By Glynis Traill-Nash
Stride into summer
Forget the sensible approach to dressing, where black or neutral trousers are the starting point around which to build a look. This season colourful strides are the business—even in the office. Thanks to the big colour blocking trend, there is an abundance of bold colours from top to all sorts of bottoms.
Bold and bright is the order of the day—look for bright red, grass green, Klein blue or fuchsia to begin with. And of 
course, there are plenty of styles to try on this season. You could tap into the ’70s trend with some flares, or the ’60s look with slimline cigarette pants. Or you could opt for a more casual look in loose, silky trousers, either draped and tapered to the ankle or loose-leg pyjama style.
If you want to wear this look in the workplace—even those more understanding offices—it’s best to go for something in a sturdy fabric with a little structure. Wear with a silk blouse—printed or in a contrast colour—and a classic heel or a contrasting wedge sandal. You can find great coloured trousers everywhere from Acne to Zara, including Jil Sander, 3.1 Phillip Lim, 
Alexander McQueen, The Row and Stella McCartney (all at Net-a-Porter). Locally, labels including Morrison, Lisa Ho (top left), Gary Bigeni and David Lawrence (below left) have great examples. It’s one way of letting your legs get a little colour without going in the sun.
Paris, meet Brisbane
Brisbane readers behold—Chanel is about to open its first boutiques in your neighbourhood. First up is the Fashion Boutique, which opens this Thursday Nov. 10, featuring the house’s classic tweeds, accessories and seasonal delights. Next up, opening on Wednesday Nov. 16, is the Fragrance & Beauty Boutique, where you will find the full range of Chanel cosmetics and perfumes, including its Les Exclusifs range (of which I must admit to being a huge fan of the singular Sycamore scent). And to celebrate the opening for the first time in Brisbane, Mr Lagerfeld has created a limited-edition, quilted handbag in “Pacific Ocean blue” aged leather, complete with the house’s signature camellia. Covetable, and collectable.
Schoolyard daze
Remember those breezy, summery days of long ago, when your biggest concern was what to spend at the corner shop with your bottle refunds, or collecting a whole set of cereal box stickers? Back then your main footwear issue was whether to wear sandals or sneakers. Well, at least those sandals, if not those carefree days, are here again. Buckle-up sandals have been brought back—scratch that—have finally been brought into the realm of cool by hipsters such as Alexa Chung, Florence Welsh and Chloë Sevigny (the latter two also like to wear their sandals with socks for daytime chic—and to think we berate German tourists for just that). And as a result, British brand Clarks this year reached an all-time profit records since it started in 1825. And so, Clarks Kestrel Soar sandals have finally made it to Australia—to Incu to be precise ($119.95)—bringing schoolyard chic to grown-ups wanting a nostalgia hit. Now, could somebody please make those cardboard school cases hip again?
