Can you feel the chill, people? And I don't mean those giving me the cold shoulder - I mean that now is not the time to bare your shoulders. Frostbite is never chic, darlings.

I've been getting flooded with a lot of questions on how to properly layer. There is a difference between layering for summer and layering for winter. Pick the wrong clothes and you end up looking a Christmas tree: wide and puffy on top, skinny at the bottom. Worst case scenario is, well, you freeze to death.

But don't let me bore you with dire, morbid things, dears. I've decided to give you Layering 102 (101 is here somewhere so just go and use Google) to make your lovely little fashionable lives simpler. But in case you missed that first lesson, here's a little refresher course.


Review, Refresh, Re-style!

Like an artist who has a set of brushes and a palette to work off from, first thing you should make sure is that your closet has the easy-to-style basics that will serve as your foundation. A simple T-shirt to a pair of comfy leggings or even a well-loved blouse in muted shades can ultimately define the entire look you want to achieve.

The next step is finding that essential trend you want to follow. Don't get me started on the trends this year so far. Too many to mention but there were all those playsuits and jumper dresses, metallics, harem pants, gladiator sandals. Sure, not all of them may have worked for us but you have to admit that all these were very, very tempting. Rawr.

Whether you love or hate trends, they do make or break an outfit. A trend doesn't have to be "now". It can be something you've always liked: stripes, colors, accessories, fabric. So shop for those all-important trend elements and see how they go with your basics.



It’s all + or -

Boys and girls, now that you've got your basic ingredients ready, time to practice your addition and subtraction skills.

4	ITEM RULE TO LAYERING Applies for separates. One-pieces: bottommay not be necessary 1. TOP OR ONE-PIECE 2. BOTTOM 3. COVER-UP (JACKET: MAY BE OMITTED DEPENDING ON SEASON) 4. ACCESSORY (BELT, BAG, SHOES)

• Tops or one-pieces include T-shirts, blouses, dress shirts and tank tops. One-pieces refer to dresses and rompers/playsuits.


• Bottoms are leggings, tights, trousers and jeans, shorts, and skirts. If you're wearing a dress or playsuit, you can skip this step depending on the season.


• Cover-ups are the jackets, cardigans, coats and blazers. These can be omitted from the equation depending on the need and temperature.


• Accessories are a must! Don't underestimate the power of the right belt, bag or shoes or jewelry. They can make or break your look.

Nikki