YLF Challenge Chain: Elly Challenges Anne - YouLookFab Forum

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YLF Challenge Chain: Elly Challenges Anne

Elly

Veteran

Dear Anne,

This past year seems like it was both a busy, crazy year full of new BUT exciting challenges for you . . . so why not add one more?!

After reviewing a few posts, it seems most recently there are three things intersecting which concern you with impact to your style.

1. Figure flattery/frump --- you are a beautiful lady with a pretty unusual body type that also is concerned with looking like you belong in a stylish office
2. Practicality -- you deal with fussy feet, the heat, MOTG and work wardrobes, plus cycling!
3. Aspirational style-- this is something you seem to be exploring, but also express that preferences may be morphing but not necessarily in a practical way

So . . . I challenge you to photograph your 3 most figure-flattering looks, 3 looks that work really well for the practical challenges of your life (i.e. that you wear often or work for practical reasons -- not your cycling kit!) and post 3 photos (these can be of others) of what you feel is the direction your leaning style-wise, practical, figure-flattering, or not. Then analyze which components intersect between the 3 areas, and what elements you see appear that you feel would be an impediment or challenge to dressing more figure-flattering and/or more in sync with inspirational style.

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47 replies

Latest reply was from Karie

ramya

Veteran

Go Anne!!! Great challenge Elly!!!

Anonymous

Great challenge, Elly! Anne, I look forward to seeing your post.

carter

Veteran

Whoa! A challenge we should all do regularly. Can't wait to see what Anne comes up with.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Whoo hoo!! Fab challenge, Elly -- and Anne, looking forward to the result!

Lisa

Veteran

Wow, great challenge, time to put on the thinking cap.

lyn67

Veteran

Great challenge Elly, very personal- let's see what Anne comes up with!:-)

Windchime

Veteran

Another well-thought-out challenge from which we can all learn!

April

Veteran

Dang -- well done, Elly. I may have a go at this one myself.

Alassë

Veteran

Great challenge, Elly!

adorkable

Veteran

Another amazing one. They get better and better.

Hil

(website)

Veteran

Thumbs up... looking forward to Anne's reponse!

shedev

Veteran

Awesome challenge.

Astrid

Veteran

This is totally awesome! I might do this myself.

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, very interesting. I like it. A deep analysis

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Great challenge Elly!
I can't believe how amazing these challenges are
Go Anne.

deb

Veteran

Fun challenge!

Gigi

Veteran

This sounds so fun! I can't wait to see your outfits, Anne, especially the ones that show your tentative new style direction!

Wow, these challenges can sure be involved. Kind of like having homework! :^)

anne

Veteran

Thanks Elly. I have just read this and hope to have some pics soon. I am on the bus to work now so won't get any thing up til your tomorrow at the earliest. My thinking cap is on!

Kristin L

Veteran

Very nice challenge Elly.

Neel

Veteran

Great challenge Elly! And cant Wait to see what Anne comes up with

anne

Veteran

Guys I am getting really sleepy and think I'll have to postpone a little. Do I need to do new pictures? Everything I planned to show for the first and second parts has been on YLF already and I could pull up the pics and have them in about 10 hours. Brand new will take about 24.

ramya

Veteran

Oh Anne.... Please don't stress on our behalf. Do what's the most comfortable!!!

April

Veteran

Anne, if recycled photos help you, I think that by all means you should use them. (What say you, Elly the Challenger?)

There is still the other part of the challenge: to show us photos reflecting your aspirational style and tell us how your outfits reflect movement toward your style goals. To my mind, that's the more important part.

anne

Veteran

Outfits 1 -3 posted "your 3 most figure-flattering looks" First 2 are work looks though 1 can swing smart casual as well. I am wearing 3 today for casual friday but wear it casually (including church) quite a lot too. I feel that all these are flattering because I guess basically they make me feel slim but a little curvy.
Items 4-7 are "looks that work really well for the practical challenges of your life (i.e. that you wear often or work for practical reasons) "
4 is my orthotic shoes (seen in lots of other pics but here is a closeup
5 is a dress I wore specially for lounging
6 is a work outfit, but one that can be bundled into a backpack because it doesn't crease.
7 is my new high summer dress - worn here unpacking, but so long as I have unpacked it will work for casual too.

I found the aspirational goal pictures really hard because I currently have no clothing budget to speak of and so haven't been looking much into the future since I'll just be wearing the same stuff! I also haven't really been impressed with much of the upcoming fashion.
But here goes
8 are some shoes I have bought. I figured if I end up wearing orthotic shoes a lot they may as well be as pretty as possible. I haven't started wearing them in yet though (our house is so hot in the evening the last thing I want on my feet is closed shoes)
9 A rare recent pic (referred to by Angie in a most on midis) that I liked. I think possibly because I have a black moto and booties and I made myself a red pleated skirt when I was seventeen (I don't still have it!)
10 A possible type of sweater for the upcoming australian winter (I also liked those sweatshirts with lace overlays, but couldn't find a picture - maybe they were a spring not an autumn look.)

OK - now to the harder part - the analysis!

What intersects - I have a pretty clear preference for fitted designs (though in actual fact I do wear looser ones regularly). The heat I face in much of the summer is a clear impediment to dressing that way (so I dress like in pic 7)
- I like red, blue and white
- My feet are an impediment to looking as fashion forward as I'd like. I just have to live with that and get what I can manage
My budget (and time/ preference constraints that make thifting not a great option for me) means that I really just have to enjoy what is in my wardrobe at the moment, perhaps try remixing but not yearn after new things.

Thanks for a thought provoking challenge Elly (Oh BTW I loved your black turtleneck!)

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anne

Veteran

That's strange - pic 10 hasn't loaded. It was one of Angie's pics. will try again

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

Yay, Anne! You did it! And may I say, those three first outfits are some of my favourite on you, ever. So I'm not surprised they hit your own sweet spots as well.

I think you'd look terrific in a sweater like the dotty one, or a fun sweatshirt with lace overlay. I hope you are able to find one at your price point.

As for the footwear, what is not to love about red shoes? Red is best. (That is the name of a Canadian children's book and I have always thought that it is true.)

But I do understand you would like to experiment more. Perhaps when you get the luxury of a half day to yourself in an area with shops, you could do an experiment of trying on many shapes, shoes by different companies, etc. -- not to buy, but purely as a fact finding mission to see what brands work best and whether or not any of the newer modifications make styles that were formerly off limits okay for you.

April

Veteran

Anne! Wow -- heroic of you to get this done so quickly and so well. I (and probably many others here) really understand the idea of feet that get in the way of looking the way you want. I love aspirational picture #9 -- wouldn't we all like to look like that! And I love your dress in the first picture with the black stripe down the center. Figure-flattering indeed. Nice job.

And now, when you're ready, it's your turn to challenge someone else. The random number generator has chosen #10, which is Sunee. When you've had a chance to catch your breath and think about what a good challenge would be, go ahead and post it on a new thread.

In the meantime, I'll PM Sunee that her challenge is coming, and once you've posted that, your work here is done. The Challenge Chain thanks you for your service.

anne

Veteran

Thanks Suz and April (and I am really sorry about pic 3 - I CANNOT get it do go vertical!)
I appreciate your sympathy and suggestions! Doing a challenge for Sunee will be easy compared to this!! I am looking forward to it.
April - thanks for all your admin work on this challenge

Runcarla

Veteran

Gotta say you deal with the challenges of fussy feet very successfully-- those are some really cute shoes! Love the cobalt sandals a lot! Good analysis going on too. I can totally see you in your aspirational style with a red pleated skirt!

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