Most of us still have a good few months of cold weather to endure, but we’ve seen the last of Autumn & Winter in store (it’s that crazy retail cycle again). Spring collections are in full swing and, as ever, I am champing at the bit to talk about them. But first, some final thoughts on the last six months of fashion.

Here are my raves (hold off on the rants… we’ll tackle them tomorrow).

• Knee high boots were a favourite again this season. I love a pair of casual or dressy knee high boots that make a statement, and flat, funky, urban styles were in abundance.
• Statement coats are another perennial favourite and this season we had variety of styles and colours.
• Winter dresses were a no-brainer, easy to wear uniform with knee high boots and fun hose. Pop on a coat and you were ready to go anywhere.
• Bright colours were a welcome change after being promised a sea of colour last Spring and being stuck with neutrals instead. Yellow, cobalt and red were personal favourites.
• Tunics were easy and comfortable to wear.
• Voluminous detailing in trapeze jackets, lantern sleeves, wide-legged pants, dresses and swing tops made for an interesting change if the right amount of volume was in the right place.
• Cracked patent for handbags, shoes and belts gave an urban edge to a glossy trend.
• Waist-cinching belts brought back the hour-glass silhouette which I love. Adding a wide belt to an existing top or sweater often kicked it up a few notches.
• Higher rises for pants and skirts did wonders for the old muffin top.
• Straight leg jeans were one of the mainstream silhouettes and they proved to be really versatile. Easy to tuck and streamlined enough to wear with tunics, dresses and voluminous tops.
• Clutches remained a favourite for evenings out.
• Fringes or Bangs were a refreshing change to the cascading 70’s locks we’ve seen for six seasons. They added a modern streamlined touch.
• 80’s influences continued to be fun to see and wear.

Another super season. I guess I say that about every fashion season because there’s always something to like if you’re open to trying something new and you know where to look. What were your favourite trends this season?

I’m often asked about appropriate attire for “casual Fridays”. It’s quite simple: keep things smart casual. This is the easiest way to tone down the formality but maintain a professional look. It ensures that you are prepared for an unexpected event. You might even like to dress smart casually on a daily basis if your dress code or lifestyle allow it.

Here’s an update to refresh your memory on this flop-proof outfit. At a high level, this is the simple formula:

Smart Casual dressing = Dressing up smart denim

Here are the components in more detail:

• Smart jeans or denim skirt: get the darkest blue wash that you can find. Trouser cut denim styles are also great (grey and black are other colors to consider). No rips or fading.
• Dressy top: select styled knitted tops or pieces of knitwear in better-end fabrications, woven girly tops, tunics or tailored collared shirts. Plain T’s are not smart enough, unless they’re in a luxurious fabric and used as a layering piece. You’ll want to look professional when you take off your jacket, so the dressier the top, the smarter you’ll look.
• Camisole: pop a camisole under a dressy top as an interesting layering piece and color vehicle. It’ll also work wonders to smooth out and narrow your silhouette.
• Jacket: layer a structured jacket over your first layer (or second layer if you’re wearing a camisole) when it starts to get chilly, or when you need to look extra smart.
• Trench coat or coat: you’ll want something warmer than a structured jacket in Winter, so pop on a trench or coat instead of a jacket as it gets colder. Add a dressy scarf and gloves as temperatures begin to plummet.
• Shoes: wearing dressy shoes is key. They can be heeled or flat, but not casual. Knee-high boots and hose are an ideal choice for denim skirts.
• Bag: adding a small or large dressy handbag completes the look and without it your style quotient will slip.

Opting for smart jeans is the obvious choice for the denim component, but adding a cropped, tailored denim jacket to a dressy skirt or dress works equally well. Tweak the formula and create a funkier look by wearing a dress over jeans, tucking skinnies into dressy boots or adding a dramatic, waist-cinching belt to a voluminous top. Once you have all the pieces, smart casual will become like a uniform that you can put together creatively every day. You’ll always look naturally pulled-together, appropriately dressed and effortlessly stylish.

Feel free to interpret smart casual dressing according to your fashion persona. These funky smart casual ensembles are from BCBG. It’s refreshing to see fancy flats incorporated into the look.

The space age trend started coming through last year and there’s no stopping it for 2008. Metallic trapeze jackets, biker styles, blazers and trenches are an ultra modern, fashion forward look that has just recently gone mainstream. Metallic jackets are not created equally and you’ll find that some are more overtly shiny than others. If you like the idea of wearing a silver or gold jacket that’s not that shiny, choose one in a natural fiber like cotton or linen. The effect of metallic fiber (lurex) woven together with natural fiber is more subtle, than metallic fiber woven together with non-organic fiber. I purchased a metallic linen jacket last season and it’s an indispensable neutral in my wardrobe for both daytime and evening.

A collection of subtle and very shiny metallic trapeze jackets, bikers, trenches and blazers. I like this look best with jeans or over a dress.

Last night’s Screen Actors Guild award ceremony marked the beginning of the red carpet season. Metallic dresses in silver, bronze, pewter and gold ruled the show. There was also quite a bit of black and, to my surprise, not much colour. I was pleased to see that strapless styles and half shoulder styles were in abundance, which makes a refreshing change to the “Grecian Goddess look” that’s been popular the last few years.

Overall, I wasn’t wildly excited, but three fabulous ensembles stand out:

• Javier Bardem was smooth and perfect in his tie-less tuxedo, patent shoes and swept back hair. He gets my vote for best dressed person of the night. And his acceptance speech was brilliant.
• Ruby Dee was an inspiration accepting her award at age 83. If you can look as graceful and elegant as she does at that age, you’re truly stylish.
• Cate Blanchett, who is usually among my favourites at any red carpet event, blossomed beautifully in her very pregnant body. Florals are one of the biggest trends for 2008 and who other than Cate to sport it with style.

Debra Messing, Eva Longoria and Ellen Pompeo all looked nice. A little too sparkly for my taste, but I liked the cut of their dresses. Let’s hope that the Grammys and Oscars provide a better selection of fabulous gowns.

Click on the thumbnails to see larger images, courtesy of E! Online and People.

I encourage my clients to create an individual stamp by throwing that “something special” into their clothing and accessory mix. Style is a celebration of individuality and no-one should look like a cookie-cutter version of someone else.

This “something special” can be one thing, or it can be a multitude of things. It can also be a decision to refrain from wearing something. For example, I intentionally never wear earrings or bracelets. I prefer to make a statement with specs and necklaces. And when it comes to necklaces, I’ll narrow down my selection to some form of funky pearl and virtually nothing else.

There are countless ways to introduce a personal stamp. Some people choose to wear a lot of one particular colour in their clothing or accessories. Others add an ethnic flavour or stick to neutrals. You might like to be adventurous with many colours, or wear lots of vintage clothing. Perhaps you’re known for dramatic hairstyle changes, wearing a scarf every day, opting for dresses instead of pants or sticking to classic, clean-cut clothing. Your personal stamp can and should evolve over time.

This is how people create a recognizable signature style. After all, personal style begins and ends with a strong sense of yourself.

I’d love to hear about your signature style in the comments, or on the forum.

My feet feel dry and rough a lot of the time. I don’t like to have pedicures, which makes keeping them soft and pretty a tall order. So after years of trying foot product after foot product, I’ve finally stumbled across a brand that works well for me. It’s Nexcare’s “advanced foot cream” and it starts to work its magic after about one week of use. I apply it once a day (twice if I can remember) and it has softened the heels and soles of my feet beautifully. It’s fast absorbing, non-greasy, ultra moisturizing and dirt cheap at $11.

You’ll find Nexcare’s advanced foot cream at most drugstores.

The Seattle P.I. recently had some interesting things to say about Men’s fashion for 2008. The article pointed out that “polished and trim replaces distressed and grungy” as the look for Menswear now and in the future. Gents silhouettes are getting narrower, sleeker, and more streamlined. This is music to my ears. I like a smarter bloke who puts aside his sloppy T-shirt and baggy denims and replaces them with a structured button-down shirt and slick pair of jeans.

I fully support casual and comfortable men’s attire, but T-shirt privileges have been abused. It’s become too easy for men in their mid 30’s and older to opt for simple T-shirts and nothing else. Layering sleek, quality T’s underneath knitwear and jackets is different because this look has its funky and fashionable place and you’re adding structure and definition to the look. But wearing a run of the mill basic printed or plain T on its own as an everyday dress code leaves a lot to be desired. It’s hard for men to look good in a slim-fitting T-shirt without an ultra slim or athletic physique, and oversized styles look like tents. There are countless more stylish options when it comes to dressing casually when you’re not a teenager or student.

I’ll admit that I am not a cotton cru neck T-shirt fan and I therefore welcome what Ari Hoffman CEO of Gant & Co has to say:

“From our point of view, we’re going through a period of change from distressed, grungier looks toward clean looks, polished looks. It’s crisper — we definitely see that as an important direction.”

I say bring on dressier looks for men and demote basic T-shirts to lounging, camping and home improvement work. We too want our blokes to clean up and look fab.

Leather jackets were big in the ‘80’s and pleather or “faux leather” jackets were big in the ‘90’s. Now a mod twist on the once classic item is becoming a fashion force to be reckoned with. Funky designer leather jackets, like streamlined biker styles, trapeze styles and baby doll silhouettes, started coming through a year ago and I was convinced that the trend would not filter down to mainstream fashion. But I was wrong and the cheeky cropped leather or pleather jacket is here to stay. They are everywhere and just as big for Spring as they were for Autumn. I like the look and there is always some form of cropped and playful leather or pleather jacket in my wardrobe. I love the contrast that is created when a short, stiff, structured boyish leather jacket is paired with a soft, flowing, girly blouse. Add a pair of jeans, slacks or a skirt and pretty shoes, and you’ve got yourself a timeless yet current little look.

Leather jackets are expensive, but you’ll find many on sale at the moment. I personally enjoy refined “rock-chic” biker looks. You can’t get that early ‘80’s streak out of me I suppose.

Your everyday bras will give you comfort and support for a full 12 months if (and it’s a big “if”) you do the following:

• Purchase great quality bras
• Rotate at least four bras so that each of them gets equal rest and wear
• Launder them with love and NEVER use the tumble dryer
• Don’t use them for working out; that’s for sports bras
• Store them neatly to preserve the molded shape of the cups

Purchasing fabulous bras can set you back a pretty penny and it’s therefore worth the effort to make them last. Yet another way to increase the ROI of your wardrobe.

By the way, Nicole started a very informative thread on bras in the forum. Be sure to take a look.

This interesting, ultra-mod frock is available at Nordstrom for $295. It is described as a “modern sculpture” turtleneck dress with dolman sleeves that attach just above the hem. Yes, the sleeves are actually attached near the hem. So how do you eat, shake a hand, embrace someone, or do anything that involves reaching and lifting without pulling up your dress to crotch point? Definitely an eye-catching and creative piece for the catwalk, but seemingly impractical for any stylish occasion. Perhaps it would be fun to wear for Halloween with a pair of leggings, pointy-toed shoes and a witches hat.

I’m surprised to see this over-the-top style selling at Nordstrom, but then again a bit of drama can’t hurt.