This is what I’ll be wearing next week on Thanksgiving Day, after I’ve finished cooking for the potluck we’re having at dear friend Meredith’s house. It’s comfortable, warm, casual yet a little dressy, and most importantly – roomy. I know better than to wear a body con sheath dress on a day that is about eating lots of food and relaxing with friends. 

The cream cable knit sweater is the only new item in the outfit. Greg bought it for me four months ago for my birthday just as the new Fall collections were hitting stores. He loves it when I wear cuddly knitwear, and I love that Greg has impeccable taste and found this piece for me. I instantly adored it and rejoiced in the fact that it’s not scratchy and that the sleeves had length. This cabled darling hits all my buttons. It’s chunky, yet not overwhelming because of its cropped length. I love the colour and the bulky weight. I love the leather trim on the neck, shoulder and sleeve hems best of all, which is what distinguishes it from the other two cream cable knit pullovers in my closet. 

I haven’t been able to wear the new sweater till recently because I had to wait for cold weather. It was hard to see it hanging in my closet for so long because I bat for Team Wear. But now with Winter in full swing I know I’m going to make up for lost time.

Black bottoms are an obvious pairing because they match the black trim on the sweater. I chose my favorite black bottoms for the pullover’s debut: The Alice & Olivia boot cut pants with wide waistband. They are dressier than jeans, with lots of drape and also a little volume. The volume is important to offset the cropped integrity of the sweater, which is why I did not choose slim fit pants. Later I noticed that the leather trim of the pullover matches the leather trim on the trousers. A tiny nod to the matchy-matchy trend. 

I wanted the welt of the cropped sweater to rest on the waistband of the trousers. I wore a patterned Burberry belt because I prefer to fill exposed belt loops. The visual effect is a subtle form of “volume on volume”, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Tucking a tailored turtleneck into flared trousers is more conventionally flattering, and I certainly wear that combination too. But this combination is more interesting, is on trend and looks fresh to my eye. It’s fun to forgo a little conventional flattery for the sake of fashion, and there is still ample structure in the outfit to suit my style preferences.

I finished off the outfit with a seven year old pair of pointy toe moto shooties that are so beaten up that I have to fill in their bald patches with a black Sharpie pen. But they are super comfy and my favourite hard-to-find low heel height, so I’ll keep them until they are completely unwearable. Specs, watch, wedding ring and small black clutch are all I need in the accessory department.

My old cream double breasted wool coat goes over the entire lot, which I wear both open and closed. The outfit is voluminous when the coat hangs open, and more structured when the coat is buttoned up. I like both versions. 

The sweater looks great with a skirt, but trousers are so much warmer. For that reason I have become a trouser gal. I do go through phases of missing my skirts, but they just don’t offer the same insulation. I’m wearing pantyhose under these trousers for extra warmth and will swap out the hose for thermal leggings when temperatures drop even further. I’ll need to live in a warmer climate if I want to wear skirts and dresses more regularly. It’s taken me years to understand this about my style needs, and finally the penny has dropped. I live in Seattle and I bat for Team Trousers.

Journalist Tracy McVeigh attended the London International Tattoo Convention and reports that, somewhat surprisingly, retro favourites like ships and anchors are trending again.

Tattoos, like the rest of our skin, need taking care of too. Refinery29 has some skincare tips that will help keep your body art looking good for years to come.

Thirty-two percent of American people aged 30 to 45 have a tattoo (according to a 2012 poll), and some of them are concerned that their body art might play a role in them not getting hired for the job they want.

Fab Links from Our Members

Caro discovered lots of interesting reading material on Fashionably Responsible, a website that aims to “go back to the basics to become fiscally, socially and environmentally chic”.

Angie recommends exploring Topshop’s Tumblr page for fashion forward, eccentric and creative street style looks, because people having fun with fashion always bring a smile to her face.

Slate published an article in response to a piece that the Huffington post ran earlier this week: “23 Trends Guys Hate (But Women Love)“. MsMaven found it amusing and thought it contained a few pieces of wisdom as well.

Laurinda informs us that the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary have chosen Selfie — a self-portrait typically snapped with a smartphone and shared over social networks — as 2013’s word of the year.

Shevia thought it fun to see that Leandra Medine over at The Man Repeller is wearing “Angie’s” ink blue Zara booties.

Currently La Belle Demimondaine is making her way through all the blog posts on Colourmuse. She’s especially loving the posts in which Lisa talks about needing a good number of basics to work with before you can really do anything with your statement pieces. PSA: Lisa’s blog has just moved, so head on over to the new website if you’d like to keep reading her posts.

A few years ago Elle ran a regular column in which fashion industry insiders were asked about their 10 rules of style. Maja over at Majahuse has now collected some of them on her blog, and Vildy is pondering one of the “rules”, i.e. “just don’t carry a purse”. Carine Roitfeld didn’t used to, and Vildy always wondered about that.

Angie’s recent post on outfit simplicity reminded E of these two blog posts from Passage des Perles, in which Duchesse describes a style she’s seen in France that she calls “strict”.

Alaskagirl found a fascinating article about the hidden issues of donating clothes, we’ve been chatting about it on the YLF forum too.

Often the best outfit inspirations are simply what someone else is wearing. It might be something you see in a magazine or catalogue, in the blogosphere, on pinterest, or in the flesh on a stranger or friend. On the YLF forum this is referred to as a copycat outfit, and I view it as one of four main starting points for outfit creation. 

Copycat outfit creation is not as simple as you might think. Seldom is the person wearing the outfit an exact match to your complexion, body type, lifestyle, or style persona. Furthermore, you may be drawn to some aspects of the outfit, but not to the look from head to toe. So the challenge lies not only in distilling the essence of the outfit, but also in adapting and substituting to make it work for you. 

In fact, it is this three step process to copycat outfit creation that I use when I’m working with clients, or putting together my own copycat looks. Distill, adapt and substitute. In this post I’m going to use one of my outfits as an example: my version of white shirt, sneakers and blazer, which was inspired by an outfit I pinned to my street style board on Pinterest.

Distill

Identify the essence of the outfit that inspired you to copy it. In this case I was drawn to the concept of wearing a strict suit blazer with high-top Converse sneakers. I loved the monotone and androgynous vibe of the outfit, and its lack of jewellery. I also liked the bright white parts of the shirt which are repeated in the footwear. Grey is not my best colour, but wearing it with bright white makes it work better against my complexion.

Adapt

Aspects of this outfit are not suited to my style persona. First, layering a pullover over a shirt is not a combination I like to sport these days. Too much visible layering for my tastes. I either want to wear a shirt OR pullover under a blazer, but not both. I also don’t wear super tight skinnies unless I’m tucking them into tall boots. Plus my style is Polished and not RATE (Rough Around The Edges), so I needed to add back in the crisp simplicity that makes my outfits feel like me.

Finally, I am not as tall and willowy as the wearer, which means that I need to wear a shorter blazer to keep proportions flattering.

Substitute

Once I figured out what I loved about the outfit, as well as the parts that were less appealing, I could begin putting my look together. By substituting parts of the outfit with other pieces, I was able to create a similar vibe that reflected my style preferences. I also shopped my closet during this process, which meant choosing pieces that are similar instead of exactly the same. 

• I substituted the solid grey blazer with a grey pinstripe. To keep things simple and minimal, I scrunched the sleeves instead of rolling them because I did not want to expose the cream contrast lining of my blazer. That would have added another point of interest to the outfit, making it more maximal. 
• Instead of the basic white button-down shirt, I chose a white tuxedo shirt for extra outfit interest because I was losing the layered effect of the pullover. 
• I substituted super tight skinnies with straight leg black cigarette pants, because I prefer a slightly roomier fit in my bottoms. 
• My Converse high-tops are white, unlike the grey ones in the original outfit. Close enough, and also more crisp and to my taste.
• I love a pop of colour and always carry a handbag, so I added in a sporty neon clutch to complement the sneakers. 
• I finished of the outfit with watch, wedding ring and specs like I do with every outfit. 

The end result is an outfit quite similar to the one I copied, but not a carbon copy.

It’s important to think laterally when taking the copycat approach to outfit creation. The point is not to look exactly like the wearer of the original outfit, but to take inspiration from it. Capture its strengths, and make it even stronger by working within the parameters of your body type, lifestyle and style persona.

There is a greater assortment of longer length dresses with sleeves to choose from this party season, which is a vast improvement on last season. Furthermore, black is not the only option. 

• Tadashi Shoji Asymmetrical Ruched Mesh Gown: This dress is genius and looks best on a gal with curves who can fill it out. It has excellent camouflaging integrity around the midsection and hips, if that part of the body makes you feel self-conscious. It also reduces the size of the bust with its low and asymmetrical neckline. You might need to size down a size. 
• Tadashi Shoji Asymmetrical Ruched Mesh Dress: A similar design to the gown and truly WOW on a curvy gal. I’ve had many clients in both the long and short version of this dress and they all took my breath away.
• Maggy London Embroidered Lace Overlay Midi Dress: At last. A bit of length on a lace dress. If I didn’t just commit to a lace pencil skirt, this frock would be mine. 
• Adrianna Pleated Jersey Sheath Dress: If you’re after a snug fit that does not cling, try this dress. First, it’s rare to find a V-neck dress, and second, the thick fabrication and tiered design creates a structured look that is flattering and forgiving. 
• Tadashi Shoji Mesh Stripe Fit & Flare Dress: This is one of the best black dresses I’ve seen all year simply because it isn’t straight or all black. My client bought it to wear on a cruise and she looks spectacular. The see-through mesh inlays make the dress. Might need to size down. 
• Adrianna Papell Lace Overlay Fit & Flare Dress: Retro, pretty and romantic. Add a metallic belt, opera gloves and cropped faux fur jacket. 
• Adrianna Papell Lace Overlay Sheath Dress (Plus): A modern classic that’s great for petites. I found it a little short on regular height and tall ladies. 
• J Kara Beaded Dress (Plus): A flirty frock with less arm coverage, but lots of twirling potential. Built-in bling means no jewellery required. Add dressy shoes, clutch and coat and you’re done. 
• Adrianna Papell Beaded Mesh Gown (Plus): Simply stunning. 
• Xscape Embellished Cold Shoulder Blouson Dress (Plus): This dress is great on an apple or inverted triangle body type. It’s forgiving on top, but highlights narrower hips and fabulous legs. 
• Alex Evenings Metallic Ruched Mesh Dress (Plus): Simple, classic and chic. 
• Jean Paul Gaultier Fuzzi Butterfly Print Cold Shoulder Dress: This one is for Team Body Con because it’s tight. Great length and fun cold shoulder detailing. Love it with heeled booties. 

For toppers think wool coats, faux fur coats, trench coats, evening coats, capes or moto jackets. Add hose, dressy shoes, clutch, and jewellery as desired.