Oh do share, Vix! The sharing with each other is what makes this all fun

Okay... omgeeee! I took a look at your thread. I adore your satin blouses and dresses! So so beautiful! You do modern classic quite perfect, at least to my eye.

Thanks for pointing out multiple monikers. I think I kind of missed what you were getting at So now I know.

My monikers from my last image consultation were
Sensual Bohemian
Passionate Beauty
They were really more her classifications to work within. she said I was an interesting blend of the two. (So true!)

Since then I would say I’ve added at least some key words:
Bombshell, sexy, luxurious, joyful, free spirited, goddess, earthy, glamorous.

I am like you I think, where I just can’t handle too much of one thing, and especially not for too long. I don’t want to be locked into one look.

Persnickety Bohemian makes sense now lol! I love it!

And yes... though I am at times self conscious about bodycon, I think I do skew bodycon! I love drapey ravishing bohemian looks (think 1920s showgirl). But I also love things that drape over curves and swish and move! I’m currently knitting a very bodycon 50s “sweater girl” style sweater that has negative two inches ease. (I was aiming for zero inches ease, but am between sizes and since I am shedding baby weight, I went smaller.) Not sure how I’ll look in it. But somehow I’m very excited to be wearing something that isn’t blousy!!

See, I told you we might want to steal from each other, ha. I think all the key words fit with the moniker(s) and it's just about playing things up or down.

At the risk of dragging poor Marilyn Monroe into things, if you take a look at how she dressed on her own time she was often in very fluid, touchable fabrics -- esp the silk jersey Pucci tops she favored. So dialed-down bombshell vs "MM" but there's a common theme. Since you're a knitter I can't resist saying, "keep a lookout for your thread" as you build looks (ba da dum) vs trying to fit into one box.

I generally have to have an element of shiny +/- fluid +/- touchable.

And while I'm a recovering blacktextileaholic but my desert-island item would be a black rouched jersey sheath dress I'd somehow cut in 2 for separates, ha. I love my jersey pencil skirts and think they'd be so awesome for you -- easy to dress down with Ts / sweaters or up a bit with dressier fabric, forgiving of weight shifts for a decent amount of time. Actually -- you should knit yourself a sweater-y one to go with the top!

Ok -- file under Careful What You Ask For -- below are a bunch of outfit photos with some repetition.

1-2: Low-Key for Me. #1 is a good example of Barely Boho -- neutral + print

3-4: Dynamic Prints (re Hair Rehab text -- when I stopped dying my grey I should have used different products...build-up killed my waves!)

5: Blues, I Wear Them

6-7: Sparkly followed by Super-Sparkly. I had the metallic-thread blouse in #6 cropped so I could wear it over or under things.

8: Madonna circa Like A Prayer era aka Hair Inspo (ps I think she wore D&G in the video)

ps I think others here are much more Modern Classic than I am.

But I figure most of the fun in broad, potato soup descriptions comes from adding one's own flavor to the base!

Oh wowzer!!! We are style sisters, Vix! Love how you styles things down, and how you style things up! All of the drape, satin, etc—yummy! The blues look great on you, as do the tails and coppery number. And you do a fantastic casual elegant bohemian!

Super excellent point about MM. I think the studios did a phenomenal job of making her MM. The backlots where amazing at their job of re-making people into stars in those days. So different from now, really. But she definitely did casual softer and less MM. and it’s lovely. I love her Pucci items! They looked fantastic on her! Definitely a look to keep in mind.

So, while these are all my style monikers—aside from the two dresses I posted photos of, I wonder if my closet could use more?

Jersey fleece ruffled zipper jacket in petrol blue. Really beautiful!
Striped fuschia satin blouse (which is maybe too big now—bought it after having my son, swimming in it now ).
Very texturized metallic tweed straight skirt.
Chiffon peplum poet blouse (more boho?).
Black turtleneck bodycon sweater dress. I wear it over jeans because now tall me it is almost mini skirt length.
Black and red floral ModCloth dress

Everything else is basics, boho, or summer weight and stashed away for the season.

So I love the idea of is knitting a pencil skirt!! Because when I wear pencil skirts, I love to wear *pencil* skirts. I like them quite body con, following the line all the way down, then pegged/nipped at the knees. I tried on an inexpensive jersey pencil skirt at Old Navy but was disappointed. The fabric showed every lump and bump. So I’ll definitely try knitting one! It’s now on my list for 2019! It don’t think it would be superbly expensive either. And I’ll probably use a heavier weight yarn, a DK or maybe even worsted, so it has some weight.

Thank you dearly for the reminder about finding my own way. <3 I sometimes worry about figuring out which box to be in. For example, Kibbe. I admit I’m all “ooo! Kibbe!” despite the fact that figuring out my Kibbe type makes me revert to shallow breathing and forehead wrinkling! Not exaggerating! Endlessly fascinating, terribly anxiety producing. Working on trusting myself more. And my heart really wants to wear beautiful bombshell and romantic things right now. I think I’ve held back because it does not seem mom friendly. But maybe it’s time to chose mom friendly fabrics when possible and throw caution, stains, and worries of ruining clothes to the wind!! (In the past I have been so careful with my clothes I didn’t wear them out, except sports bras I had owned for 4 years. I feel like maybe that’s an area to improve! Live life more fully in my clothes!)

Further, I’m really particular about knitting things that will look good on me, both in fit and style. That said, I could probably stand to experiment a bit more with say, a yoked sweater or something that makes me feel very joyful just because, not only for its style merit. I would say that’s probably my tension point: joy inside and looking good outside. I’ve been working on it though. More color. More experimenting. More fun. Dipping my toes into it but working at it nonetheless.

Vix, I also posted a thread of sweaters I’m knitting this year. In case you’re curious.

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....-handknits

Hi Keturah, your previous time on YLF was before my time since I just joined 2 years ago. But this is such a great thread and I love Vix's contribution as well, who kindly commented on my moniker thread about having more than one moniker as well. I love me some boho looks as well, always have, since about age 16 ( I talked about "peasant blouses" in those days). I used to have long curly hair but cut it all off at age 35. Your knits thread brought me back here as I saw you had chosen and taken Bohemian out for now. I think your new moniker is perfect.
Dolce and Gabbana are my fave designers for inspiration as well. I know there are ethical questions over them. But I also want to dive into their ads. When we had a thread on a pretend YLF ball a bit more than a year ago I picked a Spanish sort of red and black dress to wear of theirs. Just the epitome of romance to my mind. I also feel I may be a Theatrical Romantic in Kibbe. I'm not going to put romantic in my own moniker though, I'm no longer really the right build I feel even though would like to feel willowy in my own imagination. One can dream, right?

Hi again Keturah --

Well first, thanks much for the compliments! Always a work in progress, but having spent the last couple of years on autopilot as far as wardrobe I definitely noticed the difference when I kind of "clicked into gear" again this fall.

I'm so happy you're rediscovering your love of style and design! Your sweater projects are amazing. Can't wait to see the green one finished!

That reminds me -- we may have tried the same Old Navy pencil (wine or green)? Totally agree about quality (lack thereof) and I generally aim for sale-priced higher-end stuff but I ended up buying the wine because I needed to fill some holes in a hurry and I knew I'd be wearing it under thigh- to knee-length silk tunics and sweaters. With a slip to help....

So that's a possible idea for you -- you'd have to play with proportions, but long sweater -- skimming or oversized -- over a slim pencil/tube.

I think having a capsule of core items you feel good in a limited palette will get you up to speed fast and let you see if you need more Drama pieces or more background ones. You could start wearing your current nice stuff on Mom Duty and then if something happens -- well, you had many years together, right?

I buy a fair amount of my nicer items secondhand (Poshmark, eBay, consignment) and that makes it easier to wear them.

BTW, without getting into it too much, I know a fair amount of online folks who paid for in-person consults DK and quickly moved on. With good reason IMO!! I'm really very "meh" about archetypes unless they're self-created, and I think there are all kinds of ways to work with facial and body structure.

Have you ever read -- gone down the rabbit hole? -- of Carla Mathis' Triumph of Individual Style (used as textbook)? For years I'd only read recaps of stuff in it, but she's made an e-Book available -- $20 buys the book and a trainer's guide. REALLY great stuff.

Jennie NZ, thank you for your kind words abou my new moniker <3 So far I'm feeling really good about it!

D&G... I know D&G has taken heat for some things. I have to be honest: my compassion is exhausted anymore. I love their ads and clothes. Anymore, I just enjoy their clothes and go my merry way. Lol! I loooove the idea of a ball! And your gown choice sounds absolutely gorgeous! I personally can see you in romantic and bohemian! So maybe one day you will add those back. The only thing about romantic, bombshell and related styles, is it can take some maintenance, especially if one is going Dita Von Teese glamorous. Finding casual easy romantic outfits to me takes some thinking and planning. Also, upkeep with personal grooming, hair, etc. But maybe I'm overthinking it.

Hi Vix! I totally can't wait for my green sweater to be finished tbh! It's really got me excited again.

The ON pencil skirt was green so likely it was the same one. Haha! I should reconsider it, with the idea of longer blouses. But I also really love to tuck shirts and blouses into pencil skirts. I think I will try to knit one and look and see if ON has an inexpensive one to fill in the gaps.

DK... Agreed. Carla Mathis though... She has stolen my heart!!! I used to have Triumph of Style years ago, but let it go. (I was in high school and just didn't understand all her concepts, how to make tem work, my body type, etc.) Now I totally wish I had it! But funny enough, I was just on her website this week and saw she offerrd it as an ebook for $20! So I take your timely recommendation as needing to get it Carla is fantastic, and I really love her work, the little bit I've been able to suss out. (She seems to keep wraps on things.)

EBay, etc. I'm tall and curvy and I admit, I gave up on buying secondhand online. I usually need a size 14/16, and those are limited even online it seems. But perhaps I need to try again.

Mom Duty... I need to get over my clothes getting dirty, stained etc. I sometimes worry there won't be something I love to replace it if it gets ruined. Which I feel is a sad way to approach things. I grew up pretty poor, so I guess the mindset is a holdover that could use some clearing and moving on <3