I like to evolve my style a little each year because it’s fun to keep those fashion feet moving. Even though my fashion plan for 2011 is loose, I’m making the following updates to my style, some of which are already in full swing:

• Wear more gold accessories and hardware: Check. I freely sport gold hardware and jewelry and would like to wear it more often.
• Regularly incorporate my late Mum’s jewelry into outfits: I’ve already worn some of Mum’s pieces and it feels fabulous to be connected to her in that way. I look forward to more jewelry connections with Mum.
• Wear my fringe off my forehead: Check. Started doing this last week with my new shorter do.
• Rock the right jumpsuit: I know, I know. I vowed I would never wear one again, but that’s what attending Fashion Week in all its glory will do to you. I am on Team Jumpsuit and guilty as charged.
• Add a sprinkling of 70’s flair: Yes! Long pendant medallions worn over turtle necks, pussy cat bow blouses with tweed bottoms, cravat style scarves with button downs, shaggy trims, leather coats and so much more. My late Mum’s 70’s style is a great inspiration to me at this point.
• Wear the odd bit of bright brown: Check. I have a great 70’s leather jacket and there is another one on the way. As long as I wear an orange-brown with bright colours, I will wear brown.
• Sport flared skirts: I’ve been on Team Pencil Skirt for years and it’s time I batted for the other side.
• Wear slouchy tapered trousers: I’ve been on the hunt for this item for 18 months. Hopefully I’ll find a pair that fit the bill this year.
• Occasionally join hubby Greg on Team Black: Last but not least, I’ll sport more head to toe black just because I love, love, love NYC — and my husband.

Still, I’m not giving up the looks that make my style “me”. Like: black, white and cream colour combinations, mod inspired outfits, retro pearls, sheath and sack dresses, button down shirts, billowing blouses, strong shouldered jackets, rugged biker looks, flat footwear, skinnies, cream shoes, and bright colours like tomato red, citron, apple green and rich turquoise.

To kick off the new year I’m joining Team Black for the day. I’m wearing black skinny Marc Jacobs jeans with flat over the knee Stuart Weitzman boots. On top I paired an Express black crossover V-neck sweater with new L.A.M.B jacket and scarf (both new items courtesy of Santa Greg). I like to break up the harshness of black against my face with a contrasting colour so the cream in the scarf and white sunglasses did the trick. Indoors, I swap out the white sunglasses for white specs to achieve the same contrasting effect. Bless Greg for saying that I look like a rock star in this outfit. I might enjoy batting for Team Black more than I thought.

We at YLF wish you a happy and healthy New Year, filled with loads of love and laughter. If you’re ready to talk about your imminent 2011 style evolution, I’d love to hear all about it.

I’m going with a cautious yay. To my eye, the style of a cape needs to be cut just so in order for it not to look like it’s swallowing you whole.

Taller women do pull off the cape look with greater ease, because height helps balance out the unstructured volume of the style. Pairing the look with sleek bottoms is a must.

I do not fancy the look of a petite women in a long cape, just because she completely disappears in the silhouette. However, petites can look great in capelets which are cropped to the hip bone. I vote yay on those styles too.

While I probably wouldn’t wear a cape because I’m more of a trapeze coat gal, I adore the examples on the models above. The shorter lengths (just covering the bottom) work well with the added volume. The capes wouldn’t look as flattering if they were longer.

What is your vote?

The New Year brings with it lots of 70’s style inspiration for Spring and Summer. Even though the early 60’s and mid 80’s are my favourite fashion eras, I can absolutely appreciate aspects of 70’s fashion. For one thing, I saw my Mum wear it for the first 10 years of my life and back then I unconditionally equated what she wore with style.

I’ve been going back to old photos of Mum in the 70’s and now that I’m ready to wear her jewelry, her outfits have inspired me to try some 70’s rich looks of my own. I also recently saw 1975 movie Three Days of the Condor and was equally inspired by what the actors wore on the set.

My Mum, brother and I had professional pictures taken in 1975 of which this photo was my Dad’s favourite – and it’s still framed on the dresser in my Dad’s apartment in the Netherlands. My Mum was 35, my brother Hugo 10, and I was 5 years old. Looks like turtle necks have always gone down well with Mum and me. And I can’t help but love my brother’s groovy shirt and oh so on trend 70’s hairstyle. Killer!

This picture brought back a flood of 70’s fashion memories that I’m going to use to update my style. I’ve already road tested some of the looks and felt fab all day – partly because they are so nostalgic.

Are you inspired by 70’s fashion, and do you have any old photos in your family album that can bring the decade to life? Share them in the forum if you dare!

I only offer my unsolicited fashion and style advice to two people: darling hubby Greg and my dear sweet Dad. Papa is much relieved that I’ve taken over his wardrobe management, since he loathes shopping and my Mum is not there to do it for him anymore. And Greg appreciates my two cents most of the time – as I appreciate his style advice most of the time! I do not offer unsolicited style advice to anyone else.

When I was discussing this post with Greg, he pointed out that I do offer my opinions to friends, colleagues and family members in ways that are more subtle than direct advice.

First, I reinforce people positively with compliments. For example, if I saw someone wearing a colour that brings out the rose in their cheeks and the sparkle in their eye, I would gush about it to them. Second, I sometimes buy people gifts of apparel and accessories, and implicit in a gift is the message that I think the item will work well on them.

In neither case is this a conscious effort to give style advice, but I guess Greg is right that I am providing a point of view. Perhaps I’m not as restrained as I thought.

What’s your policy on offering unsolicited style advice to others? Care to share a few stories?