We’re opening up 2014 with happy Las Vegas sunshine, which is where we spent Christmas just to change things up. That’s why this outfit is lightweight, and looks more like late Spring instead of Seattle Winter garb. We took most of these photos on the old strip in downtown Las Vegas. 

The outfit puts the jeans with a festive sweater party ensemble into practice. It was ideal for the relatively mild temperatures and festive ambiance in Vegas. I’ve been into adding a soft dimension to my style this year, and wearing gentle colours was one way of achieving this goal. I matched True Religion’s Cameron boyfriend jeans, with a roomy light blue fuzzy pullover from Topshop. The cropped length and welt makes it a good style to wear faux-tucked over baggy and belted jeans. Although this style of cropped and fluid pullover is often styled with skinnies in retail catalogues, I much prefer it styled with a baggier pant, pencil skirt, or full skirt to offset the short length. Those combinations look more elegant to my eye. 

The fuzzy pullover behaves marvelously well, and I’ve worn it quite a bit. The sleeves are short because I have long arms, but scrunching them solves the problem. The fluff does not bother my nasal passages, nor does it shed over my clothes. It doesn’t crease, nor does it itch, or bag out. It’s machine washable, dries fast, and is super soft. Polyester knitwear definitely has its place. I am in love with this shade of pale blue and hope to add more of it to my wardrobe in 2014.

I wore a white camisole under the pullover for extra warmth. I should have worn a light blue camisole so that it’s not as visible as the bright white when I bend over. Note to self: get light blue camisole. Ideally, I would have liked the look best sans camisole, thereby exposing a slither of bare midriff now and then. But that’s not going to work because the combination is too drafty for always-cold me. 

A belt is essential to prevent baggy jeans from falling down. I chose a distressed gold belt to match my gold party shoes, watch and wedding ring. I’m wearing nude knee-highs for warmth and comfort. A refined mint clutch and dainty pair of shoes amp up the dressiness of the casual jeans and pullover. White and blue specs, instead of black, complement the palette. 

The apple green, three quarter sleeve short wool coat was a Black Friday purchase from J.Crew. It sold out in a couple of weeks, so clearly I have lots of company in enjoying this shade of acidic green. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have pounced on an item that is this Spring-like in November because it will be many months before it’s warm enough to comfortably wear it in Seattle. (I only wear three quarter sleeve outerwear in late Spring). But it was love at first sight, and I would be able to debut it in a milder Las Vegas. Hopefully I will be able to wear it sooner if we travel to warmer places at the beginning of 2014.

I’ve been on a bit of a pastel kick the last few years, introducing light blue and blush pink into my wardrobe. I love those shades with white and faded denim, or acidic brights like citron and this shade of green. That’s why I matched the bright coat with the pastel outfit. It reminds me of a delicious lime milkshake or apple gelato against the backdrop of clear blue sky. I like the little double-breasted coat best un-buttoned because it’s swingy and a little retro that way, but at the same time, thoroughly modern and very fluid. But it looks nice done up and tailored too. 

The lights in old downtown Las Vegas were crazy, so here are a few shots from during the day that give a more accurate representation of the colours. After getting up early to take a photo at the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign, we popped into a cute ‘50s diner for tea and a breakfast bite. The owners Donna and Rudi were so, so friendly, and our fried eggs on toast and hot drinks hit the spot.

After that we took a drive to the spectacular Hoover Dam, where I swapped out the gold belt and shoes for a white belt and flat white Beatle booties. Happy feet, happy me. We returned to Vegas to relax in the afternoon before taking outfit pictures in the evening.

We at YLF wish you a happy, healthy and fun 2014!

Here’s a brief wrap up of fashion, style, and retail for 2013. These are merely my own subjective musings, so feel free to agree, disagree and add to the list. It’s all in good fun and there are no right or wrong answers. 

Best Trends: Fluid and oversized fits, pointy-toe footwear, ankle straps, dressy knitwear, trousers, white-out, boyfriend jeans, gold, high necklines, man coats and daytime sparkle. I loved most of the trends in 2013. 

Worst Trends: Cropped pants and cropped jeans in Winter. 

Most Saturated Items at Retail: Torn and distressed denim, rugged boots, and cropped pants. 

Most Undersupplied Items at Retail: Low heeled dressy knee-high boots, and longer skirt and dress hemlines. 

Favourite New Outfit Blogger: Veronica from Bittersweet Colours who we featured on youlookfab. I love the way she mixes irregular pieces and colours, leaves off jewellery, and looks elegant and graceful no matter how sporty the outfit. She skillfully achieves a minimalist look with bold pieces, which tickles my toes. Furthermore, Veronica was awfully modest and polite when we worked with her, which makes her extra stylish. 

Blogger’s Outfit of the Year: It’s Veronica in a pair of emerald green Adidas track pants that she matches with girly heels, an oversized pullover, military coat and graphic crossbody bag. Fashion forward flair at its best. Genius outfit. 

My Style Discovery of the Year: I can comfortably wear heeled ankle strap pumps if I choose the style with great care. I love, love, love dainty ankle strap footwear and am thrilled that hope is not lost for my fussy feet. 

Best Aspect of Today’s Fashion: There is no one way to be stylish. 

Worst Aspect of Today’s Fashion: Casualization. 

Favourite Photographer: Greg, my sweetie, because he creates stunningly beautiful images, and takes immense care when he photographs me for YLF. It’s a lot of extra work when you photograph a person who is not a professional model, and I applaud Greg’s infinite patience, tenacity, sensitivity and endless creativity. My outfit posts are truly a labour of love.

Favourite YLF Moments: Working with my soulmate Greg and close friend Inge daily is a gift and true pleasure. They say you should never work with family and friends, but in our case, it has worked out well. The YLF gathering in Santa Monica in late September was another vibrant highlight. Fabulous weather, fun friends, glorious food, great fashion, and all right by the sea. And shooting the videos for LG with Meredith was extremely fun. We talked ‘80s fashion and sang ‘80s music at 7am while having our hair and make-up done. Priceless. 

Worst YLF Moment: It was the end of a YLF era when we lost Rosie.  

Item of the Year: Knitwear. The bumper knitwear trend is sublime. Long may it continue. 

Favourite Photos of Audrey Hepburn: I like to pin old photos of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly in action with their pets and children, or spontaneously on the run off set. Here are my favourite photos of Audrey: 

• Hanging out at home with her pet deer and Yorkie.
• Taking photos while her son and Mr. Famous, the Yorkie, exchange glances. 
• On points in white shirt with big smile. 
• Working for UNICEF, a true passion. 

Favourite Street Style Photo: This is how to hang out at a Brasserie. 

Worst Colour of the Year: I’m going to have to go with grey although I do wear it, love it on others, and dress many clients in shades of grey. But it’s a drab colour against my complexion and doesn’t make me happy unless I pair it with an acidic bright and/or lots of white. 

Favourite New Neutral: Ink Blue. 

Best Pastels: Light Blue and Blush

Retailers with the Best Customer Service: Zappos, Nordstrom and Amazon Prime still rate top in my book. But special shout-outs to Zara and Shopbop’s excellent online service. Ordering online from these retailers is fast and hassle-free.

Best Skincare Tip for Dry Facial Skin: Cleanse your face once a day, in the evening. 

Favourite Ad: Hamsters have never looked more cool than they do in this Kia commercial. The red carpet strut at the end launches me into orbit every time. Absolutely brilliant. 

Best Style Rule: Have fun with fashion at any age. 

I’m ending off the year with a photo that Greg’s Mum, Tuppy, took of us when she was visiting earlier this year. It’s special because it’s extremely rare to see photos of Greg, who much prefers to be on the other side of the camera. And even more rare that there is a photo of the both of us. Great job, Tuppy.

These items caught my eye as I was browsing the Nordstrom Winter Sale. I’ve fitted some of the items onto my clients, and bought the odd piece for myself. 

• Curio Asymmetrical Stripe Tunic: An option for those who like casual avant-garde pieces with a bohemian flare. Check out the back of the tunic. 
• Nordstrom Collection Leather Trim Cashmere Car Coat: It was stunning on one of my tall clients as a coat alternative. Cocoon in style and slightly bohemian. Warm, cozy and different. Might need to size down a size. 
• Burberry Brit Patterned Wool Sweater: I’ve been eyeing this pullover for a while. The cut is sublime if you like to wear high necklines in fluid fits. It’s pretty lightweight and a little short so consider yourself warned. Excellent with belted trousers and jeans or with skirts. 
• Marc Jacobs Harriet Crop Wool Sweater: I bought this pullover because it’s a sweatshirt style in a dressier knitwear fabrication. Almost like a boiled wool. I love the colour, its ‘80s integrity, and enjoy wearing it with white jeans and white booties. It’s non-itch, short and runs true to size, although oversized. 
• Sandro Tube Tee: Sandro is a French brand that is finally available at Nordstrom, and I love it. It’s modern and trendy, yet the styling is refined and crisp.The pieces are gorgeously simple and interesting with minimal detail. This tee is a great way to wear the mixed media trend in a lightweight fabrication. Check out the rest of Sandro’s offerings. 
• Tory Burch Amy Midi Skirt: It’s the start of the tulip skirt trend we will see for Spring 2014. Elegant and a fun way to wear a Winter skirt with slim tall boots and fitted sweater. 
• KUT from the Kloth Print Black Brocade Skinny Jeans: Soft, stretchy and interesting. Two of my clients bought these and are happy with their fit and comfort level. Fab tucked into mid-calf or tall boots. 
• La Marque Exaggerated Collar Leather Jacket: A crisp avant-garde piece in a light shade of cocoa. Stay away from this style if you have a shorter neck. 
• La Marque Drape Collar Jacket: Another avant-garde piece in a lighter weight with a short back hemline. A good shape for an apple shaped body type and short neck. Read the rave reviews. 
• St. John Collection Jennifer Crepe Marocain Pants: Tailored and fluid. Love the front ankle vents and vibrant shade of blue. 
• Donna Karan Collection Draped Jersey Tunic: This shape is excellent on a narrow hip and broad shoulder line. It drapes softly over the shoulder and midriff providing ample structure on the hip. 

There are many more items on sale, especially for men on the Half Yearly Sale. Remember to stock up on warm and insulating items now if your Winters are long and cold. Spring collections hit stores in a month and clothing will be a lot more lightweight, which for many of us is the coldest part of the year.

I am not a light traveller. Packing everything into a carry-on for a two or three week trip is not my style. Heck, we put a suitcase in the hold for our four day trip to Las Vegas. That’s because I like to have options for both day and night, and plenty of clean clothes to avoid doing laundry. I also like to swap out my bags and shoes and feel that I look my best. And then there is also that bit of extra space in case I find something nice along the way. 

That said, our luggage is never overweight, and I do meticulously plan my outfit options for each day of a trip. I pay special attention to footwear because I’ll have a miserable time if my feet aren’t happy. Here are three simple footwear packing tricks for air travel that I’ve learnt over the years. 

Travel in your bulkiest pair of shoes

Wear tall boots, booties, wedge sneakers or the heaviest and most cumbersome pair of shoes you intend taking along on the trip to save space and weight in your suitcase. Granted, these shoes aren’t usually an easy “slip-on-and-off” style when checking through security, but the process only takes a few extra minutes of your time. You won’t hold anyone up if you move to the benches provided to put your shoes back on. I’ve found it totally worth the extra effort if it means I save space and weight in my suitcase. Plus, wearing bulky shoes with socks means foot coverage when you take your shoes off at the security check points. (I prefer not to walk barefoot at the airport). You can remove bulky shoes aboard the plane for extra comfort, and pop on another pair of cozy thick socks.

Pack multiple pairs of shoes for any length of trip

Shoes are bulky and heavy, which is why people prefer to pack as few pairs as possible. The point is not to pack the kitchen sink, but I do believe in bringing backup pairs for comfort reasons. Greg and I prefer to see a city on foot, and walk long distances when we’re on holiday. If a pair of shoes doesn’t work out as well as I hoped it would, I must have backup pairs so that I can continue enjoying our holiday with happy feet.

On the second night of our recent trip to Vegas I walked from the Bellagio to the Venetian in new gold heels, which killed my feet. I couldn’t wear the gold shoes again on that trip. Luckily I had dressy booties as a backup option that I could wear with wide leg black trousers for evening occasions. I also had comfortable flat Beatle booties to wear for long walks during the following days. It was so, so worth it to bring three pairs of shoes for a four day trip.  

Pack footwear in your carry-on

You can save weight and space in your checked luggage when you pack footwear, and other heavy items for that matter, in a carry-on. This is a little inconvenient, so I only do this when our checked luggage is near the weight limit.  

These footwear packing tips won’t work for everyone. For some people packing extra light is essential. Others are really uncomfortable wearing bulky shoes on a plane. How you pack and dress when travelling is as personal as your sense of style. The most important thing is that your packing strategies work for you.