This is what I wore to a casual brunch with close friends and their parents last Saturday in our Seattle neighbourhood of Madrona. The restaurant is only ten minutes away on foot which meant that a short and rather damp walk was in order. You can’t let the cold, wet and miserable weather stop you from doing things, OR wearing nice clothes when you live in Seattle. You just have to bundle up, wear the right footwear, carry an umbrella and get on with it.

I was in a rush that morning so I relied on one of my fast fall back outfits to get me out the door on time. On went my Gap legging jeans with a black ruched sleeve turtle neck and flat Stuart Weitzman over the knee boots (scored at this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale). I topped off the look with short red military coat (an Armani that I nabbed on deep, deep discount many years ago), yellow scarf and casual L.A.M.B bag. Simple, comfy, practical and warm – perfect for a brisk walk up the hill followed by a casual meal.

Wearing boots over jeans, Ponte pants, leggings or hose is an excellent way to keep your feet and bottoms dry when braving the elements. Wearing bootcuts is not a good idea because the hems and backs get sopping wet. Since I’ve also weatherproofed my boots with spray I was good to go. There is no need to wear a raincoat if you can carry an umbrella. I have lived in Seattle for seven years, commute a lot on foot and do not own a raincoat. But I do own several brightly coloured and patterned umbrellas.

I am often asked to feature more of my casual outfits. Well, this is a typical casual Autumn outfit for cold wet weather! It’s about as casual as I go unless I’m lounging in my sweats at home.

Today’s post is written by fabulous funky Antje, a good friend and long, long time supporter of the YLF community. While catching up last week over tea and cup cakes we started talking about organizing another clothing swap event for Seattle YLF’ers. One thing led to another and we decided to take it global.

Have you ever attended a clothes swap and scored a fabulous item that quickly became a closet favorite? Then this blog post should excite you.

Have you never attended a clothes swap but have sometimes wondered what it would be like and whether you might be missing out? Maybe this blog post will entice you!

Or have you attended a swap in the past but came away disappointed? Then this blog post might nudge you to try again.

I am so excited to announce the first “YouLookFab Global Swap Event”. Several brave YLF members have already stepped forward to host an event in their city, from Seattle WA to Austin TX, and from Norwalk CT to Mesa AZ. Who else wants to put a clothes swap on the map? We’d love to see many more YLF swap events take place all over the world!

But let’s start at the beginning: Why a clothes swap? Here are the top reasons I love a good clothes swap:

1. It’s a great way to refresh your wardrobe. I typically come away with items I never had on my list of things to look for and that I might never have proactively shopped for in a store. I love them exactly for that reason: They are unexpected finds, bonus clothes, “extras”. Since the items are free, I can take a risk and grab something that’s a little less typical for my style and just experiment with a new color, a new cut, etc.
2. It’s a super way to clean out your closet. Angie writes a lot about the importance of “closet editing” and not holding on to clothes that you know (deep down you know you know!) you will not wear again. Many of us are too busy or just feel hassled by the thought of consigning our clothes, and sometimes it seems a shame to just drop them off at Goodwill when you know a fashionable friend would really dig that item. Clothes swaps breathe new life into clothes that are still in great shape but don’t fit you anymore, were bad impulse purchases you instantly regretted but never took back to the store, are just “not you”, or for whatever reason have become closet orphans.
3. It’s truly “green”. The most eco-friendly clothing is recycled clothing. Rather than buying a new sweater, try scoring one at a swap. And I can tell you from experience that it is so rewarding to see someone else trying on an item you brought (because it doesn’t fit, isn’t “you”, etc.), loving it, and walking away with it as their new favorite wardrobe addition.
4. It’s fun! Allowing yourself to socialize for an hour or two with other women who enjoy clothes and fashion is a treat. I have fond memories of past clothes swaps, the giggles in front of the mirror, the compliments as well as the kind but honest advice to steer away from an item, and the delight at meeting women in person whom you previously only knew online. You will likely find that you have lots to talk about and might walk away with a new friend. Bonus!

If you still need convincing, check out the report from the first YLF clothing swap in Seattle, almost two years ago.

This time, in honor of YLF’s global spirit, let’s extend the event and host clothes swaps all over the map! To get this started, we already have plans for swap events during the weekend of January 22, 2011 in four different areas of the US:

• Seattle, Washington (yours truly will host and Angie will be there)
• Austin, Texas (Sarah and Patience are hosting)
• Mesa, Arizona (Kyle is hosting)
• Norwalk, Connecticut (near NYC! April is hosting)

We’re looking for additional hosts! Please let us know if you would like to host a YLF clothes swap in your city (ideally on or around that same weekend) by contacting us on this email address:  swap@youlookfab.com. Don’t worry if you have never hosted or even attended a swap before: We will publish a how-to guide for hosting a clothes swap on the YLF site in November, and I will be available to support hosts with info, resources, and tips as needed.

And for those who are excited about the swaps already being planned in your cities: You will hear more about the planned events soon, including dates and times, location and what to bring. We’re also working on a blog post about “How to get the most out of a clothes swap” for first-timers.

This will be so exciting. Let’s swap clothes in style, all over the map, and make new friends!

I can appreciate all neckline designs. From the highest of turtle and funnel necks to the most plunging of V’s, asymmetrical cuts, wide boat necks, nehrus, collarless looks and low back cowls. A killer neckline can totally make a garment.

While I like the look of all necklines I don’t wear them all equally well. I adore the look of a simple scoop neck blouse and the crispness of a collarless jacket, but they don’t like me back. Still, I wear a strong shouldered collarless Chanel jacket and fill in the neck space with either chunky jewelry or a scarf. The shoulder pads really help too!

With my super short hair, long neck, dainty shoulders and regular size bust I look best in high necklines – and really, the higher the better. My neck and chest love coverage. So turtle necks (polo necks) and funnel necks are my best necklines, along with shirt collars, crew necks and oversized chunky cowls.

Over to you. Which necklines work best for you and why? Do you like the look of a certain neckline but feel you can’t pull it off? Are there necklines you loathe? Let us know in the comments.

I wanted to write a post that explained how to recognize a dated wardrobe item, but although I make these decisions on an almost daily basis as I review the closets of my clients, it was impossible for me to distill my thought process into a set of simple guidelines.

It used to be an easy rule: wardrobe items that are 10 years or older are dated. Pass them on. Hmmm. Not so fast. Some wardrobe items date well before the 10 year mark, and some older items can still look perfectly fab. Four things make the decision more complex than you might expect:

1. Fashion repeats itself
2. Vintage and retro wardrobe items can be hip and cool
3. So called “dated items” can be re-mixed to look current and contemporary
4. Personal style and fashion persona play a big role

Sometimes a dated item can be rejuvenated with a different ensemble. For example, I recently came across a 10 year old top that looked dated with jeans or trousers, which is how the client wore it before. But when we layered it over a contemporary blouse or a shirt matched with skirt and fashionable footwear, the top was re-mixed to look current.

I had a similar experience with a boxy 20 year old suit blazer that looked dated when worn with the slacks my client bought it with. But 80’s and 90’s fashion has repeated itself, so we tried scrunching up the sleeves and layering it over a short “now” sheath dress with “of this fashion moment booties” and fun hose. Voila, hipness! This is not to say that all blazers from the 80’s and 90’s should be salvaged because many of them do look horribly dated. But sometimes they can work again if my client fancies the idea and is a daring dresser.

Items date at a more rapid rate for some people than for others. If you’re super fashion forward and trendy, wardrobe items feel dated fast. Some clients look at what they bought as recently as last year and say, ”I don’t want to wear that again. It feels tired and dated. Onto something new”. They loved the item when it was a  fringe trend  – but somehow it lost its appeal as soon as it became mainstream. Into the Goodwill pile it goes for someone else to remix!

Sometimes my client needs to be edgy and fashion forward to make a dated item work in a retro-modern ensemble.

In fact, personal style is probably the biggest factor at play. I might convince one client to hold on to a 30 year old 70’s style leather blazer, but with another client and the exact same item I might suggest passing it on. Why? The first client has a strong arty and retro element to her style and has the coordinating contemporary wardrobe pieces to complete the look. It wouldn’t be a stretch for her to make the item work. The second client is comfortably modern classic and would be much happier updating her leather jacket to a new style that she can wear with almost everything for the next five years.

So no simple guidelines, but there are some things to think about when dealing with an item that might be dated: Has it come back into fashion? Can it be remixed with other items to make it current? Can it be part of a vintage or retro ensemble? Is the result aligned with your personal style? And the most important question: do you feel confident wearing the resulting outfit?

If you are still uncertain, ask your friends what they think. After all, talking about it can be half the fun! My challenge to you for the next week: post an item that you think is dated on the YLF forum. Together we will brainstorm the possibilities and decide whether it really is time to pass it on.