It’s never essential to evolve your style. My style is in a happy place at the moment, so I doubt my style shifts will be dramatic or even all that noticeable as we head into 2013. That said, I’m always looking for ways to inject newness into my look, no matter how subtle the change, because that’s part of what makes my style journey fun. Combining constancy with change is a prerequisite for my style at the start of each new year and fashion season. 

In 2013 I will strive to keep the following aspects of my style constant: 

• Combining the classics with a big dose of modern as I incorporate new trends
• A colour palette of black, shades of white, and sour brights
• Equal parts Boyish and Ladylike
• Dressy
• Polish
• Simplicity
• Crispness
• Strictness
• No jewelry, except for my watch and wedding ring
• Low heels
• Very little make-up and no fingernail polish
• Gold

As for the changes, this is what I’m craving: 

• Softness: I rediscovered my love for light blue last year and want to continue exploring pretty pastels. 
• Refinement: More and more I appreciate a sense of refinement across all wardrobe items. I LOVE menswear inspired shoes and clothing, but they must look refined and not rugged. 
• Romance: I adore lace and flirty midi skirts with movement. I want more.   
• Pointy Toed Footwear: I’m going to wear more low heeled and flat pointy toed pumps after re-acquiring the taste with a recent purchase of pointy toed, heeled oxfords. I’m in the mood to combine the severity of pointy toes with soft dressing. I wish I could wear dainty pointy toed shoes with ankle straps, but my feet have rejected ankle straps. Perhaps I’ll find a magical pair that works. 
• Trousers: Still crazy about all sorts of trouser silhouettes and can’t wait to sport the new long shorts shape for Summer. 
• Ink blue: I keep on craving more of it in my wardrobe. It’s softer than black, beautiful with white, and very chic. 
• White: I already wear a lot of white and cream, but want to wear even more. 

I don’t make resolutions, and I don’t hold myself to a rigid set of style goals. Style goals are important, but they must be flexible enough to allow for spontaneity. I’ll look back on this post at the end of the year and compare my thoughts to how my style actually evolved over 2013. Always an interesting exercise!  

Over to you. Do you have thoughts on how you plan to evolve your style this year?

A tailored fit means that items follow the contour of the body and are neither overly form fitting nor oversized. They are structured and define the waistline. Tailored fits are forever flattering and always in style. 

Here are a few tailored pieces from Nordstrom that are well made, fitted and a little different. Wear them to work or over the weekend by dressing them up or down. 

• Max & Mia Plaid Riding Blazer: Equestrian fabness in a classic tartan complete with playful elbow patches. The high-low hemline is attractive as is the buckle detailing. Wear it both open and closed. 
• Ted Baker London Jacquard Blazer: Tuxedo-esque. One button jackets with low stances look modern and especially good on a larger bust. Fun colour blocked collar too. 
• Two by Vince Camuto Metallic Moto Jacket: I have my eye on this cropped moto as a way to introduce the space-age trend into my wardrobe. Another item for Team Magpie, and machine washable at that. 
• Just Cavalli Alligator Print Pencil Skirt: An animal print of a different nature. Graphic. 
• Armani Collezioni Tonal Windowpane Blouse: The back button detailing ensures a tailored fit. Great length and beautiful fabrication. Classic, crisp and always in style. 
• Only Mine Stripe Cashmere Sweater (Petite): Green is Pantone’s colour for Spring 2013. Get a head start with this space-striped sweater. Personally I prefer the navy and ivory option, but the green looks fresh for 2013. 
• Gallery Two Tone Asymmetrical Coat (Plus): I can’t resist another cheerful Spring darling, although the weight of this weatherproof trench is perfect for mild Winters. Revere collar, princess seams and side entry pockets create a flattering line on the body. Runs a little large, which makes it ideal for layering. 

All my clients wear tailored fits and the oversized fit is increasing in popularity. With a few exceptions, like the weather-practical jeggings tucked into boots combination, it’s the body con fit that is being left in the dust.

It warms my heart to kick off 2013 with an outfit that was inspired by Greg, the person who inspires me most. For starters, I’m wearing his happy colours, namely ink blue, grey, black and a touch of white. Quite the opposite to my happy tomato red, citron, apple green and turquoise. Nevertheless, this outfit has a high happiness factor and here’s why. 

First, the jodhpur jeans need no introduction. They’ve caused a stir and continue to evoke a passionate reaction by those who see them. Fabulous to some, and desperately unflattering to others. Greg, whose style judgement I trust implicitly, found them for me in Milan a few years ago and that was that. I love everything about these jeans. Their unique cut, quality, fit, non-stretch, comfort level, faded wash and history. The fact that Greg chose them on a shopping trip while we were on holiday when he does NOT like to shop is the cherry on top. They are my most special pair of jeans of all time, and I am never passing them on to another home.

Second, the Vince colourblock turtleneck sweater was a birthday gift from dear friends and I’ve worn the heck out of it. It’s warm, non-itchy, on trend, a turtleneck, and in my new favourite neutral – ink blue. The high-low hemline has its advantages and its roomy fit is fun to wear. I usually wear a tucked top and belt with these jeans, but I’m also enjoying the untucked slouch with the bagginess of the jeans because it makes them feel “new”. The effect here is both structured and unstructured, which is a combination I am most drawn to at the moment. 

Third, my new Loeffler Randal lizard print booties were love at first sight. Refined, low-heeled, crisp, tailored, graphic, a little masculine, and very comfortable. Along with my cream snake skin booties, they’ve become wardrobe workhorses because I can wear them with most of my jeans and trousers. They do make my feet look extra long, but that’s fine by me.

Fourth, the ink blue military coat — my Edward Cullen Coat — is streamlined and classic. Combining it with avant-garde jeans, a trendy pullover and eye-catching booties grounds the outfit making it feel “right” for my style. After all, I’m happiest when I am wearing at least one modern classic piece. Furthermore, it’s Greg’s favourite coat, so much so that I think he wants an ink blue military coat too. 

Finally, the sporty colour blocked bag is an old favourite that comes out to play in Winter. The white parts brighten up what is often a very grey Seattle day. It also picks up the white in the boots and in my specs. I’m not wearing jewelry other than my wedding ring and watch. 

Sometimes we wear outfits that are extremely flattering both in colour and silhouette, but they don’t quite hit that top notch happy-factor. Other times we wear outfits that are less flattering in a conventional sense, but for a myriad of reasons make us extremely happy. This is one of those outfits. It is already being filed away for my 2013 year-end favourites list. 

We at YLF wish you a healthy, prosperous, adventurous and fun 2013 filled with outfits that make you happy!

Here are some musings about fashion, style and retail to wrap up the year. Of course, there is no right or wrong here because these are subjective opinions and based on my own experiences. Feel free to agree, disagree, and add to my list because it’s all in good fun. 

• Best Customer Service: Amazon, Zappos and Nordstrom. 
• Fashion Editor With The Best Style: Emmanuelle Alt. 
• Ugliest Shoe: Jeffery Campbell’s Over SP Boot.
• Best Trends: Trousers, colours and booties.  
• Worst Fashion Trends: Leg shortening cropped pants and over the top heel heights. 
• Most Saturated Items in Retail: Cropped Pants, cardigans, rugged boots and sky-scraping platforms.  
• Worst Colour: Soul Sucking Beige. 
• Best Part About Today’s Fashion: It celebrates an infinite variety of stylish possibilities. We are finally living in a fashion era that is accepting and encouraging of all sorts of outfit juxtapositions and silhouettes. Long may it last. 
• Worst Part About Today’s Fashion: Casualization. 
• Most Underrated Fashion Accessory: Nude hose. Seeing very stylish women in Japan sport nude hose with grace and spunk has changed my mind about the item forever. 
• Best YLF Muse: Rosie.
• Favourite Accessories: Patterned belts and daytime clutch. 
• Best Dressed Blokes: Greg and Daniel Craig. 
• Best Part about YLF: Working with Greg, our organic growth, the global integrity of our readership, and the high level of engagement of our community. 
• Worst Part about YLF: Not being able to see Inge regularly because we live on opposite sides of the world. 
• Most Unexpected Fashion Moment: Interviewing Stacy London and having a ball.  
• Most Unexpected Purchase: Blush moto jacket. 
• Worst Purchase of the Year: Kate Spade blouse because it creases on the arms which drives me batty. 
• Most Exciting Retailer: Zara. Their ability to interpret the latest trends at affordable prices with busloads of sophistication and panache in less than a fortnight blows my mind. I absolutely love their style integrity and this year was one of the best seasons I’ve seen Zara put together. 
• Most Disappointing Retailer: Zara. Their clothing quality is extremely inconsistent, which is just as mind blowing as their killer style integrity. Sometimes, you can literally throw a garment away because it falls apart. 
• Most Interesting Business Observation: They say you should never work with friends and family, and for obvious reasons this makes good sense. Yet, I work with Greg (hubby) and Inge (a close friend) daily and it’s an absolute pleasure. Morgan (another good friend) works with Greg on the phone apps and they also have a marvelous working relationship. I guess we got lucky with our working relationships. 
• Most Important Part of a Style Journey: To have fun along the way. 
• Best Thing About Our Bodies: They are never wrong. Clothes can be wrong, but our bodies are always right. 

To end off the year, here are some of the outfits that made me happiest in 2012. Be it their nostalgic component, the silhouettes, comfort factor, colour combinations, fabric integrities, or because they were one of Greg’s favourites. But more importantly, each outfit has a happiness factor of 11 out of 10. And the happiness-factor of an outfit wins hands down no matter what.