It’s the last day of the year! Let’s pay tribute to the very best of our 2009 wardrobes, including both old and new items. These are the items that you wore over and over and over again and LOVED to bits. You felt fabulous each time you put them on and missed them when they were in the wash, or when the weather didn’t cooperate. You even created outfits around these items so that you could wear them more often!

It was hard coming up with my top ten list because I was particularly excited about my wardrobe options this year. In no particular order, here are my 2009 wardrobe favourites and the reasons they ranked tops:

1. Stirrup leggings because they’re sleek, retro and arty.
2. Cream and black studded satchel because it’s so Chanel-esque.
3. Yellow and white scarf because it smiled back at me each time it refreshed my Spring ensembles.
4. Chestnut slouch boots because they dress down my dressier frocks and add a rugged touch to my polished style.
5. All my sheath and sack dresses because they’re versatile, flattering, forgiving and very feminine. And because I’m on a major frock kick.
6. Off-white leather jacket because it makes me feel like a Bond girl.
7. Textured hose because they kick my frock and boot ensembles up a notch.
8. Zippered skinnies because they’re the best blast from the past.
9. Black patent eyelet and stud belt because it adds an instant edge.
10. White 20 eyelet Dr. Martens knee-high boots because they cause a stir each time they go out to play.

My priceless Valentino handbag is too new to make the list for 2009, but it is definitely the first item on my list for 2010.

I did not include my watch, wedding ring, eyewear, pearl necklaces, fragrance and haircut because they’d occupy six places on the list which would leave little room for anything else! But each year, these six items probably work the hardest in my wardrobe which is why they deserve a special mention.

Over to you ladies. Let’s hear about your 2009 wardrobe favourites and why they are on you list.

Time for early Spring break! I enjoy researching trends for the next season. Observing couture collections at Fashion Week is always the starting point. The next step is obtaining information from top French trend houses like Promostyl and Premiere Vision. I used to deal with Promostyl when I was a fashion buyer, visiting their head office in Paris regularly. Working with their teams was always an impressive explosion of creative energy.

Information about the upcoming fashion season from trend houses is usually only available to you if you’ve paid for their services. Luckily, this site is displaying some of Promostyl’s Spring and Summer 2010 story boards. The joys of the Internet.

Good old Pantone publishes a free fashion colour report each season. It’s well illustrated, simple to understand, and to the point. The general colour direction is in line with what I’ve managed to piece together from various sources.

But we differ on the “it” colour for Spring 2010. My bet is on newcomer “violet”, but Pantone maintains that “turquoise” is going to be the colour of the season. I’m sticking with violet because there is going to be a 90’s fashion revival next season and shades of deep lilac and light purple were big back then. Hope I don’t have to eat my words.

Pantone’s palette for Spring 2010

We’ve covered nine of the 10 casual outfit formulas in great detail (refresh your memories with formulas #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 #6 ,#7, #8 and #9). Formula #10 is about leggings and we’ve also covered that in detail. Phew! That’s a lot of casual Autumn options, just in time for… Winter.

For many of us Autumn has come and gone, and we are faced with bitterly cold Winter weather. Not to fear, these outfits can still work with the appropriate winterizing touches. This means layering with style, or as Sally from Already Pretty put it in a great post she wrote recently, “layering without lumps”. By layering with the appropriate items both underneath and on top of the formula ensembles, you’ll stay warm outside, but feel ventilated when you peel off the layers indoors.

In some instances you’ll wear every additional layer, and in other instances you’ll only add one or two. Here’s my recipe for toasty Winter buns:

1. Thermal silk underwear: Not terribly alluring, but very warm! Personally, silk underwear is not for me. I find it uncomfortable and prefer to layer in other ways. I wear a long camisole that I can tuck into undies and wear tights, often two pairs, under my jeans, pants, skirts and dresses.
2. Tights: Hosiery is a wonderful thing. It’s a no brainer with skirts and dresses and opaques are great to wear under jeans and slacks. If you prefer to wear fine textured hose instead of woolly tights like I do, wear a pair of nude hose under patterned hose for extra cozy warmth. Works like a charm.
3. Warm socks: There are plenty of toasty sock options these days and knee-high wool blends are warmest. If you have a bad reaction to wool like I do, opt for long cotton socks and wear two pairs.
4. Knitwear: Substitute items made of wool and wool blends for tops made of cotton rich fabrications like T’s and knit tops. This is tricky for people who are allergic to wool, but there is a bigger selection of itch-free options every season. I’ve found that cashmere and silk-wool blends are less itchy so don’t give up on wool yet. Keep your knitwear fairly fine gauge to achieve optimal sleekness. Chunky knits tend to make you look and feel bigger and they don’t layer well under jackets and coats.
5. Jackets: Wear a form fitting lined wool blazer or leather jacket over your top layers and underneath your coat. I’ve found the extra insulating layer of a jacket indispensable. It’s also makes me feel chic when I’m still wearing a structured jacket after I’ve removed my coat. (In order for this layering trick to work, you have to get the fit of the coat just right).
6. Weather proof boots: Boots are much warmer than pumps and ballet flats worn with hose. And the more of your foot and leg that is enclosed by weatherproof material, the warmer you’ll be.
7. Coat: The thicker and longer the coat, the warmer you’ll feel. Heavy wool coats with thinuslate linings are effective, but puffers are the best solution for temperatures below freezing. I run colder than most, but I’ve found that coats shorter than knee-length are a waste of time when it’s ridiculously cold. You need total thigh coverage for maximum insulation.
8. Scarves: Thick bulky scarves that you can tie close to the neck in multiple layers are magical. It’s amazing how much warmer you feel when you wear the right scarf. Flimsy, lightweight silk scarves are decorative but not nearly as warm. Feel free to wear a necklace under the scarf so that when your scarf comes off indoors, you’ll feel put together with your other accessories.
9. Hats: Hats can look sensational if you have the hair and face shape that compliments the look. Audi recently wrote an excellent post on flattering hats for every head, which is well worth a squizz. And even if you still don’t feel fab in a hat and loathe hat-head, get over it and bite the bullet. You need to cover your head when temperatures really plummet and that’s all there is to it. The Budget Babe has spotted a few adorable casual hat options that won’t break the bank.
10. Gloves: The right pair of gloves is essential. I prefer leather with a cashmere lining because it’s versatile and works with all dress codes. But preferences differ and you might prefer wool, fleece or even mittens.
11. Legwarmers: If you like this 80’s flashback, they are super cute and very practical.

Sleeveless sheath dresses don’t need to hibernate either. Try layering underneath them with button down shirts, turtlenecks, crewnecks sweaters and other long sleeved tops before you add a jacket and coat. Also, if you’d prefer to wear pumps and hose to work but need to brave the elements on your commute, swap out your shoes when you get there. Kasmira wrote a great post last year on how she creatively bundles up for her bus commute.

There are stylish solutions for all aspects of life! Do you use these layering tricks? Please add to the list in the comments if I’ve missed anything out.

This post was written by Ana, long time member of the YLF forum.

I sat in the dimly lit restaurant listening to the chatter of the ladies around me. Absent mindedly, I chewed my lip. The beautifully wrapped gift sat at the other end of the long table. In a few minutes I was going to present it to Angie, and I still had no idea what to say. What words would adequately express the gratitude and fondness I, and many other women from the YouLookFab forum, had for her? How could I thank her for creating an online community that is supportive and friendly and goes beyond merely deciding what to put on in the morning? Through YouLookFab I had met so many wonderful women and started relationships off the forum that enrich my life on a daily basis.

It was during one of these “offline” conversations that a few of us hit on the idea of trying to do something for Angie in return. Laura (laura65) sent an e-mail to me and other members Tanya, Inge, and Sandy (san) in October and we began brainstorming a list of forum members who might like to participate. We knew we could only contact a small fraction of the overall community, but we felt that the gesture would reflect the sentiment of many others. After we had a master list together, we divided it up and sent members a private message on the forum, detailing our idea and inviting them to contribute.

The response was overwhelming!

Almost all of the women we contacted were eager to help and many said they had wanted to do something similar but didn’t know how to go about it. We set a deadline for December 1. Our goal was lofty—everyone agreed that the Valentino petal satchel (that Angie had listed as her dream bag) must somehow be hers.

Laura kept us updated on the running total as the deadline approached and the contributions poured in. By December 1 we were getting there, but still short of the price of the bag. YLF member Patience suggested we call Nordstrom and see if they could do anything for us. Sandy took it upon herself to do this, working her way up the management chain through a series of phone calls and finally speaking with the manager of the handbag department, who offered to sell it to us for a price within the amount of money we had collected! Sandy picked it up and had it wrapped just days before we planned on presenting the gift. Included with the bag was a gorgeous booklet that long time YLF member Maya had designed and hand-made containing sentiments from the women who had donated.

The next order of business was deciding how to present the gift. I knew I just had to be there when Angie received her bag. I was planning a cross-country road trip to Idaho from Texas for the Christmas holiday, and Seattle is just one day’s drive beyond that. I e-mailed forum member and Angie’s friend, Antje, who had organized a previous Seattle YouLookFab gathering. She jumped at the chance to put something together. To avoid arousing suspicion, we used my visit as an excuse for a dinner. With Greg’s input, Antje booked a private room at a restaurant in downtown Seattle, and invited Angie and local forum members who had contributed to the gift.

As the ladies arrived lots of hugging and laughter took place. I felt like I had met them all before, even though it was the first time I had even seen some of their faces. We settled down into our seats and I stood and thanked everyone for coming and explained how incredibly excited I was to be there and meet them all. I thanked Angie for creating such a welcoming and special community on YouLookFab, and that even though we couldn’t ever begin to repay her for all the work she and Greg put in, we wanted to try and do something for her to show our appreciation.

We all sat with anticipation as Angie slowly opened her gift. She loved the wrapping and pointed out that it was apple green and pink—YLF colors. She got the wrapping off and noticed the box was from Nordstrom. “Oh, it’s from a good store,” she joked. She took the lid off the box and said, “Oh, tissue paper, thank you!” and we all laughed. She looked down at the red dust bag and paused. She reached down and touched it, then gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. “You DIDN’T!” She opened the dust bag and peeked inside. “I’m finished,” she said and began tearing up. “I’m gobsmacked… I don’t even know what to say.”

After Angie had wiped away her joyful tears, read the booklet and regained her composure, she wanted to know all the details that went into her surprise. The rest of the evening was spent chatting and filling everyone in on the story.

I still can’t believe we pulled the whole thing off. It was really a group effort, and the response from the women we messaged was amazing! YouLookFab is truly a fabulous place full of wonderful, kind and selfless women. Thank you Angie and Greg for putting in the time and effort you do. Angie—enjoy your bag, and when you carry it, we hope you’ll think of us.

—

Well, I’m no longer speechless, but words still won’t completely express my gratitude for your thoughtfulness and generosity. I was emotionally overwhelmed for days upon the receipt of this gift and it still feels surreal. I would never, ever have treated myself to a Valentino handbag, so you are the only reason I am sporting it right now. To me this is so much more than a material possession. It represents the love and kindness of the entire YLF community. I shall cherish my exquisite Valentino handbag for the rest of my life, and proudly carry it with your affectionate sentiments engraved deeply into my heart. —Angie