We have some super talented DIY’ers on YLF, who might be inspired by this Etsy tutorial with a bit of a techie vibe. Crafter Sarah Goldschadt shows us how to make colourful rewired bracelets.

From artists creating bohemian-luxe pieces to one of a kind modern heirlooms, Refinery29 introduces us to 10 rising jewellery stars in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Washingtonian is quite adamant about it: if you buy just one accessory this Summer, then make it a gold statement cuff.

Fab Links from Our Members

MaryK says that the ladies at Fabulous after 40 have some great tips about how to prepare for a photo shoot. MaryK’s personal number one tip: wear brighter than usual lipstick.

Nordstrom is teaming up with Topshop, and Jamie is curious to see how this collaboration will take shape.

Angie loves this juxtaposition of casual grunge plaid with a ladylike clutch, and wants to wear this vibe for Autumn with a wide pair of trousers. Very wearable and modern.

Since packing for travel comes up regularly on YLF, Ornella thought many of us could take notes from Audi’s packing for France blog post.

Tracey found Suleika Jaouad’s musings on the effect of her illness on her style heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Tights and Tea shares an easy DIY for converting a bra to a low-back bra. Laurinda thought this very clever, especially because no advanced sewing skill is required.

KL has a thing for scarf knots and this one by blogger Sidewalk Ready is the coolest – and easiest – style she has picked up in a while.

Is a passion for fashion an unhealthy obsession and a frivolous pastime, or is it a legitimate form of self-expression and means of communication? Goldenpig is struggling with this question, and in that light recommends reading this interesting piece. 

CocoLion points us to Fashionologie, where you can find all the Fall 2012 campaigns in one place. Lots of eye candy, indeed!

Last but not least, a public service announcement for all our fab readers who sew, please don’t hold pins in your mouth.

I’ve noticed that retailers frequently use short shorts and high heeled footwear to amp up the cool-factor and fashionability-quotient of outfits these days. And sometimes the model’s outfit combines both short shorts and high heels. Incorporating them is the retailers shortcut to an increased style quotient. 

Although I don’t personally wear shorts that length and two inch heels are my “everyday” limit, I’m all for short shorts and high heeled footwear on others. These items can absolutely elevate the integrity of an outfit by making it look more fashionable, proportionately flattering, spunky, modern and stylish.

For those of us who don’t wear short shorts and high heels, it is up to us to visualize the look with bottoms and footwear that we would actually wear. That takes more effort and creativity on our part. And is the cool-factor and style-quotient of the ensemble reduced significantly when the short shorts and heels are substituted for other items?

Sometimes, I do believe that’s the case and I stay away from those types of outfits. For example, short shorts can add a level of “desirable youthful cheeky” to an outfit, especially when they are extra baggy and slouchy. Increase the length of the shorts and you’ve lost that cheeky integrity. Extra wide leg patterned trousers look better with high heels to my eye. Wear them with low heels or flats and and you’ll probably feel stumpy.

At other times, I believe that an ensemble can look just as fab with longer shorts and low heels. For example, see a great shirt or blouse matched with denim shorts shorts (I’m looking at you J.Crew) – substitute the shorts with your desired length. Knee length pencil skirts look as good with low heels and flats to my eye. 

And sometimes I believe that an outfit would look better with longer shorts or flat footwear. For example, tight shorts look better to me when they’re longer because I’m just not fond of anything overly tight and short. Choose one or the other. Think tapered Bermuda shorts that end above or on the knee. And flat footwear is the ideal way to dress down an outfit, add a bit of unexpected edge when everyone else is wearing high heels, and take the “sexy” out of a form fitting mini dress or skirt. 

When you’re uncomfortable wearing the items that are considered cool and fashionable in a given retail season, it’s up to you to create your own cool and fashionable version of the look. Although it would be helpful to see outfits styled with an assortment of heel heights and shorts lengths at retail, that just isn’t practical. And the silver lining is that the lack of a worked example forces us to be more creative, perhaps with results that are more unique. 

Personal style can be an expression of individuality. Instead of re-creating looks we see in stores, catalogues, online and on the street from head to toe, we can absorb the inspiration and make the look our own. That’s what a true sense of style is all about.

This is the fourth in a series of everyday Summer looks modeled by my stunning client, Karen. First we shared how much Karen loves to wear a printed skirt with a denim jacket. Then we shared her favourite look of the season. After that it was cropped pants and fuchsia flats! Today, a nautical vibe with a denim skirt, striped tee and linen jacket. 

It’s vitally important to Karen that, at age 71, she feels adequately covered in her clothes. All tops must be at least elbow length, and skirts must be knee-covering no matter how scorching the outside temperature. These lengths are non-negotiable. 

I can’t tell you how long it took for us to find a flattering, non-distressed, denim skirt that was knee-covering. We had almost given up on the item! We found one years ago in black, but Karen really wanted a blue denim skirt too. Well, thank you J. Crew for giving us a little length on our skirts this season and leaving off the whiskering. Karen is thrilled with her new short Summer skirt, which has a little stretch to boot. Comfy.

Karen bats for Team Stripe so stripes feature strongly in her wardrobe in all shapes and colour contrasts. This navy and white tee has a fab contrasting tan stripe on the neckline that adds just that extra element of surprise, and softens the look. We picked up the tan in low heeled, peep-toe nude patent wedges (fab find Cole Haan Talis) and a vintage wicker handbag. 

The stars align when Karen wears green because her beautiful green eyes light up like bright glowing stars and its MAGIC. Talk about wearing a colour that brings out the colour of your eyes. My word. Here, Karen is wearing the Gibson linen one-button blazer, scrunched at the sleeve for a more relaxed look. It’s a perfect Summer topper for Seattle, breezy and lightweight, and creases in a sculptural way that we both think is divine. As it heats up during the day, Karen takes off her jacket and feels fab in her tailored tee with elbow length sleeves. 

Karen is a huge lipstick and gloss gal. She likes green paired with magenta so on went the magenta lipstick and gloss to complement the jacket. We finished off the look with brown pearl earrings and for a change – bare forearms. No cuff this time round, just for fun. 

This is another example of an ageless and timeless outfit. It is chic, crisp, graphic, bold, simple and comfortable. It also has just the right amount of modern and classic elements for Karen’s style persona. The tailored integrity of the classic silhouettes are flop proof. The shoes and bag add a little unexpected fun, as does the colour of the blazer. Top it off with Karen’s edgy grey streaked hair and Bob’s your uncle. You’ve got a fabulous look. 

Karen’s new love for pattern and colour hit an all time high this year, which I thought was particularly appropriate given that it’s the season for pattern and colour. That said, when we shopped the preselections at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale last week, Karen reverted back to her favourite colour palette: black, white and grey. It’s time to amp up the neutrals for Fall.

Also on Karen’s Summer Style

1. Skirt and Denim Jacket
2. White Jeans, Tee and Jacket 
3. Cropped Pants and Fuchsia Flats
4. Denim Skirt and Linen Blazer (this post)
5. Cold Shoulders with Flares

Belts are featuring strongly at the moment for two reasons. First, it’s a trouser season which means filling out those belt loops when tucking or semi tucking tops. Second, belts create structure when an oh-so-on-trend unstructured silhouette is not your cup of tea.

Here’s a good selection of belts that can be worn on the waist or a little lower on the hips. 

• Michael Kors Animal Print Leopard Belt: This belt is smooth and printed, which makes for a great change to the hairy animal print belt variety.  
• Express Colour Block Buckle Belt: Love the horizontal colour blocking. 
• BP. Multitone Belt: Wide and textured. Great on a high-low dress or skirt. 
• Snake Cummerbund Belt: Just what you need to rein in a billowing tunic. 
• C-Buckle Textured Belt: Gorgeous looped through white jeans or trousers. 
• Pewter Cracked Leather Round Belt: A versatile denim belt. 
• Street’s Ahead Wide Anaconda Print Italian Belt: A statement on all styles of trousers and jeans. 
• Street’s Ahead Python Print Italian Belt: Great on a dress. 
• Streets Ahead Studded Belt with Beads: Fun with casual outfits. 
• Street’s Ahead Studded Distressed Ivory Belt: This one is my favourite because the metals are mixed and the vibe of the studs is soft and pretty as opposed to hard edged.

Are you a regular belt wearer? If so, what types of belts do you like to wear? Or do you prefer not to wear belts at all.