2010 YLF Year in Retrospect - YouLookFab Forum

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2010 YLF Year in Retrospect

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

I've recently mentioned in one of my posts how I had stumbled across this fab website and community after googling for some style related advice. At first, I wasn't even aware there was forum in addition to the blog, so discovering it was like finding the hidden treasure all over again.

Like very little of the vast internet content, this one got me hooked in almost from the word 'go' and is at the moment one of just a few websites I visit daily and although I have only known about it less than a year, I feel like if fills a big gap for me. Below are the highlights of my 2010 in the YLF community.

Advice and confidence
YLF did what no fashion magazine managed, it convinced me that I can (at last learn to) be stylish. I also taught me that style has less to do with fashion than I ever dared to believe and so much more with the person and personality.

It showed me that the women outside the fashion magazines are the ones wearing and truly making the outfits, and that the versatility of body shapes, sizes and ages, together with the creativity and some knowledge of the wearers bring the outfits alive.
It also proved to me that flashy labels, although guarantees of quality in most cases, do not guarantee the style by default.

Last but not least, it added the element on fun in my daily clothes picking routine, something I am embracing for the first time in my life.

Site content
* Favorite blog post since discovering YLF:
Accessories as the foundation for two wedding outfits

* Favorite fashion related forum topic:
How would you describe your style?

* Favorite non-fashion related forum topic:
Partly OT - At what age did YOU become a Woman.

* Favorite fashion advice: pearls double knotting.

I've deliberately chosen not to single out my favorite member outfit, as it would be like choosing prom queen on the night when every girl looks special. Besides, I believe it would go against everything this forum is about - celebrating everyone's individuality and style.

Want to join me in this game?

General

20 replies

Latest reply was from Ornella

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Oh Ellie, that is such a lovely post. Angie's tummy will do flips when she reads it.

The YLF highlights for me have been Angie turning forty and the YLF relaunch. I think the relaunch has brought about changes to the forum too, new faces, new styles, faster moving threads, the sight has become more dynamic but has not lost it's heart.

The backstage area has been a revelation as I think 2010 is the year Greg found his voice on the site too.

I just can't wait for the 2011 edition.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*tummy flips*

Thanks, Ellie. You are thoughtful, kind and appreciative - a gift to this forum. The thoughts you share are what it's all about. So glad that you're using YLF in the ways it was intended (*more tummy flips*).

Julie, your gratitude and insight knows no bounds. You too are a gift to this forum.

Joy

Veteran

I'll have to give this one some thought and come back to it. So many things come to mind.

Jonesy

Veteran

This is such a heart-warming thread! I have a great deal of respect for Angie and Greg, and I really admire the community that has been created here. There seems to be the perfect mix of expertise, practical advice, warmth, and humor. I love that I can "let my hair down" here and feel at home. It is really a one-of-a-kind place, and consequently I've become sort of....addicted.

Thinking about favorites over this past year: Of course I loved the re-design. Everything looks very elegant now, but spunky, which I think reflects Angie's style and personality. In terms of favorite blog posts, I would say the one where Angie shopped with Maria from Colour Me Happy was one of my absolute faves. I loved all of the "action" shots--it felt like watching a fab documentary on stylists at work or something :).

lynn

Veteran

I haven't been here long (have yet to learn to post a photo) but I agree with everything said above! This is a great site and the affection you have for each other is really special. My favorites are any that show Angie's outfits...I pour over those! Thanks Angie and Greg.

taylor

Veteran

What a lovely thread!!
I absolutely relate to everything you have said!!

I think you said so eloquently what many of us also think on a daily basis!!

Late Bloomer

(website)

Although I was already reading and thinking about my personal style the the blog posts and discussions here are really helped me toward developing my own. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that it can be fun to watch what is in fashion but what really matters is taking the ideas I gather to create a wardrobe that reflects who I am.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Jonesy, I'm thankful for your stylish, kind and grounded forum presence. You are fab! Thank you for the gracious compliment about the new site and about me. To be referred to as elegant and spunky tickles my toes

Latebloomer, your wonderful participation makes our forum richer. Thanks for joining in the fun and for being fashionable

Joy, WOW. You are virtually YLF royalty. A lady through and through. Your manners are impeccable and your positive attitude sublime. You are our cherry on the top!

Taylor, you rock our style and glamour world like no other! But you are just as beautiful on the inside which makes you extra special. Thank you for being you

Lynn, fabulous to have you on board and thanks for looking at my outfits. I look forward to learning more about you and your style

Sihaya

Veteran

I"ve lost count of the number of years where I've visited YLF almost daily. (and just returning to the forum after an absence). This year's highlights for me are too many to list but a few:
- Fashion Week coverage from Angie and Greg - something I wouldn't know anything about without your impeccable reporting
- Real life outfits modeled by Angie in practical and uber stylish ways
- The new site design
- Whenever Angie or Greg write about what's on their mind e.g. in backstage or mother's day or father's day
- All the forum members willingness to share, be helpful, humourous, and so generous. It's a true community that I look forward to frequnetly visiting with.

Becky

Veteran

I can't even begin to identify all the things I love about YLF, but here are a few favorites:

*Angie's acceptance of each of us where we are in our style journey, and gentle encouragement to keep moving forward.
*The kind and helpful forum community.
*Angie's blog posts featuring items she recommends for a sale event (e.g., NAS) or within a particular category (e.g., jackets).
*The YLF store.
*The WIW forum posts that allow me to see daily outfits of well-dressed women with a variety of style personas. This has helped me so much to change my perception of style, since I live in an area with a very low style quotient. And of course Angie's WIW posts are always a treat.

Thank you, Angie and Greg, for all you put into YLF. And thank you, YLF forum members, for your supportive participation and inspiration.

tarzy

Veteran

What a fabulous topic!

Looking back over this year, I think I made real strides in my thinking, which is slowly trickling down to my actual style.

This was the year of the blouse for me. I discovered (okay, okay - Angie pushed me into) pretty woven tops. Moving away from overly casual/sporty looks was a huge change for me.

I think I'm well on the path to quality over quantity, as well as a smaller wardrobe, but I'm still struggling to nail my fashion persona.

Meeting Angie and other forum members in New York was a definite highlight of 2010, and I'm looking forward to this coming year in terms of my fashion evolution!

cciele

Veteran

My favorite aspect of YLF: the community and its supportiveness. Even though it's a fashion/style forum, the community supports its members through all kinds of issues. What a great family you've built here, Angie and Greg.

As far as content goes, my favorites are Angie's picks. Detrimental to the pocketbook, great for the wardrobe!

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

This is an online space like no other that I've ever encountered -- a website that combines practical advice with community warmth and support. We are so lucky to have a leader like Angie, who is decidedly in charge of the forum without making anyone else feel inferior or part of a hierarchy. The forum, too, is of a callibre that I didn't think existed online. I have never encountered such a group of uniformly intelligent, articulate, sensitive women all working to help each other to look and feel their very best. I have benefited tremendously from all the collective wisdom this year. I feel 2010 was the year in which my style truly began to crystallize -- I feel more comfortable than ever identifying what I want to look like and what pieces I need to acquire to bring that about. I also grew more daring with fashion in the past few months, allowing me to have more fun with my wardrobe overall. Angie's posts on accessories really helped advance this process for me, as well as some of my WIW threads where members offered fabulously constructive advice. Angie continually blew me away with the research she put into some of her posts, namely the hot lists of NAS items, boots, bags etc that she has made available for us all. I echo Julie in saluting the year that Greg took a more active role on the forum -- I think I speak for more than just myself when I say we love hearing from YLF's First Man.

There were also many instances of touching community support on non-fashion-related topics, which I personally relish as I feel they set the forum apart in the blogosphere. My online friends struggled with health problems, job stresses, family crises or breakdowns in confidence, and in every instance the YLF members rallied around. Whether we pitched in by starting check-in threads and proposing concrete solutions or simply offering hugs and support, the outpouring of affection and empathy never failed to move me.

Thanks for a great thread, Ellie. Angie and Greg, I've thanked you for creating this unparalleled cyber-home before, but truly, it can never be said enough. Thank you!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sihaya, it's time we had tea for the millionth time so that I can hug you thank you. Your wise and generous spirit is an asset to all. In the mean time, here are my virtual hugs - (((HUGS)))

Becky, its killer seeing you participate more on the forum over the last few months. Long may it continue with those amazing red specs and enviable positive attitude!

Tara you have been a YLF supporter since its inception. Thanks for the perpetual support, for finally trying colour, and for succumbing to pretty woven blouses!! You just won the next YLF award.

Cathy, your knee surgeries have not cramped your style. You are still our fabulous rock star boho queen who owns the Frye boot!

Aida

Veteran

I am too new here to have a 2010 retrospect, but I already dearly love this community and look forward to doing a 2011 retrospect. Thanks, Angie and Greg, for setting up this wonderful space and being as involved as you are. It's clear that all the lovely ladies (and men) who participate feel the same way!

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Actually I cannot believe it has been only 7 months since I discovered YLF and even more importantly decided to participate in the forum! I also check the blog and the forum almost daily. Thanks to Angie and YLF I am having fun with fashion - something I never had before in my life - and it makes my life fuller and more enjoyable.
My favorite blog posts are those with Angie's outfits. All of them! I find myself going through them over and over again and finding inspiration for myself. Sometimes I feel that I shamelessly copy Angie's outfits but I guess it is OK: this is how we learn, right?:-)
But the best thing about this blog and forum is that wonderful warm community when women all over the world support each other in such different ways! It feels that you have so many wonderful friends and they all offer you advice and support be it fashion or difficult time in your life or just a place to vent your frustration and be sure you will be heard and understood. Thank you, Angie and Greg, for making it possible and for that enormous amount of your time and energy you put in this!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Michelle, we are blessed to have someone of your caliber on the forum. You enrich our lives each day with your sparkly personality, charm, wit and intelligence. Your parents raised a killer daughter. Thank YOU

Aida, it's wonderful to have your focused participation! You are already an integral part of this community and since you are local, I hope to meet you soon. Your photo collages are spectacular and I thank you for the effort

Sveta, you are fabulously cute in so many ways :). Your motivation to get your style to the point where it is right now is impressive. Love it!

stringy

Veteran

Yay, what a great topic idea!

I'd lurked for a while, but it wasn't until the beginning of this year that I started posting WIW outfits. Fashion-wise, it's been an up-and-down year for me: I've found great items and tried new things; but I've also struggled to find my own style and learn how to shop for what I want. But yesterday I had a shopping triumph: I found 3 basic tops on sale, plus a day-dress and the final jacket on my list. I also managed to try on things that didn't work, and feel happy about leaving them behind - I think I'm finally ok with my own pickiness.

As for the site, I have always enjoyed the 'pick a team' posts on the blog, because they make me think about my style in clear terms. And Angie, you write the only coverage of Fashion Week that makes it sound exciting and fun to me! On the forum, I love seeing everyone's WIW posts and get their feedback on my own outfits.

Finally, I want to say how much I love the friendliness and encouragement of all the YLF ladies. It's great to know that whatever's going on with me style-wise, there are a bunch of people who understand because they've been there too.

Lisa

Veteran

My 2010 YLF highlights:
-finding YLF, I now check as often as I can the forum and the blog, the community is welcoming and friendly as well as helpful when asking for feedback

-I'm having fun with fashion, and I have goals for my wardrobe. I may bounce around with my style, but I am learing a lot along the way too.

-learning what my body shape was and how to dress it, an area I am working on but it is getting far easier to shop and select items to try on that are more ideal for my shape rather than poking and hoping in a store

-gatherings, have been a real treat, it's gotten me out and about and getting to meet people in person who enjoy fashion as much as me has been priceless

-overall the amount of information I have learned from YLF is too much to list, from PPL to the perfect fitting bra, I am very thankful and appreciative for Angie, Greg and all the YLF members for such a fab place to visit everyday

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

I'm just returning to the forum after an unexpectedly long absence due to holidays season, lots of cold and flu, my son's chickenpox and the last-minute trip to Berlin.

Thanks for your lovely contributions to the topic, it's been a pleasure to read it all! Slightly belated wishes for a happy 2011. and may we all have many more happy moments on the forum