This is the second installment on Fernanda’s style session (here’s part 1 if you missed it). We worked together for two and a half days, purging her closet and putting together outfits for all areas of her life, from casual to formal. We dug deep into what type of look made her comfortable, appropriate and “very Fernanda”, taking great care with every detail. By the time we finished her apartment looked like a bomb had hit it, with clothes, footwear and accessories absolutely everywhere!

When Angie and charming Greg landed in Mexico City, I was excited beyond words but still uncertain about my own ability to push my own boundaries and step out of my comfort zone. I had the new gorgeous items, and loved to see them on the hangers and boxes, but now it was time to wear them following Angie’s advice. I’d have to look at myself in the mirror without faking a smile. The time had come to face my demons regarding insecurities and deeply engraved ideas on what looked “right” or “wrong” on me.

Take for example, dresses and skirts. One of the first things I told Angie in our early email chats was the fact that I had always disliked my legs. Compared to my elbows and wrists, their counterparts —knees and calves— looked like they belonged to a completely different person. They seemed to me big boned and heavy —the opposite of dainty and shapely— and therefore I didn’t feel “allowed” to show them off or even acknowledge them. There was a little catch, though: for as long as I remember, I’ve drooled over skirts, dresses and all kinds of pretty shoes. Not only that, but I’ve accumulated them over the years, as if owning a small collection could make up for the “injustice” of having less than perfect legs. It was not only a matter of obsessing over imperfect things: I have a bunion the size of my house, and the fact that I can’t wear strappy sandals is something I just don’t mind.

The “leg issue”, as I came to call it, quickly caught Angie’s attention. She empathized with my problem and kindly committed herself to help me overcome my fears. Her “leg therapy”, as she came to call it,  was a mix of objective troubleshooting (finding my best hem length, avoiding a leg-cutting effect either by wearing hose or nude/low vamped shoes) and, most importantly, a step by step demonstration of how confidence trumps perfect measures, in all the cases, all the  time.

We spent two and half days of enjoyable hard work: I tried on every single item on my closet, Angie found its perfect match, we dressed it up and down with accessories, and finally took a picture that will serve as a reminder of the endless possibilities already waiting for me. Watching Angie at work was both amazing and a lesson in itself: in a matter of seconds, she looked around the room and grabbed different pieces just to see it they could work (they always did). Not once did she second guess or let her rational part take over: she trusted her amazing instinct (she even picked an outfit based on items she had dreamed about me wearing!), giving a living proof of how there’s not such thing as a strict “style theory”.

In possession of a hundred or so pictures of outfits that look as if they were planned a week in advance, I finally came to understand style as a joyful activity that can only by achieved through playfulness and self-acceptance. These two elements were the missing pieces of a puzzle I had struggled to solve for a long, long time. They were handed to me by the amazing Angie Cox, who I regard as an inspiration and a very dear new friend. My crossing of paths with her is, without any doubt, the luckiest chance encounter I’ve had in my recent life.

Epilogue: on the last day of Angie and Greg’s visit to Mexico, their beloved yorkie Jasmine fell sick, and ultimately passed. Over the last few months, Angie and I had bonded through our mutual love for our dogs, and she shared with me stories and pictures of beautiful Jasmine and Rosie. I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Jasmine. Everything good that comes out from the experience of working with her wonderful Mommy, will always and entirely be a tribute to her memory.

We’re very grateful to Fernanda for sharing her experience and allowing us to document it in photos. There are additional photos in this album on the YLF FaceBook page.

I expect this to be another really easy poll. You are on Team Jeans if, given the choice, you would wear jeans rather than leggings. Vice versa for Team Leggings. And then there’s the fabulous “Legging Jean” which is a hybrid of the two. Legging Jeans, or Leans, are more like jeans, so they fall under jeans for this poll.

I enjoy wearing stirrup and zippered leggings in fun ways, like under a voluminous woven dress or black pencil skirt. The look brings back fond 80’s memories that make me smile. But I love jeans and leans even more. I can wear them year round in Seattle and have several pairs. I am on Team Jeans.

Over to you. Are you Team Leggings or Team Jeans? Tell us why, and you know you can’t bat for both Teams.

Fernanda, my wonderful client in Mexico City, shares her thoughts, feelings and experiences leading up to our recent styling session. Working with her was a joy from start to finish.

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There are two kinds of good luck. Your everyday, smile inducing, happy coincidence kind, and the apparently simple encounter that ends up redefining your life. Just a few months ago, I experienced the second kind.

My meeting with Fate didn’t take place in a restaurant or in a park, but in a more vibrant, lively and visited location: a fashion blog site, hosted by the lovely and uber trendy Angie Cox. Since you’re reading this right now, chances are you’ve already witnessed the jaw-dropping sense of style she displays in her YouLookFab site.

I stepped into “Angie’s place” a little more than a year ago. I had become a random reader of all kinds of fashion blogs, not finding any of them appealing enough to become my daily stop. One day, one of them included a link that led me to the YouLookFab blog. In that precise moment, a great habit was born. Every day, almost without taking notice, I found myself checking YLF not only in complete awe of Angie’s talent for putting together outfits, but yearning to learn the nuts and bolts of creating an outfit in such original and unexpected ways.

To say that I love clothes would be an understatement. I’m spellbound by the way they become an extension of someone’s personality, her interests, even her daily moods. I’ve never regarded clothes as “something” you just put on and carry on with your day. I see them more as a way to find your place in the world: a playful and unique “code” about who you are and how you want to relate to your surroundings.

My love of clothes should be obvious, but few people around me would have guessed it by just looking at my everyday “picks”. Plain, non-fussy, lazy combinations, which allowed me to go unnoticed by anyone, anywhere. Instead, my secret passion for clothes could be discovered just by taking a look at my closet or watching a shopping addiction that over the years has resulted in a mostly unworn wardrobe. I guess I came to believe that every time I got a gorgeous new jacket or a beautiful pair of shoes, I would magically acquire the know-how to make it work with the rest of my stuff, or even the guts to experiment without feeling clumsy or defeated in advance. This quest was, of course, unconscious, and could have been going on forever. It was, in a way, comforting: my “hidden” clothes were undeniably pretty, and I was totally fashion aware. I firmly believed that one day it would all come together, and all my hoarding and compulsive buying would finally make some sense.

It never quite happened, though. By the time I came across YouLookFab, I already had the feeling that my method and my habits were useless and wrong. Once I became a regular reader of Angie’s posts, I knew that I had to stop. There she was: a gorgeous woman with a sense of style I immediately identified with (some of her clothes looked a lot like mine!) whose great style wasn’t based on loud or excessively trendy pieces, but in the practice of wearing things in ways that immediately set her apart from the rest. By watching Angie’s creations, I could only imagine all the things I could do with my clothes, if I only I dared to disobey the “rules”, discard any fixed ideas on how to wear things and finally step out of my comfort zone. I then started to recreate some of my favorite Angie looks. Something as “easy” as a scrunched sleeve or the combination of dressy and casual seemed to work perfectly on her, but somehow felt unnatural and not quite pretty on me. It became obvious that I was lacking confidence, and felt trapped in a rut of boring and predictable looks. This time, however, I was aware of the problem and couldn’t fool myself anymore. I knew I had to take action: a pair of new shoes wouldn’t do.

That’s when lightning struck. It was a day in early November when I felt I’d reached a point where I had nothing much left to lose: either I did something drastic to change my relationship with styling and clothes, or I might as well envision a future of black and grey sweatpants, totally uninspired outfits and an unrequited love for clothes. Feeling both brave and reckless, I decided to write a message to Angie using the YLF contact form. I would briefly explain my dilemma, and ask her if she would consider taking a dive into my closet and help me to see everything in a whole different light. There was something for her to consider, though. Something that I knew could sound downright outrageous, and make my request fall into the “wild dream” category. I happen to live in Mexico City: thousands of miles away from the YouLookFab headquarters, in a country where —I would learn later— Angie had never visited before.

Not only did I get a reply from Angie in less time than it took me to digest the crazy thing I had done, but it was promising and kind. Whatever came out in the end, Angie was definitely open to working things out. I knew from reading her posts that she was brilliant and generous, but nothing could have prepared me for the experience of working with her. Enthusiastic, sensitive and incredibly committed to her talents, she assured me we would find a way to make the issue work. In the meantime, she asked me to describe in detail aspects of my current life relevant to our mission, and asked to envision my ideal wardrobe style.

Thrilled and energized with the prospect, I took time to reflect on things I had never paid attention to before: fear of change, self-defeating perceptions and parts of my personality I hadn’t allowed to evolve and now was eager to express. She also asked me to take pictures of what I considered my cornerstone pieces; before I realized, I was laying my whole closet on the floor of my apartment, taking pictures of every single item, from shoes, to earrings, to dresses, to coats. I was eager to somehow build for her a replica of my closet, hoping that her creativeness would make her want to bring life to what I perceived as a boring wardrobe. That way, I thought, the prospect of coming over to Mexico might seem less daunting and far-fetched.

I like to think my plan worked, since we finally set a date for her and husband Greg to travel. It was, I can assure you, one of the happiest days of my life. Not only because it was the fulfillment of a really wild dream, but because I really appreciated Angie’s willingness in ways I cannot even express. Her efforts to make it work took the experience to a different level.

We still had some weeks ahead, so Angie pointed to me some serious gaps in my wardrobe, and suggested that I fill most of them in preparation for her visit. I happily devoted hours to picking possible options, and sending pictures to her. She would then “approve” my picks (we had so much fun over that!), and I would cross out things from our “missing items” list. One day I found myself choosing things that a few months before I’d not even lay my eyes on: feminine and flirty blouses, a gorgeous red patent clutch, a pair of bright blue Mary Janes. Nothing “imposed” by Angie: just colors, textures and patterns that in a matter of weeks I’d learned to appreciate (and covet).

Painlessly and miraculously, my own sense of style had already started to grow.

Tomorrow, part 2: Angie and Fernanda get to work.

Apart from basic turtlenecks, I hang up my knitwear (sweaters and cardigans) because I prefer to see most of tops hanging in one place. This simplifies my dressing process. I have the luxury of plenty of hanging closet space and take full advantage of it.

Although my knitwear is fine gauge and not overly heavy, I do occasionally get those unsightly “hanger bumps” on the shoulders of my sweaters. I loathe ironing and there is no way I’m going to pull out the steamer to straighten out the bumps. So I had to come up with another trick: I pull on the sweater, run the tap, wet my fingers and rub them quite vigorously onto the knitwear bump for 5 seconds. The damp rubbing flattens out the bump. Afterwards, I flatten out the wet bump even further with my fingertips. Bye bye bump and wait for the patch to dry, which takes about 10 minutes. Remember that the sweater has to be ON your body when you rub the bump with wet fingers.

You can also use “bumps be gone” bendable foam hangers. Several of my clients say it works like a charm. I don’t use special knitwear hangers because I don’t like the way they look in my closet. I know this sounds ridiculous, but we all have our quirks. Besides, my wet finger rubbing trick works too.