Aw, I cannot even list them all:-).
But remember my first enlightenings here were the scarves and the chunky jewellery, the love of whites (esp white jeans, a denim jacket and a pleather pea coat in white) and the discovery of the so called "day dresses", which I still love...but there are many, many more (for ex. patterned, layered and footless tights, the ponte pants, etc. :-)).

Oh, and not to mention the best global girly companion:-).

I have found and learnt so much that it would be hard to name just one. I love reading about different styles even if I probably would never wear them. I love the community of YLF. But here it goes. I will try to name a few on the top of my list.

1/ I have really honed down my own particular style. Now when I walk into a store I know what is me and what is not. I can't say exactly what got me to this point because it is a lot of things from YLF but it is a great feeling. It is also much easier to pack for a vacation.

2/ Bookending. I never thought of my hair colour or eye colour as an accessory or as part of my outfit. What a difference. Now I really want green boots. (To bookend my eyes not my hair).

3/ Sense of community. This is very special.

ok, this should have been obvious, but what can i say, i still struggle with it….don't buy things that don't work with things already in your closet/before you cut the tags make sure the item actually works with the items you imagined it with.

I don't know if this qualifies as to what I have learned, but since being a member I have been stepping out of my comfort zone more and more when buying clothing. I never would have worn skinnies or straight legs before YLF, but now I have several that I wear with booties (something else I never would have purchased). I incorporate colors and textures in ways I never ever would have. I focus more on what is flattering rather than age appropriate (if you know what I mean).

But if I have to qualify what all of this has taught me, it is that when I am happy with the way I look it reflects in my entire persona. I walk taller, smile often, exude more confidence, and have, in general, a more positive outlook on everything

Carole, thanks so much for starting this thread, I am nodding along and loving all these responses, and wanted to add that I've learned so many practical lessons too -- too many to name! But for fun I might try to list them a bit later today.

Above all else: JFE

So many things - not sure I can list just the one thing. I will say buying and dressing for my real life (not some imaginary life) has been a fantastic lesson and continues to save me from making bad purchases.

I just last night took out all the items that I have not missed from 2 big "holding zone" drawers where they've been on hold for over a year. I plan to donate them. Having mostly things I really do enjoy and wear feels so much better than just having a lot of things. It makes me feel like I've succeeded in the YLF Fashion 101 class.

Also, being *really* painfully picky about what I keep when I order things online has helped tremendously. I just returned a top to Loft (over the 45 day limit) and only got $29 for the original $45 but I felt like it was still worth it to get the unworn item out of my closet and at least recover some of the money spent.

Great thread, Carole!

I've learned so much; I don't think I could choose just one thing. But to try to summarize, I would say that as a result of being here, I now have a wardrobe in my closet, rather than a bunch of clothes.

I tried a lot of different styles, some were successful, some not so much. And I've sort of circled back to what I've worn previously, but in a more deliberate, cohesive, and hopefully more stylish way,

And I blame y'all for a new found love of bags and the collection of them that I now have

YLF has opened my mind so much. I've always loved fashion, but never really participated. YLF has let me overcome many of my personal hangups and the environmental norms in my regions and professions. I've tried so many things since joining YLF -- instead of "I can't" it is "why not?" Skinny fits, belts, semi-tucking, tunics (again), ponte pants, soft button downs, poly blouses, etc.

WOOHOOOO. I LOVE THIS THREAD.

Fluid fits. I never even knew this was a thing before I came to YLF. I wear my clothing much looser on top now with slim fitting pants or skirt and I think I look much more fashion forward than I used to.

Semi-tucking.

Figure flattery vs. JFE

Boots go with everything.

So many wonderful insights here...nodding my head and saying "yes, me too !"

It's great to be reminded of all the the different lessons we've learned along the way!

And, Susie...relate so much to having a wardrobe now instead of a bunch of clothes. Yes!

2 things...

Try a new piece on with items from my closet, and make sure it really works before cutting the tags.

Just because I admire a look on someone else, doesn't mean it's the look for me... and that's ok!

Shoes really amp up style! (but finding stylish comfortable ones for low volume feet with narrow ankles that are not too high heeled is hard and borderline impossible at times!) : )

I'm going with Juxtaposition and Shopping For Your Real Life...
(2 I know, sorry! LOL)

It made all the difference in the world to me to learn as a lifetime classic dresser that with juxtaposition I could add a trend to my outfit and feel great! I thought trends were out for me, since I liked button downs and classic cuts. It took me out of mundane, and into the FUN with fashion category!

And shopping for my real life? Well, that one has resulted in very targeted shopping, lots of "No's" to lots of pretty (but useless to me) things, and a much happier wardrobe and wallet! I don't have any orphans anymore in my closet, I can put together an outfit for any occasion in my life, and the bulk of my wardrobe is my everyday wear, (not my Ladies Who Lunch version...LOL)

Thank you ladies, and especially thank you Angie!

Thank you Carole this is a brilliant thread!

For me it's high-low style that Angie writes about, that has affected my approach to style. (Some outfits here and here.) The sister concept here is leave no retail stone unturned.

And of course, making friends around the world, finding more joy in life through the magic of YLF -- all of that, as the commercials say, is priceless.

Very fun topic! I'm nodding along with so many of these.

I feel like I have to split mine up: the mvp (most valuable principle!) for outfit composition and the mvp for wardrobe composition.

For me, the mvp for outfit composition is bookending. I knew the concept from art/layout, but I hadn't thought of it in terms of what I wore. So when I applied it to my outfit composition suddenly I could see how often what was "off" in an outfit was that I had a strong color in isolation or I wasn't bookending my own coloring.

I used to think that my mvp for wardrobe composition was that I could love and admire a look or an item, but that didn't mean that I had to have it. I could just enjoy it on others too. Still a great idea, but not my current mvp. Now, I feel like my wardrobe composition mvp is that by getting rid of unused items, I am freed up to wear newer items that I really adore while I adore them! Obligation wears are wasted opportunities--they are penny wise and pound foolish! I can't tell you how much easier it is to cull an item when I realize that I'm getting better value from my new items because I'm not wasting opportunities to wear them, wasting those opportunities on obligation wears!

I've been reading this thread, and loving it, but not quite sure what to say. I think one of the best lessons I've taken from here is about proportions. I have a good eye for proportion, which shows itself in things like photography and decorating, but I'd never really thought of, or known how to, apply it to clothes.

One other thing I have to mention, that I find so amazing about this community, is having a group of people that you can get totally honest opinions and feedback from... with no ulterior motive. This is so so useful!

I learned to dress for my real life, not an imaginary one.

One big lesson (that I should have already figured out) is NOT to buy for a fantasy lifestyle. Also using capsules (even if I don't actually organize my closet that way) to wear work clothes in a more casual way for the weekend has really helped me be happier with my wardrobe and has reduced unnecessary buying.

OMG, too hard to choose (note to self- make a table of all these comments so I can remember what I've learned)! I"m with Suz, new friends is the coolest and most surprising 'find'. I stumbled into YLF (backwards, untucked and unmatched socks) after seeing a blog post from Angie somewhere about our friend, the semi-tuck. Then a tornado came through my life and I ended up a) feeling better about myself/my look, b) learning a vocabulary that was foreign to me, and c) hopefully, using a. and b. to help others/share the wealth.

So much from what Angie has written that I could write a post on it alone but instead I'll concentrate on something about the forum.

This forum has opened to me the lives of people who are so different and I've really gained in empathy as a consequence. To give just one example; I used to look at the social pages of the newspapers and see people attending events like gallery openings and think of them as almost a race apart and above - social butterflies not bothered with the contraints of everyday life. It was an illogical, inconsistent and unexamined thought process on my part!

Now through YLF I know people like Shiny, Elly and Anna who do go to these type of events and realise that they do indeed have to deal with everday life! And they, at least, are a lot more approachable and friendly to people like me than I would have ever have imagined.

Thanks to all for breaking down my stereotypes and to Angie and Greg for making the forum possible and setting such a great example yourselves.

Great thread!

What have I learned?
- How to better plan my wardrobe so that my pieces work together. I used to have lots of "star" pieces that were difficult to wear. I have focussed on getting some "chorus" type pieces that let the stars shine.

What have I found?
- A rare wonderful corner of the internet where people are kind and constructive.

I learned tons of useful and eye opening things in these 5 years but the most important was that it is never too late to have fun with fashion even if you "missed the boat" in your youth (as I did). It was really a feeling like a cage door was open and was suddenly free!
And of course finding new friends and a supporting community has enriched my life immensely!

So many things come to mind, but let me just share this one for now:
I now appreciate a far wider range of fashion, and have learned to thoroughly enjoy watching others uncover their personal style -- so much more important than being in style.

I've learned that my own personal style sense is much sharper than I thought it was. I never thought of myself as a stylish person, but I guess my friends have always thought of me that way. I picked up ideas and hints through YLF and have incorporated trends that worked with my real life and I feel much more put together. I have a huge and deep closet but I have purged a lot of stuff the past couple of years as my needs have changed. I no longer work outside the home; I've lost weight. My wardrobe needed updating to reflect changes and also be more current. YLF gave me the confidence to do this. My friends ask me for advice, ask me help them purge closets etc. That's been a revelation to me to think that people think I am a style leader. Thanks for giving me the confidence to explore this side of my personality.

Ditto everything...and still learning!

Having access to a wonderful group of inspiring women of style!

What Bijou said...also, learning about and having the confidence to try new trends.