A forum thread on extreme budget shopping made me think that I should clarify YLF’s focus on mainstream fashion and style.

We have chosen this mainstream approach because it caters to the widest audience. The idea is that you can apply the information, regardless of your budget for clothes, footwear and accessories. We do sometimes talk about maximizing your budget in the Frugal Style category, but there are other bloggers that focus more on this topic. Two examples are the well known Budget Fashionista and the Budget Babe (one of our regulars on YLF), who will help you to stretch $100 further than you might imagine.

We seldom post pictures of designer wear or budget wear because they’re not mainstream. We post pictures that illustrate the point in the best possible way. Pictures from mainstream department stores appear frequently because the details of the clothing are clearly visible, which is helpful to our readers. The intention is not that you purchase your entire wardrobe from Nordstrom!

I believe that having great dress sense and style can be learned and our job at YLF is to help you make informed wardrobe choices. Once I’ve planted the seed, it’s up to you to find the item that suits your pocket. Whether it’s Saks, Ann Taylor, Target, Ebay or Consignment is of little consequence. It’s important that you make savvy wardrobe decisions no matter what your budget or where you shop because that’s how effective and stylish wardrobes are built.