Although we had a brilliant time in Las Vegas last year, we generally like to spend Christmas and New Year at home. My Papa lives in the Netherlands and alternates between spending Christmas with my brother in London and with us in Seattle. This year he came to Seattle and we’ve been having a ball! Eating out, seeing friends, shopping, going to the cinema, and spending quality time at the Cox Castle. There’s been no shortage of cake, eggnog, biscuits and chocolate. Just how it should be.

I’m really proud of my Papa. He’s hardy, independent, and emotionally strong. It’s amazing that he climbs on a plane to visit each year at age 82. Greg took this photo a few days ago.

We at YLF wish you a festive, fun and peaceful holiday weekend.

My recent post about the colour red and your style got me thinking about redheads. I sometimes hear that redheads shouldn’t wear red because it clashes with orange (red hair is usually a shade of orange). I disagree. I think redheads look AMAZING in all sorts of red. Orange and red is a romantic and happy combination, clashing right up to the point where it’s perfectly harmonious, creating a beautifully rich, bold, tonal and sultry effect. 

Take a peek at these redheads wearing bright tomato red and darker reds with panache. Some redheads have dark red hair, whereas others are a lighter ginger colour. I love all of these combinations. 

• Texture-rich claret with a matching rosette.
• Extra dark red hair with blue red chiffon and green eyes.
• Patterned dark red with complementary cobalt blue.
• Tomato, black and white.
• Burgundy with olive and ombréd orange.
• Ginger and burgundy with blue eyes.
• Copper locks with tomato red up top and oxblood on the bottom.
• Pretty poppy with ginger.
• A true red with gold accents.
• Orange, red and pink.
• Tomato Red-Out.
• Moulin Rouge.

Redheads also have the option of sporting a shade of red away from their face, either as an accent colour in an accessory, or as a bottom. Take a peek at these lovely ladies: 

• A feast of colour: yellow, tomato red, turquoise and fuchsia.
• A column of grey with a bright red bag.
• Red skirt with a black support act.
• Red pants with cobalt top and orange hair.

Strawberry blondes look gorgeous in dark reds and burgundies. Ladies with burgundy hair tend to look fab in shades of orange, which is again, a mixture of orange and red. It’s myth that redheads can’t wear red.

Los Angeles and Las Vegas-based Janise Burrafato (45 and petite) works full-time in the tech world. This busy Mum of twin boys blogs about fashion, beauty and family life over at Mama in Heels. Janise is a Modern Classic dresser with a decidedly adventurous streak. Her style is ladylike and polished. She loves to have fun with footwear, statement jewellery, and investment bags. Janise also has a nose for a great bargain, and is a big fan of mixing high-end and low-end pieces. 

“I’m more comfortable in my skin now than ever and I don’t need to be in trendy clothes to look stylish. Now that I’m older I tend to invest in classic items in neutral colors because they never go out of style. They also serve as the style backbone to mix with trends and vintage. I now love to wear one statement piece as opposed to 3 or 4 pieces at a time. So less is more for me now!”

Structure and softness play well together in this classic and timeless trouser look. The bright pink and poppy floral print and soft drape of the feminine blouse provide softness up top. Janise’s wavy locks framing her face further emphasize that effect. A great juxtaposition with the strict and crisp fabric of the high-waisted wide-legged trousers. The pointy toe pumps, the elegant length of the pants — they are visually skimming the surface — and the tucked blouse create a long lean line on our blogger, who is pushing 5’2″. Also note how the dark bottoms and footwear bookend Janise’s black hair, while the cream satchel echoes the lighter colour of the blouse. Dainty gold necklaces, a big watch, and bright pink lipstick are the finishing touches. 

Janise is firmly on Team Mixing High-End with Low-end Pieces. For date night, she’s dressed up simple skinny jeans with a Zara blazer and Charlotte Olympia heels. The roomy, but not oversized, leopard print blazer brings oodles of oomph on its own. Throwing in the hyena print pumps makes for an extra playful and on trend look. The white popover shirt feels a bit more relaxed than a classic button-down version, and the open neckline draws attention to the bold yet minimal Chanel-esque pearl necklace. The shirt and blazer are the same length, and end at a flattering point on the thigh. Turning up the shirt cuffs, sporting a bright red mini bag, and glamming it up with oversized sunnies and red lippie kicks the style quotient up another notch.

The high cosiness factor, unusual colour combo and soft-edge vibe of this texture-rich outfit have stolen my heart. At first glance, I thought the grape coated skinnies were actually leather pants. Doesn’t the colour look amazing with the light pinks. The volume of the oversized chunky cable-knit sweater is reined in by pairing it with skinny bottoms. I love the length of the jeans, and how they unzip to elegantly drape over the neutral-coloured lizard print heels. The quilted crossbody adds even more textural interest, as does the knotted cuff bracelet. There’s some subtle metal mixing going on as well with the gold bracelet, silver ring and silver hardware on the bag. A pair of eye-catching glass earrings add a lightness that works particularly well with this look. A shade of pink would have been the more obvious lipstick choice, but Janise went with an unexpected coral instead. Fab!

Janise wore this striking white outfit to pay homage to one of her favourite holiday destinations: the Greek island of Santorini. It’s the perfect example of how to create a visually interesting look with “just” a simple dress and the right accents. The white frock with pintuck detailing, thin self-belt and full skirt screams Summer to me. Its romantic vibe cleverly contrasts with the very bold strappy heels that combine lizard embossed leather with suede. Plus, the cobalt blue looks so fresh and kicky with all the white. The straps and rose gold hardware on the satchel add subtle colour and texture. Janise’s statement round vintage earrings work superbly with the pulled back hair, which in turn suits the casual vibe of the entire look to a Tee. A swipe of Janise’s trademark Yves Saint Laurent Beaute #12 lipstick, and our blogger is ready for a family lunch at a Greek restaurant.

With a blog named Mama in Heels, it’s no surprise that Janise loves to sport high heels on a regular basis:

“I love wearing heels but I’m a practical person in general. You will find me in my ballet flats (spring/fall) and low heel boots (winter) at the airport or just running errands. I will also bust out my sneakers for long walks or hiking on the trails. But you will always find me in heels whenever I’m out for date night or girls night out.”

Once again Janise has built a (daytime) going–out look around a simple pair of jeans. This time she is wearing distressed, light-wash skinnies as slim-fit boyfriend jeans. Their nonchalant, lived-in feel is a great juxtaposition against the dressy pieces up top. Her velvet blazer and leather top add shine and texture in one go. The rich red colour of the tuxedo blazer feels lush and luxurious. I love how the daylight plays with the velvet fabric to create a sense of movement. The drape of the short black leather top and Janise’s hair worn down further emphasize that effect. Bare ankles and an open neckline create subtle allure. A chunky necklace in colours that complement her outfit, and a plum handbag that accentuates the rich shade of the topper finish off the look.

Our blogger clearly has dressing fabulously for date night down pat. Here she is doing Sporty Luxe in head-to-toe silver. Such a fun and elegant take on the monochromatic look. Janise has paired a camo print upscale sweatshirt with silver metallic straight leg jeans. Chic and on trend. The casual sweatshirt immediately feels more dressy in this silver colourway. It also has a silver thread running through it, which adds festive polish and complements the sheen of the jeans. The moto style detailing and zippers of the bottoms create a bit of tough, which is a nice juxtaposition with the ladylike silver sandals and sparkly crystal bib necklace. Finally, a grey-blue clutch with interesting round clasp brings a spot of pattern mixing to the look.

Let us know in the comments what you think of Janise’s glamorous and trendy Modern Classic style. You can also browse the rest of her outfits on her blog, or find out what inspires her via her pinboards.

The most googled fashion trend of 2014, a new Pierre Cardin museum, New York Fashion Week is leaving Lincoln Center, and other style news from around the world this week.

• As part of a multi-year partnership, Rihanna has been appointed Creative Director for sports brand Puma.
• Luxury fashion website My-Wardrobe closes its virtual doors and has sold its domain name to Net-a-Porter. 
• “Normcore” is the most googled fashion trend of 2014, followed by “health goth” and “athleisure”. 
• February 2015’s New York Fashion Week will be the last at Lincoln Center.
• A new Pierre Cardin museum has opened in the central Marais district in Paris.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that winkle pickers, sometimes also referred to as “pikes”, got their name from the exaggerated pointy toe, which reminded people of the pin used to extract winkles from their shells.