My raves list is always long. I find good things to say about every fashion season because it’s a matter of knowing how to sift through trends and make them work for you. These are the items that did not make it through my filter:

• Maxi dresses: the word “nightie’ springs to mind when I see someone in this style. Maxi dresses weren’t as big in America as they were in Europe. Thank goodness I live in America.
• Wide leg pants: they look great on the right body type but are generally hard to wear. There was too much of this product in US stores. Complete overkill. It’s interesting that this look did not take off in Europe.
• Empire cut tops: Another overkill. You can’t wear these tops if you’re busty and many of my clients “feel pregnant” in them. There was little else to choose from in mainstream fashion stores which makes for a poor tops season.
• Denim rises still too low: higher rise pants were a fringe fashion statement, but generally mid rises on jeans were still too low. The best way to beat belly and back bulge is with a higher rise and layering techniques. Flattering rise measurements are still hard to find on premium jeans.
• Pants with side entry pockets: it’s great when 50% of all dress pants have pocket detailing. But when 90% of them do, it’s a challenge. Pants with clean, flat fronts look best on most body types. I wish fashion buyers would get this.
• Soaring heel heights: it’s the old story. Most fabulous looking shoes are uncomfortable and hard to walk in.
• Skirts and dresses generally too short: when petites start shopping in regular departments to gain 3 inches of length on a dress and skirt, you know items are too short. I’m all for mini’s as part of the fashion mix, but when most of the frocks are far above the knee there’s a problem.
• Too much trapeze: this little jacket makes a great retro fashion statement but moderation is key. I’m relieved to see them side by side with fitted jacket silhouettes for Autumn.

Missed opportunities:

• Shortage of skinny and straight leg jeans: voluminous tops look best with sleek bottoms. Most voluminous tops were matched with wide leg pants because that’s what trending in bottoms. An awful look.
• Denim skirts and denim jackets: these no-brainer versatile items are always hard to find.
• Casual pants that aren’t jeans: we need casual micro-check pants!
• Short length tops to wear with skirts: a store that specializes in shorter tops to wear with orphan skirts would make a killing. I’d take all my clients there.

Bring on Spring and Summer 2008 rants ladies, and don’t hold back. We are putting this topic to rest today.

Some people loved the Maxi dress trend, but I wasn’t one of them. Just too much fabric for daytime in Summer.

End of season sales are drawing to a close and it won’t be long before stores are full of Autumn and Winter merchandise. We’ve seen the last of Summer collections even though most of you have months of hot weather to endure (it’s that crazy retail cycle again). If Summer is your dominant season, remember to stock up now.

You know the drill. YLF closes every retail season with a “best and worst”. Raves today, rants tomorrow. I enjoy hearing your final thoughts on the last six months of fashion. Here are my raves:

• White jeans: the ultimate warm weather bridging piece. Everything looks good with a pair of white bottoms.
• Clamdiggers: a versatile cropped pant option and the perfect answer to the Summer skinny.
• Shirt dresses: great over skinnies or on their own. A classic piece that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways.
• Bright coloured clothing and accessories: we saw every bright colour this season. Yellow, citron and tomato red are personal favourites with turquoise in the wings. I hope turquoise is a big colour next Spring.
• Cardigans: it’s been the best cardigan season yet. Every colour, style, print and fabric composition was represented. This versatile item is a must in every wardrobe. Three cheers for fab cardigans.
• Spring trenches: I was impressed with the style and colour choices this season. There was a great assortment and retailers thought further than the classic black and tan belted looks. Bravo.
• Back and white: I love black, white and cream outfit combinations. It was great to have these choices alongside vibrant seas of colour in stores.
• Cracked patent: love it’s urban edge. Long may it last.
• Voluminous trend: these silhouettes are liberating for the midriff area. Woman can look polished in looser styles if there’s strategic tailoring to other parts of the garment. I like having the voluminous trend alongside the body conscious trend. Ample choice in one fashion season is how it should be.
• Longer length tops and tunics: an elegant and comfortable look that I continue to love.
• Flat shoes: there was a superior assortment of comfortable flat shoes this year. The fact that I found three pairs is a miracle.
• Waist belts: they make for a great polished hour glass look.
• White accessories: white shoes, bags, belts and watches make a fresh and strong impact. My white watch, cream flats and cream trench are the best items I purchased this season.
• Wedges: the quintessential modern heel. I can’t imagine my wardrobe without a stable sassy wedge.
• Gladiators: a great way to dress down an outfit.
• The re-birth of Banana Republic: their new design team is stellar. After years of boring product, they have never looked better.

Hopefully you found loads to rave about this season. Let’s hear about it in the comments.

Spring and Summer collections are drawing to a close and it’s your last chance to inject a bit of “now” into your wardrobe. We’ve spent six months sharing Spring 2008 trends and here is my must-have list that cuts across body types, age groups and budgets:

• White bottoms: Choose jeans, pants, clamdiggers, walk shorts, a skirt or dress in white. The fresh addition of a white bottom packs plenty of punch to a Summer ensemble. It’s an instant contemporary edge.
• A white accessory: Think white handbags, belts, shoes, chunky beads and watches. If optical white is not your thing, opt for off-white or cream instead.
• Colourful shoes: Get yourself out of the neutral shoe rut and incorporate a cheerful ped in yellow, green, turquoise, purple, orange, pink or blue. If the thought of a bright shoe scares you, go for red, metallic or animal print instead. It’s not quite the same, but I’ll settle for these alternatives.
• A colouful handbag: Get yourself out of the neutral handbag rut. I’ll accept red, metallic or animal print too (faux zebra, giraffe or pony get my vote).
• Clamdiggers or walk shorts: They are the answer to cropped pants.
• A day dress: Nothing keeps you as cool as an A-line, knee-length dress. If you live in hot weather, make this a staple. If frocks aren’t your fancy, try to keep at least one on the back burner to haul out on an extra girly day.
• A cardigan: The layering staple that looks good over just about anything.
• A voluminous item: A superb current trend that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Whether it’s in the form of wide-legged pants, lantern sleeves, trapeze jackets, roomy tunics, sack sheaths, baby dolls or billowing blouses, choose one that suits your body type and go with the flow.
• A wedge: It’s the modern-day heel. Add it in a metal or shade of white and you’ve got a go-to Summer shoe.
• A global accent: Add a tribal twist to your look with an exotic bangle, animal print item or safari inspired piece. Interpret this trend your way and make a statement.

Floral prints, gladiators, shirt dresses, cropped jackets and waist-cinching belts are great trends but not for everyone. You’re fine investing in patent, skinnies and straight leg jeans. These items have become basics and we’ll see them every season.

End-of-season sales have begun. Start ticking off your Summer shopping list and look fab.

A long, floaty and printed maxi (or “patio”) day dress worn with flat gladiator sandals is the “it” look for frocks in Paris stores this season. The silhouette is less popular in US stores, but you’ll find one or two of these dresses in most dress departments.

The idea is that you wear this ensemble mix casually. I didn’t like this look in the ‘70’s and I don’t like it today. No matter how casual the fabric and style, there is something about an ankle length dress that screams “fancy evening event”. They look clumsy and inappropriate (and the excess fabric gets in the way). You need to be tall to pull off the look, and even then, a shorter hemline looks better.

I might be more partial to the look if I was a boho girl at heart. How about you? Will you be wearing the maxi dress this season?

Raise your hemline for casual occasions and reserve ankle length dresses for evening black tie events.

This has been the season for wide-legged pants. They are the “it” pant silhouette in America and I too fell in love with high-waisted wide legged jeans. I have tried on several high-waisted wide-leg and mid-rise wide-leg styles and they look great when I wear heels and sport a slim-fitting blousy top.

But my wide-legged styles from last season are wardrobe orphans because I don’t feel fabulous when I wear them. There is a strange something about the excess fabric around my legs and feet that “gets in the way” when I’m charging around town. They feel like excess baggage. Perhaps this is why I’ve seen so few of them while in Paris over the last couple of days.

Women often look wider in wide-legged pants. It’s actually a hard silhouette to wear well and it has not been a popular style amongst my clients. Height and heels are a prerequisite and getting the silhouette of the leg line right is key. For those of you that fancy wide-legged pants and wear them well, I’m interested to know what it is about the style that appeals to you?

On the right person, I like the way wide-legged pants look. I’m probably alone, but I don’t like the way they feel.

The ‘70’s and ‘80’s fashion revival continues with white wash, acid wash and cornflower blue denim across all jean silhouettes. For most of us, it’s another blast from the past. We either wore this look ourselves, or had parents that wore the look. I’m all for retro revivals but I don’t think I can wear these blues again. I’d prefer to keep them a faded memory. How about you?

As predicted, there have been loads of floral designs on skirts, dresses, tunics and tops this season. I think there is a floral for everyone, even if you don’t like prints.

I tend to like floral patterns that are abstract or geometric. Sometimes they are nicest when the actual floral design is a little hard to discern. I don’t like florals that look like Sanderson floral upholstery, or ditsy country-flower prints. I tend to tire of this type of print quickly. I might like the freshness of the vibrant colours at first glance, but I’ve had enough of the look after two minutes.

If you prefer to keep your clothing print free, there is also the option of floral printed shoes. I like this option and last season’s Faryl Robin shoes are still going strong. Do you like floral patterns, and if so, what kinds?

These are my kind of florals, but busier and brighter designs can be just as fab and very Summery. Horses for courses!

Clamdiggers are the warm weather alternative to skinny and straight leg jeans. They are a capri that fits snugly through the thigh and knee, finishing somewhere just below the knee, or on the widest part of the calf. They’re worn in the same way as skinnies but at a ventilating cropped length.

Dress clamdiggers up or down with heels or flats and a top that works for your body type. They are an obvious choice for rectangles and inverted triangles, but don’t think that you can’t wear the look if you’re a little curvier at the bottom. My hot hourglass and pretty pear shaped clients sport clamdiggers with style when they wear the right combination of top and shoe. Sleek shirt dresses, tunics, baby dolls, voluminous tops, welted tops, knitted tops and wrap tops work beautifully. Add a jacket for a sophisticated edge and Bob’s your uncle. I love a smart casual look with an unexpected twist.

I can’t wait to haul out my clamdiggers. An arctic Seattle Spring has left them hibernating for longer than usual. But a clamdigger-friendly heat wave is supposed to be on the way. On the other hand, I might want to haul out my orphan dress. Oh no. Which should I wear?

Clamdiggers are my favourite style of cropped pant because I prefer a streamlined look. I get loads of mileage out of my dark denim pair because they look great with knee high boots in Autumn. No tucking!

This look is in its second season. We’re talking about a soaring three-inch-plus chunky heel with wide foot straps. It’s the high fashion look to wear with raised hemlines, clamdiggers and skinnies. I can appreciate the 70’s inspired sandal style, on someone else. I’m never sporting strappy sandals again, let alone a style with soaring heel heights (although chunky heels are my preference because I find them extra stable). But if you can walk comfortably in shoes like these, then by all means give them a bash. They add a high fashion edge to an outfit that is modern and appealing.

Cropped pants fall into two categories: walk shorts and capris. The distinction is based on length rather than silhouette:

• Walk shorts are pants that are cropped anywhere from just above the knee to the widest part of the calf. Clamdiggers, bemudas, pedal pushers and culottes are all forms of walk shorts.
• Capris are pants that are cropped below the calf and above the ankle. I am allergic to pants at this length. They are extremely leg shortening and unflattering. Models that sport capri lengths wear 4 inch heels which visually raises the hemline. I rest my case.

Retailers and magazines often refer to clamdiggers as capris, which confuses the issue. As long as cropped pants fall on, or above, the widest part of your calf, I’m in favour of them. Anything longer looks dumpy. Stacey London and Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear are not opposed to capri-length pants (which explains why Stacey wears them throughout her book “Dress your Best”). We will agree to disagree.

Walk shorts at the perfect length (clamdiggers, culottes and bemudas)

Capris at an awfully unflattering length.