In a recent post on how 80’s fashion redeemed itself I also mentioned my general distaste for 90’s fashion. The beginning of the decade had an overflow of bad 80’s looks and this was followed by a long stint of grunge, flat black from head-to-toe, ice-cream toned power suits, pastels, short tops worn with low rise jeans, long flowing skirts, lots of beige, ditsy floral prints and opaque tights. Think of TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Friends, Seinfeld, Ally McBeal and Melrose Place to get an idea of what we wore back then. Not so fab.

However, my general aversion for 90’s fashion is not entirely fair and one of our readers made an excellent point when she said:

“Angie, I can’t wait to read your post in a few years eating your words about the 90s! I didn’t think the 90s were THAT bad. What I liked: minimal shoulders (this suits me well), chunky heels (they are practical) with boxy toes (forgiving on the feet), and minimalist make-up (no clownish blush)”

The 90’s had its great fashion moments for sure. Apart from toning down the big hair and clownish make-up looks of the 80’s, the decade brought back the tailored silhouettes of the 40’s and 50’s. Bootcut jeans and trousers were a fashion revelation. Freeing garments from gigantic shoulder pads was another revelation. Square-toed shoes are fun and I’m a big chunky heel fan myself. And stretch! Fabric technology exploded in the 90’s when woven fabrics included a very welcome spandex component. This was unheard of before then.

The 90’s paved the way for the truly modern and versatile fashion of the 00’s (pronounced “the noughties”) and for that I am grateful. But I am still very averse to strong 90’s looks like maxi skirts, short tops, low rises, beige and most elements of grunge. As we head for a 90’s fashion revival, I’m champing at the bit to see how designers improve on these trends.

What does 90’s fashion mean to you? Did you enjoy the looks of that decade? Which 90’s trends, if any, would you like to see revived?

Are horizontal stripes flattering? It is an ongoing style debate. Some say yes, some say no, and some say the answer is very dependent on body type. I believe that everyone can wear the right kind of horizontal stripe. They come in all widths and colours and the tops themselves come in countless silhouettes. It’s a question of selecting the most flattering combination.

There are three main things to consider:

1. Stripe width: I’ve found that a fairly narrow jailbird stripe, say a centimeter wide, is universally flattering. Super wide stripes tend to look like rugby jerseys and narrow stripes make you feel dizzy.
2. Stripe contrast: Stripes in strong contrasting colours are a lot bolder than stripes in monochromatic shades. Contrast in general is a personal preference, but the bolder the stripe, the more careful you need to be.
3. Stripe regularity: Some designs distort the effect of a horizontal stripe across the body and this is usually more flattering than a perfectly regular stripe.

The Michael Kors top (above left) is a good example. The stripes are just over a centimeter apart and the icon circle distorts the flow of the stripe, creating some interest and giving the eye pause. But the pairing of black and white stripes is very bold. Too bold for some, and this top would have also looked great with a subtle grey and black stripe.

The stripes on the Free People cardigan on the right are much wider and I usually don’t find them as flattering. But the contrast between the stripes is less distinctive, AND the pattern has been broken up with the effect of front waterfall ruffle, AND you can wear the top open which accentuates your long lean line. These details make all the difference.

I guess at the end of the day, you either like stripes or you don’t. If you do, you’ll find ways to make them look flattering. If you don’t, you needn’t bother.

Heel heights have been soaring for several seasons. It’s reached the point where three inch heels are considered average, as opposed to really high. Walking in anything with a heel higher than three inches is a challenge for me. But even if I could glide along with the best of them in higher heels, I’d still hold off from wearing them. Shoes and boots with four to five inch heels look off to me somehow. Distorted. The foot is so unnaturally arched that it looks unattractive.

As pretty as these peds are (and they’ll certainly give you extra height) I can’t help but think that they’d look better with a lower heel. From an aesthetic point of view, I like the visual impact of three inch stacked heels best. The foot is arched but does not look distorted at this height. For comfort, I like one to two inch heels best.

Am I alone in thinking this way about the aesthetics of heel heights?

I looked at the new items coming into Nordstrom’s range a few days ago and there it was, the Pantone palette for Spring 2010. Of course, this is really nothing more than self-fulfilling predictions in action — the trend houses predict it, so Nordstrom does it, so the predictions come true — but its still fun to see it hit the stores so soon after I posted. I do like Nordstrom’s slightly more saturated interpretation of the trend in these items.

Goodbye black and grey. Hello Turquoise, Coral, Violet, Aurora and Amparo Blue. I’m ready. Are you?

I guess that the answer to this question depends on the style and colour of your hairstyle, and the amount of work you put into styling it each day. I put the same amount of effort into my hair each day so that part remains constant. I have my short pixie crop cut and highlighted every six weeks. A little trim, a few foils and I’m out in an hour and 15 minutes. Quick, painless and very effective.

But my hair does not look its best straight after the appointment. It always looks best two to three weeks into the cut. It’s as if the style has to settle, lie a little flatter against my head, and grow into shape. Week four is still pretty good. But by week five I’m frustrated with the heavy bits and it starts taking longer to style. By week six I’m climbing the walls desperate for another hair appointment.

Does this happen to you? How often do you have it cut and styled and when in the cycle does it look its best?

I love editing our lives. It probably stems from being a bit of a control freak, but that’s the way I’m wired. I thrive when my environment is neat, clean, organized and uncluttered. Seeing perfect piles of colour-coded clothing in our wardrobe puts me on an absolute high! I like to know exactly what we have and where to find it at the drop of a hat. This makes me feel in control of my life, which in turn relieves my stress levels. Odd but true.

So I’m especially perky this week after spending a good few hours editing our closet (I get stuck into Greg’s side too, since we share a walk-in wardrobe). For me editing is an ongoing thing, which makes it easier and faster. But every so often I  do a more thorough sweep. While I was doing that over the weekend I got to thinking about some of the less obvious benefits of the process:

1. It clarifies what you have: It’s easy to forget what you own especially when limited closet space forces you to keep wardrobe items all over the show. Your memory is refreshed when you sweep regularly. No unnecessary duplications and not wearing items because you forgot you had them.
2. It encourages you to wear items that you haven’t worn in a while: When I clean out my closet, I come across items I haven’t worn in months or even a year and it makes me want to wear them again.
3. It sparks off a sense of creativity: I come up with new ways of combining clothing, footwear and accessories when I go through my closet. The process sharpens my style tools.
4. It keeps the space neat and organized: Our closet is always tidy, but a monthly edit makes it even more so and that makes my toes tingle.
5. It forces you to reorganize storage space: Your wardrobe can outgrow a storage space. For example, my handbags and boots required a better storage solution which meant that I had to rearrange storage space within the walk-in wardrobe in order to accommodate the extras.

I prefer a small wardrobe because it’s easier to manage and it forces you to be more strict about new additions. Something has to go before I can add anything else. Apart from our coats, underwear, socks, sporting gear and Greg’s shoes, all clothing, footwear and accessories fit into our small wardrobe and I want to keep it that way.

Do any of these additional benefits resonate with you? How often do you edit your wardrobe? Do you enjoy the process? Do you find it hard to let stuff go? Do you forget what you have? Are you happy with your storage solutions?

Yes! Another fun revived 80’s trend, only this time sans the shoulder pads. You’ll find ruched sleeves on tops, knitwear, shirts, blouses, jackets and coats, and there’s no stopping the look as new Spring collections swarm stores. I much prefer this type of voluminous sleeve to the short poufy sleeves that are simply gathered at the crown and hem. Somehow, the integrity of the sculptured ruching seems more grown-up, especially when the sleeve is elbow length and longer.

This design feature is a no-brainer win for lasses with dainty shoulder lines because it instantly widens the width of the shoulders. Surprisingly, a more subtle ruched sleeve works well on broad shouldered gals too. I had the INC ruched short sleeve cardigan (the  one on the right below) on a strong shouldered client last week and it looked fabulous. The shoulder seam was cut deep past the shoulder closer towards the neck. This shortened the shoulder line to compensate for the shoulder extension that is achieved with the effect of the ruching. The actual volume in the sleeve is less dramatic too. So clever. The two ruched styles immediately below this paragraph illustrate these points perfectly, whereas the ruched sleeves on the black dress pictured at the bottom of the post are more voluminous, AND the shoulder seams are cut wider on the body. This automatically makes for a broader shouldered look.

Ruched sleeves are a definite nostalgic yay in my book. It’s probably a fad but fads are fun! You can pick up inexpensive items with ruched sleeve detailing at Macys, Asos, Charlotte Russe, Forever 21 and H&M at the moment and that’s precisely what I did. I purchased a citron cardigan with crazy over-the-top ruched sleeves from H&M, and a more mainstream subtle take on the trend from Macy’s. Does this trend inspire you too?

I love the beginning of each new year! It’s a time to re-purpose, reflect and recharge. Leave the cobwebs behind and start again.

Did you stick to the style, fashion and shopping related resolutions that you made in 2009? One year ago I summarized the New Year’s resolutions we had discussed on a forum thread. I thought this was a great list and decided to adopt it for 2009. Here’s how I did:

• To spend less overall and become more of a bargain shopper: I failed miserably at this one. I’m still a bad bargain shopper because when I see something that’s hot off the fashion press at full price, that’s when I want it. I usually lose interest once the item goes on sale.
• To purchase fewer fabulous items of greater quality: Scored A+ here. This has been my shopping mantra for the longest time.
• To pass on items that are not absolutely perfect (minor alterations are obviously permitted): I’m a perfectionist so this one was easy.
• To shop for your dominant season: I’ve got this down after burning my fingers several seasons ago.
• To focus on footwear and accessories like handbags, scarves, specs and jewelry because they are cost effective ways of changing up a look: This was my year for adding the very best handbags to my collection so I feel particularly good about this one.
• To do regular closet sweeps: I enjoy editing and am in the habit of doing it every few months.
• To improve closet organization: Our walk-in wardrobe is organized but I could kick it up a notch. I need better boot and handbag storage solutions so I’m busy building a bag and boot shrine.
• To shop with a plan: Yup. Easy.
• To learn how to correctly fit garments: The new trends bring new fit challenges. I eventually got my head around the proper fit for newcomers like boyfriend blazers, boyfriend cardigans, harem pants and mid calf boots after fitting them on many body types.
• To get out of clothing ruts: I’m wearing jeans far less frequently. I moved from a predominantly smart casual dress code to a business casual one, and it feels right as I approach 40.
• To shop more at thrift and consignment stores: Another complete failure. My size is hard to find and I don’t fancy the musty smells of thrift stores. I’ll leave thrifting to the thrifting pros as I have finally accepted that I am not cut out for this way of shopping.
• To eliminate closet orphans: Hmmm. I don’t think I have closet orphans.
• To get a great hairdo: I’m happy with my do. It’s a little longer and darker at the moment and I much prefer it that way.
• To let go of T-shirts: I don’t wear T-shirts so this one was completely effortless.
• To make an effort to look nice every day: I do! And have fun in the process..

These were my additional resolutions:

• To add more skirts to my wardrobe: Nah. That didn’t work out. I’m still a dress gal at heart.
• To add more knitwear to my wardrobe: Yup. I finally have enough non-itchy knitwear for Winter and Spring.
• To wear my cocktail rings: Didn’t happen. They’re still hibernating which means that I just identified my closet orphans.
• To have regular facials: Yes! I’ve had one a month and my dry skin issues are sorted.

I would rate my performance as fair. Not stellar, but not hopeless either. I’m still thinking about how I will adjust my fashion and style priorities for 2010.

How did you do? Are there style related resolutions that you would add for 2010?

Greg, Rosie, Jasmine and I wish you and your families a happy, healthy and fabulous New Year!

We had a lot of fun in 2009, with more wonderful members, new social features on the site, and the recent addition of the YLF Store. I also passed the milestone of one thousand blog entries. We’re very excited about the new things that we are planning for 2010.

I have one request to kick start the new year. Please treat yourself to a full length mirror if you don’t already have one. You can pick them up for a song at Target or IKEA. The tub balancing acts are making me anxious and you deserve to see beautiful you from head to toe without breaking your neck.

It’s the last day of the year! Let’s pay tribute to the very best of our 2009 wardrobes, including both old and new items. These are the items that you wore over and over and over again and LOVED to bits. You felt fabulous each time you put them on and missed them when they were in the wash, or when the weather didn’t cooperate. You even created outfits around these items so that you could wear them more often!

It was hard coming up with my top ten list because I was particularly excited about my wardrobe options this year. In no particular order, here are my 2009 wardrobe favourites and the reasons they ranked tops:

1. Stirrup leggings because they’re sleek, retro and arty.
2. Cream and black studded satchel because it’s so Chanel-esque.
3. Yellow and white scarf because it smiled back at me each time it refreshed my Spring ensembles.
4. Chestnut slouch boots because they dress down my dressier frocks and add a rugged touch to my polished style.
5. All my sheath and sack dresses because they’re versatile, flattering, forgiving and very feminine. And because I’m on a major frock kick.
6. Off-white leather jacket because it makes me feel like a Bond girl.
7. Textured hose because they kick my frock and boot ensembles up a notch.
8. Zippered skinnies because they’re the best blast from the past.
9. Black patent eyelet and stud belt because it adds an instant edge.
10. White 20 eyelet Dr. Martens knee-high boots because they cause a stir each time they go out to play.

My priceless Valentino handbag is too new to make the list for 2009, but it is definitely the first item on my list for 2010.

I did not include my watch, wedding ring, eyewear, pearl necklaces, fragrance and haircut because they’d occupy six places on the list which would leave little room for anything else! But each year, these six items probably work the hardest in my wardrobe which is why they deserve a special mention.

Over to you ladies. Let’s hear about your 2009 wardrobe favourites and why they are on you list.