Looking back: style transformation since Feb. '09

I thought it would be fun to look back at how my style has changed since February when I started photographing daily outfits and joined the YLF forum. Even though I move extremely slowly when it comes to adopting trends and giving up previous habits, I am amazed at how much you all have influenced my style transformation throughout the year. I have gone from wearing primarily dress trousers or jeans and traditional cardigans to embracing dresses, pencil skirts, moto jackets, boots, waistcoats, leggings, patterned hose, bright colors, mixed prints, and of course scarves... I was a bit astonished at how much *did* change.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you, and especially to Angie, for all of your help and encouragement - not just with matters of style, but also for your support during difficult times when I was struggling with poor body image, unemployment, or lack of motivation. I'm amazed at how much impact this community has had on my personal style *and* my life.

You can take a look back with me here if you're interested.

16 years ago

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

I completely LOVED seeing this on your blog!! The visuals are just, wow; very visceral. You. Look. FAB.

taylor

Wow...Looks like you really know how to fit, flatter and dress your body:) You look beautiful. I love you in dresses and all that color looks so pretty on you. I also like how you have changed up your blog:)

marianna

I am completely envious of your beautiful classy style. I loved seeing you bounce back from unemployment and back into dressing beautifully. Very inspiring.

RoseandJoan

It was a joy to look back at your year of style, I love how you have embraced both colour and pattern. There is a definite progression and I think you have adopted trends well without contradicting your signature style.

Louise

How great looking back. Even in the beginning you had great style but you've become more colourful in your choices as the year went on. What a fab 'this is what you can do' for ladies just joining x

rute

Lovely!
I do like your style and the way you choose fun and chic outfits!
You know so well how to flatter your figure!

Queen Mum

what a fun post to read. I agree, you were certainly not fashion challenged when you began, but you've branched out to expand your style repetoire it seems. Thanks for sharing.

Christie

Active Member

Its been a treat to see your posts over the year! Thank you! Your first photos did look put-together, and now you look confident and polished. You know what you're doing!

Anonymous

This has been fun to look at and realize how quickly the year has passed. Thankyou for keeping a journal. I think I will start keeping a journal too. It is fun to re-cap the year.
You have such a fabulous figure and I love seeing you rock the Mad Men look in real life. I LOVE how you have evolved your beauitufl rich color scheme. Using the deep blue and golden yellow is the way to do it for fall.
Also seeing you overcome difficulties in life has been inspiring. You did it, and you look fantastic. It was great meeting you in December 09. You look even more fantastic in person, with your warm smile and gracious personality.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

*big happy sigh*

How beautiful, just like you - inside and out :0)

Kari

Thank you so, so much to all of you fabulous women for your support and your sweet comments. It was a lot of fun to look back through the year and see that there really has been more of a progression than I had initially thought. Regarding where I started out, I also have to add that YLF, via Angie's blog posts and lurking but not posting in the forum, has been a huge influence and inspiration to my style since mid-2007. When I first stumbled upon Angie's blog I was a relatively recent college grad and lacked, among other things, a work-appropriate wardrobe and a sense of proper fit and proportion, so it was awesome to have a place to start building an adult wardrobe.

However, I really had no idea how greatly things would take off once I started being active in the blog and forum. You are all a huge source of inspiration, motivation, and support to try new things, whether or not they succeed. I sincerely wish I had stepped out of the woodwork much sooner.

San, I hope you do keep a journal - your style is so fun, polished, and increasingly fashion-forward, and it has been so fun to see you embrace the "funky" part of your classic style. It was such a blast to be able to meet you in person.

Oh thanks Kari. Same to you!

yublocka

Kari thanks so much for sharing this recap. I think you looked great 1 year ago, you have a true sense of inner glamour I think!! But you are sizzling hot now, and just look so comfortable too! Lovely!

Debora

Kari, thanks so much for sharing this with us! It's so much fun to see your outfits from the past year and I remember many of them from the original postings. Your style is fabulous and so uniquely you! Here's to another year of fab!!!

Thanks, Tam and Debora! I'm also looking forward to the next year & seeing how my style changes, especially in light of the pending '90's trends being revisited. (I'm still not sure how I feel about that.) Thanks for your encouragement!

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