What's your favourite Angie tip of all time? - YouLookFab Forum

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What's your favourite Angie tip of all time?

Roxanna

Veteran

I just posted in another thread about how I was doing an outfit creation session and I thought about how this one little tip from Angie had seriously changed the way I shop and buy (when I have the discipline to follow it.) I tend to buy, hang things up in my closet and then wear them with whatever I put together in the morning - which always seemed fine to me so I never did an outfit creation session. Then I tried it and wow! It opened up a whole new world of outfit possibilities, helped me realise how versatile my item could be and how I could use it, and put the fun in wearing instead of shopping (plus it made weekday mornings easier because I already had outfits created!)

What's you best Angie tip and why? If love to pick up some gems that I have missed! (As well as pay tribute to our fearless leader!)

78 replies

Latest reply was from Mac

Bijou

Veteran

What a fabulous thread.

For me it is bookending my hair. I used to wear a lot of black footwear, which now looks a bit heavy to my eye. I love white, nude, gold and cognac footwear - bookending my blonde hair - it has really helped me feel more pulled together.

Roxanna

Veteran

@bijou - I have heard a lot of forum members say this! I don't usually follow this one (preferring nude or low contrast shoes) but I will have to assess it again.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Have fun with fashion! Speaks for itself.

I think I have incorporated so many Angie tips into my unconscious mind it would be hard to dissect.

Joy

Veteran

Agreeing with Shevia. Have fun with fashion. It makes a big difference. Another is the PPP principle...especially the Picky part.

Gigi

Veteran

Faux tucking or semitucking if a full tuck doesn't work. Sometimes a blouse doesn't look nice with a regular tuck, but a semituck/faux tuck gives structure without the weird poofiness.

Kari

Veteran

Specs/glasses shopping tips and making glasses part of your signature style, which I just found myself paraphrasing this week to a friend. (Lift at temples/bottom corners, eyes centered, frames wide enough to flatter your face, top edge should follow your brow line...) I feel like now I know exactly what the right pair should look like even when the shape/color/materials of the frames differ.

Kari

Veteran

Also, first and foremost, have fun with style and don’t make it a chore or about pressure to look a certain way.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Think I'm with Joy about the PPP principle. That alone has helped me to buy less. I've been in a large mall this afternoon as I went for a haircut. I browsed the shops and there were SO MANY things that were nice but wouldn't suit in one way or another. Maybe seasonally confused... I saw mules I liked and I'd think "but I couldn't wear my socks" or I saw a coat but it wasn't a swingy enough shape, etc etc. My wardrobe numbers are slowly going down as I am better at editing ( thanks to Angie) and not adding as much. These are both what I wanted so very pleased.

Jane

Veteran

Fun with fashion and the importance of fit!

Style Fan

Veteran

I don't think I could pick just one! Angie has changed the way I shop for clothes, the way I put my outfits together, the way I pack for travel, the way I think about wardrobe planning, ...... The list goes on.

One thing that really changed my outfits was thinking about my hair as an accessory and bookending. Okay, that was two things.

Anonymous

OMG. There are so many!!! I am going to have to sit down and think if there is one single tip of all time. There has to be one tip that rises above the others, but I can't think of it right now. This deserves my attention, I'll be back.

Have fun with fashion. This is not the single tip of all time for me because I always felt I had deep respect for fashion and that translated to fun for me. I came to YLF already loving and having fun with fashion.

Bookending. This is also not the single tip of all time for me because I have yet to implement it. When I came to YLF, my hair was full-on dark, dark brown. I always wore black footwear so in effect I was bookending without knowing it. IF this accentuated my style, I was unaware of it and continued to be unaware of it.

Capsule Complements. WOW. This concept definitely struck a cord with me. I started building tiny complements immediately. I really think having these capsules is an essential component of my personal style. I love the idea. I love the execution. BUT is this the single tip of all time for me? Doubt it. Still thinking about it.

Seasonal Shopping versus Shopping Throughout the Year. This was a powerful lesson. I only recently started to implement the concept (Summer 2017). I felt the potential/power in this. I can see how this might be one of the most important lessons Angie taught me. It also broke me of my obsessive "sales shopping disorder." However, seasonal shopping fell by the wayside when I lost weight and needed to shop for a new wardrobe. I have not been in a position to resume it yet. This concept is a strong contender for "single tip of all time" but I don't have enough information yet.

Stated Style Objectives and Goals. This has been incredibly helpful. I have always had vague ideas of what I wanted to achieve, but those ideas were poorly formed and never served me well. Actually having to put pen to paper was painful, but oh so helpful. This is another strong contender for "single best tip of all time."

Slaps head. It was Angie that said to buy for the climate we line in, Suz? Of course, she must have, but I genuinely cannot remember her saying that. Well, hands down, that was the most valuable tip I learned. It was life changing and money saving.

Done.

Kari

Veteran

I’ll also say that the concept of fast fallback outfits (FFBOs) and signature/uniform dressing has changed my style a lot in the past few years. I have so many basic uniforms that I repeat just by changing 1-2 of the details (like the shoes and top, or the necklace and jacket.) I don’t have to think hard about how to dress because I’m spending more time up front considering whether to bring an item into my wardrobe in the first place, whether it meets high standards of fit and quality control, whether it fits with what I have, fills a gap, or adds something new but won’t becone an orphan. Getting dressed feels more effortless these days.

jussie

Veteran

Hmm it’s hard to choose. I’m still learning and don’t feel like I’ve mastered anything however I definitely am paying a lot more attention to fit, which has been a major change for me.

Anonymous

As a relative newbie to the site I am just beginning to learn ANGIE-isms- it’s not just the tips themselves but also her feedback ( super important) on how we implement them.
She is a great stylist but also a great teacher- and as our teacher she understands the power of visual, the power of words and the power of feedback in moving her students along.
So it’s more than her tips- it’s her teaching us development of a keener eye, ability to access an item or an outfit, freedom and fearlessness that comes from experimentation.
And I can see from all the posted responses on various threads just how much others who are veterans have learned.
So maybe it is learning ( not just fashion) can be fun!
Thanks ANGIE

Suzanimal

Bookending - I used that tip last week when I couldn't decide on shoes. Brown shoes wouldn't have even been on my radar for that outfit but it really looked nice and it helps me not be so matchy matchy.

I've also learned that I shouldn't automatically discount a garment type or color as "not me" until I've really thought about it and given it an honest chance. I had that epiphany in that insanely long tunic thread. The guidance in her posts led me to imagining a tunic look that would suit my body type and my style.

rachylou

Veteran

I like Angie’s How To Shop advice, particularly her advice to have a plan. I feel I waste less time, am better able to circumnavigate my attention blindness, and buy more functional items. I have a functioning wardrobe as opposed to merely outfits that work here and there.

Staysfit

Veteran

It’s hard for me to untangle what has come directly from Angie vs. from the YLF form!

Here are my favorites, (How can I pick only one!?):

1. My body shape is a rectangle not a pear! LOL! This change made a huge difference.

2. Drape & scale - does anyone remember artful or is it arty drape?

3. Angie repeatedly refers to me as (Miss) Midtone. Message has been received!

4. Shoulder neck point... here was a turning point for me in the way I made purchases. Necklines were such a puzzle before this wonderful tidbit. High necklines tend to look good with my long skinny neck, but I also have broad shoulders for my frame, so a v neck or scoop would also be good. Puzzle! The solution is a narrow V Neck, or Scoop that hits the shoulder neck point. The concept of shoulder neck point clinched it for me, and I look for collars that hit there and it’s magic every time!

5. Never say never and it’s caveat to have an open mind, because I have started out thinking I will never want to wear a particular style, and then my eye adjusts, or I find the version that will work for my body. It’s the PPP principal in action along with adapting to something.

6. Wear and enjoy what you have, don’t save it for a special occasion. Purchase clothes that fit your lifestyle now, not for a fictional lifestyle.

7. Learning to define Essentials, Basics and Statements really helped me to sort out my wardrobe. Quarterly wardrobe assessments following Angie’s rubric has been indispensable. (I admit this is still a work in progress for me......)

8. Capsules. I don’t typically think in capsules, but I have set up several specific capsules that serve me well. One is a formal occasion wear capsule, the other is a capsule of clothing I can wear when I need to do a public presentation or talk. Finally, I have gear capsules, and loungewear capsules.

9. Style adjectives, and style statement. Wow! This really helps me stay focused when I shop. It took me a while to come up with mine, but now that I have them, they work and I am content.

cindysmith

Veteran

I'm with bijou, bookending my hair is a fave. I don't get to do it as often as I would like, because my lifestyle takes light colored shoes and makes them dark colored or distressed in nanoseconds.

And what Kari said. When I started to think more in terms of formulas, I quit bringing home so much random that wound up orphaned, and started buying pieces that were still me but more versatile.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Roxanna, good for you! Creating outfit is a very useful way to get to know your wardrobe and use it for you.

My Angie tip that changed my life in terms of dressing is really to have fun with fashion and let go of unspoken dressing rules I had unknowingly inherited from other women in my family. Anothr one is to leave no stone unturned when shpping.

Dottie

For me, I think it has been most about creating visual balance. I am a slim hourglass with a small bust. Learning how to balance my top and bottom visually with clothing has been the best lesson for me.

Also, being a more purposeful, conscious buyer and not just snatch up anything that looks good.

The Cat

Veteran

A wonderful idea, Roxanna. Angie's excellent advice posts deserve more attention. I look forward to reading comments from others on this great subject.

It is hard to pick just one favourite tip. The Archive is a real treasury, and I hereby encourage all newbies to browse it. Personally, I have found plenty of useful tips under Guidelines \ Advice, in particular under "How to Wear it" and "Instant Style Tips." The following posts are just a few of the many I have appreciated:
● How to dress a short waist
● A third pice that completes the outfit
● How to wear belts
● Colour repetition and bookending
● What to wear when the current trends don't work for you

Angie / Greg / Inge, I would be so grateful if you would make it possible to mark blog posts in the Archive as favourites.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a wonderful thread, Roxanna!

Like most here, I find it really hard to isolate one tip -- there are so many! I was nodding along with Staysfit and efbgen and Kari and Bijou and Gigi and pretty much everyone else!

But if I have to pick one, it would be to buy for the climate you live in, and the life you lead. This is really, really hard for me, because I live a casual lifestyle in a casual, cold, northern small city -- when my sartorial preferences incline to smart casual (with an emphasis on the smart and polished). But I've disciplined myself pretty well and it has helped me create FFB outfits/ formulas. I wear the heck out of almost all my clothing, and have far fewer closet orphans than I once did.

kkards

Veteran

never say never....which is really part of a bigger lesson, which is to be open minded, not just about what i wear or how i wear it, but about what others wear and how they wear it....

Kathie

Veteran

My favorite is buying for your actual life- clothes that fit your current body, and work with your climate, activities, and general lifestyle. I love that Angie is so clear with how this applies to her life, so it’s become much easier for me to understand how to apply it to my own.

Colette

Veteran

This is a fantastic thread!

Like others, there are so many lessons I learned from Angie, but the first lesson that hit home and changed everything for me was to buy clothes for my current lifestyle and body. I still repeat that to myself every time I shop. And, when I'm shopping I mentally go through the wonderful list of lessons learned on YLF before I purchase. (I'm still learning.)

The second is probably the concept of capsules. I kind of did it unconsciously, but not very well until I learned how to really do it here.

Roxanna, I had the same exact epiphany with outfit creation as you last year; when I take the time to do it, it is so easy to get dressed and I am really so much happier with my clothes. It just makes my entire day when I'm loving my outfit.

Anonymous

I like the message that “style comes from within”. This has allowed me to tiptoe into a more and more confident style. (It’s a slow process so you might not be able to tell :-))

I think, also, there are a lot of images out there of “the cool look” and I think I’m finally, FINALLY, starting to be able to ignore that imagery and do my own thing.

kkards

Veteran

yes....i should have added buy for your actual life, not your fantasy life....but i think mostly i've learned that from my fellow fabbers....

Anonymous

It's getting hard to remember what came from YLF and what I was already "practicing" but bookending, capsules , and being open-minded are three that come to mind.

It's interesting to read everyone's thoughts here - and it does make me wish I was a better "student" and was more successful in other areas like wardrobe building. I still struggle, a lot, and don't feel that I've nailed this whole system yet.

Helena

Veteran

Philosophically, definitely to have fun with fashion!
Practically, it's the leave no retail stone unturned.
And in terms of the advice she's graciously offered on my personal style, it's to incorporate contrast into my outfits - it works like a charm when I'm feeling blah. Also to wear more ink. Little hard to narrow down really!!

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