Zappos Roundup: Dresses and Boots

In my experience, the Zappos online shipping experience cannot be beat which is why they made my list of highlights for 2018 — again! All shipping is free in the US, and it’s FAST. I’ve ordered something at night and received it the next day with no extra charge. Items are well packed, and the boxes are robust (an important factor when packages stand out in the rain here in Seattle). Zappos honours their return policy and refunds are quick. They’ll accept a return a year later, and listen to your quality concerns. I ordered a pair of pricey white designer loafers that I wore with joy for a couple months until they broke. I was very disappointed, and spoke to customer service about it. They were most apologetic and refunded me without question once I’d shipped back the shoes. That’s how it should be.

All this to say that I will often order an item from Zappos because I know shipping will be fast, free, and the return policy is excellent. Here’s a short roundup of winners from the great retailer. Browse the colour options and read the rave reviews.

  • Palladium Pampa LDN LP Mid Suede: Adorable hiking boots with a wide toe box. Super comfy and a little playful. The white soles keep the look crisp and pretty. Comes in four colours.
  • Mephisto Lili: Inge has these because they fit her orthotics, higher volume feet, and are very comfortable. Pewter metallics are hard to find, and the shine on these is subtle. They look better and a little dressier on the foot.
  • Frye Veronica Combat: Casual glitz is fab, and these create a streamlined fit on the foot and ankle. Comfy and well made. Not good on higher volume feet. I like the rose gold and white best, but they come in a fabulous distressed grey, and the usual black and brown. No easy access zipper so you have to be okay with that.
  • Frye Carson Piping Bootie: A little cream distressing for those who prefer it to a crisp optical white. Tapered on the ankle, well made and comfy. Comes in five colours.
  • Frye Melissa Deco Chelsea: Equestrian Bootie Fabness. A classic that works best on a lower volume foot and ankle. Rich, and well made.
  • Maggy London Catalina Crepe Twist Neck Asymmetrical Midi Dress: GORGEOUS elegant dress if you can fill it out. Traditionally flattering and works on a curvier hourglass body type. The neckline is a little high for a short neck, but it can work for a larger bust and longer neck. The fabric glides over the contour of the body and does not cling The crepe is quite luxe, and the romantic sleeves are not overwhelming.
  • Donna Morgan Geo Printed Midi Jersey Dress: A classic dress that is very flattering on those with a defined waist. Its structured movement is fabulous and awfully comfortable. It's quite forgiving on the midsection, conceals a good amount of lumpage and bumpage, and packs well for travel. It would have been mine if the colours weren't cool-toned.
  • Maggy London Flemish Tile Scuba Crepe Sheath Dress: A fab structured dress that's a little more than a simple sheath. The placement of the pattern creates an extra streamlined effect, and the romantic sleeves are more streamlined than you expect. Best on a smaller bust, straighter hip, and short or regular waist.
  • Free People Tough Love Shirtdress: This style of dress silhouette works on a range of body types - from apple and pear shapes, to rectangles, hourglasses and narrow-hipped inverted triangles - because the silhouette moulds to the contour of the body. It hugs you where you're narrowest and glides over the rest. No need for shapewear. It's dramatic to wear over cropped skinnies or straights too. Comes in red, and runs TTS if you like a narrow fit, or a little small if you prefer a fuller fit. Broad shoulders will battle - no zipper and no stretch. My narrow shoulders thanked the narrow fit. You have to figure out whether it's worth climbing in and out of. AMAZING side entry pockets. Fabulously flattering. Beautiful drape. Very nice fabric. I love this dress and one of the colours is sitting in my wardrobe ready for a hot Summer's day.
  • Tahari By ASL 3/4 Sleeve Scuba Crepe Sheath with Side Ruching: A punchy classic faux wrap sheath that can work on a curvier or straighter body type.
  • Børn Regis: Extremely comfy biker bootie classics that go the distance. The ankle fit is more streamlined in person. Comes in four colours.
  • Aquatalia Belle Weatherproof: Beautifully made waterproof booties in a classic style. Works best on low to regular volume feet.
  • Franco Sarto Zelda: Classic loafers with a trendy touch. Dramatic on the foot. I love the height of that dear little heel. Refined, comfortable and versatile. I tried very hard to make these work, but they were too wide and I was in between sizes.

Go to the collection page to see the items alongside my descriptions.

Your Style Moniker for 2019

A style moniker is a short and punchy phrase that captures your personal style. It’s not essential to have one, and half of my clients don’t give this a second thought. But like choosing a word and colour for the year, the process of reflection can be fun, helpful and therapeutic. 

A style moniker is handy to keep front of mind whenever you’re making decisions about your style, like when you’re editing your closet, planning your wardrobe, purchasing a wardrobe item, or creating an outfit. It keeps you focussed and aligned with your style goals, especially when you have the tendency to stray from them.

The moniker should be accurate and reflect your aspirational style, but really, it’s just a guideline that keeps things light-hearted, individualistic and amusing. Don’t take it too seriously or overthink it. Simply pick a catchy phrase, run with it for a while, and change it when your style evolves.

Over the years, clients, friends and YLF forum members have come up with some clever and funny style monikers. Here are some great examples:

Refined Californian, Arty Glam, Casual Euro Chic, Genuine Composed, Chanel Girl in Red, Playful Classic, Boho Modern Minimalist, Urban Warrior Princess, Urban Knight, Glam Gamine, Urban Luxe, Refined Tomgirl, Romantic Classic, Bohemian Sophisticate, Elegant Thrown-Together Tomboy, Happy Tomboy, The Gentlewoman, Quirky Urban Waif, Farm Fashionista, Folksy Fab, East Coast Eclectic, Playful Dandy, Demure Bombshell, The Duchess Next Door, Casual Kate, Colour Drenched Bohemian Romance, Casual Chic, Flamboyant Natural, Boho Modern Minimalist, Smart Casual Comfort, Avant-Garde Minimalist, Boho Babe, Gothic Chic, Princess of Darkness, Easy Elegance with Edge, Business Bombshell, Casual Urban Glam, Trendy Fashionista, Sporty Elegance, and Arty Eclectic.

My first style moniker was, “Trendy Modern Classic”. When people asked how I would describe my style, my fast reply was, “I’m a classic who enjoys to wear trends and colours”. Twelve years later, trendy and classic still apply, but my style moniker since last year has been “Urban Polish”. The “urban” captures that I live in both grungy, casual Seattle and outdoorsy, hipster Salt Lake City. The “polish” captures the importance of my daily outfits being refined, pretty, structured, tidy, practical, and dressier than the norm. I think I’ll be sticking with this one for a while.

Have a go at creating a new style moniker, and let us know what it is in the comments below. Or share one that’s been working for you for a while. Either way, tell us how you chose it. If you’d like help choosing one, or would like to discuss it in more detail, start a thread in the forum.

Style Goals for 2019

It’s not essential to create a list of style goals, but they can serve as a helpful frame of reference as you edit and review your closet, shop for new items, create outfits, and evolve your style. Having FLEXIBLE goals will make your style journey more effective and enjoyable. 

If you have a good handle on your style direction, setting style goals is an intuitive and incremental process of fine-tuning the sartorial fabness that you accomplished last year. On the other hand, if you’ve experienced dramatic changes in your life, or if you’re in a style rut, setting style goals requires time, patience, some soul searching, and an in-depth analysis of the internal and external factors that affect your style.

I prefer the formal approach of writing or typing out style goals because it crystalizes my thoughts and keeps me accountable to attaining them. It’s handy when I want to check in on my goals regularly to asses progress throughout the year, or share them with others. If this sounds overwhelming, just take a moment to reflect on 2018, and think about how you’d like to improve your fashion and style in 2019. 

Anything that relates to your style can go on the list. Style goals can be general or specific, seasonal or annual, abstract or quantified. Remember that style goals can be changed at any time, so don’t overthink the process. You can set as few as one goal.

I changed my style Moniker to “Urban Polish” last year, and am keeping it for 2019. I live in grungy, outdoorsy, hipster and casual cities, and travel a lot. Yet it’s important to me to create daily outfits that are refined, pretty, structured, polished, comfortable, and dressier than the norm because that feels authentic to my style. And when your style feels authentic to you, it’s easy to manage, maintain and feel happy about it.

I’m repeating many of the same goals because I’m in an extremely happy place with my style, and I love my wardrobe. At the moment, what I’m doing is working so there’s no need to fix it! It’s more a question of repeating and fine-tuning my style strategies, and focussing on some specific purchases.

Here are my goals. This year I am structuring them into my style adjectives, general goals, and specific goals.

Style Adjectives

  1. Wear outfits that are Modern, Crisp, Retro, Soft and Dressy. I’ve chosen the same five adjectives to describe my ideal style. They’ll serve as a benchmark for assessing outfits and purchases on this leg of my style journey. I won’t achieve all five adjectives for every outfit, but three or four are close enough.
  • MODERN because I enjoy injecting a few carefully chosen hot-off-the-press trends into my seasonal look. That’s part of why fashion is fun.
  • CRISP because I love wearing shades of white, and have a strong need to create a polished, professional and tidy appearance.
  • RETRO because of my fondness for fashion from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, but remixing their sensibilities with a good dose of current.
  • SOFT because I do not like wearing hard-edged looks.
  • DRESSY because super casual does not make me happy.

General Goals

  1. Prioritize quality. My commitment to wearing beautifully constructed and finished items made of gorgeous fabrics that launder well is higher than ever. That means prioritizing the following brands because they keep on impressing me, go the distance in my wardrobe, and generally fit well: Boden, Scotch & Soda, COS, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Sylver, Derek Lam, Theory, Furla, Madewell, Karen Millen, Simkhai, Club Monaco, Helene Berman, Pilcro, GRLFRND, Expresso, Franco Sarto, Naturalizer, Hispanitas, Paul Green, Elie Tahari, Stella McCartney, Soia & Kyo, Kate Spade, Peter Kaiser, Bella Freud, Reiss, L.K. Bennett, Manfield and Levis.
  2. Express my style through colour and my favourite patterns. For colours, that means adding a few more new-to-me non-neutrals to my mix of sour brights, pastels, earth tones, and favourite neutrals. To continue remixing the colours in my wardrobe in bold, new and tonal combinations. For patterns that means sticking to the classics like stripes, dots, plaids, some florals and a smattering of animal print because I don’t tire of them.
  3. Continue adding elegant touches to my style. My custom-made pearl jewellery, watch and scarves make me feel more elegant and polished, as does wearing midi dresses, midi skirts, Furla handbags, structured looks with ease and movement, refined footwear, pointy-toe ballet flats, and doing my hair and make-up each day.
  4. Sport my signature style despite the trends. That means blonde pixie, statement eyewear and handbag, natural make-up, white pearls, white shoes, white jeans, structured outfits, lots of colour, light neutrals, dark blue, flat footwear, and no nail polish.

Specific Goals

  1. Add a pair of red pants, orange bottoms or dress, and a red Winter coat.
  2. Wear black in small doses.
  3. Wear skirts and dresses more frequently year round.
  4. Wear casual and dressy trousers more frequently, and blue jeans less frequently.
  5. Mix high-end and low-end items in one outfit.
  6. Find wardrobe gems on my travels because they are unique and sentimental.

The Most Important Goal of All

  1. Have even MORE fun with fashion.

Over to you. Have you thought about your style goals for 2018? Many of the YLF forum members have thought about theirs, and their posts have been a pleasure to read over the last few weeks. Please share your style goals in the comments section. Begin with just two goals if that’s easier, and take it from there. Or simply jot down some rough thoughts about your current and aspirational style direction.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Outfit Formula: The Playful Pencil Skirt

Pencil skirts can be formal, strict, classic, professional, ultra feminine and bombshell, which is fabulous if that’s how you want to wear them. They can also be playful, casual and relaxed with the right support act. These outfits showcase ways of doing just that. Mix things up by creating tension and interesting juxtapositions. Feel free to change up the colours and patterns so that they’re more to your taste.

IMPORTANT:

  • The strength of the pencil skirt is its structured slim silhouette, which makes wearing just about any silhouette of top or topper a flattering and streamlined-enough option.
  • Pencil skirts vary from straight to very tapered on the side seams creating a tube-skirt effect. Take your pick.

1. Playfully Heeled

I like the tension between the severity of the pointy-toed, glossy, dressy, heeled boots and the relaxed and gentle vibe of the roomy cardigan. The flowered pattern and billowing sleeves add a dash of romance. The knit top adds a little more softness, which in turn complements the hard-edged shaved head of the model. The tucked top adds polish and lengthens the leg line from the thighs upward.

New Neoprene Pencil Skirt

2. The Comfy Touch

The pattern on this pencil skirt is playful in itself, and accentuated with the addition of the comfy sweatshirt. The layered white shirt is an interesting detail, but not essential. The flat high-shaft haute hiking boots throw in a ‘90s integrity, and the white laces magically pick up the white in the rest of the outfit. You could wear a less oversized sweatshirt, leave off the white shirt, and semi-tuck into the pencil skirt instead. Throw in a dressy shoe and Bob’s your uncle.

Zara Midi Skirt

3. Haute Hiking in a Bomber

The tension between the tight tube skirt and relaxed bomber is interesting. Sporty Bombshell. The layering top is a simple long-sleeved tee or pullover worn over the skirt. Feel free to leave off the belt bag. The haute hiking boots add back a ‘90s touch, and the scrunched shuffle socks above the boots bring back the ‘80s. I’d have preferred to see a beret or beanie for a hat, but the felt fedora is unique.

Scotch & Soda Knitted Skirt

4. Relaxed Elegance

This pencil skirt here is less tapered and dressier than the first three looks. The roomier pencil skirt complements the oversized pullover thereby matching the relaxed effect. Semi-tucking the front adds some structure, as does scrunching the sleeves of the pullover. The black-on-black creates an elongated column of colour. The naked silver sandals look seasonally confused with the pullover to my eye – cold feet! But I love the way the silver magically bookends the model’s silver hair. Silver pumps, Mary Janes, pointy-toe ballet flats, or booties would have been my choice of shoe. Gorgeous look.

J.Crew Slip Skirt in Burnout Velvet Leopard

Team Straight or Team Flared

Today’s poll is about your preference for structure or movement on the bottom of a skirt or dress. You bat for Team Straight Skirt & Dress if you prefer skirts and dresses with slim silhouettes, like pencil skirts, tulip skirts, trumpet skirts and sheaths. Note that pencil skirts and sheaths can be straight to very tapered on the side seams, both of which fall into Team Straight. You bat for Team Flared Skirt & Dress when you prefer a silhouette with movement at the bottom. The side seams are in no way straight or tapered. That means A-line skirts, any style of flared skirt, fit-and-flare frocks, shifts and architectural sack dresses.

My clients tend to be an even split between the teams. Some like a lot of structure on the bottom, and some prefer movement. Many prefer pencil skirts for the simple reason that they’re easier to combine with tops and toppers, and because they look slimmer in a pencil skirt. Pencil skirts also feel and look less juvenile than a flared skirt. Others prefer the fit of flared skirts over their curves, and enjoy the swooshing movement.

I bat firmly for Team Flared Skirt & Dress. I went off very structured pencil skirts and sheath dresses in a big way the last couple of years. I much prefer wearing skirts and dresses with a little or a lot of movement in the hips, thighs and calves because they’re more comfortable, easier to walk in, less strict, and Modern Retro. I love the swoosh against my legs, the romantic integrity, and the elegance of a flared midi skirt/dress. That’s why most of my current skirts and dresses are flared in some way.

Here are my flared dresses and skirts. The first three dresses and pink skirt look like sheaths and a pencil, but they are A-line and not straight on the side seams in person.

That said, I do have few straight dresses and skirts, three of which I bought last year. The watermelon lace dress is old, gorgeous, beautifully made, and fits well. But I’m off the tailored structure from neckline to hem and haven’t worn it in years. The olive and navy sweater dresses are very relaxed through the waist, soft and cosy, and not tapered at the side seams, all of which help temper the hip hugging fit. I bought the red floral dress for a wedding and it’s structured from neckline to hem. I haven’t worn it since the wedding a year ago. The denim skirt is old, does not have stretch, and is very fitted. But I’m in love with the ‘80s acid wash so I wear it every year. The turquoise lace skirt was bought last year. I love it, and it was frequently worn in hot weather. It’s straight but not tapered at the side seams so I can walk in it very easily. It’s almost A-line, which is why the silhouette is a winner.

Over to you. Do you bat for Team Straight or Team Flared Skirt & Dress? Tell us why and no batting for both teams. Feel free to sit this one out on the bench with leak fritters and a green salad if you can’t pick a side.