The hottest denim silhouette for 2008 is a slim fit jean with a wider leg opening that’s no more than 8 inches on the half circumference. This makes it wider than a skinny or straight leg, but not quite as wide as a flare leg. This so called new silhouette sounds like a good old modern-classic boot cut to me, and most of us have at least one pair of those. Don’t worry ladies, as far as I can gather, last year’s denim silhouettes continue to reign supreme. Skinnies, straight legs, boot cuts and wide legs are all fab.

Wide leg	Slim fit boot cut	Straight leg	Skinny

Choose one or have fun with more denim silhouettes this year. I take pleasure in wearing all of the styles above, but I’m enjoying my straight legs the most right now.

One thing we often talk about behind the scenes at youlookfab is the quality of the comments – our passionate, knowledgeable and eloquent readers make a lot of thoughtful contributions that really add value to the blog. This makes it seem a pity that people don’t have more of an opportunity to start their own threads. It is true that many of the readers have their own blogs, but many don’t.

Another thing we noticed is that people often ask questions on the comment threads, and it is fantastic to see other people jumping in and helping their fellow readers. With the growth in youlookfab, the number of “Ask Angie” questions is starting to outstrip the number of hours in the day I have to respond. It would be brilliant if it was easier for people to turn to the youlookfab community.

So we decided to create the youlookfab forum. It is extremely simple – after signing up just once you will be able to post to one of four different areas: What to Wear, Where to Shop, The Industry and Everything Else.

You can also browse the forum (without signing up), or contribute to the conversations started by other people. From now on, “Ask Angie” questions will be posted in the forum, so you can also look at the latest questions and see whether there are opportunities for you to share your experiences or give advice. I will still be answering questions, but will now be doing so in the forum.

Like any new software thing, the forum is bound to have some teething problems. If you experience one of these, or if you have some feedback that might help us improve the forum, then please reply to this post.

Enjoy, and thanks for your support!

Last week’s Globe and Mail had a great article on what the year ahead will hold. Apparently fashion and design “is rife with scaly things, one-piece wonders and plenty of gloss”. Let’s take a closer look at what this means for our shopping and wardrobe adventures:

• Shocking shades – pink, purple and green join last year’s yellow and cobalt blue. Fantastic. it’s high time we had options other than neutrals.
• Acid wash denim – for jeans, trenches, dresses and swimwear. I’ve never liked acid wash, so I shall be bypassing this trend.
• Garden State – say goodbye to dainty floral designs and hello to huge hydrangea prints. I’m reserving my judgment until I see how this trend has been interpreted.
• Size matters – billowing sack dresses are bigger than ever. I’m used to the look and enjoy the silhouette when it’s worn in the right way. It’s a fashion forward and ultra comfortable alternative to body conscious silhouettes.
• Shoulder pads – I can’t go there again. I’ll leave this fad to the youngsters to enjoy for their very first time.
• Sheer delights – it’s the start of the “see through” trend and I’m intrigued. I enjoy delicate fabrics when they are contrasted with sturdier ones because it’s feminine and robust at the same time.
• Romper room – jumpsuits and all-in-one playsuits are hip again. Oh dear. We’ll think twice about needing the loo if we wear these numbers.
• Funky footwear – lots of colour blocking, stubby toes and sky-high platforms. Another disappointing footwear season.
• Blazer of glory – blazers with tipped lapels and embroidered crests make their preppy return. Love it. Uniforms are underrated.
• Flashdance faces – black ringed eyes, goopy gloss and heavy handed make-up are the “it” look. Awful. I’m sticking to my subtle 30 second make-up routine.

You will recognize colour and volume, which also featured in the fashion buzzwords for 2008, as common themes for the year ahead.

Beyond fashion, you’ll be in vogue if you live in a modern, chalet-inspired interior, eat locally produced food, cook with copper pots, install a lift in your home and make North Africa your top place to visit this year. For better or for worse, 2008 is full of ‘80’s excess. I’m sure we’ll have a lot to say about what we loved and loathed at the end of this year.

Hot-off-the-press colourblock footwear from Nordstrom’s 08 Spring collection. I can’t say they’re my cup of tea.

Last week The Seattle Times confirmed that Swedish “high fashion low cost” giant H&M plans to open not one, but three stores in the greater Seattle area:

• University Village (which we knew)
• Southcenter mall in Tukwila (their largest store in Seattle)
• 520 Pike Tower downtown (great news)

The article points out that the chain stores are expected to open in Autumn 2008 instead of Spring. This makes the wait for Seattleites a little longer, but is well worth it if three stores are in the pipeline instead of the original one.

After all the hype I’ve created I hope that the Seattle stores are high on H&M’s priorities. I’ve shopped at H&M in Asia, Europe and America and the stores are not created equal. As is true for all fashion chains, the best merchandise goes to their top stores. There’s only one way to find out, so roll on Autumn and let’s see what they have to offer.