Weekly Roundup: Assorted items

If you’re in the US, we hope you’re having a great long Labor Day weekend. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, Autumn is around the corner. These items can work well in transitional and colder weather. Some worked well on my clients, while others worked well on friends. Browse the colour and size options, and read the reviews. Some items will be on sale.

  • Nike Sportswear Ady Floral Zip-Up Bomber Jacket: The water colour pattern on this bomber is a work of art, and more striking in person. GORGEOUS. I kept looking at it in stores. It's fashionably fluid - especially in the sleeves. It's quite short length cleverly offsets the sleeve volume. Good on shorter torsos who can fill it out. I bet it would look great with skirts.
  • HOBBS LONDON Hackness Tweed Jacket: Short, polished, impeccable, tailored blazer that looks great worn open. Comes in a green plaid, and works well on a curvy figure. Might run small.
  • Ann Taylor Pearlized Delicate Chain Necklace: A silver chain with a pearl pendant is a rare find, and this one is quite refined. Comes in gold.
  • LIVERPOOL LOS ANGELES Quilted Mixed Media Vest: A comfy and versatile vest that van be worn as a single layer topper, or layered under coats and jackets because it's streamlined. Has a knitted back and comes in black and white.
  • Boden Supersoft Frill Detail Top: Dainty knitted blouse that is super soft and looks pretty. Comes in other patterns and solids. Works well under jackets and vests. Good worn out too.
  • Desigual Nara Collage Poplin Button-Up Shirt: Conversational cotton shirt for Team Black, White and Red.
  • Desigual Manchester Floral Print Crewneck Sweater: Cute viscose, linen, and polymide blend cropped sweater for Team Jewel Tones and Black. Great to wear with skirts. Good on petites. Comes in a white background too.
  • Rag & Bone The Knit Stripe Long Sleeve Polo: GORGEOUSLY delicate rayon-rich navy knitted polo shirt made of a gauzy fabric that keeps you cool, comfy, and covered. Lovely fluidly tailored fit. Not fitted like you see on the model. Casually polished. Quite short. Looks great worn un-tucked. I have this one and love it.
  • AQUA High Rise Wide Leg Jeans in Indigo - 100% Exclusive: Super thin, drapey, and lightweight denim trousers that are fab on a curvy figure with a defined waist. Lots of room in the thighs and hips. Full length on regular height people.
  • Boden Westbourne Ponte Trousers: These come in several colours and drape like a dream. Good heft and a forgiving fit that moulds to the shape of your body. Gorgeous quality. Good on a range of body types. Very comfy and looks dressy is a relaxed way. Comes in petite, regular, and tall. Goes up to a US22. The bright red is mine, and I might get the green. They are great travel pants because they feel soft and loose, yet look polished and pulled together. Love these!
  • VAGABOND SHOEMAKERS Vivian Brush-Off Leather BootieWomen's: On trend boots with a late '90s integrity. The exaggerated block heel is stable despite its height. Works on a wider foot, and this one is brushed silver. Comes in black.
  • VAGABOND SHOEMAKERS Women's Vivian Pointed Toe Booties: A brushed deep red boot with a late '90s integrity and contrast black trim. Can work on a wider foot. Excellent with black bottoms or a column of black.
  • Boden Eva Cashmere Vest: A gorgeous quality cashmere vest, or sleeveless pullover, that can be layered over a top, worn on its own, or layered under a jacket or cardigan. Comes in lots of solids. The pink and toffee stripe is mine and it looks playfully elegant to my eye.
  • Madewell Stripe Long Sleeve Rugby Shirt: On trend, very fluid, 100% cotton, and looks best on those who fill it out. The V-neck Johnny collar is neat and tidy, and not too low. The sleeves can be cuffed if they're a tad long.
  • Sanctuary Floral Print Long Sleeve Mesh Top: A navy and seafoam mesh top that isn't too clingy. Lined in the front and back so no need to wear a camisole. Although there isn't any olive in the pattern, it looks great with olive bottoms. Goes up to 3X.
  • Loft Shoulder Button Cable Sweater Vest: SUPER CUTE cabled vest in a pretty shade of warm oatmeal. It has fab statement gold buttons on one shoulder. Gorgeous 100% cotton yarn that feels fantastic on the body. Looks like a well made quality piece. Runs big so size down. If you want it shorter, opt for a petite size. I'm 5ft 6 and preferred the petite version because it fit my narrow shoulders better. I'm into sleeveless pullovers (vests) the moment so this followed me home. Love it.
  • FRAME Le Mid Rise V-Neck T-Shirt: A client favourite that works especially well on broader shoulders and a larger bust. Might need to size down. The V-neck looks low, but actually it's not in person. Comes in colours. The white is not see-through despite what reviews say.
  • Socialite Ruched Long Sleeve Mesh Midi Dress: Marbled Teal Mesh Dress Fabness. I've seen this type of ruched dress work on a range of body types. It moulds to the shape of your straighter or curvier figure, and settles comfortably. Surprisingly forgiving. Good length and well lined.
  • Nordstrom V-Neck Long Sleeve Wool & Cashmere Sweater Dress: A fab sweater dress for Team Slate Blue. Lovely shallow V-neck, and gentle sack silhouette that tapers a little at the hem. Works well on petites. Comes in black.
  • Sanctuary Perfect Notch Print Long Sleeve T-Shirt: This tee comes in assorted patterns and looks much better UNTUCKED. It has a great shape. Not too fitted and not too fluid. Does not cling and is forgiving. Lovely neckline.
  • Lauren Ralph Lauren Women's Ruched Surplice Jersey Top: Knitted and fitted wrap top that works best on those who can fill it out. Excellent on curvy figures and works well on petites. GORGEOUS fabric. Feels magical against the skin.
  • On 34th Women's Plaid Car Coat, Created for Macy's: A lightweight plaid A-line trench with vibrant orange lining. Runs big, and is nicely made.

Pictures below. You can see the items alongside the descriptions on the collection page.

Boden
Eva Cashmere Vest
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Top Pick
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Outfit Formula: Simple Navy and Black

As we head into Autumn in the northern hemisphere, wearing black and navy outfits might appeal to you. Of course, you can wear black and navy any time of the year if it’s a preferred palette. Why not?! Back when I wore black, I happily wore it with navy, although I lightened up the look with white pearls, bag, and footwear. These days I wear a column of navy, and enjoy black on others.

Onto some very easy navy and black outfit formulas.

1. Navy Top, Black Bottoms, Black Footwear

Combine a solid and fluid top like this shirt with back trousers or jeans. Leaving the longer top un-tucked works well with the slim black and cropped cigarette pants. Classic black loafers are the shoes of choice, and add a bag to match. Feel free to choose a navy top and a pair of bottoms that is more to your taste. Or match a black top with navy bottoms.

Navy Top, Black Bottoms, Black Footwear

2. Dark Denim and Black Accents

A dark denim dress, which counts as navy, is a no-fuss pull-on-and-go option. Here a flared denim midi dress is combined with black heeled mules and handbag. Easy! A navy dress would work well too.

Dark Denim and Black Accents

Some examples of navy dresses with black footwear.

3. Column of Black with Dark Denim

A black dress creates a column of colour. A black top and black pants, or a black skirt would too. A dark denim jacket, or navy jacket adds the navy component. It’s oversized and on trend but feel free to choose a silhouette that is more to your taste. Stompy and chunky black boots add a ‘90s flavour and bookend the model’s hair. The black tote works well with the palette.

Column of Black with Dark Denim

4. Patterned Blouse, Navy Bottoms, Black Footwear

Last, I’m suggesting a pattern for good measure. A black, navy and cream patterned and fluid blouse is worn loosely draped over wide navy trousers. Black slides complete the look by matching the model’s hair and the black in the pattern. Add jewellery, watch, eyewear, and handbag as desired.

Patterned Blouse, Navy Bottoms, Black Footwear

The Importance of Regular Wardrobe Edits

Seasonal wardrobe edits will help you to make sense of your wardrobe. Remember forgotten items, identify wardrobe holes, replace worn pieces, and improve storage areas. Editing also sparks outfit creativity and creates closet calm. 

Edit Your Wardrobe

Edit all your wardrobe items, including ones in the basement, the garage and stuff under the bed. Try on items that have gone unworn for a while because your opinion about how an item looks, feels, and gels with your style goals needs to be current.

You can only truly assess your needs, filter through trends, refresh your style, and make effective wardrobe additions when you edit properly and regularly. The more regularly you edit, the easier and less time-consuming the edits will be.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Musings on Clothing with Pockets

Pockets are brilliant when they’re in the right place and work for your style. Or they can be awful because they ruin the look of the garment, or don’t look fab on that part of the body. Today we’re sharing our feelings about pockets on clothing, and I’ll go first. I like pockets on some items, and don’t like them on others.

My puffer jackets and some wool coats must have side entry pockets because I put my hands in my pockets for warmth when it’s cold. Some pockets have welcome thermal fleece lining which keeps my hands cosy.

I prefer side entry pockets on wide and roomy casual and dressy pants, and will probably pass on them if they don’t have these important pockets. Pants with these types of pockets, and especially front pleated pants, tend to create a better fit and drape on my body, and my hands like these pockets too. I don’t like slim pants with side entry pockets because the seams of the pocket linings tend to grin through the front of the pants. That said, this can be avoided if there is enough ease in the thigh fit of the pants, and the pockets aren’t too deep.

I prefer jeans to have regular five-pocket-styling-detail, but don’t mind if they don’t. If the style lends itself to a different set of pockets, I’m game to give it a go. I’m not fussy about the back placement of jeans pockets either.

I don’t wear dresses that are fitted on the bottom half of my body. My dresses are A-line, roomy sack silhouettes, tiered, or fit & flares. On these types of “roomy at the bottom” dresses, I like having side entry pockets. It tends to effectively dress down a dressy dress, and I use them from time to time.

I am fussy about pockets with pocket flaps. I don’t mind them on denim jackets because the flaps are small, have a button to keep them in place, and are part of the iconic trucker denim jacket look. I don’t mind pocket flaps on the pockets of blazers because they are small and refined. I enjoy pockets with welts because they look extra neat, tide, and high quality. I tend not to like pants and jeans with large cargo pockets and pocket flaps, unless the flaps lie very flat. Usually, I prefer large pockets on bottoms without flaps.

I don’t mind pockets that aren’t deep because I don’t put anything besides my hands into pockets. I have quite a strict rule about that. Items get lost or misplaced when they go into my pockets, which is why I am firmly on Team Handbag. I also don’t mind decorative pockets if they make an item look more interesting and unique.

Over to you. What are your feelings about pockets on clothing?

Outfit Formula: Tees with Personality

If you enjoy wearing T-shirts, and patterned ones in particular, these outfits might appeal to you. Most of the tees are more than basic. Elevated, as well as casual and comfortable. A tee in a heavier fabric with a bit of heft tends to drape well and feel substantial. 

TIP: Tees that are too long can be shortened to a length that creates outfit proportions that are more to your taste. This hack is especially effective when you enjoy wearing tees untucked.

1. T-Shirt and Trousers

A good quality graphic black tee is not hard to find, and looks particularly current in a roomy fit with a high and neat neckline like this one. It’s worn over a pair of dressy off-white wide cropped trousers, which picks up the white graphic of the tee. Classic white sneakers are the Sporty Luxe choice of shoe. A gold bucket bag adds a glam touch. Gold flats or sneakers would too.

T-Shirt and Trousers

2. T-Shirt, Jeans + Jacket

A multi-coloured graphic tee is tucked into a pair of baby bootcut jeans with a LOT of scrunch. The hems of the jeans scrunch because they aren’t too wide at the hem, and they’re worn with heeled shoes. Flatforms like these sneakers, create height off the ground thereby allowing the hems to scrunch and rest on the vamps of the shoes instead of sweep the floor. An orchid leather blazer tops the lot, adding a dressy and polished integrity to the “jeans-tee-sneaker” combination. A red clutch adds another dressy touch and matches the palette of the tee.

T-Shirt, Jeans and Jacket

3. T-shirt Under a Dress

A fairly fluid patterned tee is layered under a lace and pleated black slip dress. This is a great way of adding coverage and interest to a dress that feels a little bare. Cognac platform sandals are the summery shoe of choice, matching the earthy bits in the outfit. A black crossbody bucket bag amps up the casual vibe.

T-shirt Under a Dress

4. T-Shirt and Skirt

A cropped, striped, fitted and knotted tee is paired with an A-line and front slit denim midi skirt. Its cropped length accentuates the fit and style of the skirt. Black gladiator sandals are the breezy finishing touch. I see a black bag complete the look. Add jewellery, watch, and eyewear as desired.

T-Shirt and Skirt

Here are more skirts worn with tees. Tees are patterned or solid, vary in fit, and sometimes worn under a topper.