Right now, I’m craving classic pieces with a little bit of perversion thrown in for good measure. It’s a mix of schoolgirl, rebellious ‘50s rock star, ‘60s French Brigitte Bardot and Cambridge, articulated in luxury materials and clean lines. All the pieces balance out their sexual connotations with equal amounts of design and wit – it’s a pretty smart outfit.

Leather shorts:

I’m on the hunt for the perfect pair. They were all over last year’s spring runways, Chloe, Chanel, Alexander Wang. So last season, maybe? No, it’s still California, and I have no qualms with year-round shorts wearing. This length also gives you this fall’s Isabel Marant ‘50s rock star feel without actually wearing full-length red leather pants. The words leather and short next to each other still elicit some raised eyebrows, but when done buttery and muted with clean tailoring, they manage to be edgy and sleek at the same time.

White Oxford:

I like adding the powerfully androgynous shirt to temper the leather shorts. It adds balance to the sensuality of the leather but also has its own appeal in its definite starkness. This pairing is very much inspired by the Proenza Schouler fall-winter 2010 take on the schoolgirl aesthetic. Although still clean and white, I also alternatively like the softer Chloe Peter Pan collar option, introducing its own paradox with curved lines against otherwise sharp shapes.

Ladylike heel:

Confession time, I really am just obsessed with these shoes; Louis Vuitton fall-winter 2010 was absolute perfection. I love the exaggerated proportion of the tasteful, stacked heel paired with the flat bow that captured the spirit of the early ‘60s French feel of the fall show. They were shown in ostrich, velvet, calf and satin in two different heights; shorter for the long-legged girl on whom shorts and heels become absurd, and the sky-high option for those of us less vertically blessed, but not lacking in gumption.

Camel coat:

This iconic garment made its triumphant return with Phoebe Philo’s momentous comeback at Celine two seasons ago. It marks the return to luxury dressing and classic investments that defy trends. And even though I worship at Philo’s minimalist altar, I love the idea of a slight twist, maintaining the quality and class that accompanies the coat, but matching a more interesting line to the clean leather shorts and crisp white shirt.

The Satchel:

Continuing my ode to Proenza, I had to include the much-coveted PS1 invented by Jack and Lazaro to be the perfect lust-worthy object. Not only is it practical, versatile and really, really pretty, it is the most successful rendering of the messenger bag-briefcase hybrid in its feminine and luxurious form. The Mulberry version equally meets the “it” factor, infused with the aura of coolness of its inspiration, Alexa Chung. The “Alexa” comes with the connotations of British school bag gone “it” girl. Clearly the marketing is working. Who doesn’t want to be an effortlessly fashionable British schoolgirl?