Dresslover shares a video discussion where 84% of the women admit they put up with toxic friendships. It’s fashion related because it discusses self-esteem and criticism.

Modgrl liked these useful tips for finding a great tailor. 

Diana loved Tanesha Awasthi’s emerald green and floaty leopard print outfit. Gorgeous! 

Aida was inspired by these colourful origami and origami-inspired shoes. She would love to wear such beautiful works of art.

Cocolion likes the blog Eat, Sleep, Denim and fell in love with bell bottom jeans for petites, which are officially on her wish list for Fall. 

Mrseccentric says that The Creation of Order by Veshoevius is simply the best closet organization post since the beginning of the universe.

Warby Parker sells “Mad Men” type vintage frames online and GoldenPig thinks she might give them a bash after reading about the company in the New York Times.

SueFNQ lives in a hot climate and really likes the La Marquise des Anges line of custom embellished T-shirts on Etsy. The French designer ships all over the globe. 

Inge wants this vintage poster of Audrey Hepburn for her home office. Now I want ALL those vintage posters too! I especially love the one with the doggies. 

StaceyJo stumbled upon j’s everyday fashion, which she feels is precisely that — a good site for everyday fashion. 

Annagybe fancies these Marni Monster Wedges. 

Carol enjoyed Imogen’s tips on dressing a short waist.  

Kyle enjoyed learning about these two “downsized” journalists who are making lemonade from lemons with their newly launched blog: Pink Slip Style.

The next New York Fashion Week is only a week away and I’m excited. At the start of each season, there are always classic trends to treasure, new trends to look forward to, and uninspiring trends to wish away. I can’t wait to see what the designers have in store for us.

One my favourite things about the week is thinking about how the runway trends will filter through to retail stores. Sometimes it will happen within a few months and sometimes it takes years before a new trend makes a meaningful dent in mainstream fashion. It is fun to look back on previous weeks and see how the runway translated to retail. The photos in this post are all drawn from the ones we took at Fashion Week last September.

For example, the 5 strong trends I saw at Spring and Summer 2011 Fashion Week (September 2010) are all represented in stores today. 

1. “Lots of citron, tomato red and bright purple”: Stores are filled with bright red skirts, jeans, trousers and dresses. We have also had our fill of citron and purple. 
2. “Beige and white will be “the” neutrals of the season”: I haven’t seen a more beige season than this one, and it’s not about to die any time soon. I do like how some beige is being replaced by a rich caramel for Fall. 
3. “Fun 70’s inspired design details will make their mark”: There are still lots and lots of 70’s inspired blouses, dresses and flared jeans. 
4. “It’s about contrasts”: This was very true. We saw both maxis and minis, stiff cottons and soft silks, pastels and brights. 
5. “Move over dresses and skirts, pants reign supreme”: Apart from maxi dresses and skirts, it’s been a trouser and short shorts season. In fact, the great assortment of trouser styles has made me much more of a trouser gal than I used to be. 

The Fall 2011 Fashion Week was held in February this year, and some of those trends are also hitting the stores:

• Black and cream outfit combinations: I’ve noticed a lot of white, taupe and cream with black in stores at the moment. It’s a crisp way to say hello to Autumn.
• Red: Express, Talbots and J.Crew are full of bright red product.  
• Cobalt Blue, Fuchsia and Emerald Green: Check out Shopbop, Asos and Anne Taylor. 
• Longer hemlines: The below-the-knee midi dress and skirt is finally making a dent and most retailers are showing a midi or two right now. I hope we see many more because my clients and I need a break from shorter dresses and skirts.
• Subtle 70’s influences: This is an overflow from Summer into Fall and it’s still going strong. Furry vests are bigger than they were last season. 
• Lace: Check out the Loft for a lace extravaganza. Banana Republic and Elie Tahari have quite a bit of lace too. 
• A-line and flowing skirts: Check out Express and H&M and brands like Rachel Roy, Asos and Vince Camuto. 
• Asymmetry: It’s everywhere, and especially prevalent in tops.
• Front vents on skirts and dresses: There are quite a few examples at Zara right now. 
• Tapered trouser legs: This silhouette is everywhere, and still more popular than flares. 
• Colour blocking: It was big for Spring and Summer and is moving into Autumn. Colour blocking bright shades in one outfit is especially on-trend.
• High necklines: Neiman Marcus is full of high necklines. This was especially noticeable when my client and I were recently shopping there for scooped neckline tops and dresses – and they were few and far between.  
• Chain strap handbags and clutches: From the Gap, Express and Ann Taylor, to most designer brands, chain handle strap handbags are completely mainstream.

One trend I expected to see more in stores by now is sharp shoulders. That one seems to be staying on the fringes.

As a fashion buyer it was my job to filter and interpret trends, and I love bringing the same thought process to YLF as I try to predict what the near future holds for fashion. I find the trend lifecycle fascinating. Some trends fade and others flourish as we the consumers decide collectively what will make it into the mainstream. You never really know what will happen and that makes it all the more interesting. 

Carlos Miele’s red dress above was my favourite piece at the Spring/Summer Fashion Week last year. We loved it so much that we’re using it as the September cover and therefore as a backdrop to our upcoming fashion week coverage.

A few months ago we launched our first mobile application. At the time we said that an Android version was in progress and today we’re happy to deliver on that promise. Realtime Style Advice by YLF is available in the Android Market!

The app itself is very similar to the iPhone version. There are some small visual differences, but the feature set is identical. You can take a photo, compose your question and post it to the YLF forum where it will appear as a realtime request. Forum members will be able to reply to your question from the web or from the app. Questions posted from the app can include a “yay or nay” poll. For a little more information on the app itself, check out its page in the backstage area.

As with the iPhone app, the Android version is a collaboration between myself and Morgan Belford, with Morgan doing all the programming on the phone, and me doing the design and the server side programming. To put it simply, Morgan did most of the hard work.

As always, let us know if you have any questions, or if you experience any difficulty with the app. The fastest way to reach us is to send a message to our support (if you have a problem) or feedback (if you have suggestions or general feedback) email addresses. Other options are to use the contact form, to send me a private message, or to start a discussion in the forum.

Enjoy!

Animal Print fever is rife and I’m not the only one who has the bug. Several of my clients have been into leopard and cheetah printed shoes lately and these are our top picks so far. All of the styles are quite comfortable, and some are very comfortable. Even the sky scraping platforms, while too high for me personally, are comfortable around the foot and toe box area. 

There are three styles by “Ivanka Trump”, which is a new-ish brand on my footwear radar. She makes a pretty good shoe! Be sure to read all the accompanying reviews — I’m not the only one who is raving about some of these styles: 

• Ivanka Trump Linear Wedge: It’s nice to see a dainty and self fabric wedge for a change. Great cushioning foot bed and stable heel. 
• Ivanka Trump Indicon Pump: I almost bought these because they are very comfortable and the heel height is maneageble. The pointy toe reminds me of Audrey and I could see them with my black vintage ball gown. But they were too roomy at the top of the toe box opening creating a few fingers of space between the shoe and the base of my toes. If they work for you, size up half a size for extra length. 
• Halogen “Payton” Cone Wedge Pump: Sweet! For me, the heel height was just right and the comfort level adequate. Definitely size up half a size. 
• Stuart Weitzman Lastikon Flat: I have these in a solid colour and they are hands down the best ballet flats of my life. They are coming with me to NYC next week because they are 10-hour walking shoes. Runs true to size and also works for a slightly wider foot. 
• Ivanka Trump Magnolis Flat: I didn’t find these as comfortable as the Stuart Weitzman Lastikon flats, but they are half the price and very pretty. The lighter colour animal print looks particularly fab with blonde hair. 
• Nine West “Rocha” Pump: A classic and crisp pump with a surprisingly soft footbed. I love how this shoe bookends brown, black and auburn hair. Size up half a size. 
• Bandolino Holden Flat: This is a great rare find because it has a sturdy three quarter inch heel, although it’s still a ballet flat. I gasped out loud at the comfort level when I tried it on at Macys last week, which caused two nearby ladies to try on the shoe too. One of the ladies was so taken by the shoe that she wore them on the way out of the store. It’s also available in solids, metallics and pony print at Zappos. 
• B. Makowsky Heist Pump: I popped these into the YLF store because they are irresistible with the red piping. The retro vibe of the mary jane strap and stacked heel is divine. They are pretty comfortable, and you might need to size up half a size. 
• Steve Madden “Annie-L” Wedge Bootie: Dramatic and eye catching. Read the rave reviews. These would go down very well at New York Fashion Week.
• Steve Madden “Wicked-L” Bootie: More rave reviews for this sculptural ped. Without the platform, the heel measures almost six inches. Quite the statement! Surprisingly, the footbed is soft and cushioning, so if you love an edgy platform high heel with simple lines – this is it.

I have a few pairs of animal print shoes and I’ll be happy to add another pair because they are seasonless and timeless. I’m still deciding whether I want a pair of animal print flats, heels or boots. Decisions, decisions.