I’m right on schedule because today is officially the second day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The list is shorter than it was last year because we’re keeping things strong and simple this season.

The list cuts across all body types, fashion personas and age groups. It’s a question of finding the right items, at the right prices, AND wearing them in flattering and appropriate ways so that they feel like lovely YOU. (I’m afraid that I can’t take the devil out of the details). Try to keep an open mind and don’t flat out say “no” to a look until you’ve at least given it a fair chance. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

1. Flared Jeans: I’m making this a must! Flared jeans also means bootcuts, so no need to worry about bell bottoms, trouser cuts and wide legs if they aren’t your cup of tea. This is a season of contrasts. Flared legs, skinnies and straight legs are all on-trend.
2. Soft blouses: It’s a blouse season, so add at least one soft blouse to your top collection as soon as possible. Think pussy bows, smocking, bat wings, empire cuts, embroidery, bell sleeves and neck ties in soft fabrications like rayon and cotton blends. Stock up if you’re a blousy gal.
3. Fit and Flare Frock: Pencil skirts and figure hugging sheath dresses dominated the fashion world for a couple of seasons. Now add a bit of volume to your lower half and sport a flared dress.
4. A Striped Item: There has got to be a stripe that tickles your fancy. Multi-coloured, low contrasting, high contrasting, narrow width, broad width, variegated, anything at all. Striped tees and knit tops are an easy solution, but there are also striped jackets, blouses, trousers, shorts, shoes, belts, headbands, hats and handbags.
5. A new look pair of trousers: Think flared slacks, tapered and pleated styles, short shorts, harem pants, skinny cargos, cropped cargos and palazzos. I dare you.
6. White stuff: Nothing says Spring and Summer quite like the colour white. Lighten up with white tops, bottoms, jackets, trench coats or dresses. Add in white accessories and footwear. Think handbags, shoes, watches, belts and sunglasses. Optical white is not your only choice if it doesn’t work for your complexion. Choose off-white, bone-white, or cream to substitute optical white.
7. Sport the new colours: Citron yellow, tomato red, lavender purple, coral, emerald, cobalt, and turquoise are where it’s at with colours. Wear them together for a fresh colourblocked effect. If you’re colour shy, sport the hue through an accessory or shoe instead of a clothing item.
8. Wedged Sandals: Even I can manage this one with my fussy feet. Cork wedges are casual, whereas self-fabric wedges are dressier. The heel can be either high or low.
9. Low heels: Kitten heels are retro and fab with the slightly longer hemlines (both straight and flared) that are slowly but surely becoming more popular.
10. Long pendant necklaces: It’s easy and inexpensive to add this one to your Spring and Summer style. Urban Outffters has a fabulous selection of quirky long pendant necklaces this season, which you can wear all through the year.

For the more adventurous and fashion forward there are: Midi skirts, pleated skirts, crop tops, floppy hats, crochet cardigans, mini crossbody bags, sharp shouldered jackets, gilets, animal prints (preferably cat prints), conversational prints, cut away backs, clogs, sling backs, small silk scarves, chain handle bags, tie-dye, fringe and flat oxfords.

I wouldn’t be doing my job if I left out strong seasonal trends like soul-sucking beige, casual maxi dresses, casual maxi skirts, and leg shortening cropped capri pants. But I’m hesitant to encourage these looks because in my book, they are very hard to wear well no matter what your body type or skin tone.

How does the list look ladies? What’s on your shopping list as the weather warms up?

Greg and I recently went to a business meeting in Fremont, a quirky nearby Seattle neighborhood. There wasn’t much walking involved that day so I left my coat and flats at home in favour of a blazer and higher heel. I was a little cold, but braved the outside photo session because the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.

Smart casual dressing was perfectly adequate for this business meeting so I put my own Chanel-inspired gal on the go formula into practice. I tweaked the formula because I wanted to wear boot cut jeans with cream heeled oxfords (the ones where I’d shortened the heels a while ago).

This outfit may seem like the kind of thing I usually wear, but it has elements that are new to my style. First, I’m wearing the Talbots striped tab sleeve tee I wrote about last week. I do not wear t-shirts or knit tops unless I am sleeping in them – yet  here I am in a tee. (The sky is going to fall on our heads). The drape and variegated stripe on this 100% rayon tee cannot be beat. It outshone the countless items of striped knitwear I tried, which is why the tee ended up in my closet. I’m happiest wearing it as a layering piece under a dressy jacket even though it has cute tabs on its three quarter length sleeves.

Second, I finally found a big gold watch that works. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why gold watches weren’t working when I started experimenting with the look. Then I realized I needed one with a white mother of pearl face. Aha! The soft pearl face made all the difference and now I can’t stop wearing my new gold watch with my gold wedding rings.

Third, no pearls. And this is a Chanel inspired formula. My recent style epiphany calls for clean, simple, modern and bold outfits. The Chanel bag has a vibrant gold chain shoulder strap which functions as an accessory. Adding a pearl necklace or bracelet to the mix would have been too much, especially against the boldness of the stripes and the multiple buttons on the jacket. So I kept my accessories to watch, wedding ring, specs and handbag.

The blazer is a fun 80’s incarnation in slate grey. It’s longer in the front than at the back which Greg thinks is just fabulous. The effect of slate grey worn with neutrals is usually pretty dull for my taste. But the boldness of the high contrasting stripes AND the gold hardware liven things up. I’m really into mixing grey with yellow gold at the moment.

You’re probably wondering why I’m carrying two handbags. Well, it wasn’t intentional, but the larger handbag ended up functioning like a briefcase for the business meeting, while the tiny cross body was my handbag for the day. Roll on Spring! I have lots of remixed outfits I want to wear, but I need warmer temperatures.

See a few more photos of this outfit on the YLF Facebook Page.

Footwear with hole-y uppers are becoming more popular. I remember having my first pair of white perforated flat oxfords in the 80’s, which I wore until they disintegrated and then bought another pair. Over the years I’ve also worn perforated clogs and ballet flats.  At the moment I have two pairs of wedged sling back sandals which are kind of perforated on the toe-box. I guess, technically speaking, the toe boxes are lazer cut, but there are intentionally designed holes in the upper part of the shoes all the same.

I like perforated and lazer cut footwear, from sandals right through to boots, so I vote yay. The effect is pretty, interesting and texture rich. Sometimes the perforated parts are backed by another layer of leather. Or the leather isn’t backed and you can see foot skin peeking through the holes of the shoes. I like the styles that allow skin to peek through just a wee bit more.

Over to you. Would you wear a perforated or lazer cut footwear?

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Many of my clients hire me for one primary reason – to help them move out of their style comfort zone. They are bored with their current style and it’s time to change things up. Sometimes the changes are drastic, and sometimes they are subtle. Either way, I love helping people transition into new ways of presenting themselves to the world. Their journeys are always interesting, reflective, a learning curve and full of surprising aha moments.

One of the surprises: The hardest part isn’t figuring out the new style, or even purchasing all the items and creating the ensembles. It is making the change and actually wearing those ensembles. The thing is that most people are fairly resistant to change. Even though they have decided to evolve their style, and are paying me to help them do so, it ends up being harder to embrace the change than they ever expected. It’s my job to make the transition as fun and painless as possible.

When I help clients move out of their style comfort zone, I start off by asking two big questions:

1. What are your style aspirations, goals and expectations?
2. Are you happy with your hairstyle?

The first question they expect, but the second often comes as a surprise. I ask it because I’ve found that a person’s hairstyle has a very dramatic effect on how they view their current and future style. By addressing a client’s hairstyle right from the start, things naturally fall into place. Often the new hairstyle alone makes my client’s style feel completely different. And sometimes it is exactly the impetus they needed to get out of their comfort zone.

After in-depth discussions and reflections (and frequently that all important trip to the hair salon), my client and I start working towards achieving her desired new look. We review and edit her closet, create outfits with existing wardrobe items, shop for missing pieces and build a range of lifestyle appropriate ensembles. This style renewal process takes time and we often spread it out over several months.

During the process, my client has one important piece of homework: To road-test her new style as soon as possible.

This is when we get to the crux of moving out of the comfort zone. Even with all the right wardrobe items in place, a cheat sheet of dressing formulas, photos on how to put the new looks together, and all the encouragement in the world – it can still be challenging to put a new personal style into practice, especially when the changes are drastic.

I can only take them so far. THEY have to do the rest.

At this stage, I offer two alternatives for how they can move forward with the transition:

1. Throw yourself in the deep end: Pick a new look outfit from our styling sessions, put it on and head out the door without thinking too much about it. Just do it. Expect to feel a little weird at first and expect outfit commentary from others. Do the same thing the next day, and the next day because practice makes perfect. With a little perseverance, tenacity and motivation, your new style will feel more “normal” – both to you AND others.
2. First dip in your toes, then your waist and then the rest of your body: Break in your new style slowly. Mix aspects of your old style with aspects of your new style. Take an item that’s out of your comfort zone and wear it with a few trusty old wardrobe friends. Eventually you’ll work your way up to your new personal style. I spend A LOT of time helping clients to incorporate their new looks slowly but surely, holding their hand as much as I can.

Often people use both of these strategies as they move out of their comfort zone. For example, when I wanted to wear gold metal, I threw myself in the deep end. I walked out the door in gold accessories and hardware one day and that was that. I did it again the next day and the day after that, and soon it felt like me. But when I incorporated skinny jeans back into my wardrobe in 2006, I had to break in the look slowly. I first wore them with long tops and boots. As I got more confident I sported them with short layered tops, jackets and boots. I had to work my way up to wearing them with blouses and flats. In a couple of months, putting on skinny jeans felt every bit as natural as putting on a pair of bootcuts.

I’m sure you’ve moved out of your comfort zone at various points in your style journey. Do these transitional strategies sound familiar? Care to share examples of how you moved out of your style comfort zone? Were your strategies successful? And what did you learn along the way?