These types of tops don’t usually fit comfortably under tailored or fluidly tailored outerwear. Sleeves bunch, shoulders feel constricted, armholes are too snug, and the torso of the coat or jacket can pull and look lumpy. Add base layers like tees, camisoles and thermals, and things become even more cramped. The solution is bigger outerwear.

Think very fluid and oversized coats and jackets with enough room through the torso, shoulders, armholes and sleeves to comfortably accommodate what you’re wearing underneath. Cocoon coats, capes, capelets, boxy architectural and avant-garde coats, oversized trenches, roomy anoraks, barn jackets, trucker jackets, bombers, oversized motos, aviator and flight jackets can work well. Long and short oversized vests are another option.

Some clients can fit their bigger tops under a roomy puffer, which is handy. But they don’t necessarily want to fall back on a sporty puffer every time they need roomy outerwear. Having dressier, or simply different, casual options creates more outfit variety and can complete the outfit in a more stylish way.

Filling Out the Volume

Interestingly, some oversized outerwear looks particularly good when there is substantial volume underneath it. A chunky knit, hoodie, blazer, or suit jacket can naturally fill out the interior of an oversized coat or jacket, allowing the outer layer to drape beautifully. In these instances, the extra room is functional rather than merely a fashion statement. That said, oversized outerwear can look fabulous over slimmer tops and dresses too. It doesn’t always need to be “filled out.” Much depends on the cut, fabric, structure and drape of the outerwear.

The versatility works both ways. Roomy outerwear can accommodate not only big tops, but also fitted and gently fluid jackets and blazers underneath. That makes it useful when you need substantial layering.

In milder climates, a large wrap or ruana can sometimes do the job instead, providing an unrestricted topper over a voluminous top without the fit challenges of sleeves and armholes.

Shop for the Outfit Underneath

This is an important reason to assess outerwear with the layers you actually intend to wear underneath it. A coat can fit beautifully over a lightweight top in the fitting room and become completely impractical over your favourite chunky knit or exuberant-sleeved blouse.

Personally, I have a large outerwear capsule, and only two of my coats are tailored. The rest are fluidly tailored, very fluid, or oversized. That gives me plenty of room for layers and bigger tops, and allows me to wear fitted and gently fluid jackets underneath my outerwear too.

You can therefore have plenty of coats and jackets and still have an outerwear wardrobe hole. The issue isn’t necessarily the quantity of outerwear. It’s whether its proportions work with the silhouettes in the rest of your wardrobe. Take a look at the tops you actually wear in colder weather, and then look at the outerwear you expect to wear over them. If the two don’t comfortably work together, you’ve found the wardrobe hole.

The collection below has smashing visuals of the palette in action. I particularly like how the variety of textures, shades, and warm and cool neutrals gives the colour combination depth and interest.

Many Shades of Grey and Brown

The greys can span from very light pearl and dove grey through to mid-grey and deep charcoal. The browns can be just as varied: light tan, biscuit, taupe and café au lait, through to toffee, gingerbread, caramel, whiskey and cognac, and all shades of milk and bitter chocolate. Mix lighter shades together for a soft and low-contrast effect. Combine the darker versions for a moodier palette. Or create more contrast by wearing light grey with dark brown, or charcoal with a lighter shade of brown.

Mixing Warm and Cool

What is compelling about this palette is the combination of warm brown with cool grey. The juxtaposition looks interesting, fresh, and a bit unexpected. There is no need for the undertones of your neutrals to match. That said, browns like taupe, greyed brown, mushroom, and some shades of bitter chocolate skew cooler. Combine those with cool greys and you have a completely cool-toned interpretation of the palette.

Add More Neutrals

Grey and brown needn’t be the only neutrals in the outfit. Cream and white can brighten and crisp up the combination, while black adds a harder edge and some depth. Blue denim is another easy addition and works well with both grey and brown, and can pick up the blue in your eyes. You can also wear the palette through a pattern. Plaids, checks, stripes, argyles, Fair Isles, animal prints, and other patterns that combine shades of grey and brown do some of the mixing for you.

Last, accessories are an easy way to experiment with the combination. Try a grey outfit with shoes, belt and bag in shades of brown. Remix a chocolate outfit with a grey coat, or remix grey knitwear and topper with brown bottoms, footwear, belt and scarf.

Personally, I don’t wear grey, although I thoroughly enjoy helping clients put outfits together in this palette. The possibilities are endless. Over to you. Do you enjoy combining greys with browns?

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That’s what makes these three categories particularly challenging. There are many variables that need to line up at the same time. When one item has to satisfy that many variables at once, finding a great fit is a complex problem to solve.

Bras and Bralettes

Breast tissue is shaped in all sorts of ways. Cup sizes, breast shape and underbust measurements vary greatly from person to person. Strap placement, band width and where the bra sits on the torso can be tricky too. Getting the size and fit right is only the beginning. Then there is comfort. Can you wear the bra all day and forget that you’re wearing one? Does it provide enough support? Underwire or wireless? Minimizer or not? Lace or smooth? Padded, lightly lined, or unlined? Wide straps or narrow straps?

And importantly, do you like the shape it creates under your clothes? There can be too much lift, not enough lift, too much padding, spillage, gaping cups, straps that slip, bands that ride up, wires that dig in, or a silhouette that simply isn’t what you want. The list goes on.

A bra can technically be the correct size and still be completely wrong for your body, comfort preferences, clothing, or aesthetic. Bra shopping can be unpleasant, tedious, stressful, and unrewarding. When you find bras that work, stock up!

Tailored Knee-High Boots

Knee-high boots that fit well around the lower leg can be extremely difficult to find. If you want a tailored fit, the boots shouldn’t slouch excessively, gape at the top, pinch the calf, wrinkle too much at the ankle, or come up too high and interfere with the back of the knee.

Unlike bras, tall boots generally don’t come in a sufficiently diverse range of shaft widths and heights. Yet people’s lower legs vary enormously in calf circumference, ankle circumference, shape and length. Add foot width, arch, toe shape, heel height, comfort and preferred aesthetic to the equation, and there are a lot of boxes to tick.

If your lower legs happen to correspond closely with the standard dimensions of a particular brand’s tall boots, you might find them easy to fit. But for many people, that’s a tall order.

One workaround is to try mid-calf boots. Because the shaft ends below the fullest part of the calf, calf circumference becomes less of an issue. Shaft height is generally less problematic too, especially for people with shorter lower legs. You still need the foot and ankle to fit comfortably, but you’ve eliminated some of the variables that make knee-high boots so challenging.

Eyewear

Prescription eyewear is another deceptively difficult item to fit. Specs need to work with the width and shape of your face, the position and width of your nose bridge, the placement of your ears, your temples, cheekbones, brows, and the distance between your pupils. Frames can slide down your nose, pinch behind your ears, sit crooked, touch your cheeks, overwhelm your features, or simply feel uncomfortable after several hours.

Then there is the prescription itself. Certain prescriptions and lens types work better with particular frame sizes and shapes, which can narrow the options further.

And specs are right there on your face. For people who wear them every day, they are THE most visible accessory in an outfit. So beyond fitting correctly and accommodating your prescription, they need to look and feel like you. Frame shape, colour, scale, detailing and overall vibe become important sartorial considerations. Sunglasses tend to be easier to fit because they cover more of the face, which eliminates some of the variables.

Of course, these aren’t the only wardrobe items that can be challenging to fit. Jeans, trousers, tailored jackets, button-down shirts, swimwear, dresses, and footwear can present their own fit challenges depending on your proportions and preferences. Bodies are wonderfully individual, which is precisely why standardized sizing and proportions can only take us so far.

Personally, I find bras, tall boots and eyewear hard to fit too. I found a perfect bra a few years ago, have ten in rotation, and that’s all I wear. I replenish my bra capsule with the same bra year after year. I’ve given up on knee-high boots, and I’m looking at mid-calf boots instead. And I was extremely lucky in NYC, where I found two perfect pairs of specs for progressive lenses in five minutes. I showed them to the forum here.

Do you find bras, tall tailored boots and eyewear amongst the hardest wardrobe items to fit? Which other wardrobe items are the hardest for you to fit?

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The T-shirts are solid white rather than printed, and usually have higher necklines like crews. They’re layered under all sorts of knitted items like pullovers, V-necks, polo tops, quarter-zips, track tops, cardigans, dusters, and sweater jackets. White tees are also layered under button-down shirts, vests, waistcoats, jackets and coats.

Here is a collection of outfits that showcase the layered white tee in different ways.

The point is to see some of the white tee and create the visual interest of an intentional layered effect. Sometimes only a sliver of white peeks out at the neckline. Sometimes the tee is visible at the hem. Sometimes you see it at both the neckline and hem. With vests and waistcoats, the white sleeves become part of the look too. And when jackets and coats are worn open, much more of the white tee is exposed down the centre front.

The effect can be subtle or quite pronounced. In some outfits, the white tee is front and centre and an important component of the look. In others, it’s merely a narrow flash of white that adds a little crispness and definition. Either way, the extra layer provides some warmth, which can be handy in transitional and colder weather.

I particularly like how a white tee can add a relaxed touch to a dressier outfit. It can make a look feel sportier too, and is an effective way to dress down dressier items. The white can also create cohesion by picking up other white components in the outfit. Think the white in a pattern, salt-and-pepper or silver hair, white sneakers, or other white footwear. Of course, you don’t need to repeat the white elsewhere. The visible white layer can simply stand on its own as a fresh and crisp accent.

Personally, I like this trend despite not being much of a T-shirt person. I enjoy wearing dressier, fitted long-sleeved tees with crew necklines, usually as layering pieces. It’s amazing how a very simple wardrobe item can do a lot of heavy lifting when its fit, fabric and styling are right. They’re fab and handy elevated essentials. I’ve bought a few this year and like wearing them under blazers, motos and bombers. The soft cotton feels glorious and cozy against my skin too. I add my usual pearl necklaces and gold initial necklace to the tee for a bit of glam and shine.

Over to you. What do you think of this trend? Do you enjoy the visual effect of a visible white tee, or would you rather keep your layers hidden? Or perhaps you enjoy layering with tees that are not white.

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This week’s outfit formula is an aubergine feast because it’s more than just a side. Eggplant is the star of the show. If you enjoy wearing dark purple, there’s plenty of it to whet your appetite this season. Onto some outfit inspiration.

1. Columned

Create a column of eggplant by combining separates in the same dark shade of purple, or wear an eggplant dress or jumpsuit. Here, an eggplant pencil skirt with front slit is combined with a welted eggplant pullover that’s worn over the skirt. A short blouson-y jacket in the same eggplant is layered over the column and accentuates the column. An eggplant sweater is the fourth piece and tied around the hips. It can also be draped around the shoulders. Tall black flat boots and a bag to match complete the look and continue the dark palette of the look.

More ways to create columns of eggplant.

2. Side of Lilac

Dark purples are brilliant combined with much lighter purples, like lilacs and lavenders. In this example, a pair of wide, cropped and pleated eggplant trousers is combined with an oversized fuzzy and very pale lilac sweater. It’s semi-tucked into the trousers to create some structure. An eggplant sweater that matches the trousers is draped over the shoulders like a scarf. Navy flats complement the model’s dark hair, while an eggplant bag adds more purple to the outfit.

3. Remixing Eggplants

Aubergines, plums and grapes come in assorted shades of dark purple. Some lean a little more red, and others a little more blue. Consider remixing different shades of dark purple into one outfit. Here, a pair of baggy and drapey balloon trousers in a bluer shade of dark purple is combined with a roomy shirt and sweater in a redder shade of dark purple. Both tops are tucked to showcase a waistline. Black mules, and chocolate brown belt and satchel match the model’s hair, and complete the dark palette of the outfit.

4. With Black

You can combine any dark purple top with black bottoms, and vice versa. Here, a drapey and roomy eggplant sweater is semi-tucked into a flared black knee-length skirt. A complement of black bag and loafers match the black skirt and the model’s hair. Feel free to substitute black bottoms with blue jeans. Easy outfit formula.

More ways to combine eggplant with black and blue denim.

5. Patterned and Other Colours

Last, here are examples of patterned eggplant items across a range of items. Some patterns are subtle, small scale and low contrast, while others are bold and high contrast. There are also solid eggplant items combined with other neutrals like grey and earth tones. I threw in some brights too. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired.

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There are far fewer boots in light neutrals like tan and cream, or grey, olive, navy, metallics, and shades of red. There aren’t many patterned boots either. That said, if you look hard enough, you might find what you’re looking for. Or the right items pop up when you’ve stopped looking for them.

TIP: Knee-length boots are notoriously hard to fit. Getting the length and width around the lower leg right is a tall order, not to mention achieving the right comfort and aesthetic. In my experience, mid-calf boots, which are shorter than knee-high boots but taller than booties, are easier to fit on the lower leg. They are seldom too tall, and calf width is less of an issue because the tops of the boots end below the calf. If you wear midi and midaxi skirts and dresses, the tops of the boots are covered anyway, so it makes little difference whether the boots come up to the bottom of the knee or finish below the calf.

1. Boots

Sam Edelman’s Ramona Boots are dressy and versatile. The patterns add a nice bit of interest and edge to an outfit. They are reasonably comfortable on medium to narrower, lower-volume feet. Pass if you need a wide toe box or have high insteps. Like western boots, they are PULL-ON boots without zippers. Personally, I love that feature because it creates a cleaner design. I have the horsey “skewbald” pattern, and find them surprinsingy comfortable. I thought the heels would be too high, but they’re fine. I had to add insoles because despite reviews, I find them a little wide.

Zara’s Pleated Flat Ankle Boots run quite wide and are chunkier in person. They are a gorgeous shade of bone, and the sandblasted heels elevate their look.

All Vivaia Boots are weatherproof for water and damp, which makes them excellent for rainy weather. They are lightweight, vegan, super soft, supportive, and more robust than they look. The footbeds and insoles in Vivaia’s long and short boot collections are removable, allowing you to replace them with your own insoles or custom orthotics.

Blondo’s Stretch Suede Block Heel Bootie is one of the few fab options in navy. It’s waterproof, wider in the toe box, stable, and comfy if you walk well in a two-inch heel.

The Chocolat Blu Kelcy Leather Boot is a daintier Western boot with a slim fit on the foot, ankle, and lower leg. It’s a versatile mid-calf length that works with just about any type of bottom.

2. Long Sleeve T-Shirts

Long sleeve tees are a big thing for my clientele because they are excellent for layering under pullovers, cardigans, sweatshirts, and all sorts of toppers. Think blazers, motos, barn jackets, trucker jackets, shackets, aviators, fleece, sherpa and shearling jackets, bombers, vests, utility jackets, puffers, track tops, anoraks, windbreakers, parkas, and dressier wool coats. They also look great worn on their own when sweaters and sweatshirts are overly warm. In the right weight, a long sleeve tee can provide just the right amount of insulation. In the right fit and fabric, it can look quite polished too.

My clientele currently have FIVE favourite long sleeve tees. Nice fabric, neat and tidy necklines, good fits on the torso and sleeves, and great drape can make the difference.

The COS Cleancut Long Sleeve Tee is thicker, shorter, and has a boxy, straight cut. It’s fluid and does not run big. Some of my clients sized up to achieve a baggier fit and accommodate broader shoulders. It’s closer to the weight of a lightweight rugby shirt.

The Ralph Lauren Tee is fitted and longer. It’s medium weight and looks the dressiest of the five. There’s an assortment of solids and a few metallic stripes. Sizes run from 2XS to 3XL. It launders perfectly, and I have three of them. My favourite tees! I always wear them with pearls and an initial necklace for a bit of glam.

The Aritzia Long Sleeve HomeStretch Rib Solo Tee is great too. It comes in thirty-four colours, including some stripes. It’s fitted, super soft, and cozy.

The Old Navy EveryWear Long-Sleeve Crew-Neck T-Shirt is cheap as chips and a much more casual-looking tee with a fluid fit. The quality isn’t as good as the others mentioned here, although it’s a favourite with some clients because it’s very relaxed and inexpensive. It comes in petite, regular, and plus sizes.

Last, I’m mentioning Banana Republic’s Ribbed Crew Neck T-Shirt again because it feels fantastic against the skin and has a lovely neckline. It’s fitted, quite long, and has a slight sheen. The ribbed texture makes it feel more substantial and visually elevated. I have two in white that are effectively clean and crisp layering items. They look super with my pearls and initial necklace too.

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Over the last six years, Aritzia has become extremely popular in the US, and is growing fast. You can read about their astounding financial results for 2026 here. Aritzia currently has stores in Canada and the US, with its head office in Vancouver, BC. The company also ships internationally to more than 180 countries. Clearly, there is an outstanding customer response to current product assortments. This is brilliant news for the retailer, and I’m happy for them. It’s wonderful to see a retailer doing so well in a tough and competitive climate.

We have two enormous Aritzia stores in Seattle, and they are BUSY. Afternoons can mean major dressing room queues, which is why I make a point of going in the mornings. On a recent trip to NYC, I visited the gigantic three-storey SoHo flagship on a Saturday afternoon. It was absolutely pumping. I’ve seldom seen a clothing store that busy.

Aritzia is especially popular with Gen Z teens and young adults. Spend time in one of its stores and you’ll see plenty of roughly 14- to 29-year-olds shopping with friends, trying on outfits, taking mirror selfies, and posting their looks on social media. Their parents and significant others patiently and impressively wait on lounging couches strategically positioned around the store.

I find the Aritzia phenomenon fascinating. Aritzia is not inexpensive and seldom goes on sale. Its sizing can be very inconsistent. Its colour palettes are generally neutral and muted. Compared with some retailers targeting the same age group, the merchandise is not especially daring, experimental, colourful, or wildly trendy. There is also a fair amount of dressy merchandise in the collections, which to my mind doesn’t necessarily gel with Gen Z’s extremely casual dress codes.

So why the incredible appeal?

It looks like Aritzia has hit a very particular sweet spot. It calls its niche market, “Everyday Luxury,” which sums it up well. The merchandise is aspirational without being designer. Much of it is sophisticated and grown-up without looking corporate or conservative. There are polished trousers, blazers, coats, dresses and knitwear alongside sweats, puffers, tees, leggings, clubbing attire, and other very casual items. You can dress up, dress down, or mix it up. And juxtaposing dressy and casual pieces is one of the biggest styling trends of our current fashion era.

The pandemic period appears to have been an inflection point. Aritzia became enormously visible on social media, with casual products such as the Super Puff and vegan leather pieces going viral. Forbes says Aritzia “took off in the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Other signature pieces have become fashion status items in their own right. The Effortless Pant is a good example. Aritzia has managed to make relatively simple and wearable wardrobe items feel desirable and recognizable. Social media has amplified that desirability enormously. The brand became a Gen Z TikTok favourite, and its photogenic stores, enormous mirrors, fashionable clientele, and constant stream of try-on content keep feeding the cycle.

There is another important part of the Aritzia success: service. I can only speak for the stores I frequent, but the service at both Seattle locations is extremely good. There are many sales assistants, and they are attentive and efficient. I’m greeted when I walk in, offered help, guided towards what I’m looking for, and checked on several times without finding it annoying. The staff tend to be young adults themselves, and generally look stylish and very much at home in the Aritzia aesthetic.

That level of service feels increasingly unusual in mainstream retail. Aritzia deliberately emphasizes personalized service as part of its brand experience. The stores themselves are carefully designed to feel more luxurious than the average mall store. Its SoHo flagship in NYC has a café.

Aritzia’s success isn’t confined to Gen Z either. I’m a 56-year-old Gen Xer and shop there too. I regularly take clients there who range in age from their thirties to their eighties. We tend to gravitate towards the dressier side of the assortment: trousers, blouses, shirts, jackets, coats, and other polished pieces. That breadth of appeal might be another part of Aritzia’s secret sauce.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Aritzia has left several other Canadian and US fashion retailers in the dust. Increasingly, it feels like a formidable competitor to the Zaras, H&Ms, and Abercrombies of the world too. Yet it occupies a slightly different space from all of them. It has created its own niche of in-house labels and aesthetics while maintaining a remarkably cohesive overall identity.

Perhaps the magic of Aritzia right now is the combination of aspirational and relatively attainable fashion, wearable clothes, good quality, strong styling, beautiful stores, excellent service, social media hype, and enough casual-to-dressy variety to appeal to a surprisingly wide age range.

Whatever the precise formula, Aritzia has made shopping for relatively straightforward clothes feel exciting. In today’s challenging retail environment, watching stores fill with enthusiastic young shoppers, seeing queues for dressing rooms, and feeling an energy that many brick-and-mortar retailers would dearly love to have is quite something.

If you shop at Aritzia, or know people who do, what do you think explains its phenomenal popularity? Is your local store as busy as the ones I’ve visited?

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MAXIMALISM

Maximalism is essentially a “more is more” approach to dressing. Outfits can combine multiple colours, patterns, textures, layers, accessories, silhouettes, and statement pieces. There might be pattern mixing, unexpected colour combinations, lots of jewellery and other accessories, dramatic proportions, embellishment, or several eye-catching items worn at once. Sometimes all of the above.

That said, maximalism needn’t mean piling everything on at once. There are quieter versions of the look. Your outfit can be minimally Maximal. You might wear a boldly patterned suit with simple shoes, combine an oversized silhouette with a dramatic accessory, or mix two unexpected colours in an otherwise uncomplicated outfit. There are many degrees of maximal.

ECLECTIC REMIXES

A particularly interesting component of Maximalism is juxtaposition. Items that we might once have thought belonged to different outfits, dress codes, decades, or style personas are deliberately worn together. The TENSION between them is precisely what makes the combination interesting.

Think sporty with dressy, romantic with tough, pristine with distressed, vintage with futuristic, preppy with bohemian, casual with glamorous, or tailored with slouchy. Add sneakers to a dressy outfit. Wear sequins with track pants. Combine a ladylike skirt with a sporty sweatshirt. Throw a bomber over something romantic. Wear a moto or track jacket with a ballgown. Mix an ornate vintage-looking piece with crisp modern separates. Clash patterns and colours rather than carefully coordinating them.

There is something fresh about these unexpected combinations. In fact, much of today’s outfit newness comes not from completely new wardrobe items, but from remixing familiar items in new and unexpected ways. We’ve seen most individual silhouettes before. What changes is how they are combined, proportioned, layered, accessorized, and juxtaposed. To my eye, this makes juxtaposition one of the defining components of our current fashion era.

It can also make fashion more creative and personal. Instead of following one aesthetic from head to toe, you can pull from several and create your own combination. The result might be harmonious, deliberately jarring, or somewhere in between.

ESSENTIEL ANTWERP

Belgian brand Essentiel Antwerp is particularly good at this. Their aesthetic celebrates bold colour, graphic and floral patterns, unexpected combinations, interesting proportions, and a healthy dose of eccentricity.

I especially enjoy the way the brand creates relaxed dressy maximal looks with gorgeous colours, patterns, embellishment, and BIG silhouettes. The proportions are dramatic, the combinations are unexpected, and yet there is an ease to the outfits. Nothing looks stiff. There is also something gloriously ’80s about the vibe that launches me into orbit. I LOVE looking at these outfits! They are creative, exuberant, playful, dramatic, and full of personality.

Of course, this is only one interpretation of maximalism. You can take the trend in a romantic, bohemian, arty, glam, sporty, retro, preppy, avant-garde, gothic, rock ’n roll, or completely different direction. Or you certainly don’t need to embrace maximalism at all. Minimalism is every bit as current.

Even if maximalism isn’t your thing, you might enjoy looking at these outfits and thinking about the remix. Sometimes combining two things you wouldn’t ordinarily wear together is all it takes to make an old outfit feel new again. And, you don’t have to dress maximally to participate in the current spirit of juxtaposition and remixing.

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1. Casual Handbags

Here’s a selection of casual bags, totes, and backpacks, which are popular handbag choices for many people these days. Larger totes or shoppers are particularly popular for people who need to carry laptops, food, books, and other items during the day. Some bags are water-resistant, and many are not made of leather. Some bags have fantastic compartments for laptops, water bottles, and other devices. Notably, Madewell’s Lexington Crossbody Bag is a fantastic roomier version of the fashionable camera bag, and is fantastic quality. The Lululemon Modular Tote with Pouches has an outside pouch that can be converted into a crossbody bag. Click the link for visuals. Ralph Lauren’s Leather-Trim Canvas Medium Shopper Tote is an impeccable classic, and on my radar. The ECCO Tote Go Light is dressier, streamlined, holds a lot, and is very lightweight.

TIPS: Make sure the size of the bags works for your needs by looking up their dimensions. Make sure it has the necessary compartments. And make sure the bag has a zipper that completely closes the bag if that’s a requirement too.

2. Jackets and Coats

There are dressier and more casual jackets and coats across a range of price points in this roundup. They are ALL gorgeous in their own way. Notably, the Zara ZW Collection Reversible Midi Trench is a genius design, and fits petites well too. The reverse side is navy, with a strong Japanese integrity. The Aritzia SuperStuff Puff Lite Shine Jacket is packable and lightweight. The Aritzia Constant Coat is a magnificent modern classic suited to a straighter body type, and drapes like a dream. Warm, quite heavy, and fabric from Italy. One of the most elegantly dressy coats I’ve seen this year. I absolutely loved it when I tried it on in stores. Hangs beautifully unbuttoned despite the double breasted effect. On my radar, and I might get it. The MANGO 100% Wool Funnel-Neck Coat is fashion forward, amazing, dramatic, and a steal. The Talbots Chateau Plaid Brushed Jacket is playful with excellent attention to detail in terms of plaid matching at the side seams and buttons that look extra fab. It has blue mixed with the brown and cream plaid. The Desigual Regular Blazer is fably edgy in a subtle way. Fantastic with blue denim or black bottoms.

3. Decade Sweatshirts

If you have a favourite fashion era and enjoy wearing playful fashion sweatshirts, the Pilcro Decades Cotton Sweatshirt is worth a look. It also has a delightful graphic on the back full of nostalgic things from said decade. It’s 100% cotton and awfully comfy and cosy. Runs big so size down. Some of the decades come in petite and plus. The sweatshirts are short in length, with wider necklines. I didn’t like the wider neckline, so I popped mine into the dryer after a cycle in the machine, which greatly improved the fit. I have the “1980’s” version, and adore it. Super cute and makes me laugh. Its shorter length works really well with big pants, jeans and skirts.

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The first that springs to mind is Classiques Entier, a former Nordstrom house brand. It was exceptional. The assortment was especially strong for business formal, business casual, and cocktail attire, although many of the pieces could be dressed down beautifully with denim and other casual support acts.

The fabrics, quality, construction, and fits were sublime. The thoughtful and creative detailing gave the items enormous personality without compromising their elegance or dressy integrity. Jackets, coats, trousers, skirts, dresses, blouses, shirts, and knitwear looked interesting, sophisticated, and polished. Items were expensive, although they went on sale, and could sometimes be found at the Nordstrom Rack. People looked so, so sharp and chic wearing Classiques Entier. The brand consistently hit that sweet spot between modern, classic, professional, distinctive, and timeless.

Some of my clients still have Classiques Entier items in their wardrobes all these years later. We lovingly look at those pieces, which are often in excellent condition, and lament the loss of the brand. That kind of longevity says a lot about how well the clothes were made and how successfully the designs stood the test of time.

Nordstrom has launched several house brands since Classiques Entier disappeared, but for me, none have filled its shoes. Some of those brands have subsequently disappeared too. I don’t know why Nordstrom decided to discontinue Classiques Entier, but I wish they hadn’t. It was special, and it is missed.

Of course, fashion marches on. There are newer and excellent brands to enjoy today, and discovering them is part of the fun. But sometimes an old favourite leaves a hole that never quite gets filled. Over to you. Which clothing, footwear, or accessory brands do you wish still existed? What made them special, and do you still have items from those brands in your wardrobe?

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