The cage heeled sandal is still very much the look of the moment, especially if you have several more months of hot Summer weather ahead of you. Vince Camuto’s Edita Sandal is great. Its narrow straps are surprisingly soft and comfortable. The heel is thick, yet refined. Nordstrom mentions a heel height of three inches, but it’s more like a two and half inch heel. The ankle strap is fairly well positioned and does not cut into the skin or your ankle bones. It runs true to size.

I have a number of happy clients in this ped. The low contrast of the khaki colour way has leg lengthening effects on bare legs, while the black version looks particularly good with full length black leggings or tapered trousers. Read the 30 raving reviews. Even sandal-phobic me liked the soft straps and manageable heel height.

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I often take my clients to Ann Taylor for five reasons: stellar quality, good fit, attractive merchandise, clean lines, and super discounts. Frequently, you can find an Ann Taylor discount coupon online or receive one in the post, AND they have great sales. 

Yes, Ann Taylor merchandise is fairly classic and careerwear takes up a huge chunk of their store floor. This handwriting should not necessarily deter you from browsing their items if that’s not your look. Believe it or not, client Bei-Jing with her bold, trendy and dramatic style adores Ann Taylor. We shop together once or twice a season and at least a third of Bei-Jing’s wardrobe comes from AT. And that’s because it’s not just about the style of an item, but HOW you wear it. 

Important guideline: Trendy items look sensational when they are grounded with the clean lines of classic items. Conversely, classic items become spunky when you add in a fashion forward support act.

My clients and I are especially enjoying what’s in Ann Taylor stores at the moment. Click through the styles and colour options for my top picks of their first Fall inputs: 

• Asymmetrical Drape Top: It looks particularly good in purple and black. Something that will take you from desk to dinner.
• Pleat Placket Shirt: Classic and tailored, and thank heavens sans ruffles. No camisole required and great on a hot day.
• Pocket Top:I didn’t think that this top would look smashing. My client wore this with black cigarette pants and heels and looked amazing. It has a cool cargo pocket and a slightly longer back hemline. I really like the sleeves. 
• Ballet Neck Top: This tee has a low-ish scooped back so be warned. It’s an amazing basic in a good quality knit over an assortment of colours. Great sleeve length. Super on it’s own or as a layering piece.   
• Crossover Halter Top: I bought this baby in three colours last week and have already worn them all. That’s how STARVED I am of nicely made and flattering garments with high necklines. I do not wear knitted tops, but this top made it through my style filter. I pop in my bra strapper and it’s perfect worn on it’s own or under a jacket. I love the drape and length. In fact, I’m wearing the red right now! It’s also available in a neutral pattern. 
• Striped Crossover Top: If you like to wear mock wrap tops, this one is worth a bash because it’s very flattering. I enjoyed wearing it back to front. 
• Stretch Slim Pants: Wow. Give these a try if you are curvy. Chances are high they will fit quite well.
• Denim Pencil Skirt: A nice little basic with good length and stretch. You might need to size down. 
• Chic Shirt Dress: My curvy client launched me into orbit when she filled out this frock to perfection. And it’s not clingy either. Wear the neckline open for the best effect. The ink blue colour is delicious.   
• Circles Pendant: Different! The layered chain effect is interesting. Comes in both metals.

Gone are the days when we copy a retail mannequin’s look from head to toe. Look at an item and think about how it could fit into your outfit, as a support act to the elements that define your personal style. “Fashion unites us, but style sets us apart”. There is such truth in these words. Allow a classic retailer like Ann Taylor to unite us, but wear the items YOUR way.

You are on Team Edit if you regularly edit your closet and get rid of stuff. You are on Team Keep if you tend to hold onto things and find it hard to let go. 

We live in a small house and I can’t handle clutter so I love editing our lives. From the paper that comes into our home, to what’s in the cupboards, the pantry, the garage, my desk, our bookshelves, and our walk-in wardrobe. I like to have a relatively small wardrobe of clothing and footwear at any one time, which means adopting a “one-in-one-out” policy. That way our wardrobe is never bursting at the seams. When it is, I feel totally out of control of my life. I am on Team Edit (and, probably, Team Control Freak, but we’ll leave that discussion for another time.)

Over to you. Are you on Team Edit or Team Keep? 

I ordered the pleated neck tie belted dress as soon as Karen Kane launched their online store. Although I have my fair share of black frocks, I am always on the look out for rare longer sleeved dresses. The fact that this style is woven was especially up my alley. 

I expected to love the weight and drape of the fabric of the frock. It’s a splendid crinkle crepe-like rayon with lots of substance. The fabrication did not disappoint! The dress was also a decent length which made me jump for joy. Over the past three years I’ve found plenty of perfectly fab dresses that were unfortunately just too short.

When I held up the dress before trying it on, I suspected that the neckline might not work. I do not have a strong shoulder line or full bust, which can make “filling out” tops and dresses a challenge. And coupled with very short hair and a long neck, low necklines aren’t my best friend either. That’s why I gravitate towards high necklines and necklines that are cut close to shoulder neck point.

Sure enough, as soon as I tried the dress on I saw that the neckline did not work for my body type, and a camisole did not help either. But I have learned that it can help to try items back to front. So that’s what I did and like magic the frock began to take shape. The keyhole opening looked a little odd now that it was placed on my back, so onto needle and thread to stitch it closed.

As the description of the dress implies, the pleated neckline adds interest to the style, which made wearing it back to front more special. Actually, with the keyhole opening stitched close, I can also wear the dress the right way round too. I asked hubby Greg which version he preferred, to which he replied, “back to front”. So that’s how I wore it last Friday night when we went out with dear friends Meredith and Nik to one of Seattle’s best restaurants, the “Flying Fish”.

I like wearing this frock sans a belt because I fancy short breezy sack dresses. But for this occasion, I added a wide black mock-croc obi belt to jazz things up a bit. I only have two pairs of high heeled party shoes, which made the red Kate Spades an easy decision. Good thing all I had to do was walk to and from the car! I added my white specs to soften the harshness of the high black neckline against my face. Ordinarily I would have added a white pearl necklace to soften the black, but here that would have competed with the statement belt, and be too much going. I was not in the mood for a clutch handbag that evening so I opted for a turquoise satchel.

Greg, who is generally not a fan of belted dresses and blouses, loved my outfit. He said that it looked pretty in an interesting way. He was also rather impressed with how I changed the silhouette with a little stitch and back to front dressing. I’m thrilled that I have a unique dress that’s comfortable, SLEEVED, flattering for my giraffe neck and easy to wear.