Anna Wintour named Editorial Director for Condé Nast, Mango’s plus-size line comes to the US, an activewear capsule collection designed by film director David Lynch, and more news from the fashion trenches this week.

• Here’s an unexpected fashion collaboration: Film director David Lynch has designed an activewear capsule collection for Live The Process. 
• “Violeta“, Mango’s on trend plus-size line is now also available in the United States.
• With 45 photos a new exhibition will allow us a peek into Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment, that has remained intact but is not open to the public.
• Target introduces “In a Snap“, an image recognition app for Apple devices that lets users shop Target print ads directly.
• Stella McCartney and Adidas are joining forces again to design the Team GB kit for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
• Lord & Taylor will launch two new concept shops this Autumn. Brand Assembly will focus on up-and-coming “advanced contemporary” designers. Birdcage will be all about home goods, jewellery, accessories and food.
• If you’re into TV-series like Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Orange Is the New Black, and Portlandia, then this Los Angeles exhibition is for you.
• Anna Wintour has been named Editorial Director for all Condé Nast titles.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that Levi’s reportedly refused product placement for the 1991 road movie Thelma & Louise? So the high-waisted jeans and other denim items Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis wore, had to be sourced from other brands.

This ensemble was inspired by four magnificent neutrals that are finally coming together for Fall 2014. We’ve seen black and grey dominate retail for many, many seasons. Dark blue made a stylish return a few years ago and continues to gain momentum. And brown is making a fashionable comeback after laying low for seven years. 

The point of the ensemble is to wear all four neutrals in one outfit. This is a very 2014 look because gone are the days when it was considered a faux pas to wear black with brown, or black with dark blue. Don’t worry about it. Just wear it. Pair a dark blue jacket or top with black shoes. Wear a chocolate top with a black skirt, grey footwear and ink bag. Combine a navy pullover with black trousers, charcoal jacket and cognac footwear and bag. The possibilities for this modern take on darker neutrals is endless, and are a great alternative to wearing black and grey from head to toe. 

I’ve shown a few combinations in the ensembles below, and threw in a print for good measure. I’ve chosen a warm and rich cognac because it’s my favourite shade of brown. But all shades of brown will work, as will all shades of grey. Denim blue can replace the ink if that makes things easier. 

Outfit on the Left 

Combine light or dark grey trousers with a dark blue top like a blouse, shirt, tee or pullover. Layer over a jacket in a false plain (black and grey tweed), or a black jacket. Finish off with brown footwear and bag. A black moto would work really well too. Or swap things around by wearing black trousers and a grey jacket.

Outfit in the Middle

The next rendition is a lot more casual because faded denim represents the blue in the ensemble. It’s probably the easiest to pull together with items from your closet. Combine a grey top with blue jeans and a black jacket. Add a cognac belt and bag, and your choice of ink, black or grey footwear. Any style of black jacket is fab. Or wear cognac footwear and belt with a black or ink bag. 

Outfit on the Right

The last rendition includes a pattern and a skirt. Combine a black skirt with a grey top and ink patterned jacket. Finish off with a cognac bag and black footwear. Or wear the ink pattern on the skirt with a black jacket. Dark brown accessories will work too. More subtle but just as fab. Note that the pattern is quite neutral, and doesn’t veer too far from the palette. 

Finish off the look with jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired. An animal print in shades of brown like cheetah, snakeskin and leopard is a great way to incorporate the brown part of the ensemble. And last, here are two more outfits that incorporate all four neutrals, AND add white into the mix. Five neutrals in one outfit. I love it.

Have you ever used a fashion or beauty subscription service? Are you a fan? Then have a peek at StyleCaster’s roundup of The 8 Best Monthly Fashion Subscriptions that Deliver to Your Door.

For many people, the surprise element is one of the main selling points of subscription services, as you get to discover new brands and products each time a parcel arrives on your doorstep. However, for some, like The Guardian’s beauty writer Sali Hughes, that’s precisely what puts them off this type of service.

Popular beauty delivery company Birchbox, that started as an online subscription service, has recently opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Manhattan.

Not exclusively fashion-related, but I found this breakdown of 6 Rules to Live by When Starting a Subscription Business an interesting read.

Fab Links from Our Members

Kellygirl found this article about the Harvard Women’s Rugby Team posing for a photo series that celebrates body love and acceptance inspiring. “Lots of different body types, and every one of them fit and strong,” she added.

Anne likes red recommends listening to this radio report about textile testing at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Amber, who was recently featured on YLF, had a fun and “adventurous” day at the beach. Lyn* loves that both Amber and Angie represent their true selves on their blogs: “there’s nothing artificial and photoshopped to make them look like they have perfect lives.”

In this Refinery29 article, 8 French women share their secrets on how to look great every day. Angie thought it a very interesting read.

Alana in Canada reports that Anuschka over at Into Mind is offering a workbook for wardrobe building that will be available on August, 5.

Milehighstyle (Linda) and La Belle Demimondaine both loved Unfancy’s tip on how to add variety to a tiny wardrobe.

Ummlila points us to Vanity Sizing: Compare These 25 Retailers at Your Local Mall.

Prince George turned one on 22 July, and Women’s Wear Daily celebrated with a roundup of his first year’s fashions. MsMary says “he’s obviously following in the footsteps of his Mum and late grandmother.” And adds that “those chubby cheeks are the perfect accessory.”

Today we bring back beautiful Bridget, who is a dear friend and one of my very first clients. Bridget stands a little short of six feet, wears a size 12, and is in her late forties. As a busy Mum-on-the-Go her lifestyle is extra casual, which means practical outfits that are comfortable, on trend and fun. No heels, dresses or skirts unless it’s a special occasion. 

In this post Bridget is sharing two more of her casual outfits that work well for a Seattle Summer. Both combine new and older pieces, which is something she enjoys to do. 

Bridget took to the oversized upscale sweatshirt trend like a duck to water because she adores soft pieces that are roomy, cozy and comfortable. That made the new Vince Camuto ‘80s sweatshirt an instant hit. At this stage in Bridget’s fashion life she much prefers a very fluid or oversized fit. I can’t remember the last time she tried on a tailored item, other than skinnies to tuck into boots (a must for our wet weather in Winter). Scrunched sleeves provide structure to the outfit, as does the welt of the top. 

Bridget’s long neck, broad shoulders, and regular sized bust allow her to wear all necklines with panache. She looks as good in a turtleneck as she does in a plunging V-neck, scoop neck, crew neck, cowl neck or boat neck. And dropped shoulder seams, which you might think don’t work on a broad shoulder line, work really well. They cleverly shorten a broad shoulder line, and lengthen a narrow one. 

Bridget and her mother Karen enjoy wearing white bottoms, so each season we make sure that Bridget’s white bottoms are fashionably fab and in good shape. This season we added a pair of cropped boyfriend jeans from the Loft into the mix to complement her capsule of long white boyfriends and straight legs. She wears them with most of her Summer tops, both untucked with a sweatshirt like you see here, or partially tucked in front with a belt. The pewter Ecco sandals are several seasons old and still going strong. 

The combination of cropped bottoms with a warmer top and sandals is great for Seattle because our Summers have very few days that are extremely hot. As Queen Pattern, Bridget loves to wear and mix patterns, which makes the patterned bag a natural fit. Bridget is a soft and gentle person, so the fact that she is happiest wearing loud patterns is an interesting juxtaposition in itself. Bold patterns seem to bring out Bridget’s stunning light blue eyes and warm smile even more. I love that. 

The next outfit might seem like a Fall look, but it’s totally wearable on a typical Seattle Summer’s day. The bottom of the outfit is new, while the top part is a few seasons old. I make a point of remixing old and new pieces during our outfit creation sessions because Bridget has a soft spot for her golden oldies. Here she’s wearing her new Rag & Bone Dre boyfriend jeans. She started wearing boyfriend jeans last year and never looked back. It was a big step for Bridget to wear a belt and partially tuck tops. To quote my darling friend: “I have belt phobia, Angie. I can’t do it!” Thanks to relaxed jeans, forgiving fluid fits, and the genius semi-tuck, Bridget has become a Belt Gal, and we chuckle about this often. One can truly never say never in fashion. 

Bridget loves to wear long cardigans, and for several years wore boyfriend and waterfall styles as casual lightweight toppers. She tired of those silhouettes last year so now she’s sporting cocoon styles with round bottoms to change up her look. A different style of drape that’s just as comfy and cozy. The gauzy cream topper layers beautifully over an equally gauzy striped tee, which is semi-tucked over a pewter belt. To finish off this look, Bridget adds lightweight cream Giove booties to bookend her hair, and pick up the cream in the outfit. The turquoise bag provides a happy pop of colour. 

Bridget loved the idea of slip-on sneakers when I wrote about them, so we added the Vince Blair Slip-On Sneakers to her Summer shoe capsule. You might find the patterned version less versatile than the solid, but Bridget is an adventurous pattern mixer, and will wear them like a solid neutral. They work with all her jeans and long length shorts, adding a trendy sporty touch to her outfits. Here they work just as well as the cream booties in exactly the same outfit. 

Thank you, Bridget, for being such a sport. You photograph beautifully and are a natural in front of the camera like your Mama. It was an honour to feature some of your fabulous and inspiring warm weather Mum-on-the-Go outfits. I love working with you, and love you as a friend even more.