Today’s post on the recent YLF gathering in Manhattan was written by uber-stylish forum member Tanya. A Euro native who lives in Boston, Tanya travelled to NYC to grace us with her fabulous presence and kind persona once again. What a treat!

The YLF gathering in New York City was absolutely incredible! The meeting felt intimate since there were only five of us: Angie, Maya, Laura, me and my wonderful, long-time friend who lives in Manhattan (she chose to stay out of the photos but participated in all of the activities). Maya was the coordinator and she chose a great restaurant in Soho called Balthazar. Laura, my friend and I all met up with Angie at her hotel and caught a cab to the restaurant where Maya was meeting us. Unfortunately she was delayed because of the bad weather but managed to catch up with us fairly quickly.

The weather was freezing and required proper winter clothing. Despite that, the style quotient was amazing! Compliments were flying over our table. We all wore jeans and boots, some skinnies tucked into tall boots and some bootcut jeans worn over shorter boots. Angie wore an amazing black turtleneck and even prettier biker jacket. Laura was sizzling in a sparkly sweater and gorgeous necklace. Maya looked lovely in a beautiful fitted black jacket over a funky tee. I wore my favorite grey boyfriend cardigan over a ruffled black blouse. We braved the weather and took turns quickly dashing out outside sans outerwear to have our photos taken by Greg, who joined us towards the end of the brunch to capture our ensembles for the blog.

The food was wonderful. We all chose either waffles or egg dishes. The conversation was very easy, as if we had known each other forever. Strangely enough, we didn’t talk much about clothes and fashion. Instead, we mainly discussed our lives, careers and plans for the future. We touched on the difficult subject of dressing for women in science and my friend was very interested in a detailed description of what Angie does as a fashion stylist.

Around noon we got to call forum member Inge in Belgium to wish her a happy birthday and “meet” her over the phone, which made an already great event even better. The activities continued with a big swap fest and even bigger shopping expedition till the early evening, but you will have to stay tuned to hear about that later in the week.

It was such a delight to meet Maya and Laura, spend some time with my old friend, and see Angie and Greg for the second time. I feel truly blessed to be a part of the YLF community which allows me to meet such amazing and inspiring women from all over the world. If there is a YLF meeting in your vicinity, don’t miss it. This was my second one and I am now addicted. I will definitely try to attend other gatherings that are reasonably close to my home in Boston.

Finally, I would like to thank Angie and Greg for creating a warm and inviting place online, and all the YLF members for making it what it is. I hope to meet more of you at future gatherings!

Greg and I are big on city walking and we knew that we would spend a lot of time outdoors braving arctic temperatures on the streets of Manhattan. We hardly took public transport and averaged a 100 blocks a day of walking for eight days straight. I feel the cold extremely quickly, but enjoyed every minute of it because I was bundled up and ready for the cold. I dressed smart casually every day, erring on the casual side for wet, slushy days, and on the smarter side for business meeting days.

• Bottoms: I wore dark- and medium-wash skinny jeans tucked into knee-high boots on most days. For extra warmth, I snuck a pair of thick opaque tights underneath my jeans and cozy socks. On my smarter days I wore a pencil skirt with patterned black tights and long boots.
• Tops: Camisole under fitted turtle neck or cowl neck knitwear in an assortment of colours was the order of the day. I stuck to black, grey, turquoise and citron pieces and added a black, skinny, waist-cinching belt most of the time.
• Jacket: I added a lightweight, tailored charcoal wool blazer or a black biker jacket to my top layer. I brought along several styles so that I wouldn’t get bored. It made for a polished and sleek look indoors once I removed my coat.
• Coat: I brought both my heavy, knee-length, charcoal false plain wool coat and thigh-length, gold puffer coat. I ended up wearing the wool coat most days because its extra length made it the warmer option. The double layer of jacket and coat over knitwear might not be your cup of tea, but the extra layer of warmth was perfect for me.
• Scarf: I kept my outfits fun with thick, colourful pashmina scarves that I wrapped around my neck several times. I rotated different scarves daily. I adore my scarves and often kept them on indoors. That’s the beauty of fine gauge cashmere scarves. They looked great both indoors and outdoors and gave my look the necessary punch.
• Footwear: I brought three pairs of knee-high boots, all of which are at least 8-hour walking shoes: black 20 eyelet Docs and grey slouchy boots to wear over jeans, and black pointy-toed patent boots to wear under skirts. All the boots are weatherproof with flat or one inch heels. I wore my Docs on snowy, wet days and they were brilliant. My feet stayed dry and warm as I traipsed through puddles and slush all day long.
• Gloves and hat: Cashmere-lined leather gloves and an ear-covering wool cap was essential. I stuck to black in true Manhattan style, but couldn’t resist bringing out my mustard yellow gloves from time to time. I don’t look good in a hat but it is what it is. You need headgear in freezing temperatures and I was willing to endure the look and the “hat-hair” that went along with it.
• Handbag: I carried my bright red patent tote. That and my vibrant scarves made me stick out like a traffic beacon in amongst all the New York black. But bright colours make me happy and I loved looking different.
• Accessories: It was a week without pearls as I stuck to scarves, belts and interchanging my specs. My wedding ring and white watch remained constant along with the black wool cap.

My fashionable, yet practical clothing formula worked wonderfully well. I felt comfortable, warm, energetic and stylishly fab during leisure and work time. There is absolutely no excuse in these conditions – dressing well while braving the elements is totally achievable. Ten degrees colder, however, would have been a different story. I probably would have opted for the full length puffer and another pair of gloves. How do you dress for the extreme cold?

Left: Laura and I arrived in virtually the same outfit when we met a few days before the YLF gathering. Skirt, turtle neck, biker jacket, black patent boots, tights, colourful scarf and charcoal coat. Uncanny!

Right: That’s me enjoying a cuppa on the Upper East Side and reading your hilarious comments on last week’s post about jumpsuits.

We’ve just returned from eight days of work and play in the Big Apple. We had a fabulous time and have lots to share. Welcome to New York week at YLF!

Winter in NYC can be nasty. Temperatures were predominantly below freezing, ranging from 12 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 to 3 Celsius). Days were either filled with brilliant sunshine, or snow, ice and slush. Despite the bitter cold, most people were pretty stylish. I’ll admit that you’ll see it all in Manhattan on any given day. From woman dressed in sweat pants, running shoes and Uggs, to those adorned in designer brands from head to toe. But generally, there are strong Manhattan style trends and my impressions are as follows:

• Black, black and more black: It’s not a myth. New Yorkers wear a lot of black. Black outwear, clothing, accessories and footwear reigned supreme. If it wasn’t black, it was brown, dark grey or some other neutral. Occasionally, crimson or bordeaux cropped up but that was it. There was very little Winter white or colour of any description. Street fashion in Manhattan during the Winter months is very dark.
• Boots: Both casual and dressy, boots were hands down the most common form of footwear. Knee-high boots worn over jeans, leggings and slacks or with skirts was popular because it’s extremely practical. Ankle boots and Uggs were also big and so were adorable wellington boots on wet slushy days. Heels on footwear were generally low or flat. Occasionally, you’d see a three-inch heeled boot or pump walk by but not often. I was relieved to see that athletic sneakers were in the minority, but my mind boggled when I saw the odd lass in sockless ballet flats. In frost biting temperatures, I just don’t get it.
• Wool Coats and Puffers: Tailored puffer coats were as popular as wool coats and the overall aesthetic was stylish and put together. Most coats were knee-length but extra long coats were abundant too. The “walking sleeping bag look”, or ankle-length puffer coat was not uncommon. Not so fab, but I’ll bet super warm.
• Knitwear and lightweight jackets: Both men and woman wore these layers under their coats. The extra layer is warm and made for a structured and polished look once coats came off indoors.
• Pants and skirts: Most woman wore pants, slacks and jeans, but I saw women in skirts and dresses too. Nice.
• Accessories: Scarves, headgear and gloves were not only an absolute necessity but quite the fashion statement. Virtually everyone wore Winter accessories in all shapes and forms. Ear muffs were also popular as were sunglasses when the sun came out. I spotted several pairs of 80’s inspired legwarmers worn over leggings and jeans. It looked really sweet. Excellent idea! I was envious of the look.
• Oversized Totes: Huge handbags are usually the norm in cities where people commute on foot or with public transport. I don’t think I saw anyone with a small bag during the day.
• Real Fur: There was plenty of real fur on the streets. Women were either decked out in fur from head-to-toe or embraced it as a trim on coats and accessories.

This is the second time I’ve visited NYC in the dead of Winter and my fashion and style perceptions are much the same. People do not generally wear athletic gear when they go about their day and that’s a style blessing. For those of you who have visited, or lived in Manhattan, what’s your take on New York Style? Tomorrow I’ll give you a rundown of what I wore while I was there so stay tuned.

Update: Wendy just pointed us to this New York Times slideshow that does a wonderful job of capturing Manhattan street style in the slush and snow.

Maintaining perfect fit becomes a challenge if your weight fluctuates. A variance of 5 to 10 pounds can be a size difference, especially if you tend to gain or lose weight on the lower part of your body. So what is a girl to do? Here are two options to consider:

• Purchase items that are forgiving on the areas of your body that grow larger and smaller. For example, A-line dresses and skirts are ideal for pear shaped body types that gain weight.
• Double up in different sizes on the items that you wear frequently. For example, consider stocking up on ”sleek jeans” and “roomy jeans”.

It’s an expensive exercise to keep a stock of various sizes in your wardrobe, but unfortunately I see no way around it. How else would you maintain perfect fit when the size of your body is perpetually changing?