Nothing shouts Spring and Summer quite like the perfect pair of white jeans. It’s an absolute must in your wardrobe if you enjoy wearing denim. White jeans are the perfect bridging piece because they instantly make black and brown tops look Summery. Ensembles look fresh and contemporary when you add a white pair of bottoms and it’s one of my favourite warm weather looks. Buy white jeans and you’ve increased the ROI of your wardrobe.

You don’t need to be ultra slim to wear white jeans or pants. This is a fallacy. A flattering pair of pants or jeans is not about the colour, it’s about the fit and fabric. Denim is an especially good choice of fabric for white pants because it’s thick, 100% cotton, easy to launder and doesn’t require lining. Standard 5-pocket denim detailing is also easier to wear than side-entry pocket detailing because they don’t add bulk. I’ve popped loads of plus sized ladies and pretty pear shaped gals into white jeans and they look incredible.

White jeans are everywhere right now. Brands like Elie Tahari, the Loft, NYDJ’s, Joes, Hudson, Old Navy, Diesel, Gap, Seven for all Mankind Levis, David Kahn, Esprit and Mango are to name but a few. White does get dirty quickly, but that’s what washing machines are for. It’s worth it.

An assortment of white jeans in different cuts. Wide-legged white jeans are fun, but dramatic and eye-catching. Be prepared to stand out. I have two pairs of white jeans: bootcuts and skinnies. I wear them all Summer long and they feel magical each time I put them on.

A sleeveless, wrap knitted top with wide welt is flattering. I’ve tried this style on various body types and I’m always surprised at how well it works. It starts to make sense when I break it down:

• The armholes are cut away to reveal a pretty shoulder bone. Sleeveless tops usually look better when you show your shoulder bone.
• The blouson effect is forgiving around the mid-riff area. It’s the perfect camouflage for those with a little extra around the tummy.
• The wide welt provides structure. Make sure that the welt starts below your navel and is comfortable over the belly. Its ruching effect is another plus.
• The V-neck and wrap feature are elongating and slimming. The wrap feature gives a larger bosom room, and a smaller bosom volume.
• The shawl collar is great layered under V-neck jackets.

Soft, silky knits feel heavenly against our skin, but are often clingy in the wrong places. This style offers a superb solution. Wear it with a camisole because the front opening tends to part when you move. Comfortable, versatile and chic. So much better than a T-shirt and just as easy to launder.

Ana from the forum found this particularly good example of the style, available from Bluefly.com.

Athletic-inspired anoraks were fringe fashion last year, but are now mainstream. They’re a super lightweight, casual cover-up that’ll give your look a sporty edge with lots of style. You’ll find them shiny or matte, long or short, and neutral or coloured. Fabrications like nylon, polyester and acetate give them a particularly authentic active appearance.

I like anoraks best when they’re contrasted with dressy attire, like a little black dress, dark jeans, slacks, swanky walk shorts and fancy shoes. This is a rather avant-garde, high fashion look, so it’s a little tricky to pull off if you don’t get the components right.

I’ll bypass this trend – the less sporty trench is more my style. But If you’re an active zip-up-and-go kind of gal, than the fashion anorak look might be for you.

Achieving a casual, yet stylish appearance is hard to accomplish. It’s easier to look fab in dressier pieces with a “wow factor”. But looking good in casual settings is achievable if you’re mindful about the pieces that you select and how you put them together. Retaining a level of polish in casual attire goes a long way and getting that part right is just as important.

Like all dress codes, “casual” style is about following a formula. Here are the components:

• Pants, skirts and walk shorts: Casual bottoms are great in denim, corduroy, cotton twill, cotton blends, micro- checks or linen. Stick to dark blue denim if you’re over the age of 35 and stay away from the dreaded capri look.
• Tops: It’s essential that you wear the right casual top to ensure a high style quotient. Choose knitted tops, knitted tunics, knitwear and woven tops over T-shirts because they’re versatile and a lot more interesting. T-shirts don’t pop, whereas other casual top options do.
• Jackets: Adding a denim friendly, lined or unlined jacket to a casual ensemble increases your style quotient. This can’t be done in hot weather but is a must when it’s chilly. Jackets in denim, corduroy, cotton twill, cotton blends, rayon blends, acetate, polyester bends and linen are good choices.
• Cardigans: They’re the perfect light weight cover-up for dresses or sleeveless tops. Chunky knits are always casual but finer gauges will also work.
• Coat: Tailored puffer jackets, parkas or casual trenches worn to the thigh or knee are super.
• Dresses: Short jersey or cotton rich A-line day dresses are ideal.
• Shoes: Flats are generally more casual than heels so non-athletic fashion sneakers, ballet flats, espadrilles, casual sandals, thong sandals, casual short or knee-high boots and low wedges are great. Low heels can be informal if the styling is casual.
• Handbag: Sling bags are perfect, but totes, hobos, wicker or canvas bags are equally good options.

The casual dress code is often abused in the name of “comfort”. Items like sweat pants, hooded sweat tops, yoga-type pants, yoga tops, polar fleece tops, sporty windbreakers, basic T-shirts, lycra tank tops, athletic sneakers and any other type of clothing or shoe that is meant for sport or exercise does not make it into the casual wear category. This look is beyond casual wear. It’s what I call “gear” which is what you wear when you’re working out, engaging in a sport, or lounging at home. Do not wear these items in public as a form of casual wear. It’s poor style.

Casual outfit ideas from Boden.

It’s interesting that some women are more comfortable in heels than flats, feeling that flats are unflattering and don’t provide the support of a heel. Feeling awkward in flat shoes usually makes fashion sneakers a no-no, but with heeled fashion sneakers coming back, they might be an option after all.

I’m personally sticking to flat All Star Converse, but if you like the idea of an uber-casual heeled shoe, the wedged sneaker trend is for you. You won’t look odd wearing this heel to a sporting event.

I had a pair of athletic inspired wedges in the ‘90’s, but they weren’t as sleek as the styles that have surfaced this season. I’ve tried on the silver pair on the right and they are very comfortable.

All T-shirts are not created equal. They have to be well made and fit perfectly to look good. The best are interesting tailored T’s that are longer in length and made of thicker and better-end, cotton-rich fabrications. These drape well and add structure to the body. Good quality basic T’s are fine when used as layering pieces under jackets, shirts and knitwear. Adding a camisole to this look adds depth and interest.

There are also good casual alternatives to the T-shirt:

• Knitted tops look better than T’s because they’re styled and made of superior knitted fabrics (not T-shirt fabric). I encourage the purchase of knitted tops over T-shirts because their appearance is more refined, which becomes more important as you get older.
• Knitwear is my favourite option for a casual dress code because these items always look great if they’re tailored in the right places. Both chunky knits and finer knits work well.
• Woven tops like soft, fitted button down shirts or casual cotton and linen blousie tops are super and especially good for warm weather.

It’s hard to accomplish a stylish appearance in a T-shirt. They’re either overly clingy, too short, boxy, adolescent or just plain unattractive. They don’t launder well and look sloppy fast. Ever-so-stylish Jennifer Aniston gets the T-shirt look right because she has the perfect body, a polished look, and top notch accessories. Be very discerning when you wear T-shirts and add them to your wardrobe. If you don’t look terrific in a T, wear something else. You have many other casual options to choose from.

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.

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.

The hottest denim silhouette for 2008 is a slim fit jean with a wider leg opening that’s no more than 8 inches on the half circumference. This makes it wider than a skinny or straight leg, but not quite as wide as a flare leg. This so called new silhouette sounds like a good old modern-classic boot cut to me, and most of us have at least one pair of those. Don’t worry ladies, as far as I can gather, last year’s denim silhouettes continue to reign supreme. Skinnies, straight legs, boot cuts and wide legs are all fab.

Wide leg	Slim fit boot cut	Straight leg	Skinny

Choose one or have fun with more denim silhouettes this year. I take pleasure in wearing all of the styles above, but I’m enjoying my straight legs the most right now.

Yes, you can, if the sparkle is subtle and the items are dressed down appropriately. You’ll find subtle sparkle in knitwear, jackets, blouses, jeans, pants, skirts and scarves when they have a bit of lurex (gold or silver metallic thread) running through them. The overall shiny effect is delicate and restrained. Sequined, crystal beaded and lurex-rich items on the other hand, are obviously sparkly and should be kept for evening occasions. For daywear I’d definitely draw the line at any items that combine black and sparkle.

Subtle sparkle during the day is a fairly new fashion concept that is easy to put together if you follow a few guidelines:

• Restrict your ensemble to one sparkly item at a time. Metallic shoes and a handbag that work together count as one item.
• Tone down the shine with denim. Add a denim jacket to a sparkly skirt, or jeans to a shiny jacket.
• Create a contrast. If your jeans are sparkly, combine the look with a chunky knit, converse sneakers and messenger bag. Don’t pair sparkly jeans with a sparkly jacket or blouse unless you’re going out at night.

Remember, a spot of sparkle goes a long way.

A smart casual outfit with sparkly suede jacket, ultra casual jeans, spectator pumps and cobalt satchel.