In anticipation of journalist Dawn O’Porter’s upcoming book and series (This Old Thing), The Invisible Woman wrote an article on how vintage fashion can help us fall back in love with clothes. I especially loved these two quotes: “She describes a vintage shop as being a shop where she felt herself ‘surrounded by stories’.” And: “The stories in ‘new’ vintage clothes may not be your stories but you can make them your own.”

If you could use some help with unearthing vintage treasures, then check out Mary Kincaid’s Weekly Roundup of eBay Vintage Clothing Finds over at The Huffington Post. For those who prefer to really dig in at car booth sales or vintage fairs, Mary of We Heart Vintage, has recently started compiling a directory of vintage events in both the UK and US.

I also enjoyed browsing a selection of photos from the tumblr blog Vintage Black Glamour, these 23 Impossibly Stylish 1930s Photos, and 16 iconic vintage hairstyles. Mia Farrow’s pixie and Louise Brooks’ flapper bob are my personal favourites.

Fab Links from Our Members

Rabbit found an awesome and occasionally funny tumblr site that compares outfits from Game of Thrones season 3 to runway collections.

Sylvia from 40 Plus Style, who likes to wear bold costume jewellery, pairs a bib necklace with asymmetric top, pencil skirt and fashionable backpack. Angie thinks it’s a fun combination against the backdrop of the fabulous Boat Quay in Singapore. 

Suzanne came across this NYTimes article explaining that whether people believe normcore is real or a joke, it has taken on a life of its own.

If you’re hesitant to post outfits in the YLF forum because you don’t like the photos, then here are some tips on how to look better in pics. MaryK says the one about tilting your head forward has been a game changer for her.

Caro found The Coveted’s post on What I Learned About Style From a Man very interesting.

Imogen’s post on What to Team with Olive has come in handy for Laurinda as she is thinking about adding an olive skirt to her Summer wardrobe. She adds that How to Create a Co-ordinated Wardrobe, Imogen’s system for colour pairing, is also very useful to her.

Jeanne-Aurore Colleuille, who has written two books on style, recently did a “massive icons detox“. Vildy doesn’t see how you can completely remove yourself from all style influences, but wonders: can you remove yourself, as the author is trying to do, from the effect that images of the “perfect style icons” (like Jackie Kennedy, for example) have on our everyday life?

Wikipedia calls “Mom jeans” a “humorously pejorative term for a specific type of fit of women’s jeans, considered to be both unfashionable, and unflattering to the wearer’s body shape. This style usually consists of a high waist (rising above the belly button), making the buttocks appear disproportionately longer, larger, and flatter than they otherwise might. It also tends to have excess space in the zipper/crotch and leg areas”. 

Well, Mom jeans are a fringe trend right now and considered a fashion forward item. The pictures below are a good representation of the look. Like I’ve said before, items are frumpy right up until they become fashionable. It’s hip to be square in 2014. 

Actually, Mom jeans are much like the oh-so-trendy and mainstream boyfriend jeans, but with a much higher rise and a fitted waist. It’s when tops are tucked or partially tucked into Mom jeans that they look completely different to regular hip and cool boyfriend jeans. There is very little visual difference between the two styles when tops are worn untucked. And since we’ve grown accustomed to the look of masculine, hip hugging and straight-waisted boyfriend jeans, we probably don’t mind the look of these Mom jeans with untucked tops. 

The ultra fashionable way to wear Mom jeans is with midriff baring cropped tops, which work well with high-waisted bottoms. Pair the bottoms with trendy footwear, like cut-out booties, peep-toe booties, pointy toe pumps, slip-on sneakers, loafers and Birkenstocks. Top off the look with an open moto, boxy cropped jacket, bomber or long lightweight coat. 

This is not a mainstream look and is certainly a challenge to wear at any age. Matching Mom jeans with untucked upscale sweatshirts, welted knitwear, and high-low blouses, tees or pullovers is a more manageable execution of the trend. However, you might as well wear regular boyfriend jeans if you’re going to cover the high waist and rise of Mom jeans. That said, if you enjoy the comfort and girdling integrity of high rises, don’t like to wear belts, and prefer to wear tops untucked, Mom jeans are a practical alternative to boyfriend jeans. Wear them with an on trend support act and no one will know you are wearing Mom jeans. 

I have no desire to wear Mom jeans with either an untucked or untucked top. I don’t like high rises at the best of times, so I’ll be sticking to low slung slouchy boyfriend jeans. I do like the outfit with the cropped top and moto jacket, and fully support it on those who pull it off with style. And if Mom jeans are a more comfy fit for you than boyfriend jeans with untucked tops, I fully support that too. 

Over to you. What’s your take on the Mom jeans trend?

These jackets were favourites among the forum members who attended our shopping day in Boston last week. I’ve seen them all in person across a variety of body types and sizes. They are fabulous paired with trousers for business casual, or with jeans for smart casual. Some of the shorter styles work particularly well with dresses and skirts. Be sure to look through all the colour options. 

• Elie Tahari Kristina Jacket: It’s a pity that the photo of this jacket on the model does not do the jacket justice at all. It’s a lot more tailored in person and very flattering. The colour is a rich shade of mushroom or taupe. The entire edge of the jacket is tipped with a zipper that does not irritate the skin. The collar also folds down into a narrow shawl collar style. The welted side pockets are ever so daintily tipped with leather. Refined, polished, minimal, interesting and beautifully made. 
• Reiss Belmonte Dark Navy Tuxedo Jacket: The fit of this gorgeous ink blue jacket is suited to a rectangular body type with a small or regular sized bust. It’s more of a low stance modern blazer with extra waist-defining seaming than a true tuxedo jacket. Stunningly tailored and looks as good open as it does closed. 
• Reiss Fenley Ice Blue Jacket: The fit is similar to the Belmonte and again, well suited to a rectangular body type with a small or regular size bust. It’s a cool toned light blue and awfully fresh for Spring and Summer. Impeccable quality. 
• BCBG Lloyd Easy Layered Jacket: A drapey darling in a soft blush. I love the pointed tips of the front lapels and the high back hem. Fabulously boxy, forgiving and lightweight.  
• BCBG Noah Floral Lace Jacket: The starkness of the white blazer is effectively offset by the textural and romantic lace insets on the sleeves. I see it matched with faded jeans and slip-on sneakers or flat oxfords to create a fun juxtaposition. Or wear it with oatmeal or light grey trousers and citron shell top. 
• BCBG Candice Jacket: This style is for Team Avant-Garde and available in a variety of fabrics and colours. There’s black, blush and dove grey. The high back and low front provide an architectural and arty integrity, while the clean lines from the torso up are crisp. Its boxy fit is on trend. The folded back flaps at the hem in front are an interesting detail that swing as you stride. The side view is a little widening so consider yourself warned. The style works particularly well on a taller lass because of the position of the front flaps. They hang on the crotch when you’re petite, which can look a little odd. 
• BCBG Duke Jacket: A cropped zip-front jacket that’s great for a shorter waist. Good for petites. Clean lines and refined back detailing. 
• BCBG Brent Jacket: A rock ’n’ roll blazer with neatly slashed sleeves. Looks fab layered over a high contrast long-sleeved shirt or blouse because the colour peeks through the open insets on the sleeves. This warm shade of grey reminds me of a pearlized oyster because of its hint of lilac. It’s also available in black. 
• BCBG Tess Striped Jacket: A black non-leather moto with a floral stripe makes me smile. Hard edge that’s laced with feminine fabness. Pretty, fitted and unique. 
• Club Monaco Jami Seersucker Moto Jacket: A lightweight moto in a seersucker stripe. Fun and different. Runs small. 
• Club Monaco Marcy Chambray Blazer: A bright light blue in a clean-cut blazer style that has no fastenings despite the low stance. It’s cut straight like a tuxedo with bracelet length sleeves. It’s linen, which means you have to be at peace with the crease. Runs small. 
• Zara Printed Blazer With Faux Leather Piping: Here’s a fluid jacket for Team Floral that screams Spring and Summer. The simple zip front style with bracelet length sleeves allows the pattern to do all the talking. Runs small and works quite well on petites. 

Bonus Bag

• L.K.Bennett Rosie Leather Small Bag: Not a jacket, but an ultra crisp bag. It’s stunningly structured and quite small for a satchel. Impeccable quality, dressy, and simple in design. It looks as modern as it does retro. It launched me into orbit when I saw it in Boston on the day of the gathering, pairing it with my new dressy white loafers in my head. It followed me back to Seattle as a way to remember our fun time in Boston. The name of the style is “Rosie”, which I didn’t know when purchasing the bag. That makes my new little wardrobe pet even more perfect.

I sometimes refer to my footwear picks as being suited to either high volume or low volume feet, but haven’t formally explained the differences. There are several attributes that determine where your feet fall on a continuum from low to high volume, with regular shaped feet placed right in the middle. 

Your feet are on the high volume end of the continuum when they are wide, with high arches, high insteps and bunions. The extra width of your feet across the toes requires a roomier shoe all on its own. Throw in a high arch, a high instep and/or bunions, and the surface area of the foot increases even further. This means you need a lot more space in closed shoes than someone with low volume feet. You also typically require a bit of a heel for arch support, or at least one inch flats with plenty of arch support inside of the shoe. Usually you need a shoe with straps, because slip-ons with low vamps tend to fall off your feet. Slip-ons with high vamps stay on your feet more easily. Pointy toed footwear is hard to fit and often quite uncomfortable. On the positive side, you fill out sandals and chunky footwear to perfection.

Conversely, you have extremely low volume feet when they are narrow, with low arches and insteps, and sans bunions. They can also be quite bony. The flatness, the narrow width across the toes, and the low instep reduces the surface area of your feet and means that a slimmer fit shoe works best. Pointy toed footwear is usually quite comfortable. Low-vamped ballet flats and pumps tend to stay on your feet quite easily. Dainty footwear is usually a good fit. You tend to battle to fill out chunky footwear, and sandals especially because your toes fall right through the front toe straps. 

I have described the two extremes of the continuum, but you’ll probably find that your feet are somewhere in between. You might have narrow feet with bunions and high arches. Or wide flat feet with no bunions. Your feet might be wide on the toes, but narrow on the heels, which makes slip-on shoes hard to fit. Or you might have regular width feet with high insteps. 

Most of my clients are in the regular to high volume side of the continuum. I have fewer clients with low volume feet, and even fewer who require narrow footwear sizes. My own feet are regular in width, bony, and sans bunions. But their lack of arch and low instep put them firmly into the low volume side of the continuum. Narrow widths are too narrow, but I do battle to fill out regular sandals and chunky shoes. I find slim-fitting footwear quite comfortable, and pointy toes are a pleasure to wear. 

Over to you. Do your feet tend to be more high or low volume, and how does this impact your footwear choices?