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The amount of denim in the wardrobes of my clients runs the gamut. There are those who wear denim items daily, in casual or smart casual outfits, and have a large denim capsule. They have denim jeans, jackets, skirts, shirts and dresses in a variety of washes and colours. There is another group who also likes denim, but wears it less frequently. They typically wear denim items three to four times a week, but not daily.
Then there are my clients who hardly wear denim at all. I find this interesting, because by conventional wisdom denim is such a staple. It is fashionable, practical, versatile, casually appropriate and easy to launder. But these clients have some good reasons for their decision to have a very “denim light” style.
Work Dress Codes
Clients who have business formal or business casual dress codes cannot wear jeans to work, which means that denim is something to wear over the weekends or in the evenings at best. Occasionally they will get away with wearing trouser jeans, black jeans or white jeans on casual Fridays.
Ultra Curvy Figures
Some of my very curvy clients — and pear shaped clients in particular — much prefer the way they look in dresses and skirts. No matter how well a curvy pair of jeanswill fit (and waistbands can be altered too), they just don’t feel fabulous in jeans. But they will wear a denim jacket with a dress, or sport an A-line denim skirt.
Uncomfortable Fabrication
Some clients prefer wearing softer fabrications like jersey knits, lightweight cottons, Ponte knits, leggings and knitwear most of the time. Denim, no matter how soft and stretchy, is still too constricting and rigid. And for some clients, denim is simply too warm to wear when it’s not Winter.
A Non-Denim Style Aesthetic
For a handful of clients, denim simply doesn’t fit into their style aesthetic. It doesn’t drape and looks too pedestrian. Although they look fab in jeans, they don’t feel fab. They prefer creating outfits without denim because to their eye it’s more unique.
Denim is Too Casual
There are a few clients who feel that blue denim is too casual no matter how you slice and dice it. They will wear black and white denim, and that’s it.
My late Mother never ever wore denim until the last few years of her life (she died in her late fifties). And she would only wear white jeans because they look dressier than blue. I suspect she’d eventually have worn black jeans, and perhaps pink jeans, but for the rest she was a trouser and skirt gal through and through.
As I look back over my 45 years, my love for denim has grown. I never wore denim as a child, and quite seldom as a teen. I definitely had a denim light wardrobe for the first 17 years of my life. I started wearing jeans at university, but the affection dwindled when I become a fashion buyer and denim was forbidden at the the office.
I rekindled my love for denim when we came to the US twelve years ago, and I now have a denim-heavy wardrobe. I love the way denim feels and looks. But most of all, I love denim’s ability to dress down wardrobe items that would ordinarily be too dressy for my lifestyle. Its magical tempering affect is perfect for my style, and as a result I wear jeans and denim jackets very frequently. Since I bat for Team Dressy, I do have as many pairs of white jeans as blue jeans. White jeans in all sorts of silhouettes are one of my favourite wardrobe items of all time, so I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The unstructured shirt dress outfit formula is a comfortable and easy Summer frock look. Classic shirt dresses have belts to create a defined waistline, but trendier shirt dresses are unstructured and hang like a sack — just like you’re wearing a long shirt. Their short length and high-low hemlines effectively offset the lack of structure. Breezy, yet covered, and just about the easiest pull-on-and-go outfit of them all.
I’ve created three versions of the look to get you started. Think solid or patterned shirt dresses in stiff or soft fabrications. Here are the components:
Shirtdress: You can wear unstructured shirt dresses on their own if you’re comfortable sporting the shorter length. That said, some shirt dresses — like Topshop’s utility midi shirt dress — are longer than the norm. Or you can layer the dress over leggings and skinnies for extra coverage.
Cropped Leggings & Skinnies: These extras are optional, making the shirt dress work more like a tunic. I vote cropped leggings in black and skinnies in white. Cropped skinnies mean that you can wear all sorts of trendy footwear with the look. Showcasing the ankle and shin also makes the outfit look more Summery.
Of course, feel free to wear blue, grey or black cropped skinnies. And by all means sport a denim on denim look by pairing denim skinnies with a denim shirt dress. Why not!
Footwear: Finish off the look with dressy or casual footwear, like slip-on sneakers, gladiators, ankle strap pumps, slides, loafers, sandal, wedged sandals, sandal booties or cage heels.
Accessories: Add a bag that works with the outfit. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.
Shirt dresses are my favourite style of dress and I have three of them: a denim style, a voluminous flag dress, and a tomato red cocoon dress. Last season I wore them on their own with loafers, laceless oxfords, and ankle strap flats. But this season I want to wear them with skinnies, leggings and pearls. I also want to try the longer Topshop frock with my chunky pearl necklaces.
Here are five easy ways to update your jeans capsules over the next few seasons. Many of the styles can be worn year round with a change of footwear and styling. Washes can be distressed, acid, patchwork or uniformly clean. Rises are mid to high on the waist (low rises are not on trend at the moment.) Hems are raw or neatly hemmed. Fits are for the most part tailored, but some silhouettes look good relaxed. Think all shades of blue, white, grey and black denim.
Introduce one or more of these styles into your wardrobe to refresh your casual and smart casual look. All of the silhouettes are relatively easy to fit, style and wear.
These flares are wider on the hem than the average pair of bootcuts, although some bootcut silhouettes will pass for full-length flares. Note that the fit is snug on the thighs, so these are NOT wide leg jeans. They generally start to flare out from the knee, and not further up the leg. Wear them with a tucked, semi-tucked or tucked top. Wear the hems long and almost skimming the surface of the ground, so you’ll need to commit to a heel height for the style.
We’ve talked extensively about flared cropped jeans because it’s THE style to sport at the moment. Remember that the flare can be subtle or more pronounced. A pair of cropped straight legs creates a more subtle flare and is easier to style. A pair of cropped bootcuts creates a wider flare, which can be harder to style. Choose between a tailored or fluid fit. Keeping lengths two to four inches above the ankle bone is flop proof. Refresh your memory on how to pair the right footwear with the look.
These are Summer jeans because they look best with Summer-y footwear. Booties, to my eye, tend to look better with flared crops because the slightly wider hem balances out the heaviness of the boots. Style these like you would style jeggings and you’re good to go. It’s also fashionable to wear tops semi-tucked or tucked if you’re comfortable with that look. Wear the high-rise styles with roomy cropped tops for a very trendy pairing.
The ‘90s flashback is quite fun. You can purchase jeans with the built-in cuff, or try to cuff an existing pair of straight leg or relaxed skinny jeans to create a similar vibe. Regular skinnies are generally too narrow to cuff in this manner, but some boyfriend styles work well cuffed this way too.
All body types across petite, regular and tall can wear these styles. It’s a question of finding the right fit and combining it with a suitable support act. I’ve been wearing full-length flares for two years — in faded blue denim and white — and they have become my go-to pair of dressy jeans. I started wearing flared crops and skinnies last year and they’ve become wardrobe essentials in blue and white denim. And I’m still thinking about denim culottes and cuffed crops. Over to you. Which trendy styles tickle your fancy?
Jackets with front zippered or welted pockets that slant at an angle are visually flattering. That’s because the slant of the diagonal lines draws the eye inward to give the illusion of a narrower waist. The angle of the pockets can slant upwards or downwards to create the same “narrowing effect”. And some slope at a steeper incline than others. The examples here illustrate the point quite well.
Welted or zippered pockets that are positioned horizontally or vertically close to the waist don’t have quite the same narrowing effect because those lines draw the eye across or down (not inward). Both my Smythe equestrian jackets have steep slanting front welted pockets that make my waist appear narrower than it is.
It’s not at all essential for jackets to have this design feature, but it might be worth considering when you want to create the illusion of a more defined waist. Many of my rectangular and apple shaped clients enjoy the subtle design feature because it gives their waistline more definition. Some of my curvy clients enjoy it because it accentuates their already well-defined waist.
I cannot believe that YLF is ten years old today. TEN YEARS OLD. Wow. Our first post went live on April 5th 2006 and we never looked back. Time flies when you’re having fun. Those who have been here since the very beginning will remember the Lisa Henderling illustration of me with Jasmine and Rosie that Greg used in the background of YLF’s first design. Later updated when I switched from a bob to short hair.
My voice is dominant on YLF because I write most of the posts and I’m very active on our highly engaged forum. But YLF would not exist if it weren’t for my husband, Greg. He suggested that I start a blog (when I didn’t even know what a blog was!). He created the site as his labour of love to me while working full time at Microsoft, and has continued redesigning and improving it over the last ten years even as he juggled all sorts of other work projects. He is the designer, programmer and technical support team. He’s also YLF’s marketing manager, strategist, photographer and accountant. Greg is the behind the scenes YLF genius who deserves a lot more credit than he gets because he’s awfully humble and modest. If I’m the heart of YLF, Greg is definitely the blood and oxygen that runs through it. I cannot thank him enough for his unconditional dedication, positive attitude, tenacity, and ongoing belief in me. Working on YLF with my best friend and soulmate has made all the difference. I would not and could not have done this without Greg.
As I look back over YLF’s ten years, there are countless memorable moments. It’s impossible to list them all, but I’m going to take you down memory lane nonetheless.
Things that Make Me Proud
When we started YLF I decided to post at least once every non-holiday weekday. Despite technical adversity, travelling across continents, illness, house guests, and heavy workloads, we haven’t missed a day in ten years!
Our community has exceeded all of my expectations. When we launched the forum 8 years ago I didn’t imagine that it would grow into the wonderful, bustling community it is today.
With YLF my goal was to help you become your own fashion stylist. So I find it enormously rewarding when people tell me how YLF’s content and community has helped them to solve their fashion and style challenges, and most importantly, that they are having fun on their style journey. I feel that I’m making a difference in the world.
Revealing Myself
I was reluctant to show myself on YLF because I felt it should be about you, not me. But after two years and two months we decided to include some glimpses of me in a post about my visit to Anne Fontaine in Paris. Then a few days later another glimpse when I was watching street style, and by the end of our trip all inhibitions were a thing of the past.
The Gift
At the end of 2009, a group of forum members clubbed together to gift me with a Valentino handbag and presented it to me at a gathering in Seattle. This gesture was my most meaningful and memorable YLF moment. It’s the type of thing that happens once in a lifetime, and I am still overwhelmed by emotion when thinking about it. Words cannot express the gratitude for this level of thoughtfulness and generosity. To me, this gift represents the love and kindness of the entire YLF community. I shall cherish my exquisite Valentino handbag for the rest of my life, and proudly carry it with your affectionate sentiments engraved deeply into my heart.
The Yorkies of YLF
Our Yorkshire terriers Jasmine and Rosie were a very meaningful and important part of the YLF team. They kept us company when we spent hours at our computers. They also often stole the show when we took outfit photos.
Our saddest moments were the days we lost Jasmine in 2011 and Rosie in 2013. They are imprinted on our hearts forever, and words cannot adequately describe how much we love and miss them. Little Sam continues their legacy.
My favourite YLF photo of all time is one where little Jasmine photo bombed my outfit. I didn’t know she was behind me, but Greg snapped the shot at the perfect moment. She was looking directly at the camera like the beautiful little blog star that she was.
Mother’s Day Posts
Each Mother’s day, I dedicate a post to my late Mother who is and will always be my most important and stylish inspiration.
Mama inspired me to take an interest in personal style and encouraged me to pursue a career in fashion. She died 16 years ago and never saw YLF, but she would have loved it. Every time I mention Mama in my posts it is with great emotion, and a simultaneously heavy and happy heart.
Our First Fashion Week
Our first New York Fashion Week experience was in 2010, and it was by far the most enjoyable. Greg and I had the very best fashion adventure together in frozen NYC. I couldn’t believe that we had made it to NYFW, and I was walking on clouds all week.
The Video
In 2011, on YLF’s fifth birthday, an extremely thoughtful forum member called Ornella put together this incredible video. I was absolutely blown away and feltso, so, humbled and honoured. I smile, laugh and cry each time I see that video because I can feel the affection from those members over and over again. Priceless.
YLF in the Seattle Times
In 2011, the Seattle Times did a fun feature on YLF. It featured YLF at a gathering, me working with a client, as well as a few of my own outfits. It’s been YLF’s most prominent media exposure and made me feel quite proud.
The Photographer
Every photograph on YLF is taken, processed and published with an extreme amount of care and attention to detail by our creative and meticulous photographer, Greg. This makes every photo a memorable moment. Here’s one that Fabber Kari took on the sly of Greg in action. It’s GREAT to see him on the other side of the camera for a change. You can also see some of his non-YLF photography on Exposure.
Meeting Inge & the Epic Gathering
Meeting and befriending Inge is one of my big YLF highlights. She contacted me privately eight years ago, soon after we launched our forum. She very politely asked if she was allowed to join since she wasn’t American and lived in Belgium. “Well I’m not American either!”, I said. “And of course, I would be delighted if you joined our community.” It was her love for pearls that brought her to YLF and we had an instant connection over this and many other things.
We became close friends, meeting in person for the first time in 2010 when Greg and I were in Europe. We got on like a house on fire and Inge eventually became part of the YLF team. In 2014 she came to Seattle and spent a month with us, which was absolutely magical. We had SO MUCH FUN together, and I long for us to be able to do that again. The cherry on top was an epic Seattle gathering we had in her honour. It was unforgettable.
In 2014 we launched the Finds feature, which has been a revelation for us. The ability to collect items you like from online retailers, arrange them into a shopping list, AND organize your entire wardrobe online — is my very favourite YLF feature. I thank Greg in my head daily for building this incredible organizational tool.
YLF’s Eighth Birthday
There have been many, many YLF gatherings around the globe and each of them is special in its own way. I’ve been to the ones in Seattle, New York, Boston, Chicago, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Brussels, Antwerp, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and London, and would go to another in a heartbeat. One of the gatherings in Boston coincidentally took place on YLF’s eighth birthday in 2014 and it was sublime. The spirit of the group was exceptional and we had an absolute ball.
And on top of it all, the group (and Fabber Isabel especially) organized a celebratory lunch. She knew how much our Yorkies Jasmine and Rosie meant to us, and included their names on the cake. It was a touching moment that I will remember forever.
Last but not least, YOU are what makes YLF exceptional. You graciously share your wit and wisdom in blog comments and forum posts. Your thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent and insightful contributions enrich my life, make me grow as a person, and provide me with daily inspiration. It blows me away when I think that some of you have been participating on YLF since its inception on 5 April 2006. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for ten years of support, and for helping me to spread the word that you can have fun with fashion at any age.
