It has become YLF tradition for us to photograph my holiday outfit on Seattle’s 5th avenue. We started in 2010, and continued in 2011 because the festive lights are so pretty at this time of year. This particular part of 5th avenue is quieter than the main drag, which makes for relaxed picture taking while the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping continues just a few blocks North. 

Alas, we have no dressy holiday parties on our calendar this year. But we have a handful of casual holiday festivities planned so a much more relaxed holiday ensemble is in order.

I wanted to wear a little shiny pant this year, and had my heart set on a gold sequin pair. But sequin pants are so, so scratchy and that didn’t work out at all. I then tried on a few pairs of slouchy gold trousers, but they looked cheap and flammable.

Finally, I stumbled upon a pair of gold straight leg jeans from Kate Spade. At first, the ankle length put me off, but you can lengthen the effect with the right pair of booties (precisely how I lengthen my boyfriend jeans when wearing them unrolled.) So as long as I wear these gold jeans with boots or booties, I’m as happy as a clam. Furthermore, I found it best to go for top-notch quality with metallic bottoms because anything less can look nasty. These extra thick jeans are coated with a dark gold finish that feels luxurious and chic, which was one of its instant selling points.

I recently paired the jeans with an oversized ink blue cashmere pullover with silk insets for a holiday do that we had at home. But I really wanted to pair them with an oversized chunky cream cabled turtleneck sweater for a prettier effect. And one that is also casual, cozy, fun and on trend. At first I thought this would be an easy find, but my word! As I mentioned last week the “itchy factor” made the item a hard search.  I eventually found exactly what I was looking for at the Gap, of all places, in the form of their dolman cable braid turtleneck. The nylon-wool-acrylic blend soothes my sensitive skin. The lesson here is, once again, never leave a retail stone unturned. 

I finished off the outfit with patent cream booties, animal print clutch and cream coat, all of which are a few seasons old so you might have seen them before. The gold jeans provide the right amount of bling, so no jewelry other than a watch and wedding ring are required. But I will be popping on my party make-up, which means extra blush and red lips. No festive nail polish or smoky eye for me.

I asked Greg what he thought of this holiday outfit compared to the dressier looks that I usually wear. His response was two-fold. First, he likes the concept of shiny pants because it is more unexpected than a shiny skirt or frock. And second, he loves the oversized chunky pullover because it looks “cuddly”. Looking cuddly to my husband works for me.

Christmas is less than a month away, and December can get quite hectic for many of us. To help make the holiday period and the hunt for the perfect gift less stressful, we’ve compiled a two-part holiday guide with twenty ideas for stylish stocking fillers, books and movies that will make fab presents (or fun, relaxing treats for yourself) and fashion-inspired calendars and planners to start the new year with all your ducks in a row. Here’s part one:

Calendars & Planners for 2013

Parisian Chic Weekly Planner 2013: Add a touch of Parisian flair to the new year with this weekly planner filled with new fashion tips by French style icon Ines de la Fressange.

Victoria and Albert Museum Pocket Diary 2013: Step back in time with evocative images of some of the most dramatic and romantic ball gowns created by British designers over the past 60 years. 

Audrey Hepburn 2013 Faces Wall Calendar: A striking collection of close-up pictures that highlight Audrey’s photogenic beauty. And for those of us who just can’t get enough of Breakfast at Tiffany’s: the Audrey Hepburn Official Calendar 2013.

Holiday Reads

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf Goodman, by Sara James Mnookin: Discover the behind-the-scenes story of this legendary fashion Mecca through a range of entertaining, touching and unexpected anecdotes told by celebrities, designers and veteran store employees.

I Want to Be Her! How Friends and Strangers Helped Shape My Style, by Andrea Linett: The co-founder of Lucky Magazine describes fifty women who, across five eras of her life, made a lasting impression and helped her form her own personal style.

Overdressed – The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion: Elizabeth L. Cline traces the rise of budget clothing chains, the death of middle-market and independent retailers, and the roots of our obsession with deals and steals, and shows how consumers can break the buy-and-toss cycle.

Visual Treats

Mildred Pierce: Kate Winslet stars in this five-part miniseries about divorced single mom Mildred Pierce who opens a restaurant business during the Depression, which worsens the already strained relationship with her ambitious daughter Veda.

Atonement: Gorgeous film adaptation of Ian McEwan’s bestelling novel. An epic love story, with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in the leading roles, about a false accusation that changes the course of several lives. 

Stylish Stocking Fillers

Kate Spade New York Safari Suite Pads and Safari Suite Pocket Journals: Slip these safari-themed journals into your bag to keep track of all your thoughts while on the go, or use the colourful notepads to jot down notes and make to-do lists in style.

Moleskine Passions Style Journal: A journal to keep track of all your sartorial musings, organize your wardrobe, collect wish and gift lists, plan your shopping expeditions and keep all other relevant style info at your fingertips.

Stay tuned for Part II next week, with ten more quirky, stylish and budget-friendly suggestions.

The casual plaid shirt, which was probably the biggest fashion trend of the ’90s, made a comeback in 2009. When I posted about casual plaid shirts then, there was not much love for the item. Too grungy, too masculine, too lumberjack, too high school, too shapeless, too sloppy, or just too much pattern. Although I LOVE tartan type plaids in wardrobe items like jackets, coats, trousers, dressy blouses, skirts and scarves, my feelings for casual plaid shirts at the time was subdued. I neither loved nor loathed the look. 

Over the last few years, my affection for tartan type plaids spilled over into casual shirts. I love lumberjack style shirts all over again, just like I did in 1993. I don’t want to wear my shirt with a lace camisole, Levis 501’s, a studded belt and Dr. Martens again. But I do want to wear it in more unexpected combinations like with sparkle, a striped pullover, a dressy clutch handbag, fancy heels, a men’s tie, a flirty skirt, metallic skinnies, leather bottoms, tailored trousers, harem pants, slouchy skinnies, or slouchy trousers. 

I did bright red flannel in a big way in the early ’90s so it was time for a change. I chose an ivory tartan from J.Crew this time round because the visual effect is softer than a dark or bright. I almost bought a light pink tartan, but stuck with ivory for now. I might add in a pastel pink plaid shirt for Spring. 

Casual plaid shirts are also available in tailored fits if oversized is not your thing. The structure will help to feel less sloppy in the look. I prefer plaid shirts boxy because the vibe is more boyish that way, which makes for an interesting juxtaposition alongside girly items like pretty clutch handbags, lipstick and metallic skinny jeans. 

You are all invited to the plaid shirt party. Have you warmed up to the item since 2009, or since the ’90s? If so, how will you wear your plaid shirt? Do any of the unexpected juxtapositions tickle your fancy?

Legendary fashion house Christian Dior has created four animated window displays for the Paris luxury department store Le Printemps. The 74 stunning handmade dolls are dressed in specially created iconic Dior outfits and are, of course, sporting amazing accessories.

Barneys Madison Avenue has teamed up with Disney for “Electric Holiday“, an animated short film featuring Minnie Mouse and her friends strutting the runway in designer clothes by big names like Lanvin, Rick Owens and Proenza Schouler.

Are you thinking of doing a child-friendly tour of the many enchanting holiday store windows in New York City? Stephanie over at Mommy Poppins has done the legwork for you and shares her must-sees in this blog post.

Fab Links from Our Members

Laura says you haven’t seen the awful-est of truly awful Christmas sweaters until you’ve checked out these.

While browsing the current and past tweed collections from Scottish tweed specialists Walker Slater, Vildy was transported to the British countryside and could just see the mist rising.

Heels, short hemlines, low necklines, and “extra tight” are not the only style recipe for outfit hotness, Angie points out, and this extremely alluring outfit proves her point.

Courtney Shea chose to wear the same outfit for an entire week and wrote about her experiences in The Globe and Mail. She found it freeing. Much as Suz enjoys repeating her favourites, she doesn’t think she’d feel the same.