Is there a "YLF style"? - YouLookFab Forum

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Is there a "YLF style"?

Lyrebirdgully

Alaskagirl started me thinking when she put forward the view in a recent thread comment that there is a YLF style.
I agree.
{I should say right away that I don't see "YLF style" as the same thing as Angie's personal style. Angie has a unique signature style which I don't see anyone else replicating - which is just as it should be. We all borrow ideas, bits and pieces from Angie's style - as we do from everywhere - but I doubt that anyone is copying her suite of looks wholesale. }
What's your opinion? if you think there is a YLF style, how would you describe it? how has it come about ? is it a good or bad thing? or is it just a minor feature of no particular consequence?
I'll start by observing that it's got something to do with most YLF members tending to purchasing from the same merchandise pool.

General

34 replies

Latest reply was from Patty

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Hmmm, I think you might be on to something with the purchasing aspect. There is a general underylying current to many members' outfits but plenty others' that uniquely stand out as well. I think it's something you need to take, or leave, for yourself what works. But, yes, I believe there is a subconscious tablet, as it were.

taylor

Veteran

Hmmm, interesting but i don't see it. Style is as individual here as the person wearing it. The same dress shared by many but worn in different ways it is almost unrecognizable...same with the scarves and pearls. Even PPL is debated by some who choose their own pant length.

The same goal..YES, but a YLF style...I just don't see it.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Interesting question. I want to plant a few seeds:

- there are several hundred people who comment on YLF very regularly, and these are the voices we hear (and the outfits that we see). We have thousands coming to YLF daily and the vast silent majority is exactly that - silent. We do not know what they wear or where they purchase their clothes.

- Many people here on the forum thrift and purchase on eBay. I do not do either.

I don't think that there is a so called YLF style, other than sporting perfect pant lengths. There are principles and style similarities, but my impression is that people here (the very small percentage of outfits that we see and the voices that we hear) sport a look that is their own. But they use YLF as a tool to carve out their final look.

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

Angie has spoken- I think YLF is about defining a personal style. I used to be more apt to imitate styles that were encouraged but quickly moved on to my own spin. This is a great place to move from inspiration to imagination. Often I wear styles that I can not picture anyone else on the forum wearing. There are many types of dressing that I love but could never pull off. Taylor is a perfect example- we are almost style opposites but I get huge inspiration from her stunning, jaw-dropping looks.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And can I just say back to Jean (greenglove) - that YOU have spoken

Just to name a few, these ladies have very different "YLF styles": Taylor, Jean, Khris, Louise, Laura, Marianna, Maya, Julie, AJ, Lena, DebbieK, April, Anna, TX Sarah, MaryK, Kari, Kyrania, Una, Theresa, Michelle, Inge, Legacy of Pearl, Aida, Lisa, Cocolion, Jenava, Tanya and Trisha. Not one style even remotely similar but all drawing part of their style inspiration from YLF - each making their style their own, which is what we strive for on this site.

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Wow, greenglove, if one sentence can sum it all up, this is it:

This is a great place to move from inspiration to imagination.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Nope. I appreciate other people's style, but I can also say that everyone is different, including myself. Also, I wanted to point out that I see items I own incorporated into outfits that are TOTALLY different than how I wear the item.

Maya

Veteran

I don't think there is a YLF style per se, but there are definitely a lot of themes that form, and also a lot of styles that are markedly absent. This isn't surprising or unusual at all. Obviously we're all here because something about YLF resonates with us, so naturally we will tend to have lots of overlap. I think since Angie writes in such specific terms, even including what specific items to buy, there can be a sense of YLF style. There is nothing wrong with that though.

While all are warmly welcomed on YLF, I do find that there is definitely a specific age and lifestyle that get favored: women ages 30+, moms. and others who are not typically given prominence or recognition in the fashion world. This is in part because Angie has created such an open, encouraging community that people who are normally afraid of or intimidated by fashion are comfortable here. There is a lot of hand-holding on YLF, and I do not say this in a negative or condescending way at all. I think it's great that YLF offers something for these underrepresented demographics, and I don't think any blog or fashion outlet can truly cover all bases anyway. It needs to have SOME focus, and this is YLF and Angie's greatest strength. I wouldn't dare change it.

That said, I tend to look more at Chictopia for personal inspiration because while I appreciate the different styles here, and like to both give and receive feedback, Chictopia tends to have a better representation of my age group, style, and lifestyle. There is definitely a lot of emphasis on simplicity and making fashion easy, practical, and accessible on YLF--which is a perfectly noble goal, but I crave more risk takers and under-30's. However, I am more than happy to get that inspiration elsewhere, as I think Angie has created something unique and valuable here and there are already plenty of sites that cater to the young fashionista.

catgirl

Veteran

First of all, I was not here all day! I went sledding and to a friend's house for dinner, leaving the computer on YLF!

In rethinking what I posted I would take back my words, or at least reword what I said. Rather than a YLF "style" - since I agree each of us has a unique style, budget, needs, and body - I'd say there is a definite YLF standard, which I aspire to and think of as necessary to my style evolution. Not just the standards Angie sets for PPL and those kinds of guidelines, but a certain aesthetic .

I find YLF more refined and less complicated than many other style sites, and that is exactly why I am here. I don't think anyone's style is excluded - this is one of the most welcoming on-line communities I've ever seen - but at the same time, if we were truly just all over the place, there would be nothing to learn or aspire to improving.

What Maya said really rings true for me. We're all here for a reason, after all. And some who are classic here might be edgy on other sites; some who are edgy here might be middle of the road elsewhere. I always have to remember that YLF is not the real world (SADLY - what a great world we'd have!). and that 99% of the people I meet will not care or comment the way all of you here do.

That's why I love it here.

Christie

Maya points out that Angie has created a nurturing place for all women, those who know fashion instinctively and those like me ... who don't yet still love it!

I probably wouldn't have commented on this thread, though, except for Angie's comment about the hundreds who regularly post and the thousands who silently read. Amazing, isn't it, that Angie knows so many of us?

I also think that the YLF style is something more intangible ... more about wearing a total, polished look regardless of the pieces of a specific look.

DanaLynn

I have only been looking for a month or so- but I would have to disagree. I would say there is a YLF style. It's not that everyone is dressing in the same way but rather that It's like the same principles are at play. And although there may be 1000's of readers sitting silently I think the style is defined by those who do post. The pictures we see everyday.

It actually brings to mind the conversation about the satorialist. Just like his images capture a variety of styles there is something underlying all of the images tying them together. There is a similar cohesion here. As though all these women have been friends for ages and they just happen to like similar things now. I know that isn't the case- it just appears that way.

I also think that when you contrast it to other fashion blogs it becomes much more apparent. For example if you took a selection of photos from the satorialist or another blog you follow and mixed them up with photos from here- don't you think you could sort them out quickly- based solely on the styles. I know I could. All the fashion blogs I look at have a different flavor and YLF has one too.

Maya

Veteran

I agree with DanaLynn 100%. Much more eloquent than when I tried to explain it.

Reading other fashion blogs heightens the sense of uniformity I see on YLF, and other fashion outlets as well. For example, whenever Angie posts about a new trend, the comments are initially usually quite negative or ambivalent. People just seem more reluctant to embrace something new. But on a more fashion forward outlet, you'll find a lot less resistance and even see a few comments from people who have already experimented with the trend in question. There is also a lot of "I already did that once, never again" on YLF, which is something I don't typically see elsewhere. Again, I think that has to do with the overall age group that YLF seems to attract. That is also why I think age appropriateness gets emphasized here more than it does on other blogs or websites I see.

Obviously there is a wide audience here, but some forces are definitely more dominant than others. I'd describe YLF as skewing very classic, for women aged 30-60, often moms-on-the-go, more modest than average, budget conscious but not "cheap," focused on personal style rather than fashion, very practical, and very open in terms of body type. By "open" I mean YLF tends to be a lot less strict when it comes to rules about body type. I am fully aware of the fact that a lot of the things I wear would not get approval from the larger fashion community, but in the end it's all about prioritizing. You can't please everyone, so you have to make a decision about whose opinion you value most. Even within YLF, there are certain members whose input gets weighted for me.

That isn't to say that people who don't fall into any of the above categories aren't welcomed here, but I think it's impossible for any blog to truly cater to everyone, everywhere with a completely even hand. It just isn't. Even if that is what you intend, you will just naturally attract a certain type of audience and that's ok--it's good, actually. A blog that's all over the place and has no focus would not appeal to me. I'd much rather read a focused blog that might not always be catered towards me than one that just has no direction at all.

To Dana's point, I can't imagine too many people from YLF being photographed by Scott Schuman (the Sartorialist). Both places just have a very different flavor. I can't possibly see why any of this would be a bad thing though.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I haven't been here too long but have been a very active participant since joining. I do not think there is a YLF style. When I first joined I thought there WAS a style and there were "rules." In my case I thought I wasn't allowed to wear Boho style clothes, which is one of my beloved fashion themes. But I was assured by Angie herself that I was allowed to rock my own style.

If some of those commenting on the blog posts are less ready for new trends, perhaps that is reflective of the population. I see more resistance on the freedback on blog posts rather than from the forum. It could also be that there are readers who aren't inside the fashionista quadrant, and that Angie is reaching a broader demographic. If that's the case, how great because maybe she's helping people with a newfound interest in style rather than pros.

The common denominator is not the styles as much as it is the personality -- supportive, inclusive, friendly. What a great place, I can post my outfits or questions and be gently nudged in the right direction. This is a class place and the whole concept and attitude is due to Angie's great skills and generous heart which the participants pick up on and spread further.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I think it may appear there is a YLF uniform from an outside perspective, for example there have been many tucked wide leg looks on the forum as we collectively try to wrap our mind around the new trend. If you happen to browse the site infrequently this could be interpreted as tucked, wide leg outfits being a YLF uniform. This also happened last year with the denim on denim trend.

Lisa

Veteran

I think there are YLF uniforms, the mom on the go formula's, accessorizing with scarves or long necklaces, PPL of course. But style, there are quite a few different styles on YLF. And while I have copied others and seen others copy my outfit posts, there is never a 100% repeat. Even if the details are the same, the body shape, hair, make-up, skin tone, etc, make the style different. This is one of my favorite features of YLF, that a bunch of people can have the same exact item, and yet it is never the same on each individual in execution.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

This is a fascinating conversation, and I can't really participate in the key aspect of it...but I definitely see some unifying characteristics of the active YLF population (by which I mean those of us that post semi-regularly). We're all hear because we're striving to look our best. Specifics of what that mean vary from person to person, but we all seem to shun the super-casual aesthetic that dominates on some continents and feel the need to step things up in our own lives. Because we're all drawn here by some element of Angie's blog presentation, beit her personal style, her written tips or just her general fashion savvy, I think it's also inevitable that some of her preferences are more strongly represented among forum members. This is not to say that there is a uniform among the entire YLF readership, but I can see why people may think so simply by glancing quickly through forum posts. For me, I know certain outfits make me smiile and say, "I bet the YLF girls would love this, I must show it to them." As someone said earlier, it may be more of a universal standard rather than a common style.
Julie is right, too -- many of the styles shown on the forum correlate directly to the topics Angie is raising on the blog, which is only natural and not suggestive of a single dominant style.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Such interesting responses!

Julie, you really hit the nail on the head - as you always do. You are remarkably talented that way

Maya, I absolutely enjoyed your first comment on this thread. Fantastic and eloquent as ever. That resonates with me much more than your second comment.

Coco, I think you are on to something about a common personality here on YLF.

Lisa and Michelle, astute as always.

Louise

Veteran

I'm not particularly articulate or eloquent but here goes, I think with Angie's guidance and YLF forum support we are all constantly evolving, it gives many of us the confidence to try new things, preventing us from getting stuck in a rut. I agree with Julie (roseandjoan) to a casual observer it may look as though we are all just wearing wide legs but look a little longer and you will see each look is different, some wearing true widelegs some bootcuts, some tucking, some not.
I think there is definately a YLF standard in that we all want to look our best and yes there may be several styles flying about at any one time that people are using (MOTG, graphic T's, vests, skinnies) but each person interprets it differently and makes it their own rather that a series of copycat outfits.
So in short no I don't think there is a YLF 'style' I don't see hunderds of Angie mini me's, just hundreds of fashion loving women being given the confidence to try someting they may not otherwise have tried and to make it work for them x

April

Veteran

My first thought was to list a number of YLF regulars who have rather different styles, but Angie took care of that for me.

My second thought, when Angie listed all those members and then said, "Not one style even remotely similar," was "Darn," since I had hoped I was emulating some of the women on that list."

I do think we get inspired by each other. I know I've tried things I would never have considered because some people here looked so great in them. But I also don't feel that my style is necessarily converging with anyone else's -- no matter how much I want to be Taylor when I grow up...

Vix

Veteran

I think one of the reason that there are (IMO) themes or "bandwagon" moments is because of what many have said...including CocoLion:

"The common denominator is not the styles as much as it is the personality -- supportive, inclusive, friendly."

I see the "hey, seeing you in that I wanna try it / oh it works/doesn't" thing in my real life. Seeing it happen online is kind of comforting and fun but -- because of the mass -- a little strange!

Deb

I've only been here 3 months, so I've not got volumes of experience to go by ... but I think there is a degree of YLF style - and I mean that in a very positive way.

Unlike so many fashion blogs I've visited, the Women of YLF are all ages, shapes and sizes, live in different parts of the world, are at different places in their lives, have different lifestyles. It's a very heterogenous group.

Having said that, to my eye there is a lot of layering going on here, and combining of patterns and colors in new ways, using pieces that are on trend. What is so interesting is to see how each person interprets the trends, through the prism of their own lives. I've had so many *aha* moments on YLF both from photos, and from the constructive comments of all the women here.

Angie's leadership is perfect. She doesn't dictate (except perhaps PPL, and I'm right there with her on that - it's a cardinal law!). Instead, she illustrates through her own clothing how looks can be built, trends interpreted, without being a fashion victim. And then, she steps back and watches everyone get busy - offering kind and constructive comments that are always spot on.

So yes - there is a YLF style ... both in the unique camaraderie and guidance, as well as in the desire to take certain trends and work them into our wardrobes and our lives, without becoming enslaved.

I simply enjoy being here, and find I'm visiting regularly and staying longer - I am delighted to have found it!

MsMaven

Veteran

Friday I took advantage of an appointment in Palo Alto to spend some additional time shopping at the Stanford Mall. I did some people-watching as well as shopping and after an hour or so the thought popped into my head that a lot of the women I was seeing must be reading YLF!

It wasn't a certain style--I seemed to be seeing more polish and more current fashion. Perhaps it is in the eye of the beholder (me) and my own fashion sense has been sharpened by looking at the photos here and seeing what makes an outfit work or not work.

Jonesy

Veteran

I think this depends on what you mean by "YLF style." On the one hand, I think there is definite diversity/heterogeneity here in terms of personal style. Some people do favor classic looks, but there are plenty of other styles represented. Having looked at other fashion blogs, I think there is perhaps more diversity here than on some other sites like Chictopia, where everyone seems to have gotten the memo and the looks seem very similar to each other (elongate the legs, high heels, playing with proportions, incorporating vintage with uber-trendy items, girly meets nerd sort of thing).

On the other hand, I think different sites represent different parts of the fashion/style continuum: this site's niche seems to be women with active lives who truly enjoy fashion and style, but who are not trust-fund babies nor interested in breathing fashion 24/7. This site is also very much about humor and warmth, not taking yourself too seriously, and being supportive. I like that people tend to delve below the surface here; it seems genuine and full of life, rather than solely about the slick surface of fashion.

Traci

Veteran

Maybe I would say there are ylf trends instead of a style. I don't think everyone here looks the same, but I do think there are some trends that I see more often on the ladies here. A way to tie a scarf, or certain layers worn together...those sorts of hallmarks definitely make the women of ylf stand out.

Dusty

(website)

I do think there is a YLF style, but not because we're all copying each other or Angie. I think we've all got a little piece of our style in common and I think it's because like finds like. We're all here because there is something about the aesthetic that resonates with us. There is definitely a level of polish that's a common denominator, but there's also an attitude that we all share and a sense of ease that comes across.

It's like any style. You can classify styles, but even so each person's interpretation is going to be a bit different. Not everyone sticks with just one "style" anyway, most of us blend a few taking bits here and there and I see YLF style as fitting in like that. We blend that feel in with our own individual styles to make something completely individual.

Claudia

Veteran

Yes, I think that there is, much more than not.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nice thinking, Louise and Dusty. It's in line with Jean's thoughts: "move from inspiration to imagination".

April, you stand alone as a stylish example

Deb and Jonesy, as always, such insightful comments. I follow chictopia on twitter so I'm pretty up to date with the outfits posted there. As there are so called YLF standards and guidelines and even "a likeness of looks" I guess - I see that happening on chictopia more than here actually. You described that really well!

Maya

Veteran

Angie, I hope you aren't offended by my characterization. As I said, I think ALL blogs and fashion outlets have some focus and a natural audience that forms, and I don't have a problem with that. I mean, I don't perceive "YLF style" as being a bad thing. Nor do I consider Sartorialist style a bad thing--it's just not for me. Chictopia definitely has a lot of repetition and commonality, but it just happens to suit my style preferences best.

Chictopia also has several downsides: I feel like I'm already aging out of it, and I'm only on the brink of 27. It seems to be mostly under 25's. Also, the uniformity in size and body type is flabbergasting, and of course the footwear choices aren't going to work for me.

I guess that really illustrates why I need both resources in my life.

dottie

Like any online site, there has to be an interest to keep you coming back. If there’s something you like, you’ll return. If not, you’ll move on. Those who return have found something to their liking, and this creates a community feel. I would say there is a common culture of this site, but style? Not really. Angie’s professional styling advice and the active members’ open and supportive posts and commentaries keep things fresh.
As for a merchandise pool, when you see someone on the street whose style you admire, you may wonder where they got their boots/scarf/whatever… well, here it’s all out there for you (and often with a review of comfort, fit, etc). Like best recipes – if someone’s already given it a test-run, you have more likelihood at success on those items than spending the money on something you know nothing about. So, if you find inspiration here, you may just go off and buy it yourself, and if it works, then hurray! That’s helping you with your own style evolution, and I kinda think that’s the purpose – that, and having fun with it.
Though a few people purchase similar items, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a single 'style'. The best I’ve come up with is - polished refinement, with an edgy twist, a little boho, ethereal, real-world, earthy, sophisticated, natural, individualism.

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