2019: Annual Review (my 4th in 5 years) LONG!

I will post goals for 2020 in a separate thread. In 2019, I made small
adjustments with big impact to freshen my style. I learned more about colors and the types of lines and silhouettes that work best with my
features. I have been happy with my wardrobe and style in 2019. Here are the details:

1. Hair: No more short pixie cut! For the first time in 30 years I let my hair grow! It’s mostly long enough to pull into a ponytail. I found products that control frizz and leave it soft and shiny despite its unruly nature. My thick silvery waves/curls make a statement,
a lion’s mane! I am happy with the result.

2. Customized Makeup: I use mineral makeup due to Rosacea, my
favorite being Elea Blake (located in TN). Their Color Drape process helps online shoppers customize foundation and choose complementary makeup. Using Color Drapes I created an exact color match foundation. I have never had a perfect foundation before. WOW! The simple process worked so well that I completed the full set, for lips, cheeks and eyes. My holy grail search for the perfect red lip ended! I developed two eye makeup looks, one neutral, one dressy for each season. I no longer have tons of makeup. My makeup is simple, attractive, and easy. The
Color Drapes add depth and warm tones to my previous light summer color pallete and has proven useful for clothing purchases.

3. Glasses: I enjoy changing my glasses depending on mood and outfit. I added several new frames in the early part of 2019, and I added a rimless pair with teal metal nose and ear pieces in December when my visual acuity changed unexpectedly.

4. Style Aesthetic: I returned to my original style statement: Genuine Composed. My 2019 style adjectives have been: Fresh,
Classic, Sleek, Practical, Light. Happiness factor=100%! I continue to love the same neutrals and colors. I have eliminated almost all solid black and white from my wardrobe with the exception of some shoes (black) and tops (white). I have well defined silhouettes, basics,
essentials and even my statement pieces follow a consistent pattern. I have learned to understand how movement, texture,
shine, volume, and contrast apply to my personal style.

5. Trench Coat: I wanted to buy a trench coat in 2019. I struggled finding one and learned much from the search. My biggest lesson- stay true to my style! (In hindsight it's obvious). My first efforts left out Sleek! I experimented with fashion forward,oversized trenches which did not resonate with my style or complement my features. In the end I purchased two new trenches, a lavender Hobbs trench and a short time later, I stumbled upon a slightly longer, navy Burberry trench which I like even better. Tangentially related, during NAS I noticed a down puffer from TNF in a lovely pine green shade. I was not looking for a down coat since it was an odd time of year, but I needed one that length. It has become a workhorse item. It seems that I have inadvertently stumbled upon many of my personal favorite wardrobe items and workhorses in a similar manner to the Burberry trench and TNF puffer.

6. Fashion lines/body types: I had a personal consultation with Florentina Mossou, creator of a system called Align. Her system uses bony frame both in the vertical axis and horizontal axis, and then Yin and Yang factors. I have made many fewer shopping mistakes since learning exactly what lines complement my features. I can distinguish between
two seemingly similar garments and detect which details will work and which would be problematic.

7. SHOES: For years I have hunted for blue loafers that stay on my skinny ankle without slipping off my foot as I walk. I have culled more pairs of failed blue loafers than any other shoe after they stretch out, or do not work as expected. Not specifically looking for loafers, I stumbled upon a pair offered on Nordstroms Website made by The Office of Angela Scott. I ordered them. They unexpectedly fit better than any pair of shoes I have previously owned, prompting me to hunt for more. Their shoes are pricey, a bit on the masculine side, but the perfect fit is well worth every penny. I had no previous intention of adding to my shoe collection, yet I added an astounding 7 pairs of The Office of Angela Scott shoes making them my largest 2019 wardrobe expenditure. My word for 2019 ---Wellness, and these shoes definitely contribute to my wellness. My mood is better when I have no pain in my feet!

8. Updates: I added four long blazers, one per season. I love this style! To add variety to my ususal penchant for jeans, I added two pairs of full length slim straight trousers.

9. Knits: Knits are an essential to my style and updated yearly. I added two duster cardigans, a long grey belted cardigan with rounded ball shaped pearl buttons (this cardigan doubles as a dress), two cashmere turtlenecks, and an espresso brown cashmere crew neck sweater. I purchased two sweater dresses suitable for our fall but not warm enough for winter. I culled 25 sweaters from my collection in a closet edit, so despite adding, I still have many fewer than before.

10. Color Capsules: I created a small blush capsule for spring/summer including an amazing new dress purchased during NAS. I added to a pre-existing Espresso brown capsule, a longtime favorite
neutral, because it has shown up again recently in stores. To my eye, Espresso is darker and cooler toned than chocolate. In 2019, I purchased a pencil skirt, a pullover top with an asymmetrical hem, a silk tank top, a tunic blouse, the sweater mentioned above, and a tailored plaid long jacket with espresso, green and white mixed together. The
espresso additions made up a generous portion of my 2019 purchases. It was an unexpected pleasure to find so many items I love in this color!

Could it be that I have finally developed personal style? My happiness factor has increased and the amount of time and effort required to create outfits has decreased significantly. I am grateful
to YLF for helping me learn so much. Five years ago, I had minimal knowledge about fashion and embarassingly little sense of style.
I am especially grateful to Angie for her steady, patient guidance and her gift for seeing and bringing out the beauty in everyone.

Angie, if you read this, thanks for the positive tone on this forum, and for your grace, kindness and support.

I hope everyone finds health and joy in 2020!