“It seems right now there is a return to flattering clothing for all shapes. I see this in a lot of your list items, and I’ve been very glad about it, as evidenced by my AmEx bill”.

But I can always muster up a few complaints because there is no such thing as a perfect retail season. It’s impossible to please everyone.

Here are my general rants:

• A weak start to the season: Clothing product mixes weren’t overly compelling despite their superb pricing structures. But I feel that fashion got more exciting as we hit mid season.
• Another poor footwear collection: I’m tired of seeing 4 to 5 inch heels as the fashion norm (sorry to sound like a broken record). We’re entering our fourth year of having little choice when it comes to heel heights. Heels this season were once again either super flat or sky scrapingly high. Not so fab seeing as a good footwear season is about ample variety. Bring back comfortable and fashionable lower heeled shoes. PLEASE. It can’t be that hard!
• Sleeve length frustrations: The industry’s obsession with cap sleeves was disappointing. I’m glad we’re moving into a cool weather season where I hope to see plenty of elbow and long sleeved tops and jackets.

More specifically:

• Casual maxi dresses: I have not had a change of heart on this one. Ankle length,  casual frocks worn with flat sandals do not make it through my filter. They look like nighties. But as I’ve said before, I won’t hold it against you if you love the look.
• Some harem pants: The styles with super sagging low crotches look unattractive, but I’ve got my head around the styles with regular crotch lengths.
• Leg shortening ankle-length pants: Pants that end somewhere between the end of the calf and ankle bone are desperately unflattering UNLESS they’re extremely tapered and sleek at the hems like skinnies or leggings AND worn with high, high heels. The reason the latter works is because heels and the tapered effect of a silhouette visually raise the length of the hemline, elongating your look.
• Jumpsuits: I’m not as wildly opposed to this style as I am to the first three, but I’m generally not a fan. Loo practicalities aside, there’s something too matchy-matchy and pajama-like about the top and bottom part of an outfit in identical fabric, especially if it’s in a knit. Just not my cup of tea.

Missed opportunities:

• Cropped elbow length V-neck cardigans: There seemed to be a shortage of universally flattering V-neck cardigans this season. Loads of cru-neck availability, but few V-neck. I wonder why.
• Higher rise jeans: The situation is improving but it’s still not enough, especially in the premium denim category. Let’s hope Autumn is better.

Bring on the rants for Spring and Summer 2009 ladies and don’t hold back. We’re putting this topic to rest today. What have I missed and do your rants differ to mine?

The pictures speak for themselves. I won’t be surprised if these silhouettes trend again next season, which means I’ll rant about them all over again.

You know the drill. YLF closes every retail season with a “best and worst”. Raves today, rants tomorrow. I would also like to hear your closing thoughts on the last six months of fashion.

Here are my general raves:

• Superb recessionary pricing structure: In all my retail years, I’ve never seen a fashion season as heavily discounted as this one. So many bargains!
• Brilliant accessory selections: Accessories are the fasted and cheapest way to inject a bit of new into an existing wardrobe. Scarves, bracelets, belts, handbags, hose, headbands, watches, wallets, hats, pins, necklaces and earrings have been particularly strong this year. What a clever retail reaction to our tough economic climate.
• Delicious 80’s revival of fashion: Designers have taken inspiration from “the decade of anti-fashion” and made it killer. I’m blown away with how creatively and successfully the best of 80’s styling has been re-interpreted.

More specifically:

• Dresses and tunics: Stores have generally shown an excellent assortment if you were prepared to dry clean, hand wash and wear sleeveless. I’ve managed to do major frock and tunic shopping with clients this season, which is not the norm.
• Leggings: We’ve seen the best selection of leggings ever: zippered, studded, ruched, embossed and stirrup styles in all sorts of fabrications, colours and leg lengths. The perfect accessory to dresses and tunics and a totally fabulous look.
• Biker inspired styles: Tough edge fashion looks continue to trend and they are close to my heart. The huge assortment of both subtle and overt motorcycle detailing on all sorts of wardrobe items has been inspiring. Something for everyone.
• Boyfriend items: I’m not drawn to boyfriend jeans, but enjoyed boyfriend-inspired items like cardis, jackets, watches and shirts. I got a nostalgic kick out of the shoulder pad trend in boyfriend blazers and hope to find a version that works for me.
• Volume: Banded tops, sack dresses and cascading cardigans have been winning waist-less pieces. They are an excellent way to camouflage muffin top and add a fun, arty element to your look.
• Silver grey: This has been the season for grey. As popular as black and white, I’ve enjoyed seeing grey function as another versatile neutral.
• Sea of green, yellow and turquoise: It’s nice to see how this fresh Summer palette has been embraced by retailers and consumers.
• White items: Warm weather is about adding white items to ensembles. With the fab selection of white tops, jeans, dresses, skirts, shoes and accessories, it’s been easy to incorporate an instantly fresh Summery look into your style.
• Gladiators: The sandal of the season has been stellar, making it possible to refresh past season’s outfits with the addition of this single item. Even I managed to get a comfortable pair, which was a tall order.
• Colourful non-patent handbags: Loads of magnificent handbags in matte fabrications and interesting textural tones have made a welcome change to the sea of patent we’ve seen over the last three years.
• Deeper assortment of higher rise jeans: While there is still a shortage of fabulously fitting jeans with higher, girdling rises, stocks have improved. Let’s hope this trend gains momentum next season.

Bring on the raves, ladies. I’m excited to hear your impressions.

The house of Valentino came out with a collection of sculptured handbags that was second to none this season. Just for fun, here are my insanely unaffordable dream handbags that represent the very best of Spring and Summer 2009. Perhaps I’ll find them on eBay one day.

Sleeveless items come in many styles so it’s a question of choosing wisely. The style you choose need not be strappy, sloppy or overly revealing. If you’re shy about showing the top parts of your arms, opt for silhouettes in sturdy, better-end fabrics with good underarm coverage, a fuller shoulder line and a modest neckline. Paying attention to these details makes all the difference.

I’m not saying that you must wear sleeveless garments. If you’re more comfortable covering your arms then that’s fine too. But on the off chance that you had your doubts, I hope you feel encouraged. Baring your arms is an ideal way to beat the heat.

“Most manufacturers really don’t understand the flattering sleeve issue. Unless an arm is slim and toned, caps or lengths that draw a line across the bicep are fattening. I buy my favorite T-shirts in long sleeves and take them to my drycleaner to shorten to anywhere from just above to just below the elbow. Plays up a slim forearm; disguises the rest”

A sleek sleeve that ends around the elbow, as Kendal describes, is in my opinion the most flattering length of sleeve on any arm. It’s where the hem of the sleeve cuts the arm in half, or thereabouts, that makes visual sense. Long sleeves and sleeveless garments are flattering too. The former covers the arm completely, while the latter bares all, thereby creating equally long, lean lines.

And then there’s the rest. Sleeves that end at unflattering lengths somewhere between sleeveless and short sleeves are in abundance. And they are the most difficult sleeve lengths to wear! As much as I love to wear sleeveless garments and encourage others of all ages and sizes to do so as well, I realize that many women prefer to wear sleeves. And because retail is cap-sleeve-obsessed, this is what most women end up wearing, especially if a top fits well in every other respect. Not so fab.

Help us out retailers. Getting this right should be easy. You don’t need to stop producing cap sleeves – there are women who sport them beautifully. But variety is the spice of life, so offer a deeper assortment of flattering sleeve lengths and you’ll probably sell more items. I’m putting in a special request for elbow-length sleeves because they’re flop proof.

Hope our retailers are listening.

Strangely, I am more drawn to this look now than I was 25 years ago. I see it sported successfully in two distinctly different ways:

• On a teeny bopper, worn casually with graphic T and Converse
• On an adult, as part of an edgy and sophisticated ensemble (Fergie’s look in this post by the Budget Babe is a good example)

Once you’ve toned down the punk aspect of these crazy jeans with the necessary sophisticated elements, you could end up with a fabulously alternative little look. Think sleek lines, tailoring, gorgeous shoes and dressy handbag. At the end of the day, style and sass is all about HOW you wear an item.

The top is 100% cotton and machine washable, which is ideal in sweltering heat. It’s made of super soft, better-end knitted slub yarn that has body and drapes to perfection. The lawn ruffles that run down the front of the bodice and around the neckline are made of woven cotton. This is clever. It gets you double the textural interest and a crisper looking garment after laundering (woven ruffles generally hold their shape better than knitted ruffles).

The silhouette is flattering too. It’s not overly tight at all. Mine hangs looser than it does on the model, which is another plus in the heat and ideal for hiding those little extras around the mid riff. No clinging. But it’s tailored in all the right places so that you look and feel pulled together in a perfectly casual way. The neckline is high enough that you won’t need to wear a camisole, but low enough to work for bustier gals too.

Fab on its own, or as a layering piece under a waistcoat, jacket or cardigan. Unfortunately the style doesn’t come in petites and at $35 a pop it’s by no means cheap. But I’m tough to please when it comes to knits and this item passes my grade with flying colours. I’m duplicating.

The remixing of silhouettes, retooling of proportions, experimentation with new fabric technology and treatments, new combinations of color, print and texture allow new currents to break through fashion’s surface. This is, of course, why “new” is so much fun – and who wants to stop having fun with clothes at any age?”.

So true. I thoroughly enjoy trying and retrying new trends, remixing existing wardrobe pieces and pushing my fashion envelope. I’d be really bored with my outfits if I didn’t. In some instances the look isn’t completely new, but more of an evolved and often improved version of a look that I’ve sported before. Either way, my style feels refreshed when I dress a little differently each season.

This is how I recharged my look for Spring and Summer 2009:

• Strappy sandals: This sounds absurd because strappy sandals are a common Summer wardrobe staple. But for years I haven’t been able to find a pair of sandals that go the distance AND look fabulous. I found three pairs this year and I adore wearing them with skinnies, leggings and dresses.
• Frocks, frocks and more frocks: Our atypically beautiful Seattle weather has made me more dress focused than ever. I’m particularly into the unstructured sack dress, layering it over leggings and under cascading cardigans or a denim jacket.
• Stirrup leggings and zipper leggings: Controversial, but stirrup and zipper leggings were my hands down favourite looks this season. I feel that I can take on the world in those outfits. I’ve hardly worn my blue jeans and clamdiggers because I’m frock and leggings crazy (but my white bottoms are still in full seasonal swing).
• Silk safari jacket: This earthy style in a muted green is a stretch for my style, but I like the change as long as I can wear it with pearls.
• Neutral shoes: I’ve hardly worn bright shoes this season after being all over the look for years. My red and yellow heels have come out to play a few times, but that’s it.
• Wristlets and day clutches: These were new styles for me to sport during the day and they’ve become my go-to bag this year.
• Micro cross-body bag: After years of suffering from aching neck and shoulders as a result of wearing large cross body bags, the small cross body bag is a pain-free revelation.
• Bracelet: I found one that I loved and it’s been fun opting for a chunky bracelet instead of a necklace.
• Gold hardware: Never thought it would happen, but I’ve started to incorporate the tiniest bit of gold hardware into my clothing and accessory assortment. This is a biggie.
• Raiding Hubby’s wardrobe: After successfully incorporating Greg’s T-shirt and webbing belt into recent outfits, I’m excited to scratch around more on his side of the closet to see what else will work.
• Wayfarers: I am not in the habit of wearing sunglasses, but I’m trying.

Over to you. How did you refresh and evolve your look this season? Are you liking the changes that you made?

I realize that this look is not for everyone. Most of these styles are high maintenance to launder and not very feminine (even though it’s precisely the masculinity of the style that I find appealing). But you can make a utilitarian frock look more girly by considering one or a combination of these feminine touches:

• Keep the hemline a little shorter
• Opt for a style in a soft drapey fabric
• Choose a style with waist definition
• Go sleeveless
• Add pretty metallic gladiators
• Throw in a silky scarf

Utilitarian frocks look fab with gladiator sandals in Summer, and are perfect with boots for Autumn. Shorter tunic versions are great over skinnies, and throwing in a heel at any time keeps things feminine too. Forum member Inge recently purchased a smashing utilitarian frock and rocks the look.

I am in search for another fabulous utilitarian dress. I had one that I loved (similar to the DVF style on the top left), but it got bleach stains all over it. I hope to find one this Autumn to wear with slouchy boots.

While my new short zippered leggings are cute and refreshing, these new stirrup leggings have been something else. I was totally inspired after seeing how Vera Wang rocks ankle length leggings at age 60. There is something magical about the way the style elongates the leg line, especially when you add heels. I feel like I’m gliding across the ground like a graceful gazelle when I wear my frocks with stirrups. I probably don’t look nearly as elegant and willowy as I feel, but that’s okay. I’m going with feel fab on this one.

I have at least 20 different outfits in my existing wardrobe that work with my new stirrup leggings. Frocks that end just above the knee are an obvious pairing and you can see some of those outfits above. From a sleek mock-wrap dress on the left, to a voluminous sheath in the middle, and a reined in sack dress on the right (click on the images to zoom in). Shirt dresses and empire cuts will work well too. I swap out the frock for a pencil skirt and top when I need a change, and add a denim jacket or black trapeze jacket for air conditioned environments. I also like to throw in stacked round-toed pumps for a bit of extra glam.

The effect of stirrup leggings is not quite the same as wearing opaque tights because the vamp of the foot and back of the ankle are exposed. To me, the skin baring cut-outs of the stirrups look more interesting. Wearing shoes with low or strappy vamps like sandals, pumps or ballet flats is ideal because it keeps your vamp uncovered. I prefer my stirrups with heels, but they aren’t a prerequisite. Forum members Tam and Maya have perfected the look with flats and look wonderful.

I’m good to wear this look in Summer as long as my tops or frocks are breezy and my feet are cool. In fact I’ve worn the outfit with the citron frock in a non-humid 85 degrees and was totally fine. The look will also carry me through to Autumn with additional layers, sweater dresses and closed toed shoes.

I’m all over my favourite look of the season and have already duplicated my stirrups. Do you think you’ll try the look too?

• Natural fibers and elements like cotton, linen, stone, shells, wood, aged leather and suede
• Flowing silhouettes like maxi dresses, empire cuts, flared pants, faded cutoff jeans, crocheted toppers, peasant blouses, ankle-length gypsy skirts, shaggy waistcoats and bell-sleeved tops
• Intricate design details and trims like top stitching, handkerchief hems, bat wings, ditsy florals, beads, macramé, smocking, folksy embroideries, wooden buttons and fringe
• Rustic fabrics like aged leather, chunky knitwear, patchwork and tie-dye
• Casual accessories like organic jewelry, slouchy hobo bags, headbands, broad brimmed floppy hats, and hip slung belts
• Earthy colours, with lots and lots of brown

Items are supposed to look weathered, distressed and matte. Shine is at a minimum. That’s the authentic vibe.

Boho style works well in casual settings. Think faded denim, folksy embroidered T or peasant blouse, flat leather sandals, wooden beads, slouchy brown bag and cute straw hat. Viola. You’re good to run errands, take kids to the park, enjoy a BBQ, have a picnic, or sightsee on a hot Summer’s day.

It’s also fun to add bohemian elements into a modern urban style. Try white or dark jeans with a silky empire cut bat-winged top, heeled silver wedges, pearls and patent handbag. I have one bohemian top and that’s the way I like to interpret the boho chic trend.

My personal style is about as un-boho as it gets, but I admire those who embrace the look with sass and spirit. I have clients and friends who look killer in bohemian fashion because it suits their lifestyle, aesthetic preferences and who they are. Totally fab.

Bohemian fashion trends strongly some seasons and less so in others, but you’ll always find the look in US stores like Anthropologie, Lucky, Fossil and Free People. As you can see from the pictures, there seems to be a fair amount of boho fashion in stores at the moment, which makes me think that it might be big next year. New merchandise that comes in at the tail end of a retail season is usually an indication of next year’s trends. Time will tell.