Hello YLF friends! Having done my review for 2018, I'm ready to set some goals for the new year.

First, a review of the 2018 goals:

To do a thorough closet review and edit. Check

2. To wear outfits that are:

• Modern
• Crisp
• Retro
• Vivid
• Practical

At the time, Angie observed that retro was a new word for me. It turned out, it wasn't quite me, either, though I did purchase a few markedly retro items (Snow Queen coat, pink tartan jacket). On the whole, outfits were Modern, Classic, Vivid, Practical, and Playful.

3. To look for statement or luxury items (e.g. jewellery or bags or jackets) from local designers, special vintage shops, etc.

Check. Two statement purchases bought on consignment.

4. Continue to increase representation of red in the closet!

Check

5. Continue my search for key HEWIs — a white sandal, for example. A bright sandal.

Found white sandal and bright sandal but will be on the lookout for another bright one this summer because last year’s didn’t work out.

Next, in the photos, see some of my favourite outfits.

The first part of 2018 was incredibly difficult for me in personal terms so none of my outfits date from that time. Starting in around June, life started improving.

Looking over these outfits, what I see (or what I liked about them):

Comfortable — no tight waistbands, fussy parts.

Practical — suited the day’s activities and weather, allowed me to walk.

Classic — each outfit has at least one classic or even iconic element, whether it be a denim jacket or a blazer.

Modern — all outfits show the influence of trends, some of them absolutely of the moment and some a few years old but not dated. Plaid, floral print, long cardigans, stripes, oversized scarf, crushed velour, backpack, Fair Isle (sort of), western belt, wide legs, crops, slim high waist jeans.

Neutral AND colourful — my wardrobe is very neutral heavy but I really love a pop of colour.

Playful — from whimsical patterns to wild card statements to sneakers, there is often an element of fun.

Juxtaposition — usually a dressed down element with a dressed up element (jeans with cashmere or silk or velvet, a denim jacket with culottes, suit with tee and sneakers.)

What to make of this?

Angie calls my style “trendy classic” and I guess, if the shoe fits... The question now is do I want to continue in this direction or evolve in a new one? That remains to be seen.

I often flirt with the idea of a strong signature style a la Gryffin and often think I want to move in that direction. And yet, I also don’t, because I playing with trends is part of what I find fun about fashion. Are the two impulses mutually exclusive? I don’t know. Gryffin mentioned “still” as a keyword for her own style, which makes so much sense! But for me, I think the word “movement” would need to take the place of still. I need a dynamic element. I guess that is the mark of a gamine style.

I have really loved reading Brooklyn’s recent planning posts where she considers a whole mood or theme that she wants to develop. I have never really thought about this — I tend to go with the flow of what appears at retail. That is partly just a lack of imagination, I suspect. And it derives from my need when I joined YLF to build a wardrobe from nothing - I had to do a fair amount of buying at once.

Could I come up with a theme for the year and develop it? That might require developing a new fashion moniker. "Trendy classic" could describe my style, all right, but it's a pair of adjectives, not a moniker (to me). So, what's the moniker. Not urban prince any longer. Hmmm...I wlll need to ponder.

In the meantime, Goals for 2019:

1. Continue to wear outfits that are: Modern, Classic, Vivid, Practical, and Playful.

2. Spend time reflecting on how I can reconcile my “trendy” style persona with my ethical aspirations. Shopping for statement items (and even some essentials) via consignment is one way; patronizing local and/or ethically conscious designers for essentials is another. But what about wardrobe churn? I plan to set aside a weekend just to research, and another weekend to reflect on it and make some plans.

In the meantime, I will continue my more-or-less intuitive style of shopping — editing out what’s worn or doesn’t fit or doesn’t please me and adding as I see fit, just observing my patterns without judgement.

3. Revisit the idea of a work-from-home “uniform” that does not include jeans-- given my recent worn out pair! Looking at these Everlane pants (in Finds) - anyone know them?

4. Revamp/upgrade my gear. I got out of the habit of regular workouts for most of the year and want to inspire myself to get. back into them.

6. Have fun with fashion!! Continue to check out Vancouver's fab consignment stores. Play with colour (esp. RED) and generally have a good time.

Thank you for reading and I am all ears if you have suggestions or observations that I may have missed.