Mainstream dress designer Donna Ricco makes a great commercial product. You’ll find her dresses in stores like Macy’s, Nordstrom and White House/Black Market selling for $90-$150. Get them on sale and you’ve got quite a bargain.

A statuesque and superbly polished 5′ 11″ Michelle Obama wore a black and white, cotton sateen, tank-leaf print Donna Ricco dress when she appeared as guest host on talk show “the View” last week. She ordered the dress after seeing it advertised in a New York magazine. She added a black rose to the left shoulder strap and was impeccable. I loved it, and so did the rest of America. The magazine was flooded with orders for the same Donna Ricco dress shortly after the show. Two thousand orders that day alone.

So it’s not all about fancy designer wear for Michelle Obama. Mainstream is just as fab. Style is in the wearer and I can’t think of a better person to convey that message than a politician’s wife. Have a squizz at Donna Ricco dresses when you’re next in store. Chances are high you’ll come home with one. I’ve had mine for two years and it’s still going strong.

I’ve had a client in this exact Donna Ricco dress. It looked great, but we opted for a more colourful style instead.

A wardrobe can’t function without at least one pair of fab jeans. If you don’t have a pair, make it your next mission. A smart casual look is flop-proof and well worth the investment.

So there’s a minimum, but how about a maximum? I see wardrobes full of jeans where many are either ill-fitting or seldom worn. So answer these questions: how many pairs of jeans do you own and how many do you actually wear on a regular basis?

I’ll go first. I have 10 pairs of jeans:

• 2 pairs of duplicated Diesel straight-legs (very dark blue) that are almost skinny. They are my favourites. I can wear everything with these jeans. They work with every tunic, top, blouse, jacket, trench and heel height. I can wear them with flats and pumps in Summer and tucked into boots in Winter. Absolutely brilliant.
• 1 pair of 7 for all Mankind skinnies (mid blue wash) for any heel height.
• 1 pair of AG bootcuts (dark wash) for heels.
• 1 pair of Arden B bootcuts (dark wash) for heels.
• 1 pair Abercrombie & Fitch bootcuts (lighter wash) for flats. I travel in these jeans. They’re a little tatty at the hems and super soft. They come out during my less refined moments.
• 1 pair of skin tight, tapered denim jodhpurs that I wear tucked into boots for a pukka Equestrian look. That’s all. These jeans are like denim leggings.
• 1 pair of David Kahn bootcuts (white) for heels.
• 1 pair of Esprit skinnies (white) for any heel height.
• 1 pair of Club Monaco wide legs (cream) for heels.

This sounds like a lot, but I live in Seattle where we wear jeans all year round. It’s just too cold to wear pretty frocks with flats for more than a few months of the year. I’m also smart casual most days and evenings, so I need more jeans than someone who is business casual during the day.

How many do I wear regularly? Well, I only wear the two white pairs in summer. The one cream pair is very dramatic and therefore only worn from time to time. The jodpurs are reserved for winter when I am wearing boots. The remaining six pairs are in constant rotation. I did have a pair of wide-legged orphans, but they have been passed on.

Now it’s your turn to confess.

Shocking pink (or hot pink) was “the” fashion colour of the ‘80’s. After a sickening overdose, pink disappeared, but was revived in many shades from 2002 to 2004. It disappeared again until this season. It’s the last fashion colour to hit collections before end-of-season-sales (yup, Autumn collections are lurking).

The last fashion colour to emerge before a retail season ends often becomes the “it” colour of the following season. This is common international retail practice and the path yellow followed from last season into the current one.

I like pink, but I’m fussy about the shade. I prefer a saturated purple-pink that’s more like fuchsia. I like it best paired with orange, yellow, a sour green, smoky grey or white. If my predictions are correct, turquoise is going to be big next season. If shocking pink comes to play we’re in store for the biggest ‘80’s colour revival yet. Do you like pink, or have the ‘80’s killed it for you?

I’ll wear shocking pink clothing before I sport it as an accessory. I do fancy the idea of the bright pink pencil skirt though. I might need to have a squizz at J Crew.

Gladiator sandals have been trending for two seasons and this year they’re bigger than ever. They’re the “it” Summer sandal for sure, flooding the Parisian footwear market. The look is global, ethnic and edgy and at its best worn flat as it was in Roman times. I prefer gladiators in shades of brown, metal or white. I’m don’t mind black, but they are my least favourite.

Gaudy gladiators are out, but tasteful styles get my thumbs up. It’s about the ankle strap this time around and the strappier the better. The catch? More straps = less comfort. They wouldn’t last two secs on my fussy feet.

Gladiators aren’t supposed to look pretty. They are casual and have a bit of a hard edge, which I find appealing when contrasted with a girly dress, beautiful feet and a nice pedicure. I adore the look with skinny or straight leg jeans, frocks, walk shorts and clamdiggers. If they tickle your fancy, go for it. I’m envious.

An assortment of gladiator sandals. I’ve had one client all season who’s been able to appreciate and walk in this ped. Don’t feel alone if you are bypassing this trend.

I spent time at Ann Taylor and the Loft last week because of their “30% off everything friends and family promotion”. These stores are running both hot and cold colour palettes at the moment. Hues are rich and saturated.

Ann Taylor makes an impeccable product that’s perfect for the modern-classic. But the modern-classic needn’t stick to the colour discipline that a store provides. Mixing and matching items to suit your own style is key. This is precisely what happened with my client when we combined a burnt orange dress with a rich raspberry cardigan, gold and burgundy accessories, brown patent sandals and a straw handbag with dark bamboo handle. The result was simply delicious.

We continued to match the raspberry cardigan with a burnt orange sleeveless silk blouse, white pants and pearls. We then paired the same burnt orange silk blouse with blue jeans, white jacket and burgundy beads. The brown patent sandals and straw handbag remained constant and the burgundy jewelry reflected a raspberry glow in a certain light. Dynamite does come in small packages as my petite client felt explosively tall in her new colour combination.

The Ann Taylor items we used to put together the outfits described above, shown with similar accessories. A metallic go-to Summer wedge would work equally well. You don’t need to go to Ann Taylor to put this colour combination together - it might be lurking in your closet.

I have friends and clients that won’t purchase shoes if they show “toe cleavage”. This happens often when you have long toes and bony feet. I have both (Greg likes to say that I have little fingers on my feet).

I for one don’t think it looks unattractive. When you have fussy feet, showing a little more of your toes in closed shoes is the least of your concerns. Would you let toe cleavage get between you and a great pair of shoes?

Most of my shoes reveal some degree of toe cleavage.

My favorite footwear styles fall into two categories: those I love to wear, and those I wish I could wear. My fussy feet prefer a flexible, cushiony, closed shoe. Preferably flat, or no higher than two inches. I have given up on anything that has a strap or is strappy.

The ones I love to wear:

• Boots. My all time favourite footwear because they’re comfortable and dramatic (I’m daring with my boot styles). I would wear boots everyday if I could. Living in Seattle gives me plenty of opportunity and I’m not complaining.
• Dressy ballet flats. They are versatile, practical and fun. They always do the distance.
• “Chuck Taylor” Converse sneakers. There is no substitute for this retro sneaker look.
• Chunky round-toed pumps. The heels are stable and the look suits my personal style. They are funkier than thin heeled, pointy-toe shoes.
• Fluffy slippers. Because our hardwood floors are hard and because Rosie likes to chew on them.

The ones I wish I could wear:

• Chunky peep-toe pumps
• Strappy wedge sandals with broad ankle straps
• Dainty thong sandals
• Shoes with exaggerated buckle detailing
• Gladiator sandals

Which footwear styles are your favourites and why? (If anyone says running shoes I’m going to faint).

Three seasons along and still going strong, wedges continue to make a huge fashion statement in America. They aren’t as popular in Europe for some reason (this has been my experience in Paris, Barcelona and London).

You’ll get away with wearing one style of wedge with most of your Spring and Summer outfits if you choose wisely. Here are key characteristics to consider if you’re looking for one wedge to woo them all:

• Heel height: Select a height that’s manageable for you.
• Shoe colour: Keep the colour metallic, cream, off-white or a shade of tan. Don’t choose black. This is heavy for warm weather and won’t look as fresh and Summery as a lighter colour.
• Heel colour: Make sure the heel is in a light colour too. A contrasting black or dark brown heel has the same “heavy-looking” effect. Wood, cork, wicker or self-fabric are good options.
• Style: Opt for a refined style as opposed to anything clumpy. That way you can wear the wedge with dresses and skirts as well.

Add a pretty pedicure and Bob’s your uncle. You’ve got a flop-proof Summer shoe that matches almost anything.

There is loads of variety when it comes to this type of wedge. Select a ped that matches your style and make it your “go to” and fall back option for warm weather dressing.

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.

I need to give credit where it’s due. Jessica Simpson makes a nice product.

The avant-garde jacket that you see below caught my attention in Nordstrom last week. It’s interesting, streamlined, voluminous, tailored, and impeccably made. It has a full lining, overt top-stitching, an oversized collar, exaggerated box pleats and kimono sleeves. It also has a pair of unexpected, discreetly positioned side-entry pockets. Fabulous. The photo does not do the item justice.

A girl can’t ask for more when a mainstream piece looks “designer” for $98 at full price. Sew in a Prada or Chloe label and you’ve fooled the world. I love it.

I purchased black last week and I’ve worn this jacket almost every day. It looks great with white pants or straight leg jeans and dressy flats.