The second ever Australian YLF meetup was held on a Spring morning that was cold enough for us Melbournites, and somewhat of a shock to the brave YLF’ers that had ventured down from sunny Queensland. As a result, instead of meeting in the Bourke Street Mall, the early arrivers, Sharon, Deborah, Kirstie (Katiepea), Dawn and Clare made their way straight into the warmth of Zara, to be met shortly after by Kiran (Fruitful), Tamara (Yublocka), Karen (Puffenstuff) and Jodie. 

For some it was an opportunity to meet up with old friends and for others a chance to ‘meet’ our wonderful YLF friends in real life!

We wandered through Zara, browsing each and every rack on display. Although we had arrived before it was too busy, by the time we left there was a long queue for the change rooms. The hype attached to the opening of this new Zara store was still going strong with some shoppers (not the lovely YLF girls of course) displaying quite a frenzied approach to shopping. Deborah and Clare shared a giggle when another shopper literally took a pair of skinny jeans out of Clare’s hands! With the change rooms starting to get busy, Kiran, following through on her philosophy of “never waste time in line that could be spent finding pretties”, discreetly took to trying on outfits in a corner of the store.

We left Zara with varying levels of success. Kirstie and Tam became cardigan twins, purchasing a gorgeous green cardigan. Karen (in her words) went into a fashion coma, picking up anything bright and Summer-y that she could see, the end result of which was her fab new red skinny jeans. Just before leaving, Kirstie tried on an item that had us all in stitches – a bright orange blazer made out of wetsuit material. Possibly appropriate for the day’s weather, but a bit over the top, especially paired with the black sequin dress in the shopfront display.

Next stop was Spencer Street, but by then our tummy’s were calling so we made a pit stop for food (and coffee) and got to know each other a bit better over lunch. We talked about YLF, how uniquely warm and welcoming it is for an online community, and talked about the differences we see in Australian and American tastes and styles. Thus fueled, we hit the shops.

Starting off in a group, we made our way around the circuit of shops and separated into small groups as we spread ourselves out across the shopping centre, but with a plan to all meet up again for coffee mid afternoon. Meeting up again we shared our shopping successes. Karen and Jodie did well in a number of stores, including Rubi Shoes. Deborah scored a great pair of black patent leather flats and by the end of the day managed to take home 4 pairs of shoes in total! Clare found some great sandals at Nine West while Dawn picked up some shorts and tops for her upcoming trip to Singapore. 

After the much needed caffeine stop, we made our way around the shops again, stopping at places we had overlooked on the first circuit. Most people scored a new purchase the second time around. Tam and Kirstie played dress twins again, only this time they both purchased a gorgeous slouchy striped dress from Jacquie E.  They are both now the proud owners of what they insist is the most comfortable dress ever.

Finally it was time to say goodbye – but not before taking the obligatory YLF shoe and handbag shot. Since the day was so cold and nearly everyone was rugged up in scarves, we also took a scarf shot, much to the amusement of many passers by! Kiran’s gorgeous boys then came to whisk her away. Kirstie went to meet her husband and we said goodbye to Sharon, Karen and Jodie.  With some time to spare before their train, Deborah, Dawn, Clare continued on with Tam and popped into Kate Hill where Tam discovered her personal holy grail – a grey leather crossbody bag. Tam had been searching for a bag like this for well over a year with no success; she insists it must have been YLF’s good karma that dropped the perfect bag into her arms. 

It was a wonderful day and plans are afoot for the next one. Each of the ladies was not only gorgeous and stylish, but also friendly and interested in other people. They were also curious about the world, have a well-developed sense of aesthetic, and are good communicators.  As Sharon shared after the meet, she suspects this is why YLF meet ups are so successful. In the end, the shopping is just an excuse to spend time with some really great people.

Lisa, who thinks of pumpkins and Halloween in October, was impressed with the creativity of this spooky nail art. 

Suz was much delighted with forum member Rae’s style interview on Inside Out Style because she shows wisdom beyond her years and has clever moneysaving ideas.

Crazyone liked Britain’s ban on “sexy advertising” near schools. 

Inge recently found Show Studio and is intrigued by the concept of filming one famous person in the fashion industry, zooming in on details of their clothing and face while they speak freely about their passion. All in black and white! 

SuzyCue, who loves hats, is thrilled that Target will release 14 hats by South African milliner Albertus Swanepoel on October 30.

Kyle found this interesting article on why the late Steve Jobs started wearing his black turtle neck uniform. 

Laurinda found a great introduction to the mathematics behind neckline flattery by Sewingplum. 

Anna likes these very interesting necklaces from Eaburns. 

Goldenpig recommends edgy Audi’s post on adding pizazz to corporate wear. 

Vildy recommends these six videos from Style Like U that show the reactions when two women with completely different styles and personalities switch clothing for a day.

Rosee enjoyed this fun peak into people’s closets and styles.

When Nordstrom asked me to build an outfit using footwear from their Designer Ugg Collection, words like cozy, casual, comfortable and textured immediately came to mind. Autumn and Winter dressing allows us to layer several interesting textures in one outfit, which creates an attractive effect. 

The outfit is on the dressier side of casual and incorporates classic, retro and modern elements — a great mix of vibes in my book. There are five textures at play. Six if you include the suede bootie instead of the leather ankle boots. Faux fur, wool, denim, silk, leather and suede can live in ensemble harmony.

First, you’ll need a great pair of casual bottoms like Gaps’ real straight jeans. Bootcut jeans and knitted Ponte pants will also work. For a more maximal look, you could even throw in a pair of glen plaid trousers. 

I like oversized sweaters and they are huge this season. Max Studio’s Oversized Pullover Sweater, while roomy in the body, tapers back at the hem thereby adding structure to the silhouette. If you like to surrender your waistline, wear the sweater as it is. For a more tailored look, add a waist defining belt. 

The scarf is optional, but is a great way to inject textural interest and colour into the ensemble. I chose an Emilio Pucci Printed silk and wool-blend scarf because it’s chic and classic — a nice juxtaposition against the trendier elements of the outfit. But the scarf world is your oyster, so choose a colour, pattern and texture that’s YOU.

Boots ground the outfit, and your choices are abundant. For gals on the go who prefer flatter footwear, UGG’s ‘Austin’ Ankle Boot is comfortable, cozy and robust. It slips on and off with ease and the ombre effect is divine. I love light coloured footwear so I chose taupe to pick up the colour of the outerwear, but it’s also available in black. 

If you prefer to wear heels, try the UGG’s ‘Brienne’ Boot. Personally, I found them a little heavy, but also comfortable and very soft (my feet loved that part). The blue suede has my heart, but click through all the colour options. Remember to use weatherproofing spray if you’re worried about how they will hold up in wet weather. 

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but plush faux fur is both retro and on-trend. Oversized outerwear that’s big on top, but tapers back in at the waist or hem is also trending (an ideal coverup for dolman sleeved tops). Vince Camuto’s Faux Fur Jacket is well cut and super cozy. It has voluminous sleeves, but their shorter length prevents that “drowning” feeling. The mushroom coloured fur dances in the light. 

Last but not least, distressed leather adds even more texture to the outfit. Bags like Hobo International’s “Shelby” satchel have an appealing vintage look about them. I threw in brown because I like the way it creates a contrast with the light outwear. 

This outfit shows high contrasting colours on top of the rich textures. I bat for Team High Colour Contrast, so personally, it’s right up my style alley. But if that’s not your thing, you can create an equally compelling outfit with lower colour contrasts.

It gives me great pleasure to share the style of my client and very dear friend, Meredith, who you met when we all went to the prom earlier this year. Beautiful Seattleite Meredith works full time for the Make A Wish Foundation as a Wish & Outreach Coordinator, or as her colleagues prefer to put it, a “Purveyor of Possibilities”. Meredith is also a full time Mum to 9 year old daughter Anika, so life is bustling and busy. 

Having turned 40 last month, Meredith wanted to try some new fashion silhouettes and add more of a sophisticated edge to her look. Specifically, she wanted to try belting tops at the waist, trousers that weren’t jeans, midis, blouses, and generally as many dresses as we could fit into the shopping day! Thus began the next leg of Meredith’s style journey. 

Meredith, who stands at the petite height of 5 feet 2 inches, is an extroverted and effervescent soul who exudes warmth like few people I know. She’s always happy, kind and good hearted. A laugh a minute, and very theatrical. She’ll break into song or dance and it all seems perfectly natural. So you can imagine how much fun we had shopping and doing this photo shoot. 

Meredith’s bold, fun personality is one of the things that we take into account when we shop for new items. Her clothes, shoes and accessories need to match her smiley self! Although her style usually has a strong bohemian vibe, we moved away from that this time. I’ve always loved Meredith’s “old movie star” looks and encouraged her to also bring out the more glam side of her style. She loves old movies and embraced her inner bombshell in less than two ticks.

Meredith bats for Team Dress, Team Casual, Team Red, Team Skinnies, Team Boots, Team Jacket and Team Flats. She has a pretty casual dress code at work, but still wants to look pulled together each day. Like most mums on the go, she has 20 minutes to get ready in the morning, prefers machine washable clothing, loves a bargain, doesn’t like overly constrictive clothes, and works hard to keep her feet happy. 

In wet and cold Seattle, it’s practical to wear boots over jeans, leggings, trousers and tights. This is one of Meredith’s work and “Mom on the go” uniforms, so we updated this outfit combination with colourful knitted tops and blouses, striped sweaters, a black sleeveless sweater gilet, AND introduced the waist cinching belt. We also found amazing cognac low heeled wedge boots that pick up the red tint in Meredith’s gloriously curly locks. She was delighted with how well her new red polka dot top matched her red bag. 

The ink blue “Civil War Jacket” was Meredith’s favourite purchase of the day and she has already worn it several times. I call it her “Sergeant Pepper Jacket” while the rest of the family simply calls it the “Awesome Jacket”. It fits like a dream and works so well with Meredith’s dramatic persona — a clear example of dressing from the inside out.

I also introduced Meredith to Gap’s Real Skinnies as an alternative to jeans because they are a personal favourite of mine. They fit right in with ballet flats in warmer temperatures. The new teal top is great with Meredith’s porcelain complexion, and you might recognize the black Cole Haan boots from this years Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. 

Tucking skinnies into boots is one way to stay stylish, warm and dry in Seattle, but wearing dresses with boots is another great option. Meredith started wearing lots of knitted frocks last year and has never looked back. It’s an easy “pull on and go” with boots and jacket so Meredith was instantly hooked. We bought five dresses that day, the photographic animal print ruched dress being my favourite. It’s longer length and more form fitting silhouette made it a fabulous addition to the shorter empire cut dresses in her wardrobe. You fill out a dress like nobody’s business, Meredith. Love it. 

Wearing boots with a dress sans leggings or tights is a new look for Meredith. She usually feels self conscious about showing her leg skin, but I was able to convince her that we needed to see her gorgeous bits of leg skin peeking through from above the boots and below the dress. I’m so glad I did!

You may have noticed that Meredith wears whimsical necklaces with all her outfits. From  hearts and owls, to teacups, pearls, Moroccan beads, and her grandmother’s vintage gold jewelry. This is her signature look and she has a wonderful necklace collection. They work amazingly well with her playful spirit and classic movie star glam. She is one of the few 40 year old lasses I know who can pull off a bright yellow teapot pendant with sass! 

There is so much to adore about bubbly Meredith. Her huge heart, captivating smile, positive attitude and exuberant persona are just part of it. And then there is her fun and interesting, yet practical and down to earth style. She is perfectly suited to working for the largest wish-granting organization — giving hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Thank you Meredith for being an amazing client and a rare ray of sunshine. I’m very fortunate to have you as my friend.