Malina, I think you posted this just on time.I do wonder sometimes why would I post WIW when I don't have anything to ask or anything new to show but from most of the answers here I also agree that what makes posting WIW in this forum is the quality of the forum itself.
We all love fashion, we all want to look fab and sharing our outfits in here is like sharing with your friends, giving and receiving praise and advice.I don't see it as self indulgent because as much as I like to receive a boost I also like to see other people WIW and say that they look fab or give suggestions when they ask for it.
As for blogs, I used to have one where sometimes I posted WIW(among other things).I did it because I was home with a small baby and it made me accountable.Knowing that I wanted to post WIW made me dress, make an effort.
I do follow some purely WIW blogs and love some of them.What you wear is a part of your creativity and I feel happy that people share.
As for your WIW 's I do love to see them and find really interesting your thought process on them.

@Kari-I'm glad I've met you trough your blog also. I swear one of this days I will fly to Seattle just to meet you

I see what you are saying.

For me I joined YLF because I like dressing well and I had no one to talk to who had the same interest. Also I felt I was getting stuck in a rut. I could have easily ended up with the dreaded frump label from not seeing the new things out there and at least giving them a try.

The other reason is over the last 3 years my body shape has changed quite dramatically. This has freaked me out quite a bit, probably more than I have admitted outside of the forum.You wonderful people are helping me to see myself as I am rather than as I think.

I've never posted a WIW (at least not yet) due to confidence issues - but I love looking at others as it gives me ideas and even sometimes validates that something I thought would look good together actually does. The posts offer real women with real clothing and real budgets - all that I can relate to. I've already tried a few outfits of my own inspired by pics posted by others and that is truly what I find the most useful from the WIW posts - INSPIRATION. Please don't stop ladies - and maybe one day, I'll even join you!

I've been trying to catch up on some threads, and definitely wanted to comment on this one. The WIW posts are some of my favorites, too. This was actually the thing that drew me into the forum after I found Angie's blogs.
I was finding it almost impossible to draw any sort of inspiration from fashion magazines b/c I just didn't see how any of it was relevant to "real life". Then, I found the forum and I saw so many stylish women who were rocking looks that I could totally see myself wearing! It's exactly what I was looking for!
Finally, I got the nerve up to post a few WIWs. I'm so new in my style journey that I decided to post pics to get feedback - I truly do want to improve in this area and objectivity is so important.
I love it when the Veteran members post - even though you may feel as though everybody has seen your style. I'm new to the forum and would love to see your pics as they are all new to me!

I am a relatively new member here at YLF. I came across the site about two or three months ago when I was 'surfing the net' for something fashion related (cant remember what). I registered and immediately started looking at the WIW posts. It was (and remains) so refreshing to see what other 'normal' women are wearing (and yes I include Angie in this - Angie... you don't TELL us what we SHOULD wear, you make suggestions, you don't promote only high end, high price garments, you are in touch with budgets and real life commitments... I could go on but let's just say I think you are lovely, and like the other ladies on the forum, I feel I can call you a friend.

I have only posted two outfits to date and love to read and comment on others posts. Over the couple of months I have been here I feel that I have become part of a community of women who have a shared interest in looking good and having fun with fashion. Fashion and styling is my vice, (one of) my passion(s), and my hobby and I have recently relocated and have moved away from friends who share this interest.

I feel that I have made a new group of friends here who I can "talk" fashion with,

My desire to post outfits is motivated by a number of things. I see posting outfits as a "sharing of oneself", we make ourselves quite vulnerable by opening ourselves up to others thoughts, opinions, etc. I enjoy receiving advice and suggestions from other forum members. Its amazing how someone else can see so clearly what is working or what isn't, or what you could add, or what needs to go:) I also like to post to share something that I think looks good, maybe someone else will enjoy looking at it like I enjoy looking at all your beautiful outfits and yes it is lovely to receive such positive and affirming comments. Its also fun to share a new purchase. I am also inspired by the women here on a daily basis to try new things and step out of my comfort zone , and who knows maybe occasionally I might inspire someone.

I would suggest that this is the healthiest fashion forum I have every experienced. The sensitivity and care shown for one another is unique.

Apologies if I have gone a little of topic... for some reason this all spilt out xxx

Deborah, I didn't realise you were new(ish), what a beautiful post - just wanted to bump it so it gets read ^_^

Glad this thread got bumped to the top again; when I don't come every day I can miss some good conversations!

When I first started coming to YLF (almost 3 years ago!), it was common practice among a number of members to post a week's set of daily outfits, which was something I LOVED. I learned a lot seeing the variety they could wear in a week, how different occasions could dress up or down a outfit with just a couple of tweaks, and most of all how you could wear the same piece so many different ways over time. I cannot tell you how much Shiny's posts influenced me! I was just starting on my style evolution, so I eagerly joined in and posted my own.

Over time, the week's worth of daily outfits kind of faded away on the forum as those members got busy and either left or started lurking, but I still loved the practice, so I started my own blog so I could continue to document my transitions and my style changes without boring everyone here. I don't dispense a lot of general fashion advice, but I do talk about things *I* have learned from my own specific experience, like some key areas to concentrate on when you want to look polished. Today's afternoon post for example is about why one striped dress works and another doesn't.

Now if I post an outfit here at all it is because I have a question about it and I need my favorite fashionistas' advice. I think daily outfits (sorry, can't get used to calling them "WIWs" yet) are a great tool on YLF, and I really like the ability to load them up directly on the site now instead of having to provide a link to Flickr. The feedback is immediate, and I get to hear from people who have very different styles and tastes than I do, so I get a wider viewpoint than my fellow bloggers sometimes.

Thanks for bumping, Fruitful. Deborah, that was heartfelt and touching. I am glad that you feel that way and we are thrilled to have you on board of our forum.

What a great thread !!

I think that this is also a very strong community of women who are to and looking for support. It is nice to have someone give one Kudos. I also think that the women here are very open to suggestions. I find that it nice to have a bunch of cheerleaders on you shoulder going, " You go girl, be brave !"

People look for that feedback at work, in recreation, and so on...why not in fashion and confidence building ?

I have only posted a couple WIW but I want to get back to posting more (once I have a new camera) because I find the feedback invaluable... also, just reading everyone else's WIW's gives me so much inspiration and encourages me to fully develop my own sense of style. I dress much better since I started visiting YLF and I think part of it was the encouragement from everyone to dress my body the way it was and to stop thinking badly about what I perceived as my flaws... so yes, I guess I post for pats on the back too, but it's all very encouraging and educational to me, rather than something I use to boost my vanity.

Heh. You say "boost my vanity" like it's a BAD thing!

I have been saving this thread for a chance to really sit down and read everyone's thoughtful comments. I also would sometimes worry if I came across vain or a braggart if I didn't have a specific question to ask, but I agree with one of the other comments that it'd be hard to expect good keep or return/toss advice if the forum was not familiar with my style. So that part of it is definitely practical - WIWs build up a rubric against which new purchases can be measured.

The other part? Well, I'm shamelessly addicted to praise. After feeling ugly for a long time, the positive reinforcement has really helped improve my self-image and confidence. And that's a good thing, too, because in taking pics to get praise I also end up with a great visual record of my outfits. Vain and proud! Is that redundant? lol

Rae, I always enjoy seeing what you are wearing and what you are trying out (i.e. the white jeans). You come across to me as a lovely, kind, fun and BEAUTIFUL woman. Its sad the negative things that we sometimes believe about ourselves and wonderful when it is turned around and the truth is revealed ie YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.
I for one look forward to your WIW's

I also adore your WIW, Rae, because you're a similar size to me, and am addicted to second hand shopping too

I've not posted my own WIW as I've not had a chance to as yet.

However, I love checking out the WIWs from other forum members. I find it very useful in learning about style and also for thinking about my own clothes and how to create an outfit from my own wardrobe. So thank you!