OH so many things. First, I learned to buy clothes for the climate I live in (not the climate I wished I lived in). Second, I learned to develop capsules for the life I actually live (not the life illustrated in a magazine). Third, I learned what types of garments are worth their weight in gold and which ones I'll buy, wear once, and discard. Fourth, I learned to be gentle with myself when I made buying mistakes. They still happen, but not frequently. Fifth, I learned how to edit my closet to my advantage. Sixth, I found a community of women that love clothes as much as I do and are willing to share their knowledge with me.

I am certain I am forgetting other very valuable lessons. The point being, I am lucky to have discovered YLF. My wardrobe has NEVER been in such good shape. For the first time in my life I have clothes to wear for pretty much every single function that can come up. And what's more, my wardrobe seems to match what I spend on it.

On YLF I've learned:
that being well put together actually has "rules"(for your life, and your body type and your style) and that it's not some artistic endeavor that only the most creative can "effortlessly"accomplish. *I* can do it!

That "looking effortless"(one of my goals) actually takes quite a bit of for thought! LOL But once the pieces are in play it's not so hard.

That my love of the classics was actually a style in itself, and that I did like trends, but in small doses, alongside my classics. Modern Classic with a rocker/tomboy edge helps me to shop, and pick my purchases with better results. Waaaaaay less closet orphans!

That a wildcard is fun! Not everything has to fit into my "style statement"if I've thought about it. Breaking out of it once in a while adds a bit of fun to my life! Like the boho crocheted sleeveless hoodie I just picked up. I could see my inner hippie in it so I decided to indulge her! I've worn it alot already! LOL

That I can appreciate *any* style on others, even if it's not *my* style.

There's so much more, but I'll stop now! Thanks to you Angie, and all of you at YLF for helping me learn all these things!

I love what Kim said, "...it's not some artistic endeavor that only the most creative can "effortlessly"accomplish. *I* can do it!"

Empowering feeling, isn't it?

I've benefited a lot from YLF, but first and foremost this forum has helped me with achieving wardrobe cohesiveness, "effortless" style (which takes more work than most people realize) and confidence in my choices.

So many more great insights here - love reading them, it's like a quick fashion study guide.

Kim, (and Rambling Ann for noticing) I felt that your comment was really great -well put!
"that being well put together actually has "rules"(for your life, and
your body type and your style) and that it's not some artistic endeavor
that only the most creative can "effortlessly"accomplish. *I* can do
it!"

More than I can count - but PPL and bookending are now second instinct thanks to this forum!

Lots of lessons but probably the biggest one is seeing clothes worn of so many different women, in different places, with different shapes, styles, tastes etc... It has helped me appreciate a range of looks, and given me great information about what might work for me.

What a wonderful thread! Thank you for starting it, Texstyle. And I love your lightbulb moment -- it makes perfect sense! That was a fantastic ensemble. For me it was a bit of a lightbulb moment, too, for a slightly different reason.

Like you, my very biggest lesson as probably been "dress for the life I live." I'm still learning it, of course, but what a difference it has already made. Like Traci, I used to buy emotionally -- or sometimes, desperately, because I literally had nothing to wear for an occasion. And then the clothes would just sit there, not useful for anything else, because I had no idea how to pair them with other items I owned.

Isn't it interesting that you and I both needed to learn this lesson and we both live at rather the extremes of climate? Because dressing for my real life often means dressing for my real climate. We both also work from home and spend time walking outdoors. This dictates a level of practicality that those working in air conditioned and heated offices and commuting by car might not need. It's both a challenge and an opportunity, I think. Graphic tees have been a great discovery for my summer style, too, by the way -- and for winter, patterned pullovers, which is the equivalent.

The reason the graphic tee ensemble hit home for me and is still resonating is more for the lessons on juxtaposition. This was an entirely new concept for me -- one I am still struggling to learn. Gaylene's thoughts are very much on point here. I think as I continue to evolve my style, this element of juxtaposition will become more and more important. The outfits I love most always contain some element of that. Jeans with a great (and dressier) jacket. Jeans with refined footwear. A dress with a denim jacket. A silk blouse with Cons.

I've loved reading everyone's insights. Fabulous.

Well, gosh, all so true. Like others, have a list.
Capsules: Took me forever to implement this and does it ever work.
White: My girlfriends now regard me as impossibly avant garde because am rocking white denim, or column of white, and white shoes.
Identifying favourite shapes and fabrications. And then trying others.
Bags: Need not be all brown, all black, or serious. Pets, indeed
Accepting the inevitable changes and editing to stay current.
And maybe most important, that smart women can take fashion seriously and make choices that make smart look very attractive. At any price point.

While there can be great pleasure in a spontaneous I-love-this-item purchase, having a wardrobe of clothes that work together and where items all get worn is an ongoing pleasure! With YLF I have learnt to 'shop the closet', and had a lot of fun doing that.
Yes, PPL (I kind of knew it intuitively before, but now I really know what I knew!).
Tracking what I wear- has started to show me what items are the real workhorses, and also what my "uniform" is, and where I could experiment a little more.

So many things; but the main one was that I wasn't crazy (or at least I'd found other women who were just as crazy) to still be interested in fashion in my 60s

YLF also helped me:

• let go of the work clothes I was hanging on to even though I'd retired
• dress like "me" even tough I'd moved to more conservative town with a different climate
• understand the difference between classic & modern classic
• understand the difference between what I thought I wore & what I actually wear (through tracking)

Super cool thread
What I have learned
1. Dress for my real life - not fantasy life or fantasy body.
2. PPL - an understanding of what it means
3. The third piece
4. I actually have a crazy love of leather and while I'm not RATE in any way shape or form leather is my itty bitty toe dip into RATE
5. Capsules - Have literally changed my life
6. Shopping for all parts of my life not just work. I used to ignore the weekend/MOTG part of my life or comfy staying at home. Now I shop for all aspects of my reality
7. Buy, try at home, play in your closet and return if it doesn't work.

And of course the smart, brilliant woman on this forum are why i keep coming back.

Somewhat similarly, that it's okay to invest in a casual wardrobe. My life is casual and I frankly would be quite happy wearing jeans and sneakers 90% of the time - this is my honest happy place default. But that doesn't mean I have to wear the odd Costco hoodie, in a colour I don't like, that someone gave to me - I can pick out a hoodie I like, spend $50-100 on it be be *much* happier. I can buy $150 Hunters and wear them to daycare pickup and for mucking around my yard, and love it. I can have and adore several pairs of converse, and someday Ash sneakers will be mine too (just waiting for the perfect pair).
Somehow I always thought my "real" shopping money should go to things I don't/can't really wear: suits, pretty heels, etc; and that casual stuff should always be cheap or even random. I was wrong

"Trendy" is not a dirty word!

Trendy was always used as a disparagement in my circles when I was younger. I was terrified of being trendy, but wanted to buy things that were less safe. Angie taught me that there wasn't anything wrong with trendy! I also learned (hand in hand with the trendy revelation) that culling you closet of "obligation wear" clothes frees up a lot of wears for wearing a trendy item out. I feel much more confident about nabbing a trend item at the beginning of its cycle now rather than waiting for it to prove its merit. And I don't fall into the trap of trying to plan for it to last forever.

(Plus donkey is a magic color for blondes. Thanks, Angie!!!)

The biggest things I've learned is:
1. You can be fashionable at any age.
2. Quality versus quantity.
3. You can try trends at any age.
4. Your on line relationships can be an important part of your life and you meet lifelong friends on this forum.

1. 'It's about the shoes'! Amazing how footwear can make or break an outfit.

2. Bookending

3. Pay attention to hair, specs, bag...things that can become a stylish signiture

4. Life appropriate, rather than 'age' appropriate

5. Using 'happiness factor' as a dressing guideline

Here are my top things I've learned thanks to YLF:

1) Instead of buying half a dozen colors of the same item, limit yourself to no more than three of the same item: 1 light neutral, 1 dark neutral, and 1 color or print.

2) Capsules for different parts of your life - home capsule, errand-running capsule, dressy capsule, workout capsule, etc.

3) That outfits can be creative and unique without dipping into the "costume" realm - I've seen this thanks to the lovely folks who share photos of their cohesive, creative ensembles.

4) Paying attention to the details can make a world of difference in the impact of an outfit.

5) Just Flattering Enough (JFE) - a life changing perspective!

6) The concept of wardrobe tracking / outfit tracking - I love this brilliant idea, but still trying to figure out how to do it in a way that works for me (and a system that I'd stick with).

Thank you, YLF-ers, for teaching me so much! <3

I think the most important thing I have learnt here is to dress for myself and dress the way I like and not feel pressure to 'fit in' to any particular mould. This has been incredibly liberating and I believe it has facilitated me really honing my style. There are more specific things I have learnt like bookending, ppl and definitely dressing for my real life.. but with a touch of drama lol

So many things! Can't pick just one.

Maybe " intentionality " is a theme. I had been more random and more limited to certain stores and departments. When I realized I loved certain hem styles on tops and that I was buying less flattering ones just because they were what I encountered most often. Then I had to learn I didn't have enough time to explore EVERY option and search endlessly, so I'm learning both what's good enough for the time & other resources used, and also that I could WAIT rather than buy.

Juxtaposition, maybe using the term loosely, was a big deal. I don't want to " stand out" at work with very trendy or eye- catching garb but want some interesting elements.
Footwear- a great thing. Still, I've been learning to tell the difference in what updates are right for me even if not always at the very forefront. And how the footwear has to match up with the pants or skirt or both.
Last for now-- trying everything on with stuff I own and being more ruthless with returns. I am much better at telling which things are " almost" and hence will languish; or, that the item I THOUGHT would go with everything,
really does not.

Oh this is an excellent question, I've learned the following:

1. Style adjectives and a style statement help with shopping and creating a more cohesive closet where items can mix and match.

2. One in, one out.

3. Variation on a theme is a good thing, but purchasing multiples in the same color is not always the best idea because it leads to splitting wears.

4. My style is not the same as anyone else's, so feedback while helpful, still needs to be tempered with what I feel in my heart.

5. A plan for shopping and wardrobe development keeps closet overgrowth at bay.

6. Less is more.

7. I love shoes! (I knew that before actually)

8. Change your glasses!!! The frames make a difference.

9. This forum is a well run friendly venue with some of the most helpful women I have encountered, and the credit goes to Angie and her crew for setting the tone. Thanks Angie!

I really empathise with your light bulb moment and realisation about dressing for real life, Texstyle. I've read a fair few replies and I'm pretty much in agreement with all that's been said.

The main lessons for me? Well too many to think of and mention here though some that come to mind are... how to appreciate all other tastes and style on ladies of all ages shapes and sizes. That I need to dress for my real life and climate. That I should never say never regarding trying new trends (hello BF jeans!) and mostly, to have fun with fashion. There are probably many more too, but I would be repeating what's already been said by the others and I also think that I'm most likely still learning!

1. Never say never. It often takes my eye time to adjust to a look. It really helps to see YLFers in WIWs to help me envision myself. It's also fun to see lemming wear!

2. The semi-tuck is not just for J.Crew catalogs.

3. Rethink duplicating because it can lead to splitting wears.

4. PPL

5. Buy and wear clothing for the life I lead, but I don't have to dress like a slob or uber casual; smart casual is okay.

6. Just because it fits, is a color that flatters, and is within my budget doesn't mean I have to buy it; maybe it's not my *style*.

7. I have style preferences, lol.

Forgot to add:

8. Learned to be more adventurous with combining colors.

9. Learned to pattern mix.

10. Learned to juxtapose casual with more dressy items to extend their wear.

11. Learned to consciously try to include color, pattern, texture, and shine in outfits or at least have three of the four.

Fun thread! I liked reading about your epiphany about the graphic tees. It's nice to have something to wear that feels special even though it's casual and simple, isn't it?

I"ve learned a lot of very important things on the forum. The main ones are

. It's OK to have my own style even if it doesn't match anyone else's.

. It's OK to be super picky and leave empty-handed from the store, even if it means waiting years before finding the perfect item. (They are called HEWIs for a reason, right?)

. Semitucking! This is really helpful since I have a short waist, and it seems to extend my torso while still allowing me to display my belt.

Previously, I could tell when something didn't look good on me, but never knew why. Now I can at least make a good guess. I have loved being part of this forum, even though I'm more of a lurker than a poster.

I have really enjoyed reading all of the responses here and I share the same epiphanies as many of you.

And I honestly think I dress better, with more thoughtfulness and less "working at it" than I did in my 40's. I now have a wardrobe that coordinates and offers endless possibilities.

And I so enjoy looking at and admiring the wonderful variety of styles that you ladies here show me on a daily basis. Thank you for sharing.

I have one question though...and I thought I was good with acronyms...what does PPL stand for?

Oh what a great thread! Although so much of what I have internalized about dressing was learned here, my most important lessons are not about fashion at all. From the beginning Angie made me comfortable expressing myself in a way that I sorely needed. Her wonderful way of welcoming and respecting everyone and yet firmly insisting on decent behavior has truly changed my life for the better in many ways.

Suz (and others) mentioned juxtaposition and I think that is such a great point too. I think I've learned that juxtaposition can be in the actual pieces of clothing and how they relate to one another, and in our choice of shoes/bag and how we style ourselves with regard to hair, makeup, and jewelry. For me, wearing mostly tees and casual items makes me feel a real need to always do my hair, always wear at least some makeup, lipcolor is key to me to feel polished, and to pay attention to shoes that are not just decent in style, but in good condition. I typically add a belt and jewelry to most outfits as well and have been looking into adding some higher end pieces in that category.

I didn't realize when I wrote this post that it would resonate with so many but it's been so fun reading the replies!

dakotacheryl - PPL is Perfect Pant Length

My 3 'Fs'- Fabric/Fit/Function.
Especially useful when considering a new purchase
Plus everything mentioned above and more!