I have been wearing my skirts and dresses more frequently this year, and was going to show you one of those outfits next. But Greg was not on board with this. He wanted to rather do one of the outfits I wore last week, which is one of his favourites and, he says, epitomizes my Spring style. Light, lots of white, modern, simple, relaxed and cozy. 

I am now, more than ever, besotted with white jeans. I have three pairs and wear them at least twice a week, which includes wearing them back in Winter. Most of my Spring and Summer tops and toppers look better with white jeans. More modern, fresh, clean and somehow prettier. And very bright, which is what attracts me to white items in the first place.

My absolutely favourite trend of the year is wearing white on white, which means wearing white or shades of white together in an outfit. I’ve always worn lots of white, but have amped things up in 2013. I love how shades of white look both sterile and soft, and both cool and warm. Shades of white are seasonless and make me feel feminine when I wear them. In my style world, white jeans, and shirts for that matter, possess magical powers and I’m completely under their spell.

None of the items in this outfit are new apart from the patterned pullover which I bought with a store credit at Club Monaco back in January. It’s been frequently worn over the last few months because it’s light in colour, warm, and with a slightly relaxed fit. Wearing relaxed fits, either a little roomy or very roomy, are one of THE most important ways to update your style. And I’m all for it. 

I still pattern mix my outfits, but not nearly as strongly as I did last year. I’m into creating a lower contrast between the patterned items in my outfit at the moment, just to change things up. Belts and footwear are still my favourite ways to pattern mix outfits, so I added a black and bone polka dot belt to the optic white jeans and off-white patterned pullover. It’s faux tucked above the belt because of the welt on the pullover — a look I like more for my style than the semi tuck. I added another pattern by wearing snakeskin booties. Although this outfit includes a bit of black and neon, it’s essentially white from head to toe.

Greg’s favourite part is the way the cream in the booties picks up the cream leather jacket and bookends the ensemble. This jacket is a five year old wardrobe workhorse, which I hope to have for at least another five years. Retro black specs, gold watch, wedding ring and citron daytime clutch finish off the look. I thought about wearing my white clutch to make the outfit even more white. But I can’t resist a little blinding neon on a grey Seattle day because it cheers me up. And that’s that. 

Wearing a virtually all white outfit while I’m on the go in the pouring rain makes me smile. Impractical for some, but feels so right for me. And as long as I don’t spill my tea, I don’t get that dirty. So this is precisely what I wore last Friday while out shopping downtown with a client on a typical wet Seattle Spring day. We were in and out of shops on the street, not a shopping mall, from 10 till 6 with umbrella in hand. We walked at a fast and purposeful pace and had a productive and fabulous time. My client got the white jeans bug that day and came home with two pairs! Go Team White Jeans.

Semi and faux tucking tops into jeans and trousers has revitalized belt sales. As a result, many of my “belt-phobic” clients are now wearing belts with the best of them. Skinny belts have virtually flooded the market, while wider belts are less popular at the moment. Personally, I prefer wider belts and wish there was a larger assortment in dressy styles. Perhaps next season. 

Below is a selection of both wide and skinny belts in neutrals and colours. Be sure to check all the colour options:

• Fossil Rivet Centerbar Belt: A skinny belt with polished bohemian hardware. It’s almost graphic.
• Kate Spade Reversible Printed Trouser Belt: I love patterned belts and this fresh floral screams happy warm weather. It’s fully reversible and made of leather. I’m pondering the pink. 
• Michael Kors 50MM Saffiano Belt: Rein in the volume of a blouse, thin sweater or dress with this retro ’80s style. 
• Michael Kors Logo To Pebble Belt Bag: I keep on wanting to get a belt bag, and this one looks like a little foldover clutch on a belt. So cute! It won’t be super comfortable or conventionally flattering, but it’s creative, fun, hands-free and quite the statement. I need to give this look a bash. 
• Fossil Shotbead Skinny Belt: A dainty sci-fi number with delicate edge beading. 
• Calvin Klein Buckle With Logo Embossed Belt: I frequently wear a white belt similar to this style because it makes my outfit feel crisp and modern. 
• Nike Perforated Golf Belt: The perforation is a nice nod to the sporty trend. 
• Bedstu Costello: And a studded black belt is a great basic for Team Stud.  

I prefer low rise jeans and trousers and therefore wear these belts on my hip bones. This often means sizing up a size on belts that are meant to be worn on the natural waist. 

The baseball cap is another nod to the developing sporty trend. In some instances it’s a fancy cap, made of leather or wool with studs and hardware. Or it’s nothing but mega casual canvas, cotton twill or denim. 

Baseball caps are no longer a fashion faux pas when worn in an intentionally fashion forward manner. That means with trendy, dressy pieces, luxurious fabrications or tailored items. At least one item in the outfit needs to be dressy, even if it’s just the shoes. It’s also got to be the right baseball cap, which means no sports slogans or the like. A fairly haute baseball cap, for lack of a better description. 

The photos below from retailers are not the best representation of how baseball caps are being worn in fashionable ways. So I’ve put together a pinboard of head to toe street style looks that show baseball caps in stylish action. Do look at the outfits on the pinboard before you formulate an opinion on the trend. 

I like the trend because it’s playful and fun. It’s yet another example of an irregular juxtaposition of different items in one outfit, which is all the rage at the moment. The baseball cap successfully dresses down a look and adds a casual element. Unexpected, witty, and eye-catching. 

To my eye, you need at least shoulder length hair sticking out from under the cap to feminize the trendy baseball cap. Long hair also adds an extra textural dimension to the overall look. I don’t see it working as well on someone with short hair, which is often the case with hats. 

Although I have embraced elements of the sporty trend with passion — like wedged Converse, a bomber jacket and sporty clutch handbags — I won’t be wearing this one. I don’t have the hairstyle to pull off the look and the item doesn’t gel with my style persona. That said, I do like the outfits on my pinboard because these ladies have created attractive and interesting outfits that are just cute with a capital C. 

What’s your verdict on trendy baseball caps?

Accessories are items like handbags, scarves, belts, jewelry, watches, hats, gloves and eyewear. I’ve written many posts on the role of accessories in your outfits and here’s a summary of the most important points in one place for easy access. 

Accessories can be extremely powerful because they complete a look, often taking it from nice to fabulous. Think of how often you’ve added a belt, bag, scarf, watch, hat, bold cuff or necklace and it “makes the outfit”.

Eye-catching accessories can also make a strong style statement. By all means sport many accessories at once if you have a maximal style, because there are no rules as to how many accessories you should sport in one outfit. Gone are the days when it was best to sport one huge accessory at a time and make a statement with it. Sport two, three or more if that’s your style preference. More can be more.

That said, if you have a minimal style, less is more. This means you’ll make a statement by sporting fewer accessories. Personally, this is how I like to dress. I don’t wear jewelry other than my wedding ring. I wear a watch, my specs, and a handbag daily. I seldom wear scarves these days, but I love to wear belts. 

When my clients are stuck when it comes to adding accessories to their style I ask them to pick their one favourite accessory and start by making a statement with that. For example, one client picked scarves, while another picked pendant necklaces. Another picked earrings and bib necklaces, while yet another wanted to focus on cuffs. They began incorporating this one type of accessory into their style on a daily basis, and slowly but surely became comfortable with the addition. This built the confidence to try other accessories, and when desired, change up their daily look.

Scale plays a pretty important role in accessories. Although this is not a strict rule, tall and/or larger bone structures tend to look best in chunky and oversized accessories. Petite and/or smaller bone structures tend to look best in less chunky and smaller accessories. Of course, there is a middle ground where accessories can be chunky and refined. So by all means break these guidelines but keep the proportions flattering by making sure that YOU shine as much as the accessories do. 

Eyewear

If you wear specs daily, this is your most important accessory, and I can’t stress this point enough. Gone are the days when eyeglasses were considered unstylish. Make your eyewear part of your look and flaunt it. And this goes for sunglasses too.You have to wear your specs every day so invest in the best affordable pair. Over time you can invest in several pairs and build a collection, which means swapping out your specs daily to suit your mood and your outfits. 

Here are my thoughts on how to select the perfect frames and how to select sunglasses.

Belts

If you struggle to incorporate belts, here are ways to combat belt phobia so don’t lose hope. You do not need to have a defined waistline to wear a belt thanks to the concepts of semi-tucking, faux tucking, and tops with relaxed fits. We can ALL wear belts.

Change up your outfits with skinny belts, or fill out broad belt loops with wider belts. Skinny belts can be shortened in two secs when they are too long.  

Belts can compete with necklaces so keep an eye on those proportions. This is especially true if you also wear specs. Belts are an excellent way to rein in the volume of a shapeless top or frock. And learn how to tie an attractive reef or square knot for belted jackets and coats. 

I LOVE patterned belts. They have become “my jewelry”, and are an excellent pattern mixing tool.

Scarves

Here’s the skinny on the hair-neck-bust situation when you wear a big scarf. Contrary to popular belief, scarves do not need to shorten the neckline. Scarves can also be tied in vertically slimming ways. And here’s how to tie the Angie knot.

Scarves can be worn year round in all sorts of fabrications. As bridging pieces in transitional weather, for insulation in cold weather, and to keep you cool and protected in hot weather. Regular and infinity scarf styles have their pros and cons.

Messy scarf tying can look fab. Cut the fringe off your scarf if you don’t fancy the trim. Keep slippery scarves in place with a safety pin. 

Jewelry

Mix your metals with pride. Here’s a video on how to knot a long strand of pearls, and a post on  how to pick the right neckline as a  backdrop for your big necklace. You can absolutely wear necklaces with a larger bust and here are the guidelines on how to achieve flattering proportions. 

If necklaces aren’t your thing, there’s always arm candy. Arm candy is about much more than just bracelets. Think  watches, cuffs, rings, clutch handbags and fingernail polish. And no need to stick to one wedding ring just because you’re committed to one person for life. I have four wedding rings, but only one husband.

Earrings are also an option, but you don’t need to wear earrings just because your ears are pierced. 

Handbags

Handbags are one way to get a quick fix style refresher. There is no one handbag to rule them all. I vote three as the absolute wardrobe minimum.

Here are seven reasons to carry a daytime clutch, which isn’t necessarily impractical. Flat totes can be just as practical as crossbody bags. And casual handbags are a great way to dress down an outfit. 

Match your bag to your shoes, belt, scarf, necklace, top or outerwear. Or mismatch the colour entirely to create an extra strong statement.

Hair and a Smile

Your hairstyle is also an accessory. After all, you wear it every day. If you are unsatisfied with your look, re-evaluate your hairstyle early in the process of a style renewal. Chances are high that if your hair feels right, the rest of your outfits will feel a whole lot better.

Finally, your smile might just be your most important accessory. And one that you can wear as often as you like. So love your laughter lines no matter what.

Phew! We can talk about accessories until the cows come home. Feel free to post further accessory challenges and questions in the comments section and let’s get to work.