Most of my clients wear one piece suits and tankinis. Our go-to places to shop for them are Nordstrom, Lands End and Bare Necessities. Here’s a roundup of one piece suits from Nordstrom that have been winners this season. 

1. Seafolly Harlow Boyleg One Piece Swimsuit: I am in love with this brand of swimwear, which I believe is from Australia. If I needed a new one piece, this would be it. It has excellent coverage and support. It works well on a small and regular size bust line. 
2. Bleu Rod Beattie Zip It One Piece Swimsuit: So fabulously ’80s! Glam and sporty. It has good support, but not stellar support. And you have to be at peace with “uni-boob”. A flattering shape, and one I would consider myself if I was not smitten with the retro vibe of the above suit. 
3. Trina Turk Summer of Love One Piece Swimsuit: This one offers great support for the small busted gal. Happy, alluring, and comfortable. 
4. Miraclesuit Sanibel One Piece Swimsuit: This suit continues to be fabulous on those who want LOTS of support on the bust and midsection. It does not work well on small busted ladies. You have to be able to fill out this suit to make it work. 
5. Profile by Gottex Tutti Frutti Skirted One Piece Swim Dress: This has been the best suit of the year on my regular and small busted clients. It has a strap, but they did not show it in the photo. I am impressed with the “Profile” collection from Gottex and look forward to seeing more amazingly cut swimwear from this Israeli brand. 
6. Miraclesuit Rialto One Piece: It’s very flattering. Girdled, streamlined and comfortable. I wish we had more colour options though. 
7. La Blanca Sweetheart One Piece: This style continues to be a winner. It looks best on ladies who can fill out the bust and hips. It has worked on a smaller bust with a very broad shoulder line, but generally, I would not recommend this style to a small busted gal. Halter style suits are better for a small chest. 

Remember that you must size up at least one size in swimwear. I have clients who have sized up two sizes on Miraclesuits for extra length, and because they are very formfitting. Furthermore, you can have swimwear altered to fit. So if the straps are a little long, or you need to have extra support sewn into the cups, it’s a worthwhile investment for a quality suit.

I looked at the calendar yesterday and gasped. Greg and I had completely forgotten about YLF’s seventh birthday, which was a few days ago on April 5. I’m sentimental and nostalgic, so I really don’t like to forget this sort of thing. Our forgetfulness is certainly not an indication that YLF is becoming less important. Quite the contrary. But I guess that YLF has become such an integral part of our lives that we forget to stop, step back, and remember its history. Well. I’m going to do that today just for fun. 

As you’ve probably heard many times before, it all started seven and a half years ago with this exchange between Greg and I on a flight from New York to Seattle:

Greg: “You should start a blog.” 

Angie: “Okay!”

(pause)

Angie: “What’s a blog?”

I had a lot to say about fashion and style and began posting my daily thoughts on a tiny blog that was born on April 5, 2006. Greg created YLF for me while working full-time at Microsoft. I really didn’t imagine the full potential in those early days. And it took more than two years to reveal my identity on the blog because I did NOT want YLF to be about one person’s style, size, age and budget. YLF had to be about you, not me. I wanted it to be a place where we could ALL share our style challenges and triumphs, be creative, be mischievous, and most importantly, have fun and support each other along the way. Greg says we have reached this goal. 

Here we are seven years later. A tiny blog (complete with the caricature of me below) has evolved into a sophisticated fashion site with a very engaged and bustling community. In 2010 Greg left Microsoft to work on YLF full-time. Inge, a dear friend and longtime YLF supporter works with us part-time. Morgan, another dear friend, works with Greg on the iPhone and Android apps. And I continue to love working with my clients, writing content for YLF and chiming in on the forum. I am very proud that we haven’t missed a weekday post in seven years. Whether we are sick, traveling, super busy, heartbroken, or in crisis, the blog posts have gone out. I don’t know how we manage it sometimes, but there you have it. The YLF Team is a robust and well-oiled machine. 

I still kick myself sometimes. I never believed that YLF could become what it is today, but Greg, bless his heart, had the vision. And who knows how it will all unfold, but we are looking forward to the adventure. One thing is for sure. YLF would not exist without YOU. Your intelligence, compassion, energy, wit, wisdom and passion energize me each day. You inspire me to be a better person and enrich my life in infinite ways. For that I am most grateful. THANK YOU for your ongoing support.  

Cheers to another seven years!

Here are two dress styles that have been repeated season after season, and for good reason. They fit well, feel comfortable, and look good.  

• Nicole Miller Stretch Linen Sleeveless Tucked Dress: I used to think that Theory made the best sleeveless sheath dresses, but after I bought this dress in turquoise a few years ago, Nicole Miller deserves the accolade. It’s made of thick stretchy linen-viscose-spandex that drapes against the body without too much cling. The front and back tuck and ruching details make it more interesting, and forgiving, than a plain sheath. A great length! It’s available at Nordstrom in navy. 
• Rachel Pally Plus Size Knee-Length Printed Caftan Dress: Over the years, this dress has been available in solids and patterns. I’m blown away each time one of my plus size clients pops it on. Bohemian Elegance. Petites will need to have the length shortened because between the shape of the sleeves and the volume on the skirt, it is “a lot of dress”. But the back tie reins in the volume, while the cropped long sleeve and V-neckline add structure to the silhouette. Easy, breezy with just the right amount of chic tailoring. 

Both frocks can be dressed up or down with the right support act. I like to wear this sheath dress with a bomber jacket at the moment. It’s been a fun way to refresh its style.

In the first post in the series on style and budget, I covered how to find that magic budgetary number that usually falls between three and ten percent of your family’s annual net income. But what should fall into your wardrobe budget? And how do you divide up your budget among all of your wardrobe wants?

My own budget tended toward the higher side (seven percent), even though my wardrobe is complete. That’s because I include clothing for our family of four in the budget, and also because I decided that if an item is part of my appearance, it gets lumped into the wardrobe budget — whether it’s facials, make-up, sunscreen or hair. You might decide to break your budget into different categories, and that’s fine too!

Here is a set of wardrobe budget categories that can serve as a starting point. The order reflects my views on relative priorities. 

1. Clothing, Footwear and Accessories

The bulk of my budget is set aside for clothing, footwear, handbags, belts, scarves and the occasional pair of earrings, bracelet or necklace. My goal is to update my wardrobe seasonally by incorporating trends that appeal (a navy dress, full skirt and pantsuit are on my current list). This is the fun component of my budget, full of items I’m excited to shop for, and it makes up about 60 percent of the total.

2. Hair 

My hair is next in my priority list. If my hair doesn’t look good, I don’t look good, and nothing I wear can change that! With my wardrobe complete, this stage of my style journey is about fine-tuning and adjusting to incorporate trends I admire. It’s fun to evolve my cut and color. So, I include a trip to the salon for cut and color every six weeks (don’t forget to include tips in your budget!). I include “hair” in my wardrobe budget, but you could easily pop this item into “health” or “grooming”.

3. Eyewear

If you wear glasses (or “specs”, as Angie says), they are a key accessory. If I wore specs, they would be right at the top of the list with my hair. After all, specs are on your face every day! I wear contacts, and I do not include these in my wardrobe budget only because they do not feel like a style item. Instead, they go into “health/medical” expenses. 

4. Grooming 

Grooming appointments have a place in my wardrobe budget too, although a few notches lower than hair. Manicures, pedicures, facials, waxes — they’re all part of the style package. I budget for a monthly manicure, a bimonthly pedicure and the occasional eyebrow wax. However, in a pinch, I can do my own nails. As I get older, I might explore microdermabrasion, Botox and regular massages. Angie budgets for monthly facials outside of her monthly wardrobe budget, and I’m also thinking about making “grooming” a separate budget all of its own!

5. Beauty Products 

These products are fun to buy, and wow, can they ever add up! I include them in my wardrobe budget because they are an essential part of my daily appearance, but you might put them into a separate category, such as “health and beauty”. Even as someone who only purchases the basics, I find myself spending $100 every few months for facial lotion with a good SPF, eye cream, mascara, foundation, lipstick or blush. If you love beauty products, the sky could be the limit on the possible expense in this category. 

6. Alterations

To me, alterations are part of the cost of the wardrobe item, and I would love to hear if you budget for alterations the same way. If I can’t wear a leather jacket without shortening the sleeves, then I add the alteration cost as part of the item’s total cost when purchasing. Part of the reason I decided to get a Nordstrom Card was the fact that they included $200 in alterations annually as part of the deal!

7. Wardrobe Basics

Wardrobe basics are things like underwear, bras, camisoles, sleepwear, loungewear, socks and hosiery, all of which have a place in my wardrobe budget, and I try to purchase them on sale each summer at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. They are a relatively small line item, so I don’t mind including them in my wardrobe budget. I know that others, Angie included, don’t include wardrobe basics in a wardrobe budget. 

8. Gear 

Are you a runner? Swimmer? Camper or hiker? Then your gear will get a workout each year, and it’s smart to include it as a separate component of your budget. I practice yoga and run, and each year, I plan for a new pair of running shoes, a couple sports bras and two new yoga tanks and pants. Every other year, I budget for a new swimsuit and cover-up. Like wardrobe basics, gear isn’t a large line item, but I’ve found that having a new outfit can do wonders for my workout motivation! If you decide to pop “wardrobe basics” into a separate budget, you might also include “gear”.

What goes into your wardrobe budget? How do you prioritize amongst the components?