Four to five years ago leggings made a fashionable comeback. At the time of the initial rebirth of the trend, magazines and fashion experts were quick to say that the item was a one season thing. Here today, gone next season. They were so, so wrong.

Worldwide, the leggings phenomenon has grown more popular each seasonand it looks like the trend is here to stay (for now). Every season there are styling updates and new ways of wearing the look. Fabrications have improved and items like jeggings have become an equally big hit.

I am a big, big leggings fan, but it took me 6 months to get into the vibe. I’ve written several posts on why they are a great idea, like the one showing our stylish forum members strutting their stuff. Dressed up or down, everyone can wear leggings in a way that suits their style, age and body type. Some wear them casually, while others add a sophisticated and dressy component to the outfit. Some wear them cropped, while others prefer ankle length. Some like prints and patterns, while others prefer black. Some wear them with knitted dresses and tunics while other match them with wovens. The ensemble combinations are literally endless.

I’m also proud to say that most of my clients sport some sort of leggings ensemble – right up to the age of 70.

I absolutely love how leggings add a hip edge to my outfits, whilst keeping me warm, comfortable and covered. For my dressy style, I wear black leggings only. I wear them both cropped with side zipper, ruching or button detailing, or long with stirrup detailing. I pair them with woven skirts and dresses and match them with both heels or flats. I do not wear colours or patterns, match them with knitted tunics or wear them with boots.

Over to you. After years of legging mania that’s still going strong, do you wear leggings? If so, how long did it take you to come around to the idea and how do you wear them? If you don’t wear leggings, what’s holding you back?

If denim shirts aren’t your thing, then how about a denim dress? Frocks made of denim seem to pop up every decade. A-line maxi denim dresses in the 70’s, strong shouldered denim shirtdresses in the 80’s, and spaghetti strap denim dresses in the 90’s (the ones you wore layered over a white T-shirt). Do these styles sound familiar ?

Now in the noughties, the silhouette of denim dress is very much up to you. From straight sheath cuts and A-line fit-and-flares, to boxy shirt styles, wraps and ruffled looks. Fabric technology has come a long way so the fitted dress styles have an ample amount of comfy stretch. If authentic denim fabric is too rugged and sloppy looking, there are plenty of dressier washes and rinses to choose from.

Denim dresses are versatile. You won’t be able to wear them in business casual settings, but they can stretch to smart casual. They can also be dressed down to super casual status with the right footwear and accessories. Layer over a cardigan or jacket for warmth. Some of the styles will even work with both ankle length and cropped leggings.

One tip: swapping out the self fabric belt of shirtdress styles for something with texture or colour is a great way to break up the look of an all denim item.

So whose feeling denim dresses? You’ll see mine tomorrow.

An assortment of denim dress styles: sheath, shirt, wrap and fit-and-flare. I chose a boxy shirt style and it’s my favourite dress so far this season.

If you fancy the look of vintage design, give these T-straps a whirl. They’re surprisingly comfortable because the toe box is roomy, the leather soft, the heel stable and the footbed fairly cushioning. With a three and a half inch heel, they’re too high to be anything but “sitting shoes” for me, but that might not be the case for you, especially if you work at a desk for most of the day.

They would also make a good occasion shoe, adding a refreshing touch to an existing dress or suit. They look smashing under slacks or skinny jeans and just beautiful with a skirt. The T-strap style also makes for a fabulous year round shoe because they look magical paired with fun textured hose.

Both colours are pretty, but I personally prefer the grey just because it works better with my colouring. At $89.95, it’s not a bad deal for quite a nicely made shoe.

Today YLF will send its first monthly newsletter. We realized that many members go through periods when they aren’t able to visit the site regularly, and we thought it would be nice for people in this situation to receive a monthly summary of the interesting things that have happened here on YLF. The first edition will go out tonight and we look forward to your feedback and suggestions for future editions.

All email subscribers and YLF members will receive the first edition of the newsletter. You can opt out of future editions using the “Remove me from this list” link in the footer of the email message.

While setting up the newsletter we took the opportunity to make a few other improvements to our email communications system. Please read on if you use (or would like to use) email notifications or RSS feeds to keep up to date with YLF.

Click here to read about new email notifications and RSS feeds »