Twenty years ago yesterday, youlookfab.com went live with my first post. Hubs Greg and I plus our Yorkies Jasmine and Rosie were relatively new in the US, and finding our way. We had moved to Seattle from France a couple of years before. Two decades later, YLF is a steadfast and well-oiled machine. A small blog turned into a large and engaged social community that exceeded my expectations. I can barely believe that I’m an OG blogger who is still doing her thing and enjoying it.

Many people have heard the story that when Greg suggested I start a blog about fashion and style, I replied, “Okay! What’s a blog?”. It was the early days of blogging, and YLF was one of the first of its kind. We brainstormed the name, and Greg designed and built the site.

Eighteen months in YLF, it was Greg’s brilliant idea to add a forum, which immediately jumped into life with the wonderful community that was forming around the blog. It was his idea to create Finds, which is an indispensable wardrobe maintenance and shopping tool. YLF was Greg’s affectionate and loyal labour of love. Without him, YLF would not exist. Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for his incredible hard work, creativity, perfectionism, high standards, and dedication. YLF holds a special place in my heart because the most special person in my life created it for me.

The launch of the forum was an inflection point for YLF. I think it’s a unique spot on the internet. Thoughtful, kind, clever, constructive, and supportive. In a world where online spaces can feel loud, public and fleeting, this community has remained generous, respectful, and deeply engaged. Many of you have been here for years, even decades. You’ve shared your wardrobes, milestones, challenges, and triumphs. You’ve supported one another with insight and warmth. That is rare, and I do not take it for granted.

The forum drew wonderful Belgian beauty Inge to YLF eighteen years ago. Inge politely contacted me privately asking if she could join the forum even though she wasn’t American and lived in Antwerp. I replied, OF COURSE. And mentioned that I wasn’t American either. Inge is Dutch-speaking, and so am I. We clicked immediately. So much so, that we met in Belgium the next time I was in Europe. It was the start of a long-lasting friendship. We asked Inge to work for YLF, which she did wonderfully for thirteen years. We’ve met many times in the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and Seattle. We don’t see each other in person often, but when we do, we spend quality time together, which counts for a lot. We’ve met each other’s families and friends, and chat daily. My close friendship with Inge is one of my favourite things to have come out of YLF, and I treasure it.

There are many, many more things I love about YLF, and its diverse, global following is one of them. I can travel to just about anywhere and meet up with a Fabber. There have been gatherings across the globe, and there will be many more. I’ve made many FABULOUS friends through YLF and my work as a personal stylist. These friends enrich my life daily in countless ways, and some I’ve known for twenty years. I’m thankful for their amazing presence in my life.

Our Yorkie team, Jasmine, Rosie, Sam, and Jo, were and are a huge part of YLF. Always close by as I worked, walked, and thought through posts. They brought a sense of routine, comfort, and perspective to the process. They’ve been loyal companions on daily city walks and photoshoots, constant sources of joy, and gentle reminders to pause and appreciate the moment. Many of you have come to know them through the site, and their presence has added a personal animal-loving layer to YLF that goes beyond style. In their special doggie way, they’ve helped shape the rhythm and heart of these past twenty years.

At this big milestone I’m excited to announce that I’m publishing my first book.

In my daily dialogue with in-person clients and members of the YLF community, certain truths kept resurfacing. Great style is about understanding yourself, knowing that small details make a big difference, and recognizing that simplicity, comfort, and authenticity always win. I started collecting the practical tips, mindset shifts, and emotional insights that have helped thousands of people find their own version of fab. Short, digestible insights that you can use immediately, reflect upon, and remember for later. These are things that I believe will transcend fashion cycles, and have the power to shape how we express ourselves every day through personal style. I called them Style Nuggets.

Style Nuggets: Practical Inspiration for Everyday Style is being printed and will be ready to purchase in hardcover and paperback soon. Stay tuned for details.

As we celebrate twenty years, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Thank you for reading. Thank you for engaging. Thank you for trusting me with your style journeys. You are what makes YLF an extraordinary social community. Thank you for your insightful, compassionate, intelligent, thoughtful and amusing contributions, from which I learn, reflect, and grow as a person. Whether you’ve been here since the early days or joined more recently, you are part of what makes YLF what it is. My goal remains the same: to help you cut through the noise and find what works for YOU.

Here’s to continuing the conversations, refining our styles, and finding joy and purpose in getting dressed every day. Happy 20th Anniversary, YLF!

Pastel yellow is having a fashion moment. Lemon crush, vanilla, and buttery goodness are an acquired taste, and I fully expect Team Pastel Yellow to be a small team. Personally, I prefer wearing a much brighter yellow like citron, and will enjoy pastel yellow on others. That said, the outfits are fun and interesting to look at, even if they’re not your thing. 

Onto some outfit inspiration. Soft yellow is quite versatile. It’s fabulous combined with earthy browns, greys, blues and whites.

1. Jeans

An easy way to wear pastel yellow is as a top or jacket and to pair it with blue jeans. The blue jeans can be any wash. The collection shows some examples.

Here, a pair of mid-wash blue jeans is combined with grey, whiskey and butter yellow argyle. It’s topped with a buttery blazer that picks up the colour in the argyle. A cream belt adds interest, and matches the cream in the argyle pattern. Earthy brown animal print flats are the trendy shoes of choice. They complement the whiskey bag that picks up the same colour in the argyle. The model is holding a light blue shirt in her hand, which you wouldn’t do in person, although it showcases how well light blue works with the palette. Punchy!

2. Dresses and Skirts

Here’s a collection of soft and pretty pale yellow dresses and skirts. Accent colours are shades of white, tan, grey, and a hint of black.

3. Light Neutrals

Tans, taupes, biscuity browns, and creams look yummy with buttery yellow. Here, a pair of wide and pleated taupe pants with cream side stripe is combined with a butter yellow sweater. A tan coat tops the pairing. Biscuit loafers are the earthy choice of shoe, and the cream tote matches the cream side stripe of the pants. A second butter yellow sweater is draped over the shoulders of the model like a scarf. Soothing and pretty!

4. Chocolate Pants

A lemon yellow blouse is combined with a pair of rich chocolate wide leg trousers. Brown snake skin pumps add a dressy touch, and complement the whiskey belt. A chocolate bag matches the trousers. A cream border scarf with bits of brown, lemon and blush works with the palette. Rich!

5. Light Blue and Pale Pink

Last, a big light blue shirt is worn over a pair of pale pink barrel pants. A bomber jacket with bubble hem and sleeves in a brighter yellow is layered over the top. The mid-tone yellow jacket is neither lemon nor citron but somewhere in-between. Earthy chestnut pumps with matching bags are effective rich accents with the soft palette. A chunky silver necklace adds a glam and shiny touch. Unexpected and my favourite!

We’re seeing a welcome shift towards practical fashion as designers and retailers respond to people prioritizing comfort, ease, and simplicity. For example, Athleisure and Sporty Luxe looks continue to trend, low heels and flats are favourites, and low maintenance fabrics reign supreme.

Pieces that are versatile, hard-working, and thoughtfully designed are resonating more than ever too. We build capsule wardrobes around items that can be styled multiple ways, worn across seasons, and adapted to different occasions so that we get the biggest bang for our fashion buck. This idea is evolving into something more ambitious called Function Forward Fashion, or FFF. The concept is fringe, futuristic, and gaining momentum.

FFF is about garments that do more than dress you. They actively replace the need for multiple items altogether. There are trench coats with integrated tote systems that unfold from the lining. They are large enough for a couple of groceries including, in the example below, a sizeable and determined melon.

There are super cute midi skirts that convert into picnic blankets complete with discreet corner weights for windy conditions. And when folded correctly, triple duty as a surprisingly supportive lumbar cushion. Stylish swoosh is put to work in a charming and pragmatic way.

Trousers are evolving too. There are silhouettes with expandable side panels that function as built-in carryalls. When not in use, they lie flat and streamlined. When deployed, they can hold anything from a laptop, to a light topper and baguette. I like how the items that you’re carrying add interest, texture and shine to your look. They effectively maximize the outfit without the need to add colours or patterns. Tonally perfect in a more minimal way.

For Team Footwear, there are boots with adjustable shafts that expand to accommodate bulkier items. One pair I saw in stores had enough internal space to hold a scarf, pair of gloves, and a somewhat bruised apple. The volume on the lower leg adds an architectural integrity, and creates grounding proportions. The effect can visually balance a broad shoulder line too.

My favourite on-trend FFF items so far are blazers. Many incorporate structured compartments designed to distribute weight evenly across the body. That keeps your body comfortable and healthy as you go about your day. I saw a citron FFF blazer recently and fell in love. It held my phone, cards, sunglasses, tissues, keys, lip balm, doggie poop bags, a short tea, and a small container of olives. Once everything was in place, the silhouette remained surprisingly tailored. A little bulkier than I prefer, but I’m giving the trend a go. The blazer followed me home and I’m excited to wear it when the weather warms up. It eliminates the need for a handbag which is a BIG change for me. Not sure I’m ready to give up my bags completely, but never say never when it comes to fashion and style.

What surprised me most about this trend is how futuristic and intentional the garments look and feel. Instead of adding accessories, your outfit becomes a fully integrated system. You carry less, but have more.

Over to you. What do you think of Function Forward Fashion? Will you sport the trend?

I had a quality issue on six Spanx Air Essentials items I bought last year. They pilled after a few washes and wears. The pilling got worse and the items look worn and older than they are. Four of the items were bought directly from Spanx, and two from Nordstrom. I took up the quality issue with both companies. 

I reached out to Spanx customer service. They didn’t respond so I filled out an online Spanx survey. An automatic reply indicated that someone would follow up with me, but no-one did. I received the survey a second time and dutifully filled it out again. This time, I mentioned I had written a blog post about the quality issue. Whether it was mentioning the blog post or just an accumulation of all my messages, I received an email from a person in customer service the next day.

Spanx customer service asked for photos of the pilled items, which I provided. I made it very clear that I did not want replacements of the exact Air Essentials items because I no longer trusted the fabric. Spanx was very apologetic, saying they would let their product development team know about the quality issues.

They couldn’t refund my orders because about 5 months had elapsed between purchase and my complaints. Instead, they could give me a store credit in the form of a gift voucher. I would have preferred a refund, but I’m satisfied with the credit. It shows goodwill from Spanx. I’ll spend my Spanx credit on woven Spanx items. I am done with their knits for a while.

I took the other two Spanx items back to Nordstrom, who, as I expected, refunded the items right away. No questions asked. They were very apologetic about the quality issue, and would take it up with Spanx. This is the type of customer service I expect from Nordstrom and I appreciate it enormously.

Reach out to Spanx customer service if your Air Essentials sweats have pilled. Or take them back to Nordstrom if you bought them there. Hopefully it will be a good outcome for you too.