Wearing a trouser or skirt suit outside a professional environment isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. They scream strict, matronly, boring and conservative discomfort. I hear you. Suits can look severe and business-y, the opposite of alluring and festive. But they don’t need to. I actually have fun wearing a suit and I feel alluring in a suit ensemble. As is often the case, it’s how you put the look together that makes the difference.

Here is the formula:

Dressy suit + fun, feminine, formal layer + heels + small handbag

I adore the look, ease, polish, presence and practicality of suits and find myself sticking up for the orphaned item at every opportunity. I’ve had a currently styled pants suit in my wardrobe for 15 years and will probably have one forever because it’s a no-brainer timeless go-to item that I can dress both up or down. A suit comes in very handy when you don’t know what to wear for semi-formal and desk-to-dinner occasions. Add a bit of sparkle, spunk and attitude to this formula and you’re good to go:

Here are the components in more detail:

• Dressy suit: Suits come in many colours, styles and fabrications. A wool or triacetate-blend solid or baby pinstripe trouser or skirt suit in charcoal, ink blue or black gets my vote as the most versatile option. For my own style, I prefer an uber-tailored, androgynous styled suit with strong simple lines. But there are all sorts of design variations that can make a suit look more playful, like retro collar and button detailing, pocket placement, peplum insets and interesting cuff treatment. Look out for these types of detailing if that’s more to your taste.
• Fun, feminine formal layer: This is the key to the formula. A contrasting layer of girly glitz and texture underneath the suit jacket takes the vibe from drab to fab. Opting for a super feminine, soft, shiny and drapey blouse is a flop proof solution. The jade green shell top I’m wearing above is iridescent and ruffled, which contrasts well against the harshness of the suit. I’ve added extra texture to the layer by tying a fish-scaled shawl as a scarf around my neck which double duties as a necklace. In my other example I’ve broken the rules by layering a hard, matte, rigid and masculine button-down shirt with Greg’s tie. But I’ve added back femininity by un-buttoning an extra shirt button and placing the tie INSIDE the collar making it function more like a scarf than a necktie. Draping a whimsical necklace over the tie adds even more texture, contrast and playfulness. If you’re daring, wear nothing but your bra and a lacy camisole under a buttoned-up suit jacket. Pile on a statement necklace and watch those heads turn.
• Heels: Very few things are as feminine as a heeled shoe. Peds with bling and sheen work particularly well because they’re visually interesting which once again contrasts well against the severity of the suit.
• Small handbag: Geometric clutches are hands down the best bag to sport with this formula because their neat graphic simplicity packs a modern punch. I like to add a bold clutch to my look so that it stands out against the suit.

Adding girly accessories like dangly bracelets, bangles and earrings or cocktail rings are also effective ways of loosening up the suit look. Remember your party make-up, your confidence and a smile. Bob’s your uncle… your sassy party suit style just made a fabulous impression.

Today we are thrilled to launch the new YLF store! It is all about saving you time and helping you to make fewer, better purchases that really count.

Me, Your Personal Shopper

Between working with clients and shopping for myself, I spend a lot of time in stores evaluating merchandise for a wide range of body types, fashion personas, lifestyles and budgets. I’m going to use this knowledge to “stock” the YLF store with tried and tested items that I love, and hopefully you’ll love too. (Truth be told, I also miss my days in retail, and the YLF store allows me to be a bit of fashion buyer again).

But mine is only one opinion. The YLF store will also allow you to weigh in and tell other readers about your experiences with the items that I put in the store. You can write a review, and give a star rating to each item.

Personal Shopping that’s Tailored to You

When I put items in the store I will specify the body types and fashion personas that suit them best. This means that you will be able to filter the store contents according to your own personal situation and preferences. Remember that these are merely starting points. Body types do not conform perfectly to the five simple stereotypes and you will need to take into account your secondary body type and body shape modifiers. And when it comes to fashion persona, it is often HOW you wear an item that will make the difference.

We have worked hard to make it easy to navigate the store. You can focus in specific departments, sort the items in different orders (price, rating and date), and you can view the items in detail, as a gallery, or as a list.

Stores and Brands

I do spend a lot of time in Nordstrom, so don’t be surprised to see a lot of merchandise from their shelves in the YLF store. But we are also affiliated with department stores like Macy’s, Dillards, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s, and brands like Diesel, Lucky Brand Jeans, Gap, Armani, Bebe, Old Navy and Esprit. And of course, the great Zappos.com.

Note that the store is a revenue generating feature. The affiliate partner pays us a commission when you follow a link from the YLF store and then purchase an item from them. This commission won’t be visible to you, and it won’t affect the price of the product you purchase.

It will support YLF though, helping us to offset some of the expenses of running the site and taking us closer to the day that we can make YLF a fulltime pursuit.

Happy Shopping!

So please jump in. Go directly to the store, or read a little more about how it all works. If you have any trouble with the new features (there are bound to be teething problems), or if you have any other comments or suggestions, please comment below, or use the sticky thread we have created in the forum.

Several seasons ago I created a cheat sheet for the flop proof holiday party ensemble. The essential guidelines remain unchanged and the components of the formula are as follows:

Dressy dress + cover-up + heels + small handbag (hose is optional)

Creating a party outfit that’s fab for today AND several seasons into the future requires extra attention to details. If you choose the items carefully you’ll be able to wear the same timeless outfit year after year, perhaps changing the look slightly with a different arsenal of accessories each time. This approach to formal dressing saves you time, money and last minute holiday outfit stress. Obviously, if you’d prefer to change up your holiday look each year with a completely new outfit then that’s loads of fun too.

I thoroughly enjoy sporting the latest fashion trends in my every day style, but when it comes to formal wear, I like to look classic, retro and vintage because I adore the aesthetic and it won’t date. The dresses, shoes and accessories that you see in these pictures are many, many years old and still going strong. Some of the items were pricey, while others were moderately priced or dirt cheap, like the black floral feathered brooch on the strappy sequined dress which cost $4 at an H&M sale.

If you’d like to have a current and fun, yet timeless dimension in your party wardrobe capsule, these tips will help you on your way:

• Pick an era: Dressy frocks with design features from decades like the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s are always in style because they look retro. Shopping vintage stores to get authentically old pieces from these decades can also be a fun experience.
• Add the modern element: It’s important to add the “hip factor” to a classic, retro and vintage ensemble to keep things fresh and updated. At the end of the day you still want to look cool when you’re classic! This is easily achievable through accessories and in my case, my short mod pixie haircut instantly acts as one of these accessories. For the first full bottomed frock look, layering several strands of oversized pearls is very “now”. So is the clutch made of ruffled biker zippers that I matched with the red dress, while the bold geometric bag contrasts nicely against the vintage sequined frock.
• Texture, texture, texture: Making sure your ensemble is texture-rich from top to toe is the most important part and I cannot stress this enough. This is what makes your outfit interesting and totally yours. Look for dresses and accessories that are made of interesting fabrications and mismatch these fabrications in one outfit. For example, choose a cover-up made of an iridescent texture especially when it’s in the same colour as the dress. Mix shiny with matte, hard with soft, and bright with neutral.

Finish off the look with a bit of party make-up and a trench or relatively dressy Winter coat (no puffers please). For me that means fiery red Chanel lipstick, darker brows and a black sateen trench coat with a huge silver buckle. I like to leave off my specs and chunky watch with this formula. My cell phone keeps the time and Greg becomes my eyes for the evening (no specs!).

There is so much going on in the world of make-up and it’s totally overwhelming. As soon as I walk into Sephora, I feel like walking straight back out again. Countless tubes of gloss, concealer, liner, bronzer, shadow, shimmery blush and other goo that‘s unfamiliar to my eye. I’m much more interested in skincare treatment than make-up, which is why I encourage a rigorous skincare routine, and an extremely natural makeup regime.

But helping clients with simple make-up solutions and suggestions is part of my job, so I’ve had to learn enough about the subject to keep clients looking adequately polished during the day. At this time of year, the subject of party make-up comes up and my suggestions are overly simple because I just don’t like the look of an overly made-up face. After all, you in your “almost natural” form is most stylish!

I usually suggest the following make-up tips for party occasions so that you look a little brighter at night than during the day:

• Create an even skin tone with foundation or tinted moisturizer
• Apply a darker shade of lipstick
• Create a stronger brow line
• Double up the layer of mascara
• Add a little more blush

I also suggest a trip to the Mac make-up counter a few hours before an event if you’re after a smoky evening eye with eye shadow and liner. They do a great job and its virtually free. All you need to do is purchase one of their make-up items and you’re good to go. No need to fuss with make-up products on your own.

What’s your party make-up regimen and does it change from your daily make-up routine? How can I improve my party wear make-up tips? Are you enamored by the shimmery products that are available at make-up counters at this time of year, or do you find it overwhelming too?