Link Love: 3 Sock Brands to Watch

Racked recently featured Japanese brand Anonymous Ism, which you can find at retailers like East Dane, J.Crew, and Club Monaco.

A while back Hannah from En Brogue, wrote about Italian socks brand Oybo, who sell intentionally mismatched socks. Would you be game for sporting a pair of “untuned” socks, as they call them.

Meet Gina Locklear, “the Sock Queen of Alabama”, who is producing two lines of organic fashion socks: Zkano and Little River Sock Mill.

Fab Links from Our Members

Karie says it’s nice to see young artisans making a difference in the fashion industry in this age of fast fashion, and reports that her friend’s son, who is making custom-made jeans in Greenville, SC, was featured in this video.

Lisa recently discovered the blog Southern Curls & Pearls, and adores how Caitlin often sports light colours in Winter.

Angie lets us know that Sally from Already Pretty is moving on from fashion blogging. We wish her every happiness and success!

This year, Janice at The Vivienne Files is once again building a capsule wardrobe based on the patterns and colours in 12 scarves. Alexandra will be following along with interest.

Ledonna N. is loving Freddie Harrel’s sense of style.

MsMaven wanted to share this older post from Une Femme d’un Certain Age because it captures perfectly what the very basics are for her personally.

Gradfashionista thought this article about discovering the joy of recluttering was interesting. She wonders if it could be a sign of recession and times of uncertainty.

Weekly Roundup: Accessories

Sometimes, a new accessory or two is just what we need to get us through a dreary, long Winter. For me, a new bag or scarf can make me feel like I can have a new outfit. Accessories are often quite affordable and almost always fit. 

Here’s a roundup of accessories that caught my eye. I added Topshop’s checked scarf to my scarf capsule because the pattern lifts my spirits, and matches most of my coats and casual knitwear. 

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

How to Wear Cropped Jeans & Pants in Winter

Wearing cropped jeans or pants in mild Winter weather is quite doable, but when temperatures plummet, exposing your ankles is out of the question. In order to stay comfortable you need to cover them up. Here’s how I’ve managed to stay comfortably warm and pulled together in my cropped bottoms with temperatures between -6 and 2 degrees Celsius (34 to 21 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Thermal Underpinnings

It is essential that I wear long underwear and socks from Uniqlo in our frosty Winter because they’re warm, lightweight, cosy, comfy, wick away perspiration, and fit like a glove. I wear the long-sleeved tee, leggings and socks under my outfit. Here are the exact items. 

Heavier Knitwear & Cropped Straights & Flares 

A heavier knit, wool-rich pullover is warmer than a fine gauge one. I make sure it’s not too oversized, and structured in the right places, so that it’s not wearing me. Thinner turtlenecks and cashmere tees are another good option and I wear those a lot too. Here are my warmest pullovers and a few pairs of cropped straight and flared jeans/pants that have been in consistent rotation during our cold Winter. The exact items are represented in the collection. 

High-Shaft Footwear

Pair cropped jeans and pants with booties that close the gap so that you aren’t exposing any skin. Ideally the top of your booties should overlap with the hems of your bottoms by just a bit. Straight and flared crops are ideal because the flare drapes over the top of the boots quite perfectly. Cropped skinnies would not have the same effect. Furthermore, weatherproof booties with thick soles and fleece lined inners are extra toasty. These are my go-to cold weather booties that have been getting a workout these last few months (all insulated with weatherproof spray). 

Outerwear 

Nothing keeps me quite as warm as a puffer coat, so I’ve been wearing both my short toffee puffer and long black arctic puffer quite a bit. But my red, chartreuse and cream coats are my warmest wool coats, and they’ve come out to play when working with clients or going out to dinner with friends. Here are the exact items from my wardrobe. 

Winter Accessories

Scarf, hat and gloves are an important toasty finishing touch. I have an assortment that doesn’t match exactly, but works well together. Here are the exact items from my wardrobe that can be mixed and matched to work with my outfit. 

Here I am putting the outfit formula into casual action with Sam at Whidbey Island last month. It isn’t visible, but I’m wearing a chunky red tomato red pullover under the puffer coat. My cream satchel works well with these Wintery looks because it picks up the cream in my hat and gloves, so it’s been getting a workout too.

Angie & Sam

Angie & Sam

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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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Slipper Style

As soon as I get home I take off my shoes and more often than not, pop on a pair of comfy slippers. In the Summertime, I swap out the slippers for a pair of nude footies because they are cooler and more carefree. I seldom walk around our house barefoot on our wooden floors.

Over the years I’ve sported all sorts of slipper styles. They’re wardrobe workhorses and replenished annually because I’m hard on them. A few things remain consistent about my slipper style. They must be soft, warm, slip-on, supportive, and have a sturdy sole. The fabric needs to be robust because I wear through the tops creating holes after about a month if the fabric isn’t thick and strong. 

This time round, I chose a pair from Camper and bought Greg a matching set (his slipper needs are just like mine). They are AMAZING, and the best slippers I’ve had. I love their simple, modern silhouette and they tick off all my requirements. They feel great with socks, hosiery and bare feet. Despite the assortment of colours, I chose light grey because it’s subtle, low contrast, and works well with my loungewear. I highly recommend them.

My clients have at home footwear styles that run the gamut. Some keep their outside shoes on indoors, while others put on “house shoes” like Birkenstocks or Danskos. Others wear slippers, flip-flops, socks, footies, or go barefoot.

Over to you. What’s your at home footwear style?

20 Truths About Personal Style

Style has never been more personal than it is today, which makes me all the more passionate about helping others on their style journey. Nothing gives me more job satisfaction than a client who has found their own sense of style. Their happiness radiates from within.

Here are 20 things I believe about style that I hope you find inspiring in 2017:

  1. There is no one way to look stylish
  2. Style is a celebration of individuality
  3. A stylish body type is a healthy one
  4. Style is an energy and confidence that is expressed through clothing, footwear and accessories
  5. Style is subjective
  6. Style is an art form that is enjoyed by you and your audience
  7. Style is a sum of many parts
  8. Style emanates from the inside out
  9. Fashion unites us, and style sets us apart
  10. Style can be learned
  11. An interest in fashion and style brings people together from all walks of life
  12. There is beauty and style at every age
  13. Fashion is one component of style
  14. It’s stylish to dress the body you have right now
  15. Authentic style is manageable and makes you happy
  16. Being patient with your style is the best style tip of all
  17. Your style can put a smile on someone else’s face
  18. Your favourite colours are always in style
  19. Style evolves over time
  20. You can always have fun with fashion and style

We at YLF wish you a happy, healthy and stylish 2017.