Link Love: The Met Gala 2018

If you’re still catching up with what celebrities wore to this year’s Met Gala, have a look at W Magazine’s photo gallery.

The New York Times deconstructs the “fashion event of the year,” including how much it costs, and what you have to wear.

Ever wondered what it’s like for photographers who cover the Met Gala red carpet? Find out in this article from last year.

Fab Links from Our Members

Kari enjoyed reading that “data geekery plus customer satisfaction were used to innovate the personal style and shopping experience at Stitch Fix.”

Carla thought this story about a young designer who created a dress for this week’s Met Gala, was inspiring.

Jessikams found Alison’s post on how to wear black in Summer just plain useful, especially since she’s seeing a lot of black in the stores right now.

Kat appreciates the perspective on cultural appropriation displayed in this article, and wonders how others may view it.

Jenni NZ reports there’s a fashion controversy going on in New Zealand at the moment after an outspoken critic of off-shore manufacturing was found to be doing exactly that with her own brand (and mislabeling the products).

Ledonna N. loves Target’s matching family outfits.

This article about the travails of finding shoes when you have large feet hits close to home for L’Abeille.

She also found this piece on why heritage logos are back after having never left a worthwhile read.

Greenjeans thought this article about H&M and retail localization asks interesting questions about brick-and-mortar retail. Alternately, H&M’s sister company, COS, is apparently thriving.

Brooklyn really enjoyed this video on how to layer necklaces and pearls (including some tips for wearing brooches).

Fab Finds: Casual Wear & Classic Sandals

This week my top picks are simple casual wear and a pair of classic dressy sandals. I’m most excited about the extended sizes and colour options many more retailers are offering this year. Lets hope that trend gains momentum and is here to stay. 

1. Casual Striped Dresses

At long last, it’s been a much improved dress season. Clients who seldom find frocks are finding them by the handful thanks to longer length hems, sleeves, tailored fits, and a larger assortment of casual options. Relaxed striped dresses have been particularly good this year.

Special shout-outs to the first three dresses in the collection below:

  • J.Crew Striped knit maxi dress: My jaw dropped when I saw my tall size US10/12 client fit this dress. She looked stunning. The fabric and fit are SUBLIME. Extremely good tailoring and drape thanks to substantial fabric. Very forgiving of lumpage and bumpage. The high-low hemline makes all the difference to the maxi length. Size down. This client wears a Large, and sized down to a Medium. Runs big.
  • Vince Camuto Amalfi Side Ruched Stripe Body-Con Dress: Don’t let the body-con description put you off because the cut is forgiving and camouflaging. The neckline and armholes aren’t too low, and the diagonal hem does magical things to proportions. Fab length, and available in plus.
  • Boden Emily Jersey Dress: Gorgeous fabric with heft, fluid fit that isn’t too boxy, and a shorter length that isn’t too short. 100% cotton and machine washable. Impeccable quality and very girly.

2. Summer-Weight Scarves

The fabric of these Summer scarves is luxurious, soft, and gauzy, which you don’t see in the photos. The tassels and subtle border stripe on some of the colours are a fab finishing touch. They drape like a dream and add outfit interest. They add warmth, as well as keep you cool. I love wearing Spring and Summer scarves because they keep the sun off my neck in the sunny heat, and might be all the insulation I need on a mild day. The yellow followed me home, and I love it.

3. Naturalizer Tami Sandal

A classic strappy sandal that works well for a formal Summer occasion. The beauty of the style lies in the manageable heel height, cushioning foot bed, soft leather, versatile style, and very deep assortment of sizes across THREE widths. They are surprisingly bunion-friendly.

4. Pilcro Jeans

Pilcro jeans have impressed me this season. I bought two pairs for Spring and Summer: the embroidered high-rise cropped straights and the lemon jeans. Both became workhorses after I had them altered to fit on the waist and hips because of the high rise and my swayback. The quality is gorgeous. The fabric is substantial and they do not bag out. The fit is tailored, but not body-con. There is room on the thighs and calves, and the high rises are not excessive. Pilcro has impressed me more than premium denim that’s looking awfully “sausage-y” and stretchy at the moment. Pilcro has also been a win on my clients across a range of body types. They go up to a size 33, have petites, and run true to size or a size big.

5. Michael Stars Tees & Knitted Tops

Michael Stars tops straddle the line between fabulous and annoying. When they work, they are brilliant. The fabric is thick and all items are made in the US. A white Michael Stars tee is seldom too see-through. They also offer varied necklines, lengths, and silhouettes. The disappointing part is the small range of sizes. Michael Stars seldom offers more than two sizes, and sometimes offers one size. You have to take it one style at a time, and decide how you want the item to fit. For example, I’m fine wearing my Michael Stars tops on the fluid side of tailored despite the body-con fit on the models.

6. Gap and Loft Shorts

Whenever my clients need casual shorts that are not for hiking and the like, we head to the Gap and the Loft first. Season after season these retailers stock an assortment that suits a range of body types and sizes across patterns and solids. They might run big, so take a size down into the dressing room too. They are often on sale, and quite affordable.

Trend: Straw Bags

Straw bags are a classic that’s on trend and having its fashion moment, or what I call a “trendy classic.” Items like straw bags have a timeless and Modern Retro quality, which is what gives them their style longevity. But they become trendy when the fashion world puts them on a pedestal for a while. When the trend has passed, straw bags will continue to look fab, because they’re always in style. 

When a classic like a straw bag becomes a trendy mainstream item, it’s usually refreshed at retail in ways that make it appear new to the consumer. In this case, through a variety in assortment and a refreshed remix of the style in combination with other items.

1. A Varied Assortment

When an item is on trend we typically see a lot more variety in the assortment at retail. More sizes, colours, fabrics, trims and silhouettes add excitement and momentum to the trend. To see this in action, just feast your eyes on what straw bags look like this season in the collection below.

Zara
Raffia Minaudière Bag
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5
Zara
Raffia Basket
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2
Zara
Rigid Handle Tote Bag
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2
Zara
Raffia-look Tote Bag
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4
Boden
Pompom Beach Bag
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1
Boden
Pompom Beach Bag
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1
Zara
Wicker Handbag
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5
Shopbop
Mar Y Sol Ibiza Tote
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2

2. A Refreshed Remix

The modern approach to fashion encourages us to remix a classic in ways that look fresh and new. A straw bag is traditionally thought of as very casual and Summery, but these days we can take them beyond the beach, pool, park and farmer’s market. The right straw bag can be remixed with dressy frocks, jeans, pants, suits, leather jackets and boots. It can go to a swanky dinner or event. It can be business casual appropriate if it’s structured and polished. I’ll be talking about the versatility of the straw bag in an outfit formula post next week, so stay tuned.

Polo Ralph Lauren Lennox Raffia & Leather Clutch

Topshop Floral Tote Bag

I like straw bags, and usually have one in my bag capsule because of their Modern Retro integrity. I look for three things when selecting a straw bag:

  1. Soft straw that does not scratch.
  2. A fabric lining with pockets so that the contents of my bag are organized and not right up against the straw.
  3. A size and shape that isn’t too bulky or heavy.
Zappos
Hat Attack Bamboo Mini
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11

This year, I added a darling little casual straw bag to my swimwear capsule, keeping it small and casual for the beach. The straw is very soft and I love the bamboo handles. I’ll also wear it in non-beach settings with Summer dresses, a new casual lace skirt, white jeans, or patterned pants. Maybe I’ll throw in a cotton pom-pom too.

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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Floral Flair for Spring

A new outfit from Annette Hoeldrich of Lady of Style, whom we introduced to YLF in January 2015.

Annette dresses up smart casual trousers with a tailored white shirt. The soft fabric of the wide-legged trousers drapes beautifully, while the dark green floral print creates dramatic flair. Pairing more voluminous bottoms with a tailored top adds structure to the outfit. The knotted self-belt is a fab design detail that emphasizes our blogger’s waistline. White open-toed shoes peeking out from under the trousers bookend the button-down. An on-trend circular bag, silver arm candy and large hoop earrings complete this elegant Spring look.

Annette Hoeldrich - 1

Annette Hoeldrich - 2

Our Worst Fashion Memories

Today we’re going down memory lane, remembering our worst fashion moments. It’s all in good fun. And for me, these moments were an important part of learning about myself and evolving my personal style. 

For context, I was born in 1970, which made me a ‘70s child, an ‘80s teen, and a ‘90s young adult. 

I enjoyed the ‘70s and fondly remember my party dresses, corduroy culottes, and kilts when I wasn’t wearing a school uniform. I also remember wearing very scratchy wool tights with the items that were extremely uncomfortable. To this day I will not wear tights. I stick to delicate sheer hosiery and that’s that.

I loved the ‘80s, and have very fond fashion memories of the era. That said, I took the oversized look too far in my first year of University in 1988 when I combined Greg’s untucked gigantic red button-down shirt with a long red flowing skirt, white ankle socks, and tan flat oxfords. I buttoned the shirt to the top of the collar so that it wouldn’t fall off my narrow shoulders. I drowned in the look, although I tried to create structure with shoulder pads. Greg, ever tactful, said something like, “I’ve noticed you’re wearing a relaxed look lately …”

My worst fashion memories are from the ‘90s, which was my least favourite fashion era. First there was the bodysuit, which wasn’t too bad when the rises of pants were high, but became disastrous when rises lowered later in the decade. I spent the day pulling my bodysuit down and my pants and jeans up. Bending over and reaching up was a nightmare. Second was some of the footwear from that era. Ill-fitting mules and heavy platform sneakers that didn’t flex were equally bad on my feet. Third was some of the silhouettes. I wore long, shapeless midi dresses with wide necklines that were very unflattering, and stiff linen drawstring pants that were too short and looked worse than cardboard pyjamas. To top it off, I spent 1995 wearing black from head to toe, which my Mum said looked awful and didn’t suit my colouring. I refused to believe her, but she was dead right. I saw the light in 1996 and have seldom worn black from head to toe since then.

I don’t have any particularly unpleasant fashion memories since the nineties. Or perhaps I just need some more time to process the last two decades.

Your turn. What are your worst fashion memories?