As you have probably noticed, we’ve made some small changes to the site. First, Lisa Henderling updated my look to reflect current reality. Cropped hair, new specs and my typical uniform of skinnies, a girly woven top, tailored jacket and chunky pearl necklace. Even Jasmine and Rosie had a collar change. And although I’m wearing my red patent Kate Spade heels, I’m kind to my feet when I walk our girls. I’m either in flats or Converse for sure. We let Lisa have artistic license on this one.

Second, we’ve added some functionality to the forum.

• Profile links: Wherever they appear, the names of forum members now link to their profile page. Here you can find information about the member (whatever they choose to include in their profile) and see a list of their recent posts.
• Online members: The list of members currently online is displayed in the forum sidebar. These are also linked to the member profiles.

We love the sense of community in the forum, and we hope that making the profiles more accessible will allow members to learn a bit more about each other. It is very easy to add more information to your profile: just click “edit” alongside “Your Profile” in the forum sidebar.

As always, let us know if you have any comments or notice any bugs.

Sometimes we know our wardrobe orphans will never work and we need to pass them on. My wide-leg pants, emerald green camisole and cocktail rings were such orphans and they’ve found a happy home at Dress for Success. Other times, wardrobe orphans get a second chance once we’ve worked out how to wear them. In my case, a potential orphan often gets new life when I’ve purchased a new piece to pair it with, like a pair of shoes, top or jacket.

These are the items in my closet that went from drab to fab over the last year:

• Bootcut jeans: A pair of chunky, distressed pewter pumps and a welted tunic renewed the look of my bootcuts. I can once again feel great in these jeans, which means I can give my skinnies a rest from time to time.
• Cobalt blue patent snake-skin tote: I hardly used this handbag in its first year (my cream cracked patent tote was my go-to bag at the time). I bought a retro, cobalt wool coat last Winter which brought the cobalt bag to life. It is now among my favourites because I’m sporting a neutral, textured look more frequently and the cobalt bag offers a fabulous spot of colour, particularly against cream, white and black.
• Printed yellow and purple shirt: I wore this silky shirt with voluminous sleeves a few times and then promptly abandoned it for a year. But it became a favourite once I had the perfect denim skirt to wear it with. I receive many compliments when I wear this rather hectic shirt and I can’t for the life of me understand why I delayed the look. I suppose I’ve finally found a way to make it feel effortless.
• Silver sling-back wedge heels: These shoes competed with my cream wedges, which I bought at the same time. I initially favoured my cream wedges while my silver pair collected dust. But they became my go-to Spring and Summer wedge this year and work perfectly with just about all of my outfits. I now can’t imagine my wardrobe without them.

Perhaps you also have pieces in your closet that took a while to get into circulation. I’d love to hear about them because I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in reviving some of my orphaned wardrobe items.

Pencil skirts are typically part of a business formal clothing capsule. That’s where we’ve seen the bulk of the pencil skirt trend over the last few decades, but not this season. Playful pencil skirts are popping up all over the show in an abundance of fabrications (and their style detailing is wicked). For those of you who like to sport the “naughty secretary” or “librarian look”, your fashion fantasy just came true.

The pencil skirt has been making it’s comeback for a while. It’s resurgence goes hand-in-hand with the rebirth of ‘80’s tapered jeans. Both profiles are about looking sleek, sleek, sleek.

Pear shaped body types should be careful with pencil skirts, because A-line silhouettes are generally more flattering. But if you’re a pretty pear and you want to wear a pencil skirt, I say give it a bash. I’ve had success with pear shaped gals in pencils if the silhouette falls straight from the hip down (no tapering). This type of pencil style offers the look of a pencil with the advantages of an A-line. It’s a win.

The opposite holds true if you’re after a little more curve on the hip and thigh area. Opt for a silhouette that tapers in from the hip and follows the contour of your legs. Also a win.

A lass in a slick top and curve-hugging pencil skirt is as feminine and alluring as it gets. I like to pair my pencil skirts with a tucked-in button-down, form fitting polo-neck, or blousy top, a biker jacket or denim jacket, and knee high boots, fancy flats or chunky pumps. YLF forum members are having a ball sporting their pencil skirts this season. Feast your eyes on Sarah, Kyle, Eva, Nicole, Patience, Tanya and Ana. Each a different body type sporting a different style. They look fab!

For some reason there aren’t many pencil skirt options available online, but there are fantastic styles at stores like Anne Taylor, Express, Macys, Club Monaco, Benetton, Anthropologie and Nordstrom. Remember that denim and corduroy pencil skirts are superb casual alternatives if you feel that tweed and smarter fabrications are too fussy for your lifestyle.

I thought that Friday’s blog post on effortless style elicited some very eloquent, insightful comments. Here is my take on the matter, together with some of the quotes that really resonated.

Know yourself: This is where having style starts. You have to choose tasteful items that flatter your body type, show a bit of your personality and are occasion-appropriate. As Wendy says, it is about…

“knowing your body, who you are as a person, and what your lifestyle demands”.

Be confident: Confidence is key because style is in the wearer, not the clothes. Anyone can buy fashion, but style you have to own. It’s imperative to wear your look with conviction. Nicole is spot on when she says:

“I think the effortless part comes with confidence. It’s about owning your look and feeling confident in that ownership”

Sometimes it takes a while to wear a new look with confidence. In this case you’re building yourself up to the effortless part. I agree with JenniferBlue’s sentiment:

“I think you have to BELIEVE in what you’re wearing”

Don’t fuss: Effortless style allows you to get on with your day in a fabulous ensemble with minimum fuss. Your style is not effortless if you’re self conscious about the way you look and are uncomfortable in your outfit. As Ellen put it,

“I feel effortless because I really don’t have to pay attention to my clothes to know I look good”

Make the effort: There is no such thing as a stylish look without effort. This becomes easier when it is part of your routine and lifestyle. You want to establish efficient and effective stylish habits (and break bad stylish habits). Mirah puts it well when she says:

“effortless style is the final outcome not the actual process”.

Don’t try too hard: Heavy make-up at any time of the day or night screams fashion victim. All you’re after for ANY occasion is a bit of polish (whether the event is a ball or ball game). As A says:

“it comes down to high quality basics (cosmetics, hair and clothing.) Not overdone and consistent from day to day.”

Be yourself: In my opinion, Jennifer Aniston’s understated modern classic style and Kate Moss’s over-the-top, dramatic style are equally effortless. Aniston would look as if she was “trying too hard” if she started sporting one of Moss’s creative ensembles. By the same token, Moss would look bland and boring if she wore a classic Aniston look.

At the end of the day style begins and ends with a strong sense of yourself. As Lori puts it:

“You may be the most fashionable woman around, but if you are not comfortable with who you are than no amount of fashion will make you look effortless”.

Thank you for all the great input. There were many other excellent points. And different approaches: Johanna focuses on what is not effortless style and Anita makes an interesting analogy with effortless cooking. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to take a look at the comments yourself.