I like the distressed and cozy attitude of this little uber casual, “cold weather” crossbody bag. It’s vegan, fairly well made, practical, and guaranteed to add texture to your outfit. It lies fairly flat against the body and is super lightweight. Not bad for $62. I prefer the camel but it’s also available in brown. Great for gals on the go.

I call this vibe the tribal trend, but ShopBop refers to it as “Native Citizen”. With its geometric aztec-type patterns and often neutral colours, it is easy to spot. The items are bold, high contrast, and make quite a statement. 

I am not drawn to it because it’s a little too earthy, bohemian and casual for my style. But I can appreciate the the tribal trend on others, especially when the colours are brighter or black & white, and the fabrications are luxurious. I have an aztec patterned scarf in black, white, cobalt and neon pink, which makes it feel less earthy and more my style. 

I feel the same way about the tribal trend as I used to feel about animal print. Wear one tribal item at a time and make a statement with it. Fashion and style has moved on from then, and these days, it’s totally fab to wear a few harmonious animal print items at a time. I don’t feel that way about tribal items. Yet. 

To my eye, tribal items look best worn with a very modern, somewhat dressy, and polished edge. Think leather skinnies and pencil skirts, sheer hosiery and blouses, wedged booties, faux fur, crisp tailored jackets and even pearls. I have bad, bad ’80s memories of casual, oversized aztec “blanket jackets” worn with faded jeans and hiking boots or sneakers. I like sleek and fun ’80s fashion in general, but that particular look left a lot to be desired.   

Below are some tribal outfits that resonate with me. Some are more lady-like and dressy, while others are casual. But they all scream “modern edge”, which I think is the key.

Most of us have a routine when we get dressed in the morning. Some fix their hair and make-up before they put on their outfit, whereas others do the opposite. And some pop on their outfit between doing hair and make-up. There is no right and wrong order. It’s all about what works best for you.

I first pull on my outfit, then I fix my hair and finally finish things off with a light polish of make-up. Things happen in this order because I don’t want clothing to touch my hair or face after they’ve been fixed. On the other hand, I have clients and friends who do their hair and make-up first because it allows them to judge the success of outfits more accurately when everything else is in place.

What is your “hair-face-outfit” order, and tell us why it works best for you. Also let us know if you don’t have a set order at all.

Style guidelines often suggest leaving a gap of leg, skin or hosiery, between the top of tall boots and the hemline of your dress or skirt because the visual effect is more flattering. Of course, with on-trend longer hemlines, “the gap” is not achievable with tall boots. So what are we to do? 

Well, I’m lukewarm on this guideline in the first place. To my eye, tall boots look great with shorter hemlines that create the gap, and they also look great with longer hemlines that close the gap. My 2008 post on the skirts skin boots sweet spot shows a variety of skirt lengths with boots, and the last photo is a midi sans the gap. It’s a ’70s look that I have always liked.

The photos below show “gap-less” hemline and tall boots dressing. The key to making this combination feel sleek is to wear relatively plain tall boots that are slim-fitting at the ankle. Yes, it’s also very ’70s to wear boots that are wide at the ankle with midis. That combination has it’s fashionable place, but is harder to pull off. It’s usually best when the heels are very high. 

I like to wear my low heeled, slim fitting knee-high black patent boots with midi skirts and dresses, both pencil and flared. No gaps! What are your feelings on the gaps or lack thereof when wearing tall boots with skirts and dresses?