I am so enjoying rich combinations of orange, coral and tomato red paired with their tonal mid-tone and pastel companions like peach, nude, blush and apricot. The colours remind me of my favourite flavours of yummy gelato – sweet, refreshing and cool. I have yet to put this palette into practice for my own style, but it has been popular with my clients this season. 

When creating a tonal ensemble with these colours, I like to choose one bright or mid-toned clothing item per outfit, and keep the rest of the clothing items in lighter shades of the same (or similar) hue. 

For the footwear and handbag, you have two options. Either use light neutrals like tans, off-white, cream, beige, taupe, gold, caramel, pewter, mushroom tones, light grey or silver. Or use tonal shades of the clothing items.

The items above actually create quite a nice mix-and-match capsule in this colour palette. That’s because some of the bright items work well together, like the tomato red blouse and the coral skirt. And although they are both in lighter shades, the apricot jeans and the light blush blouse work well together too. These lower contrast ensembles are great, but right now I find the ensemble stronger when it creates a contrast like I have done in the picture above.

I’ve kept the pieces solid, but feel free to create the same effect with tonal patterns and textures. Add in jewelry and accessories as desired. And treat yourself to some gelato!

Los Angeles native MaryK recommends browsing through Studio of Style, a Los Angeles based blog that takes an intricate look at LA Style. It includes updates on  museum openings as well as fashion, travel, home decor, celebrities, old movies, artists, and so much more. I enjoyed looking through this fun blog.

Laurinda suggests taking a peek at the interesting head gear on these ladies.

Inge had to do a double take when she set eyes on these AMAZING comic strip bags by Jump From Paper while browsing through Izismile. My goodness! I had to look at those bags 10 times before I could believe that they were three dimensional. Mind blowing. 

After reading the “Retailer’s guide to being a jerk and manipulating consumers” on Empty Emptor, Sharon questions whether there are retail stores who are upfront about their practices and sell good quality clothing.

Anna recommends reading how Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was kept a secret on Grazia Daily.

Lisa likes these make-up organization tips on Putting Me Together. 

Bj111, believes that the saying, “clothes make the man” has scientific validity, after reading an article in the New York Times that suggests the possible cognitive effects of clothing. Sometimes a White Coat Isn’t Just a White Coat. 

I can’t believe it has been six years since we published my first blog post, and it’s been one heck of a ride. It’s hard to believe that what started out as a tiny blog would eventually become a bustling social community that connects woman from all over the world. And I owe so much of YLF’s success to Greg, who suggested that I start a blog when I didn’t even know what a blog was. Greg also designed, updated and maintained this site while he was still full time at Microsoft. This was his labour of love to me. Incredible.

I’ve always known that fashion and style was my passion, hence all my years as a fashion buyer. But I only realized recently that what I enjoy most is helping others to find their style and look and feel their best. My work is enormously satisfying and fuels both my head and my heart. That said, I’m glad that I was a fashion buyer first, because the experience helps me crystallize my thoughts as a fashion stylist. 2012 marks my 20 years in the almighty Rag Trade, and I am definitely in it for the long haul. 

I am not someone who thinks in words, likes to write, or is motivated to improve my writing style. Yet I write a lot — nine blog posts a week and many replies in the forum. I love to yak and have strong opinions about fashion and style. So as long as I think of each blog post and forum reply as having a short and fun conversation with you, I enjoy the process. 

When you put your opinions and outfits on the internet, you have to develop a fairly thick skin — especially when it comes to a subjective and intensely personal topic like fashion and style. People won’t always agree with what you say, or like what you wear. Of course, this is understandable even when the comments are less than tactful. But generally, we are lucky to have a readership that is very supportive and respectful. I am constantly broadening my horizons and learning new and wonderful things. 

I think about YLF all the time. It’s virtually impossible to switch off because writing the content is an ongoing thing. Working with my clients provides a constant flow of inspiration and I always have at least five post ideas in my head at one time, along with outfit ideas and style inspirations. I don’t do a great job of writing things down, and things fall through the cracks for sure. I rely far too much on my memory and it’s going to let me down big time one of these days. (Note to self: write things down!)

Last but not least, don’t believe those who say that you should never work with your spouse! This type of working relationship is not for everyone, but it does work for Greg and me. One of the best parts about YLF is that I am able to share it with my soulmate. 

As we say over and over again, YOU are what makes YLF a special place. Your thoughtful, witty, supportive, intelligent and insightful contributions in the blog comments and forum posts enriches our lives. You continue to generously share your knowledge and wisdom with energy and verve. Some of you have been with us for six years, and I can’t adequately express how humbling that feels. 

With Jasmine in our hearts, Greg, Rosie and I extend a gigantic thank you to all our subscribers, forum members, daily readers and occasional visitors. You make YLF an exceptional community.

It’s hard to find tops that are breezy, yet covered because the fashion industry assumes that we all want to wear skimpy sleeveless tops when temperatures soar. Although sleeveless tops are airy and excellent in hot weather, we also have the right to not bare our arms. Staying cool with arm coverage requires lightweight items breathable sleeves, some of which are best layered with a camisole or tank top. 

Cotton-rich pointelle knitwear in fine gauge yarns, like the examples here, can be a good way to go. Some styles are tailored while others are unstructured. The holes that are created by the knitting stitch are ventilating, providing zero warmth and insulation. And the larger the holes, the cooler the top. 

I remember having a white, boxy three quarter-sleeved pointelle sweater many years ago that I wore with white jeans. It had huge holes and felt like I was wearing nothing more than the tank top.