When we started YLF almost 10 years ago, I was inseparable from my pearl necklaces and had a strong retro element to my style. I loved romantic flounces, ruffles, ladylike flair, layers, structure, scarves, texture, and all the bells and whistles. But five years later and my style pendulum began swinging in the opposite direction. I stopped wearing my pearl necklaces and most of my scarves. I took a lot of the retro and romance out of my style, and enjoyed a tomboy vibe that was simple and less layered. I steered clear of garments with bells and whistles and wore spiked hair. My outfits were strict, less structured, and a lot less playful. 

Then, we came back from our trip to Hong Kong last February and again, my style started shifting. I wanted to grow out my spiky ‘do and sport outfits that were softer and prettier. I added retro elements back into my style during the course of 2015, and substituted girly blouses for my boyish shirts. I tossed a lot of the slouch out the window and brought back the tailoring. 

It’s been a year since the beginning of the last style shift and I’m embracing Modern Retro with gusto. I’m sporting wavy hair, scarves, pearl necklaces, outfits that are romantic, structured and flouncy, and appreciating garments with bells and whistles. I’ve changed my style moniker to “Urban Pretty”, and tweaked the five adjectives to describe my ideal style: Modern, Retro, Soft, Crisp, Dressy. I’ve replaced Bold with Soft, and Simple with Retro. 

I feel like I went on a five year trip that ultimately brought me back home. I enjoyed this “holiday” that took my style in a strict and simple tomboy direction, because it was where I wanted to be for a while. But right now I’m happy to be back home. Home isn’t exactly what it was before, because my style has evolved since the last time I had these style sensibilities. But it’s HOME nonetheless.

Has your style come home over the last five to ten years? Or does your style journey take you further and further afield over time?

Here’s a collection of tried and tested ankle strap pumps. Comfortable, trendy and quite affordable. They are a good “sandal” option for work when open-toed styles are not part of the dress code. The look is refined, ladylike and dainty, and the opposite of chunky, tomboy and casual. 

• 'Odynna' Pointy Toe Pump (Women): The ever so popular "Okala" pump has been updated to the "Odynna" and is just as comfortable and gorgeous. Lightweight and easy to walk in despite the almost three inch heel (the online heel height measurement is incorrect). A patent laser-cut toe box looks fresh. I vote blush or white for maximum newness, although the black and light nude are practical options.
• 'Olyvia' Suede Pump (Women): The suede makes this pump extra comfortable and the heel height is very manageable. I bought these in a pearl grey a few years ago and they are still going strong. I vote mustard or red this year. Read the rave reviews.
• 'Rima' Ankle Strap Pump (Women): A cheeky little striped pump that looks best on narrow ankles. Dainty, refined and very ladylike.
• 'Esperance' Pump: The pump is available in many shades of neutral, but it's the red patent and floral options that look the most fashionable to my eye. The heel height is very stable and the footbed extra cushioning. Over 100 rave reviews, and very deserving of the praise.

All the styles work for low and regular volume feet. The Louise et Cie Esperance pump is available in wide widths so they can work for high volume feet. Some of the styles cover a very wide size range (US4 to a US13). Thank you Nordstrom for covering a diverse set of foot shapes. Make sure you browse the many colour options, and can you guess which pair followed me home?

Nordstrom

'Odynna' Pointy Toe Pump (Women)

$109.95 $65.95

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

8

Nordstrom

'Olyvia' Suede Pump (Women)

$69.95

View Info

Top Pick

10

Nordstrom

'Rima' Ankle Strap Pump (Women)

$69.95 $41.96

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

4

Nordstrom

'Esperance' Pump

$117.95

View Info

Top Pick

20

After divulging which Furla bag earned a spot in my wardrobe, some of our forum members asked if I would share how I “choose my greys” since the neutral comes in countless shades and it’s my least favourite colour. Of course, I’m happy to oblige. 

First, of all the greys I like a pearl grey best because it’s softer, brighter and prettier than darker greys to my eye. The lightness is also consistent with my light hair and pale complexion. I add a little of it to my wardrobe because it comes in handy as a light neutral that I can remix with white, brights, light blue denim, ink blue, seafoam, and warm neutrals like toffee and gold. 

Neiman Marcus Last Call

Elena Medium Leather Satchel Bag, Stucco

View Info

Top Pick

21

Nordstrom

Theory 'Jodi' Cotton & Cashmere Short Sleeve Sweater

$295.00 $116.97

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

12

Custom Find

by Angie

View Info

Macy's

Calvin Klein Jeans Reversible Leather Belt

View Info

Top Pick

20

Nordstrom

Topshop 'Jolene' Pump (Women)

$80.00

View Info

Top Pick

20

G-Star Raw

5620 G-Star Elwood Mid Waist Skinny Jeans

View Info

Top Pick

12

Custom Find

by Angie

View Info

Second, the light grey items I choose to wear have to be textured in some way so that they look less flat. You can see in the collection here that both of my pearl grey pullovers have stitch interest. My moto jeans are marled which adds depth to the light grey denim. And my new grey Furla bag, made of textured leather, has gold hardware that adds a good dose of life and warmth to the grey. I wouldn’t have bought the grey bag if it had silver hardware. 

Third, I think of silver as “my grey” because it’s like pearl grey on steroids and extra bright. I have two pairs of silver shoes and a silver belt. I would probably have added a silver bag to my handbag capsule this year if the grey Furla had not found me. As it turns out, it’s a better option than a silver bag because the gold hardware makes it more versatile, much like a mixed metal piece of jewellery.

I am not adding any more dark grey to my wardrobe because it feels dull and lifeless when I wear it. That said, I have three old dark grey pieces that I still wear and that make me happy. But again, they’re textured in some way so they don’t feel dull:

1. Charcoal Pinstripe Suit: I wear this with brights and white.
2. Charcoal Micro Check Slouchy Trousers: Again, I wear these with brights and white to liven things up. 
3. Charcoal Tweed Equestrian Jacket: The bright cognac elbow patches and ombré buttons stole my heart. I like wearing it with blue, white and gold jeans.

Unlike me, most of my clients like to wear grey. They think it’s an easy and handy neutral to have in their closet, as well as a little different from black, white and navy. Clients with salt and pepper hair or grey hair look fantastic in grey, and I absolutely encourage them to wear all shades of grey across many wardrobe items. Some of my brunette and blonde clients with bright blue eyes look great in grey because their eyes liven up the grey. 

Over to you. Do you wear grey, and which shade is best?

This capsule shows how my wonderful client Karen updated her Spring and Summer wardrobe last week. We got it all done in two and a half hours. Apart from the silver flats and bag, which are similar substitutes, the exact pieces we purchased are represented in the collection below. We’re still looking for the right casual silver flats, and Karen already has a pewter tote.

Nordstrom

Theory 'Serino' Marled Pullover

$285.00

View Info

Top Pick

3

Nordstrom

Eileen Fisher Organic Linen Bateau Neck Boxy Sweater (Regular & Petite)

$158.00 $59.97

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

4

Banana Republic

Striped Terry Boatneck Top

$59.50 $49.99

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

27

Nordstrom

Two by Vince Camuto Mixed Media Jewel Neck Tunic

$59.00

View Info

Top Pick

17

Nordstrom

Truth & Pride 'Nocturnal' Tweed

$268.00 $107.20

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

10

Nordstrom

Burberry Giant Check Print Wool & Silk Scarf

$395.00 $296.25

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

13

Banana Republic

Resin Wash Crop Flare

View Info

Top Pick

24

Nordstrom

KUT from the Kloth 'Chrissy' Flare Leg Jeans (White)

$89.00

View Info

Top Pick

64

Nordstrom

Shoes Of Prey d'Orsay Flat (Women)

$189.95

View Info

Top Pick

4

Nordstrom

Hinge 'Neta' Leather Wedge Sandal (Women)

$79.95

View Info

Top Pick

6

Target

Women's Reversible Tote with Removable Pouch - Merona

View Info

Top Pick

7

A little more about Karen. She’s 75 years young and leads a retired and casual lifestyle. She splits her time between Seattle and Arizona, and for the most part needs outfits for mild and warm weather. Karen is extremely graceful and polished, and enjoys sporting the trends. She wears neutrals and the very occasional pop of colour. She likes tonal neutral outfits, or is in high-contrast black and white. She lives in jeans, casual pants, striped knitted tops, textured knitwear, scarves, and low-heeled or flat footwear. She always wears make-up, styles her gorgeous two-toned hair, and wears statement earrings. 

Colour Palette

We chose items in Karen’s signature neutrals: black, white, blue denim and shades of grey. We also added some ink blue in a stripe to change things up. Karen has very light green eyes which make the sour shade of kiwi a striking match. The colours in the capsule remind me of vanilla, kiwi and blueberry gelato. 

Karen enjoys high-low style so you’ll see an assortment of price points reflected in the capsule. The items were bought to mix and match with each other, AND complement what Karen already has in her wardrobe. Here are the components of the capsule. 

Two bottoms in different colours and silhouettes

• Denim Blue Flared Crops: A trendy new style that Karen didn’t think she would love, but does! 
• White Flared Jeans: Karen wears casual white pants and jeans all Spring and Summer long and already has a great assortment of boyfriend and chino styles. We added a pair of dramatic white flares to wear with heeled pumps and sandals to change things up. 

Four tops in different colours, patterns, silhouettes and textures

• Ink & White Striped Boatneck Knitted Top: Ink blue is new for Karen, but since it’s quite the classic, Karen liked it. The stripes are strategically positioned to streamline the torso.
• Grey Cropped Marled Pullover: This is a trendy and beautiful quality item that is too short to wear with the white flares, but is great with Karen’s white and blue boyfriend jeans that come up higher on the waist. 
• Kiwi Linen Boatneck Sweater: A boxy cropped top for a hint of colour to wear on the hottest of days because it’s lightweight and linen. 
• Black Mixed Media Tunic: Another trendy piece in a dramatic length. 

One jacket in a pattern

• Black & White Spring Tweed Jacket: Karen fell in love with the Spring jacket trend because she can style the jacket smart casually with jeans, or wear it with black trousers. This jacket works best over solid white, black and grey lightweight tops that Karen already has in her wardrobe. The top and jacket combination can be paired with white, blue and black jeans, or black ankle pants. 

Two pairs of shoes

• Silver ankle strap flat sandals: Ankle straps are a must for the multiple ankle bearing jeans lengths Karen has in her denim capsule these days. She already has black ankle strap footwear, thereby making silver the next neutral of choice. 
• Grey wedged sandals: Grey sandals are Summer staples for Karen, so we added another pair. They’re heeled and work well with the flares. 

One scarf in a pattern

• White, Bone and Black Check: The Burberry scarf goes with just about everything in her wardrobe because she has lots of solids and enjoys tonal pattern mixing. I suggested to Karen that if she goes home with one item on our shopping day – this is it. The scarfs adds chic pizzazz to any outfit. 

Karen likes to use one bag for the season unless she’s going out in the evening, in which case she’ll switch out her bag to a black or silver clutch. She’s sporting an “every day” pewter tote for Spring and Summer, which works with her polished yet relaxed wardrobe. Karen might add a few inexpensive tops to this capsule over the next few months, but is for the most part set for the season.

Here are similar items to the ones Karen chose in a Polyvore set for visual reference.

Karen’s husband took this photo of Karen wearing her new striped top and flared cropped jeans earlier this week in Arizona. The outfit works well with Karen’s old black Paul Green ankle strap sandals. Thanks for sharing your outfit with us, Karen. You look casually chic and as lovely as ever.