Sitting down with a cup of tea and a big stack of September issues has become a bit of a ritual that I look forward to each year. The fashion mags keep getting bigger and bigger, so I’m still working my way through Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, British Marie Claire, Elle, and a pile of Belgian and foreign language publications. I’m enjoying every minute of it. Which made me realize that I have changed. When I was younger, I used to hate having to wade through tons of ads before getting to any editorial content. Now I actually enjoy studying the advertisements too. Of course, their main goal is to promote brands and encourage us to go out and buy the clothes and accessories, but at the same time all these highly stylized outfits and artful vignettes inspire me to really visualize what I want to do with the latest trends.

I have to say that it works. More than once I wanted to put aside my magazine and start playing around in my closet right that instant. For example, take the Nordstrom Chanel ad on pages 118-119 of Vogue. I’ve been smitten with the long structured tunic over narrow trousers look forever, and seeing this monochromatic metallic outfit has made me even more determined to use my black cigarette pants and dark grey dressy trousers to recreate the look this Winter. And then there’s that stunning green suede jacket and animal print skirt on page 610. One of my favourite shades of all time! I don’t have those exact pieces, but I immediately started thinking of news ways to wear my dark teal argyle turtleneck. I’m going to try a ton-sur-ton ensemble by pairing the sweater with my teal midi pencil skirt and black knee-high boots. I also want to wear it with my ink blue slouchy trousers, a cream leather jacket and light-coloured animal print booties. And oh boy, do I have new plans for my old dark green button-down shirt…

I’m curious now: Are you like the old me in that you don’t really fancy all these fashion ads, or do they spark your imagination and make you want to get busy in your wardrobe? Has a specific ad inspired you to come up with new outfit combinations for this Fall, then do tell us all about in the comments.

New in YLF Books

American Vogue first appeared on the newsstands in December 1892 as a weekly, and became a bi-weekly publication after Condé Nast purchased it almost two decades later. Since then the magazine has become an important fashion trendsetter — its covers and content continue to captivate style lovers all over the world. Vogue: The Covers by Dodie Kazanjian, showcases more than 300 of the most iconic and striking covers, alongside the history and stories behind these stylish images. Organized in chronological order by decade, the book begins with the illustrated covers from the early years and spans the 20th century to the present, chronicling the evolution of fashion, art, culture, and photography. With photographs by influential artists like Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon and Irving Penn.

Fur and faux fur oversized vests were mainstream last year, so we’re familiar with the silhouette. This time round we’re talking about oversized vests in rigid fabrications like denim, leather, pleather and ponte knit. They were quite popular on the Spring 2013 runways at New York Fashion Week, and the item has already trickled down to some stores. 

The trend is very fringe right now, and I’ll be surprised if it becomes mainstream. The oversized vest has an excellent theatrical impact on the catwalk. It’s in line with the oversized and “slouchy-everything” trend that is dominating the fashion forward scene at the moment. I loved this silhouette at Fashion Week (both in February and last week)! But in real life I’m not as convinced of its flattering effects. It’s not easy to make this item look intentionally fashion forward, which is key to pulling off the vibe with style. For most women, the cropped and tailored version is easier to wear by about a billion percent. 

That said, the oversized denim or leather vest is a perfect example of the flattering versus edgy tradeoff because edgier outfits forego a little conventional flatter to be cool and different. If you’re an edgy dresser who has a tomboy style gene, you’ll probably like this look more than the tailored versions. When worn with all the right fashion forward pieces and just enough structure, I totally support the denim and leather oversized vest. I might even try it next Summer. 

Would you wear an oversized denim, leather/pleather or ponte knit vest? Do you think it’s a cool look? Or do you prefer their more tailored counterparts.

Wendy at Glossed Over has made it an annual tradition to take her readers through the notoriously thick September issue of American Vogue. She reads each and every page, and blogs about it live. This year it took her over nine hours! You may not agree with her opinions, but you have to admire her stamina.

German women’s magazine Brigitte has decided to start using professional cover models again after complaints from readers. One of the reasons given is that working with women who aren’t professional models is more time-consuming, and therefore more expensive. 

CR Fashion Book, the much talked about magazine of Carine Roitfield will hit the newsstand on September, 13. In the meantime the ex editor-in-chief of French vogue has announced that “Birth and Rebirth” is the theme for the debut issue. Will you be standing in line to get a copy?

Fab Links from Our Members

Are you looking for inspiration to get a little more mileage from your Summer workhorses? Carole recommends this blog post about transitioning your wardrobe from Summer to Fall.

Angie says this dapper couple at NYFW deserves a round of applause. She loves seeing a man in a suit, and a lady wearing flats with a dressy frock is so refreshing.

Pantone announced their top colours for Spring 2013, MaryK digs them all and is especially smitten with the Monaco Blue.

AK’s Guide to Suits was intended as a visual reference for artists. Laurinda is fascinated with the details, such as the difference between English, Italian and American cuts. Being a fan of fashion illustrations myself, I too thought this was brilliant.

Continuing this theme, Vildy liked the piece “What Womenswear Bloggers Can Learn from Menswear Bloggers” for thinking about what kind of approach encourages each of us to buy certain items.

SHEfinds blogged about their five fashion commandments to live by. The fifth commandment, “Shop often, buy sparingly”, resonated with Kristin because she likes to walk around stores but usually goes home empty-handed.

JulieJohn found Sally’s blog post on how different boot shaft heights affect the way your legs look very informative, especially the fact that different contrast levels between the colour of your boots and pants are also part of the equation.

“Skin is in… and it’s sophisticated”, reports The Wall Street Journal (subscription only). Makrame enjoyed reading their take on this Fall’s new refined and tailored leather trend.

Fashion meets technology in so many places, like the ever advancing science of fabrics, or the IT that powers fashion week these days, and even the blog post you are reading right now. But nowhere is the collision as literal as it is with the bags and cases we use to carry our gadgets around with us. After all, if we care about the design of our handbag, why wouldn’t we be just as discerning about the design of our phone case or our laptop bag? 

Of course, the additional baggage does also amplify the practical issues. Not only do we want our bags to be stylish, but we need them to carry all the items we were already before the technology came along, and we need them to do so in a way that is comfortable. The age old challenge of form versus function. 

Many of my clients are professionals who carry their laptop when they commute to and from work. And I find that they generally gravitate to one of two solutions:

1. They carry a large, robust and fashionably oversized tote that can accommodate their laptop and all of the other things they would have carried in their bag. So no extra laptop case required.
2. They carry their handbag and a briefcase or dedicated case for their laptop. They usually clutch onto the laptop case with one hand while carrying a “normal” handbag on their shoulder. Some even prefer a wristlet as their small handbag. 

A few of my clients carry their laptops in backpacks because they commute by bicycle. Sometimes they will carry a small cross-body bag in addition to the backpack as their handbag.

Which brings me to HP, who are running a contest to design a bag for their new Envy 4 Ultrabook. The contest is hosted on HP.com and will be judged by three industry experts, including Mondo, a winner of Project Runway Season. You can help HP to choose the winner — just go to their site and vote for one of the 40 semi-finalists. While you are there you can also take a look at the hundreds of entries from which these 40 were chosen. 

Once you have voted, do let us know in the comments which design you chose and why. Also, help me to understand what makes a good laptop bag. I don’t need one myself because I seldom need my laptop with me when I’m out and about, and when we are traveling hubby Greg carries it along with his own laptop and camera equipment. So I’d love to hear what you look for in a laptop bag.

The bags above were designed by Mondo for HP’s new Envy 4 Ultrabook.