I was taken with this interesting combination at Zara recently. Matching casual lumberjack plaid with dressy sequins is so extreme that I think it works. It’s certainly one way to dress down a sequin skirt or camisole! 

The vibe reminds me a little of my weekend uniform in the ’90s when I wore Levi’s 501s, a black lace camisole, a grungy red plaid shirt, a black belt and flat black biker boots. The juxtaposition of the sequins with the plaid shirt here takes things a little further — and I like it more than my ’90s lace version. 

I’m not into wearing lumberjack plaid shirts anymore, but I am a yay vote for the look. I like all the outfits shown below, the casual flat booties being the cool cherry on top. My version would be to skip the plaid and wear a denim shirt tucked into the sequin skirt with the flat booties. Tame in comparison, but a pretty extreme juxtaposition nonetheless. What’s your verdict? 

My calf circumference is 13 inches, which makes it somewhat tricky to find well-fitting knee-high sleek boots that are NOT supposed to gape around the calf area. Slouchy boot styles on the other hand, are easier to fit because the gaping works with the relaxed vibe of the boot. 

There is good news and bad news. You’ll find tall sleek boots to fit a narrow 12 to 13.5 inch calf, but you’ll more than likely pay a premium price. Brands like Stuart Weitzman, Donald Pliner, Prada, Cole Haan, Chanel, Aquatalia, Munro, Sudini, and La Canadienne regularly make tall boots to fit narrow calves, but they’re expensive. Your best bet is to keep your eyes peeled for a sale.  

Here are 10 dressy and casual boot styles with a narrow calf circumference. I’ve had most of the styles on my own feet and can vouch for their comfort. 

• Vaneli ‘Riwana’ Boot: A few of our forum members have raved about this classic little riding boot, and the reviews are great. Currently on sale. 
• Aquatalia by Marvin K ‘Minnow’ Weatherproof Boot: Casual and simple. The shade of brown is rich and lovely. 
• Aquatalia by Marvin K ‘Undy’ Weatherproof Woven Shaft Boot: I own these and they are heavenly. What an absolutely beautifully made boot. The elasticized top actually stretches out to 15 inches, which is the measurement given in the description of the style. But they also fit my 13 inch calves extremely well. 
• Dr. Martens 20 Eye Zip Boot: You can adjust the laces so that they fit both a 12 inch and 15 inch calf. The shafts on these are really high so unless you are regular height or taller, they will be too tall for the bottom half of the leg. I stand at 5ft 6 and the height of the shaft only just fits. 
• Stuart Weitzman ‘Demi’ Stretch Suede Boot: A stunningly elegant boot. 
• Gentle Souls Mona Beam: These aren’t as elegant as the Weitzman’s but they are fun in a more retro and ’70s way. Nice slim ankle fit. 
• Cole Haan Air Rosalyn Boot 75: A classic boot with a tidy heel and dressy vibe. Super soft leather and fab for a formal office. 
• Frye Riding Chelsea Boots: Rugged and great with jeans. 
• Fitzwell Luna Boots: A pretty good price for a sleek boot. 
• La Canadienne Dorina: This short shaft height makes them ideal for narrow calved petites. 

There’s also the Franco Sarto Yonkers boot that I featured a few weeks ago, and Duoboots make boots to fit a narrow calf. It’s a costly exercise but you can have the calf widths of boots tapered to fit a narrow calf if you bring them to a skilled cobbler. 

It’s also important to make sure that the shafts of sleek boots aren’t too high, which is especially crucial for petites. A boot can actually fit in the calf but still gape because it’s too tall for your leg. In that case look for boots with a shorter shaft height.

Thanksgiving is particularly meaningful because it allows us to reflect back on what we have to be thankful for. As I reflect back on YLF and my work as a fashion stylist, there are several people that I would like to acknowledge. 

• Our fabulous friend Morgan, who worked with Greg on the iPhone and Android apps for YLF. Greg loved working with you and I also enjoy spending time with you, your lovely wife Christina, and adorable French bulldog Biscuit. Your spunky and fashion forward style is the cherry on top. YLF is lucky to have you. 
• Inge, our fabulous new addition to the YLF Team. We couldn’t be more thrilled with her wisdom, input and hard work. YLF Books is stocked with a brilliant assortment of books that cut across all sorts of fashion and style topics, and the competition section runs like clockwork. Thank you for lightening our load with such skill, and for the finesse and kindness that you bring to all that you do. 
• My incredible local and international clientele. I throughly enjoy working with you, especially when we laugh up a storm. Thank you for entrusting me to find your sense of style and making it a fun process. You are all too fabulous for words.
• Our engaged and supportive readership whose wit, warmth, intellect, compassion and wisdom know no bounds. 
• Our Veteran forum members who give up so much of their time to lovingly encourage and help others out on the forum. 
• My incomparable husband Greg, who makes my world a better place. Thank you for constantly being my number one inspiration.
• Our little Yorkshire Terrier Rosie, for her loyalty, companionship and inexhaustible cuteness. She is always with us as we type away on our computers, snuggled up on one of her beds by our feet. Her adorable little snores and sighs are the best background noise in the world. 
• Last but not least, thanks go to our other little angel from heaven, Jasmine, who is constantly in our hearts. Words cannot express how much we miss you. 

We are YLF wish you a happy, peaceful and safe Thanksgiving weekend. 

What force out there has the power to draw nine women from across a vast Canadian province and one visitor from the opposite coast to a single mall in Toronto? What could possibly compel those 10 ladies to adopt an animal theme and turn said mall into their very own urban jungle? What could prompt the group to tackle all topics from handbag shape to Moroccan cultural norms and go from virtual strangers to fast friends in a matter of hours? This mysterious, potent force, whatever it is, recently resulted in one very special day!! 

It really began weeks before when Sveta, inspired by international YouLookFab conventions around the globe, suggested the Canadian contingent get in gear and make something happen. What began as a forum post with few responses began to snowball when Seattle fashion star Kari floated the idea of spending her midwinter vacation in Toronto, home to some fab shopping and a handful of YLF stalwarts. A little peer pressure later and Kari’s plane ticket was booked, while those closer to home began plotting ways to show her a good time. The impetus to deliver a special day only grew as other Canadians living two, three and even five hours away, began rearranging schedules and forking over train fair in order to get in on the action.

And so, with a little help from train, plane and automobile, 10 lovely ladies gathered at Toronto’s Yorkdale Mall on a surprisingly glorious November day. The busy brunch staff probably wondered what hit them as, one by one, we trooped in garbed in our chosen theme of the day. In an effort to showcase our up-to-date style and adherence to YLF wisdom, we’d all opted to don an animal-inspired item as part of our outfit. Leopard scarves were the order of the day for Sveta, HelloKitty and Angela, while Erin carried the print over to her shopping bag and paired it with snakeskin shoes. A faux fur vest and a butterfly pin were Celia’s contribution to the menagerie, while Patty tapped into her wild side with an abstract animal print top. The outfits from Suz and Krishnidoux took flight with help from bird pins and owl earrings, respectively, while Kari and your humble blog writer went all out in animal print dresses (mine in zebra, hers in leopard). My darling guide dog Reva wanted in on the action, of course, and fit so well into our theme that she didn’t change a thing!

We all exchanged the sort of hugs usually reserved for long-lost friends and swapped rapturous exclamations about the differences between our online pictures and ourselves in the flesh, but from that moment on fashion became a footnote to the rest of our wide-ranging conversation. Keen questions, wise insight and witty banter were all on display at our table as we set about getting to know each other, a process that felt surprisingly easy after our months of interaction on the forum. I’d always read that YLF gatherings had the feel of a party where only your favourite people take time to show up, and I can now categorically say this is true.

Two hours flew by in the restaurant, and we likely could have spent twice as long in this way, but we decided to hit the stores and see what kind of headway we’d make on our winter shopping lists. The complications of group travel kept us moving at a sedate pace and prevented us from covering more than a tiny fraction of the stores on offer, but your Canuck animals gave it a game try! Angela, Suz and Krishnidoux tried to find jeans at Seven for All Mankind and Lucky Brand, and Krishnidoux showed her metal as she resisted our enabling influence and bypassed a pair of jeans that fit like a glove but that gave her heart palpitations with its dizzying price tag.

Zara proved a fruitful stop for Erin, who came away with a flowy blouse with exposed back zipper. Angela hit pay dirt at Holt Renfrew, where she acquired two Obi belts in black and brown. And after witnessing first hand the joys of shopping with discerning eyes and style mavens who encourage me to push my envelope, I came away with a handkerchief hem tunic in red, black, white and grey.

Some of our party had to say goodbye at this point to start making their way back to their far-flung homes, but five of us remained and decided to revel in coffee and conversation. Before we knew it, another two hours had flown by and we reluctantly dragged ourselves to the parking lot, taking scenic routes and chattering all the while. Every departure was heralded with multiple hugs from everyone and promises to reunite the gang very soon, a promise I have no doubt we’ll keep. Because our pleasure in the day came not from the clothes we purchased, but from the people our mutual interest in fashion has connected us with. It’s rare at any time to find a large group of intelligent peers who share a common interest. This group has so much more. The diversity that opens the door to cultural learning experiences, the humour that kept 10 people laughing throughout the day, the kindness that prompted people who had never met before to open their homes to one another, and the wisdom to harness the power of that mysterious force out there.

What is that power? YouLookFab, of course. Heartfelt thanks to Angie, Greg, Rosie and Jasmine for creating an online community unlike any I’ve ever seen, for freeing 10 animals from their fashion cages and opening the door to new social and style pastures in which to run wild.