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? 

This year’s ’70s revival has brought with it a great resurgence of wide legged trousers and jeans. To clarify, wide leg jeans and trousers are more flared throughout the line of the leg than bootcuts. Bootcuts are streamlined through the thigh and flared from the knee down. Some bootcuts are more flared than others. 

I am Team Bootcut. I generally don’t wear jeans or trousers that are wide throughout the leg. My Gap Long and Lean jeans and suit trousers are the closest that I have to wide leg bottoms, and they aren’t that wide. I feel wider when I wear wide legs, and the extra fabric flapping around my lower legs is not my cup of tea. Plus, I often feel that they overwhelm my frame. I much prefer bootcuts when I’m not wearing tapered leg jeans and trousers. More tailored and sleek.

Over to you. Are you Team Wide Leg or Team Bootcut? Tell us why, and no batting for both sides.

The midi coat trend goes hand in hand with the midi skirt and dress trend. They are longer, with lengths at least an inch over the knee. 

I LOVE structured coats that are knee-length or just below the knee. I find them very flattering and versatile. They work extremely well over skirts and dresses, AND over jeans and trousers. The extra warmth, dressier vibe, and drama appeals to me. I’m not fond of coats that are longer than a couple of inches below the knee. Those I often find unflattering because they are overwhelming. 

For most women sleek bodice tailoring is the key to making a midi coat work. There are nice coats that are shaped like inverted triangles (oversized on top and tapering to the hem), but this is not an easy silhouette to wear. Unless you are statuesque, the coat will be wearing you instead of the other way around.

My only complaint about midi coats is that we aren’t seeing enough of them. I’d love them to become mainstream so that there is a larger variety of coat lengths to choose from. But shorter mid-thigh coats reign supreme. While this is a length I love to wear with trousers and jeans, my heart is with the knee-length or midi coat because the extra length makes me feel covered, dressy and dramatic. 

What’s your favourite coat length? Are you feeling midi coats?