PRO??
You guys are joking, right?
Everything I know I learned from the real pro. And you know who she is!
The brilliance of a real pro is that she can figure out what will work for all kinds of body types and situations. I don't think I have that talent. I haven't even figured it out completely for myself. But I do enjoy the process of imagining.
I also like how we can learn from our mistakes. I've learned plenty from my own over the past few years. Even outfits that seemed great at the time now make me cringe. There wasn't necessarily anything "wrong" with them, by the way. They were very nice. But I am only now BEGINNING to see a way towards an authentic style.
Sara, it's interesting you mention Claire. I see this happening very clearly (um, no pun intended!) in her posts. It's really her, you know? Such brilliance. I've seen it more and more in Sona's posts, too. And Rae's too -- even though she has been doubtful about her new style direction.
Which is not to say I haven't also seen it in others (I remember when GP - Natalie showed a sudden flowering. I also remember a huge leap in Sveta, who now has YLF iconic status.)
Anyway -- point is, some of us come here less tutored than others, some have lesser means so take a while to build our wardrobes, some undergo a big change that suddenly discombobulates, or catapults us into style stratosphere.