Is feeling sexy wrapped up in an attitude, or is it about the way we dress? For me it’s a little of both. I feel my most alluring when I’m really confident. It is about knowing myself, making the most of my strengths and accepting my weaknesses. In other words, being comfortable in my own skin and keeping insecurities at bay.

But let’s face it, a hot outfit really helps to boost that confidence on any given day. Here are the ones that do it for me:

• Sleek: Sleeveless sheath dress with high neckline and heels
• Commanding: Skinny jeans tucked into flat knee-high boots with black turtle neck, fabulous scarf and biker jacket
• Naughty: Pencil skirt with turtle neck or button down shirt and heels
• Crisp: Impeccable white blouse with skinny jeans, belt and ballet flats
• Hip: Sleeveless sack dress with heels

This may be somewhat atypical because in most cases I’m covering up skin (leaving something to the imagination can be sexy too). And the silhouettes are generally form–fitting, which is revealing in its own way.

I’ll add four things that make me feel attractive no matter what I wear: a great hairstyle, well cared for skin, a pretty scent, and matching bras and knickers.

Your turn. What makes you feel alluring and why?

Today’s post is written by fabulous Euro forum member, Inge, who is Belgian and resides in Antwerp. Inge is a freelance translator and personal book shopper whose spunky and creative style is often a source of inspiration on our forum. Inge, LegacyOfPearl and Zeynep recently met for a fun shopping trip in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This is how their delightful day went down.

Recently on a sunny but nippy Saturday morning, I donned my A.B.S. dress and jeans, added my cream bomber jacket and drove to Rotterdam for the first ever European YLF gathering. At the Central Station, fellow YLF member LegacyOfPearl (LOP) and her stylish friend Zeynep were already waiting for me. Unfortunately, Elika had to cancel last-minute and Angie, who had actually been considering flying out here for the event, couldn’t make it either due to other obligations.

A five minute walk brought us to the city centre with its numerous shops, and we decided to systematically work our way down to the Koopgoot (Dutch for “buying gutter”). Zeynep, who has a predilection for Italian clothing, immediately struck gold in a small independent boutique specializing in Italian brands. The earthy colour of the sleeveless dress with pleated skirt looked stunning on her, and it was 50% off!

Next stop was a funky shoe store were LOP fell in love with a suede sand-coloured pair of sandal booties that she ended up buying the next day in Amsterdam. We trotted from shop to shop all the while talking up a storm. Zeynep snapped up a cute gym bag with fluorescent animal print in a discount store and then we hit Mexx. On the sales rack my two lovely companions found me a fantastic dark brown sleeveless dress. The utilitarian vibe was right up my alley and it proved perfect to wear with leggings or jeans. While I was paying, LOP spotted a two-toned grey strappy dress. She’d been looking for a Summery frock for an upcoming wedding in Turkey. Something festive, elegant and mom-friendly that would still allow carefree playing with her son. And there it was.

Successful shopping makes me hungry, so we headed over to “De Bijenkorf”, a huge luxurious department store, for a spot of lunch. At their Restaurant La Ruche we were spoilt for choice: fresh fruit juices, sandwiches that resembled works of art, sushi, wok dishes, colourful salads and delectable pastries. We toasted to Angie and all the YLF forum members over strawberry tartlets and yummy chocolate gateau!

On our way out the three of us drooled over the Karen Millen collection and a gorgeous navy & white Armani frock with amazing detailing. At H&M, LOP and Zeynep bought black leggings, and convinced me to go for grey leggings with a bit of sheen to them (jazzercise anyone?).

Vila, a budget-friendly Danish brand with a somewhat minimalistic feel comes highly recommended. Zeynep went home with a fab white button-down tunic and a dressy sleeveless top in a gorgeous purplish blue. We also witnessed an on the spot style transformation: in the dressing room LOP unbuttoned her beautiful white & yellow ruffled cardi, revealing her blue cami, popped on the just bought leggings under her denim pencil skirt and topped it all off with a skinny belt. “Now I feel like myself again”, she sighed relieved. Fun!

Suddenly a slight panic broke out because we thought the shops were open until 7 pm, when in fact, they close at 5 pm. We hurried over to another H&M and then sprinted to Zara. Good thing we persevered, since LOP walked away with a patterned black scarf and the cutest pair of green pumps.

Catching our breath we plopped down on a terrace to enjoy a well-deserved drink and admire our purchases. Drinks turned into dinner, during which we chatted happily about language learning, eating Nutella straight from the jar, how to start your own book club (wine is the secret ingredient apparently), Indonesian and Turkish cuisine, luxury brand shopping in Istanbul, American menswear, children’s clothing, dressing for a corporate environment…

It truly was a marvelous day, and we were especially pleased to discover that as three solo shoppers at heart, we hit it off so well and actually made the perfect shopping team. Thank you Angie for creating the opportunity to make this happen! And thank you LegacyOfPearl and Zeynep, you are two super sweet lasses and a dream to shop with!

I love encouraging YLF forum members to push their fashion envelopes. It’s fun to see people put their preconceived notions aside and experiment with new looks. One of the great examples of this has been leggings. Initially, there weren’t many takers for the look and I couldn’t understand why. It’s inexpensive, comfortable, unfussy, flattering, modern, practical and very versatile. We are into their third season and the item is still popular in cities like Paris, Hong Kong and London.

Anyone can wear leggings and look smashingly appropriate once the details are right. This is why they made my must have list for Spring and Summer 2009, and they’ll work perfectly as we head into Autumn. I’ve written several posts on how to wear leggings, including this recent synopsis.

In case you need to refresh your memory, here are 5 easy steps:

1. Leggings are not a substitute for pants and jeans: Think of them as an accessory and not an item of clothing. In the 80’s some of us wore normal length tops that exposed our thighs and more when we wore this look. Not this time round. Think of leggings as bloomers that peek out from under an outfit. Note that even as an accessory, they still look best when they’re thick and substantial so go up a size if you need to.
2. Consider the length of the leggings: wear them cropped, on the calf or at the ankle. Somewhere between the bottom of your knee and the widest part of your calf seems to work for most people.
3. Consider the length of the top: A certain amount of coverage is necessary because leggings aren’t pants. This makes tunics and frocks the way to go. Generally, tops and frocks that finish between mid thigh and right above the knee cap are most flattering.
4. Consider the height of the heel: There are no hard and fast rules regarding the height of the heel and the length of the leggings. It’s a question proportion and preferences. You’re after a look that gives you a longer leg line. In some instances you might prefer a heel and in others flats will be fine.
5. Keep the look a little more sophisticated once you’re over the age of 40: You don’t want to look child-like in leggings unless you’re a child. Check out this discussion for thoughts on how to keep leggings age appropriate.

In most cases you’ll need to experiment with the length of the leggings, the length of the top and the height of the heels. There are many combinations that will work. In some instances you might prefer a tunic with cropped leggings for flats. In other instances you might prefer a dress with ankle length leggings and heels. I tend to prefer the aesthetic of a longer tunic or dress with leggings, but that’s not a rule.

The actions of our forum members speak louder than my words so feast your eyes on 35 of them in over 120 leggings outfits. Our models cover ALL heights, body types, sizes, ages, fashion personas, budgets and dress codes. A lot more compelling than catalogue models. Brilliant.

It was terribly hard to select only a subset, but here are 14 of our fabulous forum gals that illustrate an assortment of very wearable leggings ensembles (click the pictures to see the original photo). From super casual to chic deluxe and everything in-between. But that’s not all. Be sure to check out the rest of the looks in the forum.

The soft, pleated, roomy trouser has been an integral part of haute couture collections for the last year. Very 80’s. The revived silhouette trickled down to a few high fashion chain stores, but it’s by no means a mainstream look (yet).

This style is hard to pull off and for that reason I have my doubts as to whether it will ever become mainstream. Pleats on pants are often voluminous in the wrong way, making us look bloated and poufy, especially when the style demands a tucked-in top. Pant lengths that end around the ankle, or a few inches above the ankle, are leg shortening style suicide, unless they’re super tapered like skinnies or leggings.

But having fun with fringe trends is one of the nicest parts about being a fashion stylist. I have a trendy aspect to my style so I enjoy giving new trends a whirl if I can make them work in an effortless and flattering way. So, believe it or not, I’m attracted to the longer length trouser versions that are ruched at the ankle (you couldn’t pay me to wear anything leg shortening because I’d feel awful and that wouldn’t be worth it). The new LONG slouchy trouser look is interesting and different, which means I’m going to give it a bash.

When I do try the longer length style, I’m thinking of matching it up with a tucked in button down shirt or soft blouse, glorious belt and ankle booties or pumps. Could be fab, or disappointingly hideous. I’ll keep you posted.

The cropped styles on the left do not make it through my style filter, but the longer length styles on the right have a little more potential.