We spent a few fun days in Las Vegas last week and it was an eye opener. It is the city of excess in every sense of the word. Everything about it is extravagant and over the top — from the food and entertainment options, to the shopping experience, the hotels, and what people wear. You literally see IT ALL in Vegas. 

It was as hot and dry as it gets during the day, the hottest moments reaching 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). During the day, lots of women wore casual shorts shorts, strapless tops and strapless dresses with flip flops. I wore clamdiggers with sleeveless top and ballet flats. Although it was sweltering outside, we spent most of the time in cold air-conditioning. So I was always with jacket and often a camisole. At night I changed into jeans or a dress, again always with an extra layer. 

There are many tight, short skirts and dresses in Vegas. At night especially, lasses glitzed things up by showing more skin, and by wearing sparkle with sky scraping heels. Hello Bombshell City! The one outfit was more eye-catching than the next. Vegas is a people-watching extravaganza.

I do not have a bombshell fashion persona, so by Vegas standards, my evening outfits were demure, prim and proper. On one of the nights I wore a knee length, water colour sheath dress that I have had for years (a favourite piece), with cropped denim jacket, old silver slingbacks, pearls and taupe clutch. Not very glitzy and eye-catching but true to my style nonetheless. These photos were taken after supper on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. I forgot to reapply my lipstick so it was Burts lip balm for the rest of the evening.

I LOVE culottes and have been waiting for this trend to resurface. Culottes were my favourite thing as a child in the 70’s and I had several pairs. The shorter palazzo pants of the 90’s and gaucho styles of the early 00’s were culotte-inspired, but not quite the real deal. At last, we have the real deal. 

I prefer culottes that look more like skirts than trousers. It’s only when you stride that people realize that you’re actually wearing pants. I adore the styles below because the box pleated design is genius, perfectly marrying the skirt and trouser integrity of this silhouette. I also adore the length, although shorter versions are very sweet too.

My eyes are peeled for culottes, which I expect will stay very fringe. Have you ever worn culottes, and do you think that you would wear them again?

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We recently discussed how the right lightweight and streamlined leather jacket can add a fashion forward twist to a classic business casual capsule. Straight leg or tapered trousers can have a similar effect. 

For the last few seasons I’ve been suggesting a more tapered trouser leg to my clients who are bored of wearing classic boot cut trousers in a conservative office environment. Well ladies, actions speak louder than words, and here is my gorgeous client Christy putting a new pair of black straight leg trousers through their paces. 

Petite Christy stands at 5 feet 2 inches and works full time in the financial sector. It is important that she look and feel polished, professional, pulled together and approachable. Christy also adores shopping and fashion, so she’s always looking for ways to inject newness and pizazz into her daily outfits.  When she excitedly emailed me to ask for my opinion on her straight leg trouser work look, I squealed with joy. “YES, Christy!”. I love the outfits and you look every bit as authoritative and fab in this trouser style as you do in flared silhouettes. Plus, you eliminated the need of committing to a heel height in order to sport perfect pant lengths. Welcome to the joys of wearing tapered trousers. 

Thanks to hubby Dan, who kindly took these photos of Christy modeling her business casual straight leg trouser looks in their back garden. Not easy when you have kids running around for Mum’s attention after a hard days work!

Christy, who bats for Team Neutral and Team Heels, takes the dressing formula that she uses for dress slacks and pencil skirts and uses it to complete the outfits with straight leg trousers. The other components in the formula are:  

woven blouse + tailored jacket + chunky necklace + smashing statement heels

Christy’s outfit strategy works like a charm, making the new trouser silhouette an easy integration. She is thrilled with the result because it changes up her outfits. Christy is now more keen than ever to inject trendier items into her work look. As long as the outfits are modest and grounded with classic pieces, she will feel office appropriate. 

Thanks for sharing your new work look, Christy. And for being a wonderful client. You are one stylish lady rocking your classic pieces with fashionable trends in a conservative office setting. And most importantly, you’re having fun putting your outfits together. That REALLY tickles my toes.

A while back I wrote a post on four ways to wear bright shoes and the guidelines are still valid. Here is a fast recap on how to integrate non-neutral shoes into an outfit, with one new guideline.

1. Pick up a colour in a top with your shoes
2. Match up bright shoes with the same colour handbag or belt
3. Wear bright shoes with a neutral ensemble
4. Wear several brights of the same intensity
5. Match bright shoes with a scarf or necklace that picks up the same colour

Number 5 is the new addition, and has gone down particularly well with my clients because it pulls together your outfit without it feeling overly matchy-matchy. The following pairings between accessory and footwear illustrate this point.

I incorporate my bright shoes in all of these ways, favouring methods 3 and 4. How do you like to wear your non-neutral footwear?