Hi friends, as many of you know, I said good-bye to my Mom early this summer. My sister and I undertook to sort through her closet yesterday. I couldn't help but contemplating, what her style descriptors would have been had she gone through the exercise? I wish I'd introduced her to it, but I think she would have been colourful, creative, and practical.

Colourful: Although my mom was a navy aficionado, she wore COLOUR, and lots of it. Her palette was primarily (but not exclusively) cool-toned, with every shade of blue and pink/berry/mauve, as well as red, green, teal, jade, purple and all the cool-neutrals well-prepresented represented. She also did a lot of pattern, combining colours in many pieces. Despite this, she never looked overly bold or bright, demonstrating how to wear a lot of colour without it being overwhelming. Lesson for me: wear the colours when it strikes you!

Creative: My mom was not a mall-brand shopper. Not that she spent a lot (she didn't) but she had a knack for finding these little independent retailers who stocked things that were "a little bit different" (her top criteria for any purchase). Almost all her tops and jackets had some sort of detail, shape or fabric that made them interesting. The one that stands out was a gorgeous cream blazer she had bought for a wedding; so understated but with cutouts in the sleeve that were inset with lace (the thick kind, not the sheer delicate kind - is lace the right word?). Lesson for me: Choose what speaks to me, not what everyone else is wearing!

Practical: On this point, my mom and I are the same. She was a consummate 'doer', moving, hosting, dancing, walking, puttering, nursing - whatever it was, her clothes needed to move. Not that this meant she would wear sweats or gear, but that pieces couldn't be too precious - they needed to work for real life, always. Lesson for me: Carry on!

Most importantly what I learned (re-learned!) is - don't take it too seriously! Be authentically you, and let your clothes be an expression of that. Which means, I will continue to be neutral and classic, rather than colourful and creative - but I can also have a bit of fun at it

Thanks for indulging me friends, and although I know we've discussed these things in the past, I'd love to hear about the style lessons you've learned from your heroes! xoxo