Today’s post is written by wonderful Veteran forum member and Seattle local Kari from InKarisWardrobe. Kari is a full time HR professional with fabulous style. Her colourful wardrobe matches her cheerful persona and beautiful smile! Kari recently organized a Seattle gathering and we had a ball. We virtually laughed from start to finish!

On a drizzly Saturday morning, nine YouLookFab members and friends braved weather, traffic, and family commitments to gather in downtown Seattle.  We chose to start our day at Nordstrom, and it was a thrill to spot Jenava, Julie (julijuli), Anna (annagybe), and Angie already engaged in animated discussion.  It is so fabulous to meet online friends in real life, and then find that you hit it off even better in person!

We walked over to the Steelhead Diner – a restaurant Anna had suggested that is located just above Pike Place Market – where Antje, Shanette (sinead), and new moms Laurel and Phoebe joined us.  Some of us had met before, but most were seeing each other in person for the first time.

During a fun and energetic meal, we barely took a break from our laughter to eat.  Several of us discovered that we work in similar fields or share common career goals, and many found that they actually live near to one another.  Angie entertained us with a hilarious story about misadventures while shopping in a Parisian retail store, and the table was soon buzzing with stories of our various travel experiences. Antje generously shared a delicious, large slice of chocolate cake with all of us.

I couldn’t resist snapping photographs throughout the meal – so many smiles, and such exuberant expressions to capture!  Julie has an absolutely dazzling smile, Anna and Antje have genuine and contagious laughs, and Angie is so incredibly expressive when she is talking and gesturing.

Looking around the table, I was amazed at the very distinct representations of different styles – from sophisticated and elegant Shanette, to Jenava’s ability to perfectly pair contrasting items, to colorful and quirky Antje, edgy Anna and urban Laurel.  I was mentally taking style notes.  What an inspiring group!

Due to the damp weather, boots and patterned scarves ruled the day, and many eye-catching handbags made an appearance (such as Phoebe’s animal print bag, and Laurel’s structured green vintage purse, and of course the famous Valentino.)

Anna had brought an item that she greatly wanted feedback on: her Vince shearling aviator jacket, which you may have already seen on the forum.  Anna wasn’t initially sure whether the jacket was a keeper, but after receiving a KILLER rating on the quality and fit from Angie and from the rest of us, she happily opted to keep it.  The leather is buttery soft, and the jacket fits Anna and her trendy, fashion-forward style to a T.

After wrapping up our lunch, some had to depart, but others were ready for a little shopping.  I had never had the pleasure before to really shop with Angie or any other YLF members, so I was doubly excited! We made a detour to AllSaints Spitalfields, a UK newcomer to downtown Seattle.  Our group was intrigued by the creative use of antique sewing machines to line the windows of the store – as well as the ultra-stylish baby wear collection!

Next, at Nordstrom, I mentioned interest in the infamous peacock scarf, and received helpful input about which color would be the best complement to my mossy green trench coat.  We spent a great deal of time combing the shoe and handbag departments, particularly browsing through the sea of beautiful boots.  Julie tried on a couple pairs of sleek, faux-fur lined Aquatalia boots.  After tracking down a pair of black studded Stuart Weitzman boots, Angie brought us to laughter by modeling some truly hilarious over the knee, white, furry Chanel boots.  (Picture a white, shaggy, furry vest wrapped on top of a clear plastic pump.)  After we calmed down a bit, we conceded that the mid-calf furry black pair was a bit more wearable!  Angie and Anna very generously walked me through the purse department and gave me some great suggestions for where to start when buying a statement handbag, as this is quite a baffling bottleneck in my wardrobe.

In the accessories department, we took a look at the glass pearl necklace from the YLF store, where Angie gave Laurel, Anna, and me a follow-up lesson to her video blog post on knotting long necklaces.  I couldn’t wait to try out this technique at home!  We all explored which shades and bead shapes were the best complement to our styles and coloring.  Before too long, it was time to say goodbye and go our separate ways.

As much as I had a blast shopping with such a fun and helpful group, my favorite part of the gathering was sharing so much laughter and information about our evolving personal style, learning new details about one another’s lifestyles, discussing our beloved children and pets.  I was smiling all the way home just thinking about the uplifting day I had, and cannot wait to see all of you again (and also meet others who were unable to join us this time.)  Thank you to Angie, Anna, Jenava, Julie, Antje, Shanette, Laurel, and Phoebe for making time to meet and for bringing such energy and enthusiasm to the afternoon – and thank you Angie and Greg for creating the opportunity to get to know such a fun and fabulous group!

I have a pair of brown tweed shorts, chestnut Frye boots, leopard print ballet flats, a 70’s rust pleather jacket and a white and brown polka dot mod dress. I absolutely adore these brown or partially brown items and wear them frequently. But other than that, my wardrobe is devoid of brown. It’s my least favourite colour AND I happen to look better in black. Black is also more compatible with my style, since I’m quite dressy, urban, a little retro and often wear white pearls. I am Team Black all the way.

I might not wear brown, but I do love it on those who wear it well. I often choose shades of brown for clients when black is harsh or dull against their skin tone. Ladies who typically rock an Autumn palette wear earthy browns to perfection. I was with one of those clients this week and she looked sensational in all shades of brown. Conversely, it’s a myth that everyone can wear black!

Over to you. Are you Team Black or Team Brown? Tell us why and no batting for both Teams. However, I will let you bat for Team Grey or Ink Blue if you don’t wear either black or brown.

I came across a New York Times article , “The Great Unwashed,” last week (via Corporette) and it was quite an eye opener. Apparently the mandatory daily shower or bath is not so mandatory! And neither is deodorant. The article discusses how some people believe that bathing less and smelling more like your natural yourself is a fabulous idea.

Well ladies, here’s my deal on the bathing side of things. It will probably sound normal to some and completely excessive to others, but I shower TWICE a day and wash my hair daily. Here are the reasons:

1. I grew up in the tropics. When you commute on foot in a tropical country, you get hot and sticky. You need a couple of showers a day just to feel “normal” and it’s quite the done thing. Despite the changes in climate as I moved around the world, the habit stuck with me.
2. A morning shower, which includes wetting my head, wakes me up and kick-starts the day.  I feel refreshed, alert and ready to rock and roll.
3. Bathing is just as much about about nurturing my body and soul as it is about scrubbing clean. Spending 5 minutes longer under the shower is therapeutic and one of the ways I like to unwind.
4. I also feel a lot more relaxed when my body is warm and tingly after a shower. It helps me get to sleep.

Nothing in the article makes me want to alter my own bathing patterns, but it did make me think about the social norm. I’m pretty sure that from a medical point of view you can be adequately clean with more than 24 hours between bathing. So for that reason alone, bathing daily is not essential. The question is whether you can be stylish and professional.

Tricky one. We have been socialized to believe that bathing daily is an integral part of basic hygiene and that natural body odour is a bad thing. Others beg to differ. What are your thoughts?

I highly recommend that you watch the television series “Mad Men” if you love glamorous 50’s and 60’s fashion. To say that the style quotient is dazzling is an understatement. I savour every detail of every outfit for both the women AND the men.

So the big question is how did we go from the dressy fashion era on Mad Men to an overly casual world of jeans, tees, sweats, sneakers, flip flops and Uggs today? It’s only been  50 years. Why did dress codes relax? Is it just that people are more comfortable, and therefore productive, in casual clothing? If so, the fashion and style world has gone to great lengths to make us happy.

It certainly isn’t about expense. Today’s branded casual attire is every bit as expensive as the more formal alternatives of the mid twentieth century, perhaps even more so.

Well, I’m not happy. Oh how I wish we still lived in a dressy world of style. Although I love wearing jeans I’d welcome the drama of more formal dress codes. Dressing is even more fun when you can dress up. At least I think so.