I hope you don't leave us, Shannon, whatever you'll wear and anywhere you'll shop in the future from now! Being located in the EU I was (and am still) NOT familiar with any of the brands Angie picks her recommendations from, other than perhaps the Zara, Esprit, M&S and H&M:-). Still, looking at all her recomms and the the wiw's in the forum, I had always gotten plenty of ideas of what I want to search for myself, in MY OWN SHOPS in my neck of the woods, which cannot be called high end, either:-).

YLF is very fashion forward, indeed, but this is why we are comming here, I guess:-). Over the years I learned that it takes almost 1-or even 2 (!) seasons to have quasi the same(alike) items in our shops to those I can see here, on a daily basis.

It's a pain, so I will be never called a trendy one for sure when posting my wiw's, but that wasn't my aim to dress like it anyway, just sayin':-).

I trully appreciated your daily wiw posts, and learnt a lot from them, but know so well it takes precious time to do them, follow and honor the comments, and all that ...guess you know why am posting that rarely, for me it's always easier to comment, only!

Please stay with us, your presence and opinions will be always greatly appreciated-at any random intervals:-).

What a year you have had! You have had to prove your strength and resilience over and over again. I'm so pleased to hear that your vacation was marvelous and restorative. Having been to Victoria long ago, I was even a bit envious!

For me, YLF actually focuses my wardrobe and shopping, although I did spend more in the first couple of years of the forum. Presenting myself well is a part of my work, and makes me a touch more confident. As you know, I still regularly shop Kohls -- and I'm sure there are some on the forum who question that decision. The truth is, I'm not fooling when I say I have a budget!

I understand how easy it easy for fashion to become a burden, and an end in itself. I fully support your decision to dress and live with simplicity, so there is more room for people and memorable experiences in your life. You are always welcome, whenever you choose to show up, Shannon!

Shannon, you are an inspiration as always. Perfectionism can be the enemy of happy. I choose not to get too wrapped up in fretting over an inch of fabric here and there. I hope this leg of your life's journey brings you bliss.

I totally support you. The first rule here is "Have fun with fashion." If you're not having fun with fashion, then it's time to reevaluate.

That said, I hope you don't stop posting, I love to see your outfits and I don't care if I've seen them 100 times already. I think it's the mark of a good, functional wardrobe when you can wear the same outfits over and over, and different combinations thereof.

As far as where anyone shops, I couldn't care less if it came from the most expensive department store or the least expensive dime store. You have to be happy with, and happy in, what you're wearing - that's what counts.

Best wishes to you on this next phase of your journey.

We'll miss you if you leave the forum so I hope you will still occasionally check in and comment! Everyone's participation varies depending on what's going on in their lives.

I regularly shop thrift stores, Target, Payless, and Old Navy. I don't find the forum that much of a temptation to shop just because I don't have the budget for expensive clothes and shoes (and Banana Republic is expensive to me). I look at it as inspiration. As in, drapey blouses are in so I'll look for something similar to Angie's picks but within my budget.

I don't think you have to worry about whether your WIW posts are always new and different because not everyone sees every outfit you post. There will be members that didn't see the original outfit post and so the outfit will be new to them. But just posting the occasional outfit is fine also if you no longer have the time or need for daily WIW posts.

What Gaylene said. There's so much scope to explore style on this forum without feeling like you have to shop to keep up. If anything, I've bought less stuff since contributing to YLF because reading and talking here has led me to a much deeper understanding of my own style. And you don't need to post every day to make a valuable contribution.

But your mileage may vary. I can understand it after everything you've been through this year. Sometimes we all need to take a break.

I hope you'll be back soon to share your insights on your newly simplified closet. And don't you dare ditch all that wonderful Eileen Fisher!

Do what you need to do. In the past I've taken breaks, sometimes long breaks. Helps to keep budget in line. I come back whenever I need a refresh. This community is great for that.

We are ALSO moving! Listing the house next week. Have been in major declutter mode all summer too -- one of the reasons I've also been scarce here. We're hoping to move downtown to a smaller condo, hopefully something with a view -- and a walk-in closet.

Shannon, I hope you are still reading this thread so you will see that I totally get where you're coming from! When I came to YLF five (five!) years ago I had just lost 50 pounds and was building a wardrobe for a new body, from the shoes up and the undies out. The learning curve was steep and everything was super exciting, and because everything was new I felt excited to be participating in all the of-the-moment trends. Plus I was (unhappily) married to somebody who was out of town a lot and I had a ton of free time to play in my closet and post outfits.

Fast forward to now, and my financial circumstances are somewhat reduced, I've got a wardrobe I'm happy with that just needs a bit of refreshing from time to time, and I'm divorced, in a new home that I remodeled top to bottom, with a lovely new gentleman friend and lots of other lovely friends and activities that are keeping me busier than I can believe, plus I'm in the throes of caring for aging parents! And I'm wondering the same things as you are -- where is my place on YLF if it's not what it was back in the day?

I've decided I'm going to keep posting WIW posts because it makes me happy and I like having the record of my outfits. And if they're repeats, they're repeats and that's going to be okay. And if they're several years old, that's going to be okay, too. And if I'm often able to only read and not post for days at a time, that's okay, too. I love this place and these women and I don't want to give it up completely. That's just me, of course, but I hope you will consider something similar.

Oh, and I have spent a fortune over the past years but I don't have any regrets and I hope you will let your regrets go, too. It happened, it's in the past, it was fun and entertaining and educational, and... now it's in the past and let's move forward and be happy!

Big hugs, Shannon!!