The most Googled fashion designer of the year, Uniqlo’s next designer collaboration, diversity in fashion in 2015, and more fashion news that caught our attention this month.

• For the first time ever, Pantone chose two colours as the Pantone colour of the year for 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity.
• For its next collaboration Uniqlo is teaming up with Liberty London.
• In other Uniqlo news: the Japanese brand’s is teaming up again with Carine Roitfeld for a second collection that will be in stores in February 2016.
• French company Veja is producing a sneaker made of recycled plastic bottles.
• Banana Republic fans will be able to buy limited-edition items straight off the runway immediately after its Fall 2016 show at New York Fashion Week on February 13.
• Earlier this month, Everlane launched “Mini“, an 11-piece collection for kids.
• According to Yahoo! Style, the Hermès Apple Watch was this year’s most talked about fashion and tech collaboration.
• London-based brand Jonathan Saunders is closing shop after the Scottish designer announced he is stepping down as creative director at his namesake label.
• Vogue published a report on how fashion fared in diversity in 2015.
• Raf Simons was the most Googled fashion designer of the year. Check out the rest of the top 10 here.
• Singer Beth Ditto is launching her own plus-size fashion line, which will be inspired by her love of prints, silks, embroidery, and vintage.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that the cup system for bras was developed in 1929 by the Maidenform Brassiere Company. (NSFW) “This new form of measurement offered more comfortable and accurate fitting, and coincided with the development of a new type of elastic thread by Dunlop chemists (Lastex), which had the flexibility and strength to offer support instead of heavy boning and lacing.”

We’ll be slowing things down this week as I recap our year of fashion and style. First up are my favourite YLF moments, of which there are of course too many to count. But five stick out most in my mind. 

The New Look YLF

YLF started the next leg of its style journey with a completely refreshed design. I love the typeface, blue header and picture-rich visual integrity. The new design’s modern, simple and friendly aesthetic makes me smile each time I use it, which is about a million times a day.

We made another big change later in the year, removing banner ads for logged in members. And members who would like to support the ongoing maintenance and development of YLF can become patrons. We haven’t reached the point where the support from patrons compensates completely for lost ad revenue, but it does feel very good to offer an ad free option.

Three International YLF Gatherings

Greg and I did a lot of international travel this year, and were welcomed with open arms by YLF’ers across the globe. The international nature of YLF is one of my favourite things about it, because our diverse backgrounds, cultures and personas are uniquely, unconditionally, and effortlessly united through fashion and style. That’s a gift that enriches my life more than I ever imagined.

We met members of the YLF community in Hong Kong, Amsterdam and London this year. The Amsterdam gathering was small, but very powerful. Liz, Inge and I marched up and down those cobbled streets like there was no tomorrow. We soaked up the style, bought treasures along the way, ate to our heart’s content, laughed up a storm, and yakked till the cows came home. It was SO much fun.

The London gathering was special in many ways. Inge and Liz travelled from Amsterdam and Antwerp to have a ball all over again. Other fabbers travelled from within the UK, Paris and Tel Aviv. With us coming through from Seattle it was indeed a global effort. We walked till our feet gave in, ate till our tummies burst, laughed till our cheekbones hurt, and enjoyed each other’s banter for hours and hours. The warmth, wit and wisdom of the women made it a brilliant day.

Sharing My Travel Capsule

Although I am an experienced packer, this was the first time that I shared exactly what I packed and wore on one of our trips. We documented my outfits on the go for an entire month as we visited family and friends in the Netherlands and England. The trip spanned a range of temperatures, activities and locations, which kept things interesting. The photo shoots in all sorts of new places kept photographer Greg happy and motivated. The capsule, the reasoning behind what I packed, and the way I remixed the outfits was well received by our readers, making it a worthwhile effort.

The Forum Fashion Era Challenge 

I challenged our forum members to create outfits that were inspired by their favourite fashion eras. So over the course of three weeks, many of our forum members did just that. They pulled out vintage pieces, wore wigs, did their hair, adjusted their make-up, and played dress up with the best of them. It was sublime, and I didn’t want the challenge to end. Our members covered most fashion eras and did it with panache. It was hard to pick a favourite but I’m going with the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s renditions because they are closest to my heart. And I’m demanding an encore for 2016.

Our Photo Shoot With Sam

Our eight month old Yorkie Sam is a natural in front of the camera. His photo shoot at home showcasing his holiday ensembles brought out his sweet disposition, playful persona and mischievous streak. It was an absolute joy prepping and styling our pint size pup with big personality. Sam is as adorable as it gets.

To cap things off, YLF recently passed 170,000 likes on Facebook, which is a lovely way to end the year.

What were your favorite YLF moments of 2015?

I was browsing through the Nordstrom sale and these designer items caught my eye. Many of the pieces are neutral, which tends to be the norm with designer wear these days. So if you’re a neutral gal, scour those sales racks.

There is lots more on sale across ALL price points, so be sure to browse through all the items when you have a moment.

• Prada Almond Toe Oxford (Women): A comfy sneaker for fashionable travel. Sporty Luxe for the win. Might run big.
• Burberry London Burberry London 'Newmarket' Leopard Print Calf Hair Lapel Tuxedo Jacket: A modern classic tuxedo blazer with animal print trim. Best on a boyish body. High longevity factor. Runs small.
• Hunter Bell 'Maddy' A-Line Skirt: A retro skirt for ladylike drama. The graphic pattern in a shade of rust is quite unique.
• Public School 'Lobo' Crepe Drop Crotch Pants: Harem Pants Fabness. Wear with a roomy cropped top.
• Noir Kei Ninomiya Tucked & Studded Cotton Tee: An architectural knit top that's soft as pajamas.
• Public School 'Alice' Midi Shirtdress: A midi shirt dress with handkerchief hem. You'll feel like you've got wings in this one. Best on Team Tall.
• Derek Lam 10 Crosby Metallic Stripe Peplum Blouse: The vertical pinstripe adds a streamlined integrity to the poufy peplum. Best on a shorter neck and shorter waist. Works on petites with a camisole.
• Hunter Bell 'Megan' Dot Jacquard Top: A cute cropped tuxedo swing shirt. The sleeves look as good rolled down.
• Veronica Beard 'Hamilton' Popcorn Knit Wool Sweater: Casual Chic. Wear it with jeans or trousers.
• Proenza Schouler Floral Print Crêpe de Chine Dress: A flirty frock that's very fitted on the torso. Swooshy, romantic and alluring. Runs small.
• T By Alexander Wang Merino Wool Midi Dress: A sweatshirt dress that's best on Team Tall with broad shoulders. Cute worn with wedge sneakers.
• Jason Wu Print Bodice Jersey Dress (Nordstrom Exclusive): A very fitted sheath with length for tall gals. Beautifully tailored, but clingy so consider yourself warned.
• M Missoni Abstract Print Long Sleeve Silk Blouse: A gorgeous patterned blouse. Dress it up or down, and it's the star of the outfit.
• Marni Floral Print Cotton Shirt: A happy peplum shirt with fashionable extra long sleeves. Best on a straighter figure and smaller bust.
• Armani Collezioni Ribbed Jersey Jacket: Impeccable quality. Beautiful clean lines. Good on a shorter neck and regular size bust. Works on petites too.

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

The holidays are special at the Cox Castle this year because it’s our first Christmas with Sam. The Yorkshire Terrier who came into our lives when he was ten weeks is now eight months old, weighs six pounds, and is as precious as can be. He keeps us on our toes with his boundless energy, hilarious behaviour, and adoring affection. He has a very bold, smart and sweet personality, and is the most playful puppy of all time. Sam enjoys his toys more than his food, and he loves his food! His gruff big-dog bark is adorable and he takes his watchdog role very seriously. 

We do a lot of celebrating and socializing at this time of year and enjoy looking festive and spreading good cheer. Sam’s holiday capsule was fun to put together and also quite the learning curve for his fashion stylist Mama. Unlike our other Yorkies Rosie and Jasmine, Sam does NOT like to wear sweaters, coats, T-shirts, or collars that jingle. His free spirit and very playful lifestyle mean that unfussy accessories that are soft, lightweight and comfortable are the only way to go. Sam’s holiday ensembles have to be an extension of his collar so that they don’t get in the way of eating, playing, bone chewing, sleeping, standing guard, walking and cuddling. 

After some trial and error, I found just the right pieces for Sam’s holiday look. A dapper bow tie and a fun reversible bandana. As luck would have it, the one side of the bandana is black which is Greg’s happy colour, while the other side is lime green — my happy colour. Sam is indifferent to the colours of his wardrobe items. As long as he can play in his outfit – he’s happy as a clam.

We can’t adequately express how much we love our little Sam. He makes our house a home and enriches our lives in that incomparable way that doggies do. We at YLF wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas, and safe travels.