I cook almost daily and stay in my day clothes when I hit the kitchen in the early evening. I do however pop on a large apron that covers most of the front of my outfit, but leaves my sleeves uncovered. I roll up or scrunch my sleeves to keep them out of the way, and I’m set to chop, pour and stir. With the combination of the large apron and being careful, I rarely stain my clothes while cooking.

I do remove my crisp white Anne Fontaine shirts before I cook because the thought of them being permanently stained with curry or red pasta sauce is nauseating. But that’s the only exception I can think of. 

How about you? Do you wear an apron before you cook up a storm, or do you change into clothes that can handle the odd stain. Or do you do neither because you never stain your clothes.

Military jackets come in casual and dressy incarnations, and furthermore, each incarnation can be dressed up or down. This leaves you with lots of possibilities for an item that I think has a high degree of style longevity. 

This particular ensemble takes three flavours of the military jacket and mixes them up with both casual and dressy pieces. Note that each of the jackets can be combined with both pairs of bottoms and all three pairs of shoes.

Here are the components of the formula: 

• Military Jacket: From distressed cottons, drawstrings, slouchy fits and camouflage patterns, to crisp wool, immaculate tailoring, epaulettes and shiny buttons — military jackets can take on a myriad of personas. Choose one that fits your style and reinvent its attitude by changing up the support act. 
• Layering Top: I’ve chosen a simple, fine gauge wool pullover in a light neutral, but a long sleeved tee, turtleneck, or knit top are great alternatives. 
• Bottoms: Wool trousers and a pencil skirt dress up the look, while jeans dress things down. I’ve chosen pleated trousers with tapered hems, but regular bootcut slacks will work just fine. Boyfriend jeans are another possibility, as are harem pants, cropped pants or a flared skirt. 
• Footwear: Match trousers and jeans with a crisp brown bootie for a sleek finish. Or choose a distressed version if that’s more your speed. Throw in a studded sneaker for a very relaxed look, or step things up with girly pointy toed pumps. 
• Finishing Touches: I would wear this outfit with a patterned belt, structured bag, watch and eyewear. But you could leave off the belt and add a scarf and jewelry. 

As with all of the outfit formulas, I sow the seed of an idea. The next step is to substitute the items for ones that work for your style. I kept the palette neutral, but by all means throw in some colour. Add a clutch. Wear tall boots instead of booties. Pile on the arm candy. Wear a silky blouse instead of knitwear. Perhaps you’ve got a military jacket that you can dress up or down right away.

You are on Team Expectation if you prefer to receive a gift of style that is not a surprise. You let the gift giver know what you want, either specifically or from a list, so it’s a known quantity. You are on Team Surprise if you prefer to receive gifts of style that are a surprise and unexpected. You have little or no idea what is inside the gifted package before you open it.

I’m really torn here. Generally, I don’t like surprises of any nature. I would find a surprise party or trip very stressful because I don’t like things sprung on me. But there is something extra special about receiving a package and not knowing what’s inside. The mystery is magical. And when you love your gift of style, it’s quite the euphoric feeling.

The flip side to this is when you receive a gift of style that does not tickle your fancy. Sometimes you can’t return the item, or you don’t want to hurt the feelings of the gift giver so you keep it but seldom wear it. In this case, Team Expectation makes perfect sense because that way you’re sure to love your gift and wear it. But the magical element of the surprise is gone. It’s a trade off. 

In a perfect world I would be Team Surprise. But I am harder and harder to shop for these days so Team Expectation makes more sense because choosing my own stylish gift means it’s a slam dunk. I’ll love it and wear it. But being surprised with the perfect stylish gift cannot be beat. So I’m sitting this one out on the bench with one of my favourite sweets, South African melktert, and a cup of tea. 

Over to you. Are you Team Expectation or Team Surprise when it comes to receiving gifts of style? Tell us why and no batting for both sides.

This trend caught my attention because it’s a more subtle and sophisticated take on the colour block trend. I enjoy a colour blocked topper made up of clashing bright colours because the effect is happy, eye-catching, mod and fun. But I like the styles shown below just as much because their severity and strictness appeals to me too. 

These two toned toppers are neutral, and in many cases the sleeves are black and in a different fabrication to the rest of the item. An item that is made of several types of colour blocked fabrications supports the “Mixed Media Trend”. 

The colour blocked effect of the sleeves can be low or high contrast. Personally, I prefer the effect of the less dramatic lower contrast sleeves. That way the topper can function as a solid colour and is easier to mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe. I can also control the level of drama in my outfit with the low colour contrast. You’ve got “built-in drama” with high contrasting sleeves, so you’ve got a maximal and eye-catching statement no matter what.

I like this trend with low contrast sleeves because it feels different to wearing a solid topper, yet it’s as versatile as its solid counterpart. Mixed media also adds textural interest to your outfit, which is especially effective when sporting a monochromatic look from head to toe.  

I like this trend so much that I’ve asked Father Christmas for one of these jackets. Would you sport a two toned topper? And if so, do you prefer the sleeves in a high or low contrast colour?