The Blazer (& Cardigan)
Pushing your puffer jacket to the dark recesses of the coat closet is a particularly Canadian pleasure. But because this is a country with wildly fluctuating weather within the same day, let alone week, you need to be armed instead with options to bulk up or strip down at any moment. It is shoulder season, and the perfect time for lighter layers to shine.
The splurge Canadian label that Richardson favours is Smythe. “Their blazers are so well made, and structured,” she says, that the investment can last decades. “I buy a lot of Smythe blazers for my TV clients especially.” The dynamic design duo behind the brand, Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner, have focused on the blazer since they started their business in 2004. This season Smythe has loads of fun colours and a few rad prints. Try the ‘90s blazer if you are feeling brave about a big pattern and a retro style. Or go for the line’s all-time classic Duchess model named, of course, for the then-Duchess of Cambridge, Kate, who famously brought the line to the world’s attention when she wore a version on a royal tour of Canada in 2011, a piece the princess has reworn with faithful regularity over the years. This season the Duchess, as always slender of line and cinched of waist, comes in 13 colours, including a standout lavender, a smashing pink, a bold red and a crisp apple green.
The return of preppy is welcome news for many of us who grew up with the familiar ‘80s hallmarks of the timeless Ivy League-inspired look: penny loafers, button-downs, khakis, plaids and nautical influences. But by far the easiest way to incorporate the feel into a modern wardrobe is with a loafer. They come in all styles now, and while Richardson says that most women in their 50s and beyond don’t go for the exaggerated clunky soles that have trickled down from Prada’s runways, if the look appeals to you, go for it! She more often puts her clients in monochromatic loafer looks: “Say a neutral linen dress with a sand-coloured slip-on loafer,” she says. Her go-to brand is La Canadienne, which has a wide variety of loafer options, from thick soles to slip-ons, including this nifty ice-blue number that would slide into almost any wardrobe seamlessly while you relegate those clunky snow boots into the basement for storage.
The Shirt Dress
“Anybody who has worked with me knows I love a dress,” Richardson says. “You can put on a dress and you don’t have to do anything else,” she adds. “The right length and the right neckline is the one that works best for you.” Right now, Richardson is loving shirt dresses, for that preppy touch with some softness. A style that jumped off the racks for her is an elegant dusty rose silk belted number from Judith & Charles, a Canadian company designed and operated out of Montreal since 1991. Judith & Charles, she says, tend to specialize in sharp, tailored pieces that are great for a professional setting. For a faster fashion take on the trend, Richardson points to the dark denim fit-and-flare midi shirt dress from Joe Fresh.
The Pant
By now we’ve all adjusted to the wide-legged pants that Gen Z has brought back (even though there are rumblings of the return of the skinny jean so beloved by their elders). It is a chic look, once you get the proportions right – to keep things professional and balanced, says Richardson, you need to do a narrower silhouette on top. The crop tops that the kids wear are likely a no-go for the 50-plus demographic. Instead, says Richardson, “I love a slightly off-the-shoulder boat neck-line in a slim-fit light-gauge sweater to go with a wider pant.” It adds a cheeky little bit of skin and still keeps the look’s overall silhouette on track. Take a look at these versions from Urban Outfitters (not Canadian, but great for a few trendy pieces.)
Zara has terrific “knock-off” versions of the very-pale denim wide-legged jean that offer the Celine runway look for a fraction of the price. You can find great versions of wide-legged jeans from Canadian brands such as RW&Co, Reitmans and Joe Fresh
But if the wide-leg look really isn’t “you,” – it just doesn’t work as well on shorter frames and doesn’t flatter every butt – never fear going against the fashion grain. Richardson is a big fan of Old Navy’s Pixie Pant, a collection perennial: a high-waisted straight leg stretch pant, the Pixie comes in a number of lengths above and below the ankle and a few styles, in basic black and seasonal colours. “I’ve been buying this for clients for the past 20 years,” she says. Sometimes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
The Top
A button-down shirt is the backbone of a work wardrobe and it can be dressed up or down with a blazer, cardigan or jean jacket. Richardson leans toward linen when styling clients for spring/summer. Linen should be a slightly looser fit; check out RW&Co for their neutral linen basics. But if you love stripes, look for a banker’s style button-down blouse (a preppy staple) or nautical stripe tops (the French bateau shirt). Richardson warns that we need to keep the neckline in mind. “So much depends on your face shape,” she says. “If you have a crisp or a sharp angled jawline, stripes can be great to complement that facial structure,” she says. “But if you have a softer face shape, go softer on stripes. Say, try a faded pale blue stripe, tucked into baggy jeans.”
This is where her closet audit comes into play: “know your best neckline” is her mantra. Boat-neck, oval, V-neck, we all have the right shape for our look. “You need to take into account height, and hair style, even your glasses, to figure out the right neckline for tops,” Richardson says.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to upgrade your spring options, our expert this week says. The real investment is your time, going into your closet now and trying things back on – and trying new combinations. “Shopping your own closet can be very satisfying,” Richardson says. “And if you do want some new things, look first to support homegrown brands.” That is real feel-good fashion.
Always asking questions,
—Leanne Delap
