Oh, Suz, thanks for that reminder. I was soooo tempted to go ogle Reiss after seeing your beautiful new jacket. But Ted and I are old friends. So now I know to ogle Reiss with caution!

Oh, don't give up hope -- some of the other styles might work, K.P. But in general I think the cut is more for a slim hourglass/ rectangle. Angie can set me right, of course.....

It was laughable to see how those Ted Baker jackets collapsed over my non-boobage.

Thanks for sharing this Suz,!

Fabulous insights - thank you so much Suz & everyone.
Loved Kari's comments about having to learn quickly
KP brought tears to my eyes in a good way - I think Angie's voice is the only one I want in my head when it comes to fashion (& maybe tea & cake oh & doggies).

All I can do at this stage is repeat what I said on Ornella's thread:

Hearted for future reading

The Boston meetup was a fantastic day from start to finish. Angie is a star wherever she goes, and attracted attention even in the cafe where we had breakfast--this older gentleman came by and talked to her, and then ended up looking up the YLF website and showing it to another guy at the table next door! And the sales associates in several stores were quite taken by her, and often asked us who she was and wanted to know about YLF.

Her energy levels are amazing, and I really appreciated that she took time to talk to every single person individually, and help us out with our purchasing decisions. As for lessons learned, Diana already mentioned Angie's insight on why flared dresses look juvenile after Janet tried on a dress that looked a bit too flared and short--they're usually worn by children who need room to stretch and play: "You never see a child wearing a pencil skirt." I tried on a floral bomber jacket at Zara that Angie recommended for me, and I tried both the XS and S http://www.zara.com/us/en/woma.....c401038p18. The XS had fairly fitted sleeves and looked great open, but barely closed; the S had a roomier fit overall, but zipped up easily. She pointed out that she preferred the S because the fit was more modern; the XS was more of a "2008" look. I ended up not getting the jacket, since I have too many jackets already and wasn't sure whether I would tire of the floral pattern. But the advice on fit was still very useful.

Finally, I wanted to add that the day was wonderful not just because of Angie but because of all the other wonderful ladies who participated. Everyone was so friendly and so accommodating, and full of insights of their own.

Favoriting this post!!!

Such great accounts of Angie in action. Makes me appreciate and admire her all the more! Her personality on YLF is magnetic already, I can't even imagine how much more so IRL!

Thanks everyone for all your first hand stories! Please keep them coming!

I have shopped with Angie in person once. It was an amazing experience. She made me feel like a queen. She pulls things in the colors that flatter you. In my case I was in Seattle but she was very conscious that I live in Texas and helped me pick things that would work in my climate.
Angie has an amazing personality and presence about her. I am hoping that it is in the cards for me to shop with her again this year.

I so enjoyed the meetup in Chicago two years ago. I remember most the lilting quality of her voice -- gentle and encouraging, and quick to laugh. I tried on a red trench at the Rack, and I remember Angie going to work on it -- prodding the colors and plackets into place, carefully examining the fit. She doesn't let a garment boss her around!

I am late to this thread (darn this work) and don't want to repeat what others already said - it it has been already said so much (an all perfectly true).

I did not get much that Saturday (just a pair of flat sandals from the Rack which quite miraculously were sitting there in my size - and were approved by Angie).

oops, posted in wrong thread.

Angie deserves more praise than my words could ever say! She is a truly generous and caring person and made me feel so comfortable. She created a whole wardrobe for me (in a couple of hours) so I could go to a new job feeling fearless and confident. Plus she made it special and fun! I learned to make sure that you sit down, not just stand, when you try things on and look in the mirror while you sit to make sure it looks ok. I learned to wear high quality nude hosiery so as not to be cold, pair navy blue pants and black jackets together, wear clothes looser as opposed to tighter, roll up baggy skinny jeans and wear with booties. Lay out all your items in the dressing room to make sure they all go together. Bring the clothes with you that you want to coordinate with the new ones. Get boyfriend jeans and wear loafers. Ignore your fears because people will complement you all day when you wear your new outfit, smiling! Spend a morning with Angie having fun then relax because your wardrobe is covered and you don't have to worry!

Thanks Suz and Ornella for this thread! So much to learn! For me it seems to boil down to remember that fit is everything. Would love to shop with Angie - and a round in my closet to declutter and get new inspiration.

Wow, some great insights accumulating here. Thank you everyone for adding your voices to this.

fathenry, that woulds like an amazing experience -- counting up the lessons learned in ONE shopping trip alone -- that's just remarkable! Especially love this:

"Ignore your fears because people will complement you all day when you wear your new outfit, smiling!"

Beth Ann, that was also my experience. When you have something on that is under serious consideration, she quickly examines the garment for any flaws and makes sure it is in great shape.

And Debbie -- you hit on a great point that I had almost forgotten! So true. In Reiss I also tried on a gorgeous, stunning powder blue jacket. Angie said she liked it even better than the navy on me! Then, after a second, she added that she was probably being influenced by the season and her love of lighter tones for spring. I deliberated for a moment and then said, "You know...I love this colour, too, and think the jacket is very special. But in my climate..."

"I JUST thought of that," she agreed. (I only get about 2 to 4 weeks of true spring weather most years, whereas, in comparison, I get at least 38 weeks a year in which a wool ink blue blazer could be a good choice.) NEXT!

And if I'm really craving that hit of pale blue, I'd be much better to buy the linen jacket at Club Monaco -- which I could wear throughout our late spring (4 weeks) and summer (another 8 weeks).

Or forget the jacket altogether and buy that colour in a top.

Buy for your dominant season.

C!, thank you for your insights. You are so right about all of this. I still loved the Zara jacket on you -- it was really, really pretty. Secretly hoping you will reconsider it!

This is so fascinating to read. When is Angie coming to Oz? Don't care where in Oz, I'll go wherever she goes!

Passing on Angie's' tips has already helped me. Yesterday I bought a black and grey long sleeve cross over top. This style suits me and colours are perfect for my winter palette. One size fits in the bust but is too tight across the stomach. The next size fits across the stomach but is a bit big in the bust. I really loved it, and as a couple of other customers gave me the thumbs up I bought it. After reading this and Ornella's thread I realised that Angie would have said NEXT because neither size is quite right. Also as its a lowish V neck, still decent but low, and I run cold in winter this style for me, for winter, is pointless. It is going back.

Thank you so much to everyone for your comments so that even those of us that haven't had the wonderful experience of shopping with Angie can still learn.

Carolbee - that is exactly it. In my experience, other customers or shoppers and even the sales associates are often blinded by the positive aspects of an item. They see that the style is generally flattering, the colours good on us, etc. And so they are all for saying YAY in the face of small problems that could in fact lead to closet orphans.

We need to cultivate an unwillingness to "settle." Even in the face of cheers from others.

Now, there are times when it IS important to settle. If you need a winter coat, for example, and simply can't find that absolute ideal one -- if it fits and serves your purpose, it may be required.

But if we are talking about a top (among other tops) or a pair of jeans (when you own other pants) or a new jacket (when you won't go naked without it) there is no reason at all to settle for something that does not tick every one of your boxes. And there is DEFINITELY no reason to compromise on fit.

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences! I replied on Ornella's thread regarding how much I've learned from these posts. Just wanted to add that I woke up this morning thinking about some of my more recent spring/summer purchases and haunted by the question, "What would Angie say?" LOL

I have two items in particular that I keep looking at and wondering if they would get a thumbs up or "Next!" in real life. Oh and now I can't get the chorus of Jay-Z's "On to the Next One" out of my head even though I hadn't heard the song in years.

So much wisdom in this thread! Thank you for collecting all this in one handy place, Suz. I am hearting this to refer to whenever I feel like my shopping is going off-track.

Thank you so much, Suz & Ornella! I'm really enjoying reading this.

Brilliant threads Suz and Ornella. I'd really love to see fit concerns in action as I don't even have a vague idea what fit means anymore...

I have so very enjoyed reading everyone's experiences. Thank you, Suz, for the umpteenth time, for compiling this - it's truly inspiring and helpful info! I'm loving the insights of "the problem isn't YOU, it's the garment isn't right" in its myriad forms.

Thanks so much for compiling this Suz. Although it's an expensive thread, because now I know I'm going to make every effort to get to Toronto if a meet up WITH Angie materializes!