Our underwear and sleepwear are for the most part hidden from the world, yet we dedicate a portion of our budget to them. In some cases we spend a lot of money on them because underwear, and bras especially, can be pricey. Purchase five expensive bras for daily use and a dozen knickers to wear with them and it’s quite the expense. And I haven’t included speciality bras, camisoles, shapewear or thermals. Furthermore, underwear requires regular replenishment. 

Sleepwear can be less demanding on our wardrobe budget because we get away with wearing just about anything that tickles our fancy. Old tees, leggings, pajamas and nighties that you’ve had for years, slips, retired loungewear, or nothing at all. Sleepwear also tends to last longer because it doesn’t go through daily wear and tear like undies do. So that’s a saving right there. 

Loungewear and socks are a little more visible to the public, but still quite hidden. Of course, some socks are meant for intentional fashion exposure, and those are a different animal. I’m talking about socks that make zero fashion impact. Some people, like me, wear socks frequently and wear them out quickly. So replenishing them regularly is important. Loungewear includes robes, sweats, tees, tanks, shorts, drawstring pants, dresses, leggings and skirts that you wear around the house. They might be items you’ve demoted to “wear at home only”, or items you’ve bought for the sole purpose of wearing at home.

I’ve found similarities among my clients’ purchasing strategies for the hidden aspects of their style. Almost everyone is prepared to spend what it takes on a set of comfortable, fabulous bras, and replenish them as they wear out. Most are prepared to spend money on speciality bras, thermals and shapewear as the need arises. Knickers and socks are often a very small component of the budget. Sleepwear usually receives annual attention. Loungewear typically receives the smallest portion of the wardrobe budget, because clients would rather demote older clothes to loungewear than spend money on that aspect of their style. 

Personally, I love gorgeous underwear, and am happy to spend what it takes to feel fab in my undies. If my budget were limitless and my size and fit easier to find, I’d spend even more on bras and knickers. Wearing matching sets makes a difference to how I feel in my outfit, adding an extra bit of polish that makes me happy. So although few people see my underwear — I see it — and it’s important to me that it’s as pretty as it is comfy. 

On the other hand, I spend next to nothing on sleepwear. I purchase inexpensive, ultra soft tees every few years and wear them with boy shorts. I can’t be more covered than that when I sleep because I find it uncomfortable. My loungewear gets annual attention, and does double duty as my robe. I happily spend on that capsule each year because I want to feel good in my sweats, which I wear daily, before my shower in the morning and before going to bed at night. And last, I have deliberately boring sock style and replenish with fairly inexpensive socks a few times a year. I have a hard time paying for expensive socks. 

Over to you. How do you feel about spending money on the hidden aspects of your style? Are you prepared to fork out a good amount of money on underwear and sleepwear, or do you prefer to keep it to a minimum? Do you try to keep the costs down on socks and loungewear too?

I’ve spent a lot of time recently going through the Nordstrom Half Yearly sale items (see my roundups of clothing, footwear and handbags, and some extra picks), but there are also many bargains to be had in the Memorial Day sales at other stores. Here are a few that struck my eye. 

Many of these items are available in an assortment of colours. 

Gap

• Gap Slip-On Sneakers: I find them a little comfier than Vans. The tan polka dot is particularly fun. 

Banana Republic

• Banana Republic Ikat Shirt Dress: A breezy dress for the larger bust and shorter neck. Great on broad shoulders too. 

Zappos

• ASICS Gel-Challenger 9: A super athletic shoe. Read the rave reviews. I popped them into my shopping cart. 
• Ecco Sculptured 45 Pump: A casual pump with a sporty edge. Low-heeled and comfortable. 
• Loeffler Randall Rae Wedge: Elegant and fashionable. 
• Gentle Souls Funtastic Wedge: Soft and comfortable despite the high heel. The light blue and peach get my top votes. 
• DV by Dolce Vita Karyn Sandal: A fashionable ankle strap that works on a high volume foot. 
• Fidji L456 Slingback Sandal: A closed toe sling-back for those who prefer to cover their toes, like I do. Fidji footwear is generally very comfortable and well made. 
• BC Footwear Endless Thrill Bootie: A cut-out sandal bootie at a good price. 
• David Tate Nessie Sandal: A chunky yet refined sandal with a retro edge. Fab on high volume feet. 
• BC Footwear Prepare for Landing T-Strap Wedge: A pastel T-strap that’s super soft and quite unique. 
• BCBGeneration Waist Cut Out Maxi Dress KRK65A51: An extra alluring maxi dress with high-low hemline and racer back detail. Fab for a hot Summer’s night. 
• Donna Morgan Fitted Sheath Dress w/Side Ruching: A bold sleeved dress for the office. Tailored yet forgiving. 
• Tibi Bibelot Crepe Wrap Front Sleeveless Dress: An interesting design that is just flattering enough. 
• Jean Paul Gaultier Long Sleeve Palmer Jersey Dress: A very sleek sleeved sheath in a very bold pattern. I love it. 
• Maggy London 3/4 Sleeve Dot Print MJ Wrap Bodice Flounce Hem Dress: A super style on a curvy hourglass. The flirty hem flounce looks fresh. 
• Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Quest Dress: An avant-garde style that’s casually sporty in an elegant way. 
• Kamalikulture Sleeveless Shirred Waist Dress: I love these dresses because they are easy to pack and drape really well. The ruching is forgiving on the midriff area. Runs small.
• Trina Turk Clover Romper: The nicest romper I’ve seen all season. 
• Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Aztec Skirt: A fun asymmetrical skirt with a front and back lift. 
• Velvet by Graham and Spencer Kerstie02 Skirt: A comfy ruched knit tube skirt in an assortment of neutrals. 
• Three Dots Ruched Midi Skirt: Fabulous for Team Tall. Gorgeous with a T-shirt, bomber jacket and dainty sandals. 
• Christin Michaels Adra Cowl Dress: Another elegant item for Team Tall. Size down. 
• Pendleton All-Day Dress: A gently flared frock with a ‘40s vibe. 

Boden

• Boden Erin Dress: A casual fit ’n flare in a machine washable viscose. 
• Boden Amelie Dress: A Summer sweater dress in a cotton and wool blend. Ideal for the short waisted lass.
• Boden Gingham Shirt Dress: A ‘50s style that’s 100% cotton, sleeved and machine washable. Waist defining and quite casual. It’s a bold pattern so consider yourself warned. 

There is lots more on sale at Zappos and Boden in particular. Have a great long weekend. 

Since launching the new YLF Finds feature a few weeks ago we’ve made several updates, including support for many more stores. Today we added quite a big improvement that is worth explaining in a bit more detail. 

On every Find (like the one to the right of this paragraph) there is a little icon at the bottom left of the card that you can click or tap to get more information about that item, like its department, the people who have collected it and posts that mention it. Now you will also see a few additional buttons near the bottom of the popup that will allow you to share the item and recommend it to other members.

Recommending Items

If you look at the information popup for an item you will see a new “Recommend This” button. Sending a recommendation is a simple three step process:

1. Click “Recommend This”.
2. Type the name or username of another user in the text input box that appears. Select the correct person from the list that appears below the box as you type.
3. Type an (optional) note and then click the “Send Recommendation” button.

The steps are illustrated in the screenshots below. 

In the example above I sent a recommendation to Angie, using an item that Laura collected. Angie will see a little red notification in the user menu to alert her that she has a new recommendation.

If she goes to the Finds area she will see the recommendation under the “Recommended” tab. There she can reply to me using a private message by clicking “Reply with Message”. If she likes the item she can collect it in the normal way — by clicking the little heart on the top right of the item’s card.

In this case the neck is a little wider than she likes, so she will probably remove the item from her “Recommended” page. When she hovers over the item a little “×” appears that she can use to do this.

Other Ways to Share Items

We have added a few other things to make it easier to share items. First, alongside the “Recommend This” button you will see a new “Post About This” button. Clicking it will start a new forum post with the item already attached. So it is essentially just a convenient way to write about an item in the forum.

Second, below “Recommend This” and “Post About This” we have added a row of buttons that allow you to easily share the item on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or via email.

As always, we hope you enjoy the new features, and please let us know if you have any difficulty using them.

Target announces its next designer collaboration, J.Crew creates a stationery line, British department store Whistles is coming to the US, and other style news that made headlines this week.

• For the minimalists among us: British designer Margaret Howell teams up again with Converse for these leather high-tops that are available in dark navy and white. 
• Have a look at this special sale at Decades this week: 150 gowns worn by Anjelica Huston on the red carpet. 
• Vogue published a Special Met Gala 2014 edition that is available on newsstands now. 
• British department store Whistles is entering the US market with a shop-in-shop store in New York City’s Bloomingdale’s.
• The CFDA adds a new category to its awards ceremony: “Fashion Instagrammer of the Year“.
• For its first-ever foray into stationery, J.Crew teams up with Paperless Post for a collection of cards and invitations. 
• Burberry is moving into skincare, “hopes to become one of the top 10 players in the luxury skincare field”.
• After recent capsule collections by Peter Pilotto, Phillip Lim and Jason Wu, Target has announced that the next partnership will be with Altuzarra.
• Bespoke sneakers, anyone? Adidas has developed an app that lets you print your photos straight onto their ZX Flux trainers.

Fun Fashion Fact

Fob pockets — to store a small watch — were often sewn onto women’s bodices from the 1830s onwards. But it wasn’t until the 1920s that “real” pockets became a mainstream, practical element of women’s clothing, after women’s lives had drastically changed by the First World War and included more activities than ever before. (Source: The Gentlewoman, issue n° 9, S/S 2014)