Maintaining perfect fit becomes a challenge if your weight fluctuates. A variance of 5 to 10 pounds can be a size difference, especially if you tend to gain or lose weight on the lower part of your body. So what is a girl to do? Here are two options to consider:

• Purchase items that are forgiving on the areas of your body that grow larger and smaller. For example, A-line dresses and skirts are ideal for pear shaped body types that gain weight.
• Double up in different sizes on the items that you wear frequently. For example, consider stocking up on ”sleek jeans” and “roomy jeans”.

It’s an expensive exercise to keep a stock of various sizes in your wardrobe, but unfortunately I see no way around it. How else would you maintain perfect fit when the size of your body is perpetually changing?

There was a time when matching a handbag to your shoes was the no-brainier stylish thing to do. But fashion and style have evolved and this is no longer always the case. Some fashion gurus will go as far as saying that it’s become unstylish to match your bag and shoes.

I wouldn’t go that far. Most of us wear black or brown shoes and matching them with a black or brown bag is not a fashion faux pas. It might be the classic and predictable choice, but it’s by no means unstylish. I also think that the matching thing works with non-neutral colours, like wearing a cobalt bag with cobalt shoes. As long as you stick to wearing only two items in the same colour in one outfit, you’ll be fine (neutrals, excluded).

Aesthetically I prefer a mismatched look for myself, but matching the colour of handbags to shoes is still fab in my book. You’ll always look polished and put together.

Mismatch (left): These outfits show how mismatching the colour of your shoes and handbags works. Most of us have probably tried this look and are pretty used to it. It might even be a look that you prefer.

Match (right): These outfits show how matching peds with purses works just as well. The overall effect is less eye- catching, but certainly just as stylish.

Neutrals like black, grey, brown, cream, white, navy and nude are considered timeless, but most colours waft in and out of fashion. Recently on the forum there was an interesting discussion about colours that are forever fashionable just for you. These are the colours that are extremely flattering for your complexion, hair colour, eye colour and personality. When I work with my clients I refer to them as signature colors. It really doesn’t matter if it’s not the “it” fuchsia” or last season’s “teal”. If you look fabulous in particular shades, you should wear them regardless of their fashion status because signature colours do not date.

Unfortunately, items in timeless colours are not without their challenges. For some items the style will date even if the colour is forever. And it’s not always easy finding items in your timeless colours. You might find loads of items in one season and nothing for a few seasons thereafter. The answer is to buy items in more timeless styles and stock up on them when the colours are in fashion. This is why I bought quite a few things in tomato red and an acidic yellowy-green over the last few seasons. These are my timeless colours and I’d be awfully unhappy if they were absent from my wardrobe. How about you?

These shades of red and citrusy yellow have always been my forever fashionables. That all too famous 50’s “Tiffany’s blue” is a recent addition to the list. With the resurgence of turquoise for Spring 2009, I plan to stock up.

There are two looks I see every season that don’t seem practical. Both involve mixing cold and warm weather items into one outfit. It seems that if you wore one of the items, it would be too hot or cold for the other.

• Strappy Summer dress with heavy knee-high boots: I’m talking about a skimpy little frock that you’d normally wear in the warmest of weather without a layering cardigan or jacket. If it’s hot enough to wear a light, breezy dress, wouldn’t you be boiling in boots?
• Coat, knitwear and pants with sandals: I’m taking about a Winter coat, a cozy knit, jeans and flipflops or strappy sandals. If it’s cold enough to wear a coat and knitwear, surely you need a closed-toe shoe to keep your feet warm.

I can get my head around the three-quarter sleeved coat because you can layer long-sleeved items underneath, or wear long gloves. This is a great option for milder Winter weather or Autumn weather. But I just don’t understand the combinations above. Am I missing something?

The all-in-one jumpsuit is back in various silhouettes. From work wear and disco-inspired styles, to drapy palazzo 90’s looks. The belted versions look a little better than the unstructured styles, but I’m still not a fan. And wearing a jumpsuit makes going to the loo a chore. No thank you.

I wore both red and cobalt blue jumpsuits as a child back in the 70’s and early 80’s and remember them as wardrobe favourites. I have neither owned nor worn a jumpsuit since then and plan to keep it that way. Not only do I prefer the look of separates, but my bladder isn’t what it used to be.

Jumpsuits today. Although the flowing gray style on the right has a glamorous 70’s vibe about it, I just can’t do the look again. I’d feel like an 8 year old.

Since coming to America I’ve listened to friends, forum members and clients say that they “don’t want to get too dressed up” because they’ll get flack and feel out of place. This came up repeatedly when we discussed Clinton Kelly’s views on under-dressed America. Here are some examples of the comments we heard:

“Everything is just too casual these days. And when you try to wear something normal you get ragged on for dressing up”.

“There is such a relaxed atmosphere in Florida, truly anything goes. I receive compliments on the street from strangers, but am fussed at by friends, who imply I make them look bad just because I don’t want to go to lunch in shorts”.

“FB makes a good point when she says that we are sometimes ragged on for being dressed up. Or worse, we are sometimes seen as being arrogant fashionistas, like we spend so much time shopping and getting dressed in the morning that other areas of our lives are somehow lacking attention”.

“My smart casual has been labeled dressy by many”.

At YLF we discuss the full range of dress codes, from lounging casual to ball gown formal. We respect all budgets. We aren’t about being overly brand conscious and we aren’t fashion snobs. We don’t expect women to stumble around in skirts and heels all day. We promote practical and tangible ways in which we can increase our style quotient, whether we are work, at home, or working at home.

But I will give you flack for under dressing, because I think you’re doing yourself and others a disservice.

Why do you think people “rag” on others who are (in my opinion) appropriately and effortlessly turned out for the day? Do you lower your dressing standard to avoid getting this reaction?

Today’s post is written by Nicole, a stylish East Coast lass, long time YLF supporter and fabulous forum member. Nicole reviews Bratique Helene, a new manufacturer of woven tops designed specifically for women with a D+ cup size.

As most of the regular YLF Forum members know, I am a busty gal. As most busty gals know, finding woven shirts that fit and are comfortable is a pretty tall order. Woven shirts tend to have very little give. Also, in order for a shirt to reach across the fullest part of my chest, it will be several sizes too big in the shoulders, sleeves and torso. My biggest hurdle with woven, button down collared shirts is that they are always riding up on me. I spend an enormous amount of time tugging the shirt back down into place. It’s uncomfortable and annoying, so I don’t own any woven collared shirts. Until now.

Enter Carissa Brown of Bratique Helene and Angie’s ability to bring people together.

I was honored when Angie asked me to review Bratique Helene’s product. After I picked a style from their line and provided my measurements, Carissa sent me 3 different shirts. Using photos and email, we compared the shirts and decided which one fit me best. I then had the sleeves shortened and got right to wearing the shirt. Here are my impressions…

The fabric is divine. I chose a plain white collared shirt and it has just enough stretch in it to make it comfortable.

The closure system is genius. Instead of buttons it has hook and eye closures. At first, I was afraid the closures would be troublesome, but they worked well. Fastening them was no more time consuming than buttoning a shirt, but the beauty is they don’t pull at the bust the way traditional buttons would.

The cuffs are generous, which I love!

The seaming makes the shirt work for busty women. The downside is that some seam lines show through the fabric.

The shirt works with layers. I tried on the shirt with a thicker gauge cardigan and a short jacket and both worked fine.

The shirt tail has a small built in peplum. I think the design idea was to keep the shirt tail tailored so it would look good untucked (because us busty gals don’t have a lot of success tucking shirts in). I feel the peplum on my particular shirt fans out a bit too far on the sides. However, my mother thought it looked fine and it’s probably a fairly easy alteration.

Speaking of my mother, she absolutely loved this shirt. A professional dress designer and seamstress for most of her life, she was very impressed with the quality of the fabric, the workmanship of the shirt, and mostly with the design itself.

For anyone who has a high bust to waist ratio, I highly recommend that you check out Carissa’s product line. Although the range is somewhat limited right now, she does have plans to add more pieces in the future. Her company is just starting out and I am very happy to see her succeed.

Yesterday marked the beginning of a new era for the United States as the Obama’s were sworn in as our new First Family. Let’s take a closer look at the outfits that President Obama, his wife and two daughters wore to the inauguration:

• Barack: His flawless black suit, white shirt and red tie made a killer impression. I loved his burgundy scarf and black gloves. I’ll give our stylish new President 10 out of 10 for his ensemble. Absolutely perfect.
• Michelle: Her gold-embossed coat and matching shift-style dress looked regal and dazzling. I personally would have enjoyed seeing Michelle in a Chanel suit, but I loved that her gold ensemble was unexpected because it symbolizes change. I couldn’t quite make out what was going on in-between the coat and the dress. At first I thought it was a cardigan, then I thought it was a dickey, and later I thought it might be a decorative panel sewn onto the dress plus a scarf. I’m still not quite sure, but all in all, the ensemble struck a super balance between looking conservative and taking a fashion risk. Daytime sparkle is a 2009 trend, which makes Michelle spot on. I also enjoyed the touch of the teal shoes and gloves.
• Malia and Sasha: The girls looked gorgeous in their retro coats. I adored Malia’s cobalt blue coat that was accessorized with black muffler, gloves, hose and shoes. Sasha’s peach and orange ensemble looked youthful, fresh and adorable. Such beautiful little ladies.

Bring on the fashion critique. Did you like what our First Family wore on Inauguration Day?

Get the details on Michele’s outfit at the Daily News.  See feedback on her ensemble from several fashion pros at The Huffington Post.

Clinton Kelly, celebrity co-host of TV’s “What Not To Wear”, was recently interviewed on freep.com. I found the answer to this question particularly interesting: “What is the most common fashion faux pas you see women make?”.

His answer:

Being underdressed. I spend half of my life in airports these days, and what some people will wear in public is absolutely revolting. I mean, I understand that we live in a casual society, but far too many people use that as an excuse to look like out-and-out slobs.

I’d put incorrect pant lengths as my one number one fashion faux pas, but I do identify with Clinton’s answer. Do you think we are being too harsh?

Fuchsia was the quintessential colour of the ‘80’s. I wore so much of the colour back then it was frightening. Recently we saw fuchsia come back as a fashion colour along with other shades of pink and there is no stopping it for Spring 2009. Fuchsia is fast becoming the “it” colour this year.

My prediction is that the abundance of fuchsia will make red take a back seat. This upsets me a little because although I like fuchsia and wear the shade, I’m a tomato red girl at heart. It is not a replacement for red in my wardrobe. What do you think? Do you wear both shades, and are they interchangeable?

Fuchsia or red. Hmmm… I quite like the two shades together as above. They clash, but it works. That might be my answer to wearing fuchsia this season – the best of both worlds.