Good morning, friends. I have a question for you. I have probably asked it before, but it's taking on greater urgency for me of late.

I'm the kind of person who has always favoured an "essentials heavy" closet. Partly due to temperament and situation (practical and poor for years), partly due to personal style (heavy dose of classic and a penchant for overall simplicity.) Some of my very favourite pieces are simple silk shirts, cashmere or merino pullovers, dark wash jeans, blazer -- in ink or navy. I wear, wear, wear such pieces right into the ground.

I like things this way because it makes it easy for me to dress for my life, but it does run the risk of seeming like no style.

Injecting some "modern" into the classic via trends has been a revelation, and has allowed me to enliven my closet with more "statement" or "star" pieces since I joined YLF. On the whole, my "statements" have tended to reflect what's current and to fulfill the function of bringing outfits up to date.

I do have a handful of stars with closet longevity (e.g. a black kimono jacket, a bright bag or two, colourful coats) but more typically, the statements in my wardrobe have been shorter-lived items like footwear, a trendy jacket, tops.

This leads me to a puzzle, problem and today's question.

The puzzle: In the year that my hair has been grey, I find myself gravitating even more towards a simple, almost uniform style for most of my everyday wear (and some of my out of the house wear.) Given the option, I pretty much wear the same thing (or what looks like the same thing) every day! In terms of silhouette, I'm pretty much in slim straight jeans and a shirt, or jeans and a knit top (depending on season). As far as colour goes, I dress in navy, with touches of white, silver, grey, and red or fuchsia. I went weeks this winter happily wearing a cashmere pullover in navy and navy jeans with a belt. This "uniform" is satisfying and, increasingly, all the more so if I limit the colour range to navy and ink -- at least for my at-home capsule.

The problem: It's great for at - home and even, to some extent, for the world, but it can lack a focal point. Meanwhile, the simplicity is hardly on trend with all the ruffles and maximalism around.

The question: If I continue to gravitate to a very limited colour palette and even outfit formula, as I think I'm going to, what kinds of pieces can serve as a focal point for these simpler outfits? What kinds of pieces, aside from trend pieces I've relied on in the past, can give me that outfit "punch"? And where to find them? Footwear, yes, I know. And I'm paying attention to that. Jewellery? Where can I find some I like? I've never been much good at it. I tend not to like what I see or even to wear what I buy! (Bought some pearls recently and can't bring myself to wear them -- I think I need silvery ones and these are too creamy).

Note: I'm not saying that I'm going to stop paying attention to or following trends. Au contraire! I will continue to update denim capsules every season (since I wear jeans so much) and also footwear. At minimum. Nor am I against playing with the other trends -- it's just that a number of this year's don't tickle my fancy. (Though I am stocking up on gingham and stripes, these don't feel exactly like "statements" to me.)

In Finds, see some recent purchases/ items under consideration. My wardrobe has great cohesion (which I love). I feel my silvery hair has added some drama of its own, and simplicity aids the drama. But I still want to look fashionable and stylish. I don't want it to seem like I'm not paying attention.

Now, it could simply be that this is a year for stocking up on essentials; I do need to replace a lot of worn out summer tops, shorts, etc. And if that means the outfits are a bit drab this year, so be it. But I would love to hear ideas for statement items with a bit more longevity, if you have them, or even just ways to spice up this year's closet of essentials at a relatively low cost!