I am a little tired of strapless gowns and that was the look at the Academy Awards last night. Again. I’d love to see more variety at this extremely formal and glamourous event. Separates, a few more sleeved options, and more sleeveless options that are not strapless.

All that said, my two favourite looks of the evening were strapless gowns. 

Best Dressed Ladies

• Jessica Chastain and Charlize Theron: I have a tie for first place. Minimal, classic elegance from Jessica Chastain was old hollywood glamour at its best. Red lips, cascading red locks and luxurious tonal sparkle. She was spectacular in an Armani Prive strapless gown. Charlize Theron was statuesque perfection in a bright white sculptured Dior gown. Her tomboy pixie hairstyle injected a whole lot of modern spunk into this retro classic. I LOVED that juxtaposition. Both ladies took my breath away.
• Octavia Spencer: She shone in an apricot tulle Tadashi Shoji off-the-shoulder gown that beautifully highlighted her hourglass figure. Extremely attractive and radiant. 
• Halle Berry: I loved her striped Versace number with sharp shoulders and plunging V-neckline. Modern Retro Chic. A breath of fresh air amidst a sea of strapless gowns. Halle dared to be different and it worked.
• Naomi Watts: Her sci-fi Giorgio Armani gunmetal gown with asymmetrical cutouts was unique, flattering, chic and modern. It’s not easy to look stunning in this style of dress, but Naomi had it down. 
• Jennifer Hudson: Another breath of fresh air in her long sleeved, shimmering, Roberto Cavalli blue form fitting frock. Her stick straight long hair with severe fringe complemented the texture rich fabrication of the dress. 

I also liked what Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Aniston, Adele, Jane Fonda and Stacy Kiebler wore, but they didn’t make my list of absolute favourites. 

Best Dressed Blokes

• Chris Pine, Jamie Foxx, Christopher Plummer, Hugh Jackman, Christoph Waltz, Robert Downey Jr. and Seth MacFarlane,

Favourite Surprise Gown:

• Helen Hunt in an H&M frock that was adorned with $750,000 worth of jewelry. 

Best Hair

• Charlize Theron, Jennifer Hudson, Jessica Chastain, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon. 

Best Accessory

• Nine year old Quvenzhane Wallis wearing her favourite puppy purse, which happens to be a Yorkshire Terrier.  

If you didn’t catch the awards ceremony last night you can see what the stars wore on OK Magazine, Red Carpet Fashion Awards and E Online. Many of the frocks looked better in motion so you won’t see them in all their glory, but you will get a good idea. Please share your best dressed list with us in the comments section.

We diligently edit and review our wardrobes and put together a flexible shopping list, but we simply can’t afford to purchase everything at once. As a result we are forced to prioritize the items on our list. I think of shopping list priorities in terms of 3 levels. The highest priority items are at Level 1. These items are must-haves. Level 2 items are also important because they will have a big impact on the effectiveness of your wardrobe, but you can get by without them at a push. Level 3 items are not all that crucial. You may want them desperately, but in your heart of hearts you know that they are really just “nice to haves”.

Here are my thoughts on what should go at each level. Later I’ll throw in some examples of “what’s priority and what’s not” from my own shopping list. 

LEVEL 1 – Must-Have Items

• Items that satisfy a climatic need: You’ve moved from Florida to Boston and you don’t have a Winter coat. All of a sudden you need a coat capsule, and the sooner the better. 
• Items that satisfy a dress code need: You’ve started a new job and are not allowed to wear jeans to work. Your need for dressier non-denim bottoms shot up because your wardrobe of jeans and denim cutoffs will not work.
• Items that satisfy a fancy occasion need: You have nothing to wear to your friends lavish wedding next month because your normal attire won’t do. Your hunt for a formal outfit is top priority. 
• Wardrobe Essentials: Your wardrobe essentials are workhorses. Replace the ones that you frequently wear as soon as there is a wardrobe hole. 
• New bras and undies when your size has changed: Underwear is instrumental in achieving good fit. Weight loss and gain means readdressing your bra and panty sizes before you readdress the rest of your wardrobe. 
• Haircut: If you are unhappy with your do, it’s top priority to find a hair solution.
• Eyewear: If you wear specs daily, it’s top priority that they are updated and the best that you can afford. 

LEVEL 2 – High Impact Items

• Items that complete wardrobe capsules: Sometimes it’s a question of adding a few extra pieces to existing mix-and-match wardrobe capsules in order to extend their remixing potential. It might mean adding a couple of patterned tops, toppers in extra colours, light coloured bottoms, a few dresses, or a pair of two toned shoes. 
  
• Items that change up the landscape of your wardrobe: Sometimes all it takes is a few on trend pieces to elevate the rest of your wardrobe. For example, when one of my clients added a modern black leather jacket to her wardrobe, her existing skirt, trouser and dress ensembles looked instantly updated. The same can be said of a pair of new-look baggy trousers, a statement tuxedo blazer with a low stance, a pair of pointy toe ankle strap pumps, boyfriend jeans, bomber jacket, or snake skin booties. 
  
• Items that refresh your seasonal look: These are the pieces you add to your existing wardrobe within a fashion season to refresh your style.
• Comfortable Shoes: Happy feet are always a high priority when you have fussy feet. 
• Changes to or Duplication of Wardrobe Essentials: Although I listed them as Level 1 priority, they can also be next important. Sometimes, you want to change up the mix of wardrobe essentials while you continue to love and wear the ones in your wardrobe. For example, add a pair of black cigarette pants to your assortment of black essential bottoms capsule, which at the moment consists of a pencil skirt, wide leg trousers, harem pants and straight leg jeans. 

LEVEL 3 – Low Impact Items

• Elusive Items: You all have items on your list that are hard to find. You look for them every season but are out of luck, and to some extent you’ve given up looking. They are not top priority anymore, but you’d welcome them into your wardrobe if you stumbled upon them. This is precisely how I found my ink blue military coat that I bought last Autumn. It found me! 
• Items that satisfy a less important trend: There are trends that you love, so they get top purchasing priority because you want to try them right away. Then there’s the rest which moves further down the priority ladder.
• Nice to haves: They are not a necessity and often a duplication of existing items. To some extent, they are part of your signature look so you’re always interested in adding more of the same to your wardrobe. Or you have a weakness for the item and love buying that type of thing. 
• Loungewear, workout wear and wardrobe basics: Underwear requires annual replenishment unless your size has changed, in which case it’s Level 1 priority. Basics like socks, hosiery, sleepwear, camisoles, shapewear and sports gear also require annual attention, and for that reason they are usually Level 3 priority for the rest of the year. 

Replenishing my own jeans capsule this year was Level 1 priority because white jeans and faded blue jeans are wardrobe essentials and workhorses. Replacing my black and white flat oxfords with sci-fi silver darlings was Level 2 priority because the style integrity changes the landscape of my wardrobe, and my need for comfortable shoes is always high. Purchasing a white clutch, floral blazer and white moto vest are Level 2 priority because they are seasonal refreshers. Purchasing white tuxedo button down shirts as a new wardrobe essential are also Level 2 priority because I still love my basic white button downs. Items like the perfect modern classic ink blue wool blazer and low heeled knee-high dressy cream boots have been on my shopping list for years, and are at this stage Level 3 priority. As are trends like ankle strapped shoes and geek chic eyewear. 

I am continuously helping my clients to prioritize the items on their shopping list, not only because of budget constraints, but also because of time constraints. Purchasing items that are top priority first is the most effective use of time. And if top priority items become hard to find, we move onto Level 2 priority items because you just can’t purchase something that isn’t available.

Do you think explicitly about priorities in your shopping list. And if so, how do you prioritize?

The casual vest is a great idea for three reasons. First, it’s an ideal warm weather layering piece. Vests are the breezier option when jackets make us overheat. Second, vests are less restrictive than jackets, allowing for more arm movement. And third, they look cheeky. 

Here’s a casual vest formula that you can probably pull together with existing pieces in your wardrobe. The only item that you might need to purchase is the vest itself. All three vests can be worn over each of the tops. And those combinations can be matched with any of the bottoms and pairs of shoes.

The components of the formula:

• Vest: Think utility vests, moto vests and military vests. Wear them tailored or oversized. Light shade neutrals get my top vote because they look particularly good in warmer weather. I prefer this style of vest worn open, but that’s not a must. 
• Layering Piece: Go dressy with a silky blouse, or choose an androgynous layer like a button down shirt. A pullover, turtleneck or tee, either fitted or slouchy, are other options. And layering a vest over a sheath dress works extremely well. Choose solids or patterns. Tuck, semi-tuck or untuck the top. 
• Bottoms: Think pencil skirts, flared skirts, jeans, cropped pants, cigarette pants, slouchy pants and shorts. Choose a bottom that works with the top half of the outfit and add a belt if desired. Fit and flare dresses can work under vests too.
• Footwear: Set the mood with the shoes. Pointy toe pumps for a dressy vibe. Ballet slippers for a trendy look. High tops for the sporty gal. Simple booties for the no-nonsense lass who gets cold feet. And lace-up buckled boots for the steampunk tomboy. 

Finish off the outfit with accessories and a bag of your choice. A messenger bag is fab, but not your only casual option. Sport a daytime clutch, hobo or satchel if that’s more your cup of tea. 

As with all of the formulas, it’s your job to substitute the items with ones that are in line with your style persona. I’ve stuck to a neutral palette with a few on trend pastels because the combination feels fresh for Spring. But by all means throw in brights, earth tones and jewel tones. Or keep the palette completely neutral. 

Vests are a high Summer item for us Seattleites. Often, we need a lightweight sleeved jacket in Summer because it doesn’t get all that hot around here. But I really like the idea of a white moto vest to wear with faded blue and white jeans. Wearing the moto over my frocks will spring a little life back into them. And wearing a warmer under layer is a toasty option. My mind is ticking as I pop a casual white vest on my Summer shopping list.

If you’d like to explore European designers and clothing styles throughout the centuries, then Europeana Fashion might be your cup of tea. This digital archive, scheduled to debut in May 2013, will offer online access to databases from museums and private fashion archives from 12 countries.

The Musée Galliera in Paris is currently showing “Models’ Bodies: The Crux of Fashion” — an exhibition that focusses on the model’s role in the fashion industry, with materials spanning the entire 20th century.

This year Missoni, the Italian fashion house famous for its graphic zigzag patterned knitwear, celebrates its sixtieth birthday. To mark this festive occasion they have released a short video that mixes looks from their hologram-inspired Spring ’13 collection and pieces from the house’s colourful archive.

Fab Links from Our Members

Need some music to cheer you up on rainy days? Laurinda just stumbled upon an idea by designer Dong Min Park: the Rain Drum Umbrella, an umbrella that creates different drum sounds.

Angie always suggests to her clients to size up in hose, or wear branded Commando hose in their regular size. She thought that Sally’s rundown of hosiery that does not cut into your waist and reduce blood flow was a good one.

From beach holidays to European business trips… Caro informs us that Travel Fashion Girl has a whole series of inspiring Polyvore sets that might help you out while putting together your next travel capsule.

If you, like Mia, always wonder what is in other shoppers’ bags then Canada’s Holt Renfrew department store offers you a chance to satisfy your curiosity on their blog.

Before YLF, Deborah wore one colour for many years. That’s why she particularly enjoyed this article on five people who are committed to wearing only one colour each… and it isn’t black!