Leather Backpack: These bring back memories of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Cute and casual for a Mum on the go.

I generally don’t make the distinction of dressing more casually during the Summer months because my lifestyle does not change. That said, I wear linen shirts in Summer, which are very casual. Do you dress more casually during the Summer months?

A slim-fitting long sleeve is ideal for sleeve scrunching because the tapered silhouette stays put against the contour of your forearms and elbow. The more snug the sleeve fit, the easier the sleeves are to scrunch and stay that way. 

Sometimes even with a relatively slim fitting sleeve the scrunch is hard to maintain because the sleeve opening is too wide with the cuff unbuttoned. One simple solution is to sew a little stitch in the middle of the placket of the sleeve. This narrows the opening of the sleeve when the cuff is unbuttoned and pulled back into a scrunched position. This makes it stay put on your arm. Snugger fit = better scrunch. 

See the photos below for one example. I didn’t have pink thread to match the shirt so I used white, which matches the textured interest in the fabric. 

I’ve used this stitch trick on a few shirts already, like my white tuxedo shirt and blue and white shirt. Some shirt styles, like the button-down shirts from Brooks Brothers, conveniently have an extra button in the position of the stitch on the placket. Those shirts also have a stiffer fabrication than most and scrunch particularly well.