This is the year to "Make the Most of Yourself". Remember, the better you look, the better you feel and the better you perform! There are many different looks for the upcoming autumn season. My advice is to see what's in and then to adapt the looks to your own body shape, personality, lifestyle and of course, budget.

The COLOURS for this season are:
Black, white, all shades of grey (using layering and textures), with the accent colour being red. Leopard and cheetah print add to this basic look and can be used as accessories - i.e. shoes, bags, belts etc. Remember - NO head-to-toe animal print! There are many shades of red so don't forget to hold the different shades up to your face before actually trying the clothing on. Metallics, especially gold, are big so bear that in mind when you have your ‘wardrobe chuck-out’!

The THEMES for this season are as follows:
1. SMART - Masculine clothing such as skinny trousers as well as slouchy pants are in. These are worn with slim fitted jackets. Those of you who have hips would be advised to wear the more slouchy/boyish pant.

2. SHORT - Skirts are short whether you are wearing a mini-dress, thigh-high 'A' line coat or a pencil skirt (which are taking over from the recent 'volume' skirts). Pencil skirts are also very flattering just under the knee but they need to be worn with a mid- heel to balance the proportion of the legs. Wear these with opaque tights, leggings and pants.

3. RED - not just a colour but a THEME this year. Just remember if you pull out your 1980 red melton jacket it won't work! They are too boxy for the look of the season and the buttons date it terribly!

4. GREY - Again a colour theme - herringbone is big, along with grey blazers, grey high-heeled sling backs, cropped cardigans and for those of you who lead a more casual lifestyle, jerseys are worn over shirts and wear grey-on-grey in layers mixing tone and knit textures for a more natural, comfortable look.

5. CHUNKY KNITS - this does not mean 'sloppy'. Thin chunky -looking knits are in and the accent again is on layering.

6. ACCESSORIES - Fur collars (preferably detachable, for versatility), flat caps and braces may be seen on the younger generation and shoes are probably the 'hottest' accessory - courts, peep-toes, sling-backs, pumps, ankle-straps and t-bars with platforms/jewellery - crystal necklaces, hearts and crosses as well as grey pearls.

7. HANDBAGS - Also make a huge fashion statement this year and the emphasis
is on 'large': bold floral prints, gathered bags, leopard print, small bags with large buckles and studded bags.

A few tips for dressing MEN this season; Lapels are broader while jacket lengths are shorter by 2-3cm. Pants are slightly narrower at the leg. Jackets can have up to 8 buttons on them and the mandarin collar is back along with 'patch pockets' and epaulettes. There is a big focus on checks.

I hope that sheds some light on what to look out for this season and, most importantly what NOT to throw away from last season!

Have a great year!