On day four of the YLF Books Bonanza we are returning to the Movies section of our new store with the documentary Bill Cunningham New York. In this cinematic profile we follow the famous octogenarian photographer who still bikes around the city every day to capture fashion images for the New York Times.

Thank you very much Zeitgeist Films for kindly offering to give away five copies of this documentary, and for supporting YLF Books.

As always, hop on over to the Competitions section to enter this giveaway. Good luck everyone!

As I’ve mentioned before, midis are trending big time. If, like me, you like to wear skirt and dress lengths that fall a few inches below the knee, stock up on the silhouette. Make up for several seasons where skirts and dresses were too short for your style. 

If you prefer to wear hemlines above the knee, go for it. Shorter knee-length and mini skirts will absolutely be available in retail stores. And you will not look dated amongst the oh-so-on-trend midi.

I find that most women fall into a third category when it comes to midi lengths. They’re open to the trend, but they worry about feeling dowdy and frumpy. This is a completely understandable reaction. Embracing the midi is hard when you are surrounded by people who never stopped wearing them — and do look dated. If this describes your feelings about the midi, here are some suggestions:

• Ease into it. If flared midis scare you, start off with form fitting styles that are just over the knee. They tend to feel less dowdy.
  
• Update the support acts. Remember that when fashion repeats itself, it’s a reincarnation. Although the silhouette might look similar to what you wore the last time it was popular, the new items are different, with new fabrications, trims and colors. More important than that, the new items are worn differently this time round. Therein lies the secret to wearing the “new midi”. Make sure that you add a modern edge to the outfit and pair it with the right footwear.
• Give yourself time to adjust. Persevere with the longer silhouette. You might find that all of a sudden, the length looks refreshing, elegant, hip and “new”. It’s weird how that happens, but our eyes adjust to things after seeing them over and over again.

How do you feel about the midi length skirts and dresses that are taking the fashion and style world by storm? Are you already wearing the longer lengths, or will you stick to on and above the knee styles? Think you’ll brave the potential frump factor and explore midi territory?

For day three of the YLF Books Bonanza our focus is on a practical style guide written by Amy E. Goodman, frequent contributor to the Today Show and former In Style editor. Wear This, Toss That wants to help people who are feeling overwhelmed and unhappy with their style, and guide them through the process of purging every section of their closet and beauty shelf.

Simon & Schuster is kindly giving a copy of Amy’s book to two lucky winners. Thank you Simon & Schuster for supporting YLF Books.

Visit our Competitions section to enter the giveaway. Good luck!

We definitely associate certain colours with particular seasons. Clean crisp mid-tones that resemble the first blossoming flowers  for Spring. White, blue and brights for sunny, beach-filled Summer days. Earthy browns, greens, mustards and burgundies that pick up pretty Autumn foliage. And black, grey, Winter white, and red for cold, wet Winter months. 

I don’t believe in seasonal colour rules. As long as the weight and texture of the fabrication is weather appropriate, I say wear any colour at any time of year. The more interesting question, though, is how we are affected by the association between the seasons and colours. Perhaps even subconsciously. Maybe we feel more stylish when our outfits reflect the colours that are associated with a season. Maybe seasonally appropriate colours lift our spirits. Or maybe they make no difference at all. 

I don’t think I’m affected much by seasonal colour associations. Black, grey, white, cream and brights like red, citron, fuschia and turquoise are represented throughout my 4-season wardrobe. No matter what the season, I feel like breaking out a bright colour after wearing neutrals for a few days in a row, and vice versa. 

That being said, I do tend to wear more black in Winter and more white in Summer. I have lots of black knitwear for when temperatures plummet, and lots of white shirts for when temperatures soar. I have a few brown items, mainly boots, belts and a ’70s leather jacket that I wear in Autumn and Spring. 

Over to you. Do you wear more or less of a particular colour as the seasons change? Or do you wear similar colours throughout the year?