Hi,

I'm Theresa, from Central Queensland in Australia - we pretty much have 6 months of Summer, a couple of months of Spring and Autumn and a very short Winter here, so I probably wont be feeling the same level of love for warm jackets as the rest of you!

I was 30 in July, have 2 little girls (5 & 3), and am almost-divorced (separated after 12 yrs together - now just need to do the official paperwork LOL).

The past year has been a huge year as far as rediscovering myself and I'm now WAY over due for a makeover! So, I've been spending as much time as possible browsing the web, buying fashion mags and borrowing books from the library trying to get a handle on this! I have never been an openly girly girl, but deep down love it and have always loved fashion/clothes - just had no idea what to do with them. And so far I am loving YLF - I think I've already got a few tricks to try out

My brother's girlfriend is a beauty therapist (and has her own salon) so I've finally taken control of my skin care regime - I figured it was the best first small step.

I guess for now, I'd say my style has been super boring-mumsy, very daggy and very casual. But I love all things girly & feminine - of course life as a busy single mum doesn't always go well with too much girliness LOL Right now I feel very frumpy - I may be 30, but I still get hormonal acne, and apparently look much younger so I just feel like the exterior doesn't match the interior...

So, once my photo's finish uploading, be prepared for a long post asking you all for some much needed advice!

Looking forward to spending much more time here!

(Oh and I'll warn you - I ramble!!)

I would like to introduce myself. I am Bea and I live in Texas, the panhandle area, to be exact. I'm looking for a place to discuss fashion and beauty. I have lost 17 lbs since mid December and still losing. I'm trying to regain my health while losing weight. I hope to be involved in discussions here.

Hi!

I'm Chelle from Arizona. I love clothes and shoes and handbags. However, I've come to the conclusion I have no style and my wardrobe needs to be revamped. I tend to sometimes buy things that are more trendy, and then other times more classic. I end up with a closet full of nothing. I That's why I'm here! Body type? I'm not sure. I'm short, big chested, a little extra around the middle, with skinny legs, but big calves. What body type is that?

I look forward to learning from all of you, so I can dress fabulous every day!

Hi!

I'm Inkling and I've been in a fashion rut for quite a few years! I've been looking around at various sites to reacquaint myself with what suits me, whats available, what I like, etc. I'm 48 and want to stop dressing like a poor grad student and start looking like who I am: a professional in an academic sort of setting.

I'm a short-waisted, busty, inverted triangle. I'm just shy of 5'5" and weigh 125 lbs. I work in a job that's mostly casual but requires dressing up for evening events from time to time that range from smart casual all the way up to formal. I'd say I'm definitely a Modern Classic dresser - with a shopping style veering between LL Bean and Ralph Lauren and stopping off at Talbots, J Crew and Anthropologie.

Thanks to tips gathered from Angie's site and others like Already Pretty (a favourite!) I've already begun to play with what's in my wardrobe and add a few new pieces like handbags. For years I have only owned one handbag at a time (always a black shoulder bag), plus a backpack, so it's been really exciting getting some new shapes and colours into my wardrobe. I'm looking forward to being part of this community and having a lot more fun with fashion.

My name is Melody and I live in rural Wisconsin. I have horses and ride Dressage. Another passion of mine,of course, is fashion. I love to shop and love to find bargains. I find a lot on e-bay and also travel for my job and enjoy shopping on the side and finding unusual pieces and/or great bargains. As a consequence my closets are overflowing..this is an even bigger problem because my weight fluctuates several sizes through the year.
I love this site because it is a place to obsess about the right look, something I do all the time, but don't admit to IRL. I think the people I work with are a bit taken back by the size and variation of my wardrobe, so I try to play down my clothing obsession. I amin Madison tonight and just spent several hours searching for the perfect pearl/chain necklace:-)

hi all!
i am new to YLF, though i have heard about it many times from the blogs i read.
i have just recently started my own blog, so i am hoping to meet some stylish women and get some fashion inspiration!

i live in MD, just outside the DC area.
i am 31 years old (yay, my bday was yesterday!)
i have put on quite a bit of weight over the last few years, so i am re-learning how to dress my now plus-sized body. in addition, i have had a lazy coupla years with fashion, so i am excited to have the motivation to put a little effort into my look again.

check out my blog -- i welcome the feedback of all you lovely fashionistas!

Hi!!
I just joined though I've been hovering around the site's pages for a few months now.

I'm 22 and dreading getting older... So just before I turned 22 I cut my hair short to look younger (:D Quarter-life crisis??). Well anyways, to get back to the topic, I'm 5'8" and a pear shape (maybe with hourglass tendencies since my shoulder is wide??). I've put on a few pounds after taking a year off after graduating, and I've yet to start losing them before I start my postgraduate course this fall. But I'm around 58-61 kg (130-140 lbs, I think).

I've recently learned to use padded bras, pretty tops and bright colors on top to even my figure out and look symmetrical [I'm a Virgo and that is THE most important thing for me]. All the information that I've been exposed to through Angie and all the regular contributors, made me learn to be more accepting of my body and I'm glad I'm learning it now rather than 10 years later. And I'm really glad that I'm so much wiser. I know my confidence has increased with my acceptance.

I'm basically still learning and loving the experimenting part :). I LOVE COLORS! and I'm trying out everything, though some fluorescent colors are very intimidating on my Indian skin. I'm tall, yet i have a love for heels and my high arches help. I usually find that flat footwear causes me a lot of pain in the arch. So, heels are a closet staple.

Mainly, I love the classic look rather than the ripped/slashed/torn look of today's youth and do not like sloppy anything. I'm just hoping to get classier as I get older. I love YLF and I can't wait to start posting :).

Cheers!

I'm Samantha. I'm 23 years old. I'm an interior designer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. I'm definitely a shop addict who never really has the time to shop lol. I'm a virgin to YLF... and loving the site.

I am told my style is unique and describes my personality. I love vintage. I'm all about thrift stores and sample sales. I only visit the mall every now and then. My style is comfortable yet fashionable. Currently, I'm going through a 'black' phase. It is definitely the dominant colour in my wardrobe. I suppose my style ranges from flapper 20s to rockin' 80s.

My wardrobe: skinny jeans and leggings. Pencil skirts. Blouses. Wide-leg trousers. Doll dresses. Blazers. Graphic t-shirts. Flannel button-ups. Off the shoulder sweaters. Cardigans. Pumps. Wedges. Boots. Peep-toes. Flats. Vans. UGGs.

I have a horrible clutch and waist-belt fetish. I'm obsessed with earrings, bangles and my pearls. Make up is only put on occasion. My make-up is very minimal... a couple dabs of blush, black eyeliner on the top lids with mascara with a gloss on the lips. Sometimes I punch it up with cherry red lipstick. My collection of OPI nail polish is getting ridiculous. I mainly wear Ready Red or Pink-a-licious.

Here are a few links of what I look like...
http://i140.photobucket.com/al.....ur/me1.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/al.....8735_7.jpg
http://s140.photobucket.com/al.....C00342.jpg
http://s140.photobucket.com/al.....053809.jpg

Hi, I'm a long time poster but I just recently joined the forum. I am 29 years old, soon to be married to a nice fella. Since reading fashion blogs has become a hobby, I decided to start a very modest one recently. I generally do not wear make up, but my pictures suggest that I might need a little lip color. I live in Brooklyn, work in Manhattan, and since moving to the big city, I've had to step up my game. I am not big on high fashion, but I love having the garment district just a mile from my work. I like thrifting, especially online. My big challenges are trying out colors and incorporating more pants (I used to only wear pants, and now I'm only wearing skirts and dresses. I want good pants but it's hard when you're a bit torso long).
http://cohabitatingcloset.blogspot.com

I'm Neva! Hello everyone! I'm 32 years old and live in Savannah, Ga. I'm surrently a full-time student and Army veteran. Uhmmmm...lol....I am extremely new to the fashion blogging world and find it all very thrilling and mystifying at the same time. I appreciate great style in all forms. No children and live in boyfriend. Went through a really rough patch and am now just seeing the sunlight. My fashion sense is stilled drenched from the rain, lol. So, I am reclaiming my style identity (once I figure out what it is)!

My name is Amy. I've been friends with Marianna for about 5 years now, and she's been begging me to join this site, so here I am.

I'm 27 years old, single, and I currently live in Kennesaw, Georgia (about 30 miles north of Atlanta), and work as an administrative assistant.

I'm 5'10" and about 245 pounds. I'm anywhere between a size 16 and a size 20, depending on the clothes. I am very much an apple-shaped girl at the moment, but I am also very proportionate, so I guess I can claim the rectangle shape in a way. Maybe a rectangle with a bulge in the middle? lol

I wear anywhere between a size 9 and 10 shoe. I mostly wear flats because I'm tall, but every now and then, I'll wobble in heels.

I grew up with three younger brothers and mostly my dad and guy friends, so I am very much a former (maybe still lingering) tomboy, who excelled at sports like softball and football growing up, and who refused to wear a dress or skirt until after I graduated from college.

I am from Montgomery, Alabama, and graduated from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, in December 2004, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Creative Writing. I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in November 2009, landed an amazing job in January 2010, and moved to Kennesaw, Georgia, yesterday!

My fashion sense and self-confidence/self-acceptance has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and I am finally feeling comfortable in my skin. I still need a lot of help, but I am a very enthusiastic student.

I currently have a blog at http://go-big-girl.blogspot.com, that I am using as an outlet in my attempts to lose weight (for health reasons, as I have PCOS), but also learn to feel good in my present body, through fashion, exercise, healthy cooking, and etc.

So anyway, I am happy to be here, love the blog, and can't wait to meet and get to know all of you! Thanks!

Hi-I'm Carole. YLF has become part of my daily routine for the past couple of months and I just realized I have never completed this part...so here goes...

I'm 52, a married mother of 2 grown kids (23 and 20) and have lived in the Portland/Vancouver area my whole life. My son just graduated from college, is working, yeah! He lives with us currently, but is anxious to get out on his own. My daughter is in her Junior year. I took early retirement 10 years ago from a career in banking after 25 years when our bank was swallowed by a bigger bank! I am thoroughly enjoying this phase of my life! I love to cook, decorate, play piano, read, sew, craft, travel and exercise. The best part since retirement is exploring art and I have been taking weekly classes in watercolor and acrylics.

I have also enjoyed the process of decorating our homes and have learned so much through trial and error, I now help friends, family and neighbors and their friends and family with their decorating projects. When my house was to my liking, I decided too redecorate "me". I had the corporate wardrobe figured out, but never had the time or money to dedicate to the casual wardrobe, so it was just the jeans-shirt combo and that got so boring. I also had trouble shopping. It was hard to find pants long enough (I'm 5'9 with a 34' inseam), and my broad shoulders were hard to dress. That's how I came to find this sight: googling "broad shoulders" for help.

I feel so fortunate to have this site to go to and for the personal help Angie provides. What a gift! I hope someday to meet her and some of the other's gals here on YLF.

Hello Everyone! My name is Kirstie and I am a 35 year old, mum of three boys (7,5,3) who lives in Queensland, Australia. I am a most of the time SAHM and sometime music teacher. I loved travel pre-children and am also very interested in taking care of my health - I want to live a long and productive life afterall!

Now that my boys are getting a little older and I have a teeny-tiny amount of time to think about "moi", I have decided that I want to feel fabulous on the inside and look gorgeous on the outside! (Well, look the best I can be anyway! :-))

I have realised that since having my children and "hitting" my mid 30's and no longer able to get away with being "cutesy" (and no longer having any desire to be viewed that way anyway!), I have lost track of what clothes would best suit me and am struggling to define my style and express my personality.

I am very excited to undertake this voyage of discovery with you all!

Hey lovelies! I'm a 24-year-old writer, web designer and future social entrepreneur. I live in a suburb just outside of Minneapolis, Minn. Although fashion sense comes naturally to me, I've been slacking lately. YLF is the perfect place to keep me on my toes. Here's to me becoming an active member and cheers to all of you!

Hi all

I am Aparna , 29 years old living in Santa Clara. I am originally from India and have lived in CA for about a year now. I have been a silent lurker and a huge fan of the forum. I have posted a pic of myself ( first time !!).
My bodytype is hourglass; secondary bodytype is pear ( I think ?) I am 5"2 and weigh about 145 pounds. I am trying to find my personal style, hopefully I find it before I hit 30 !. Here's a pic of me in a dress.. let me know what you think

http://i944.photobucket.com/al.....195855.jpg

Welcome Aparnna! You are lovely! You'll find that you will get a lot more feedback if you start your own thread. Click on the tab "your body type" and scroll down to the bottom. You'll see a box for starting your conversation. Once again, welcome!

thanks Debora.. I will do that !

Hello, my name is Katja.

I'm 50 years old, with a husband of 25 years and 3 grown children (20, 22 & 24). I live in Longmont, Colorado, between the mountains and the plains.

I'm 5'7", a curvy hourglass. Most of my height is in my legs; I'm very short-waisted. I'm working my way down from 210 pounds (current weight is 160, current goal is 150, because that would be in the "normal" range, which would be a huge thrill).

Most of my life my style has been frumpy, but I'd say I've been working hard on changing that over the last 5-10 years.

My biggest style challenge is that I am a wheelchair user, which means that many of the vertical styling tricks just don't work. Here's a picture (I'm the busty one of the left, and both of us groaned that we weren't sitting up straight after seeing the picture): http://journal.brokenclay.org/.....76x300.jpg

Here's a post I wrote (a long time ago...) about dressing stylishly as a wheelchair user: http://journal.brokenclay.org/.....d-wheeler/

I'm looking forward to your objective advice and criticism; this seems like a really encouraging and helpful group.

Welcome Katja, and I hope you'll dive right in! This is a very friendly and helpful bunch.

Your wheelchair is very sleek. I don't know anything about wheelchair design, but this one is very unobtrusive. I look at this picture and the first thing I notice is YOU rather than the wheelchair. You look great and congratulations on your weight loss. There are several ladies here working on that, and they give each other lots of support.

Don't be shy about posting! I look forward to your participation. Just let us know what your questions and challenges are and we'll brainstorm solutions together!

Hi Everyone,
I am a 23 year old college student in a rural part of northern California, and I've loved clothing and fashion my whole life. I recently lost over 30 pounds and gave myself a wardrobe overhaul; my new style is feminine, elegant, and comfortable. I have really enjoyed lurking on the YLF site, there's tons of great advice here! And Angie just inspired me to pick up a nicely-fitting jean jacket on a recent thrift store trip; it is more casual than my usual style, but I think it will be a great addition to my wardrobe

Hello

I'm 23, an ex-student of computer science (I had to take a long break because of some health issues, but I intend to be back on track). I live with my parents, siblings and dogs in south-western Poland.

I've been trying to lose weight since I remember, with many ups and downs. Now I'm on diet again, but it's still the long way home. Along with my weight loss, I decided to bring some style into my haphazard and frumpy wardrobe. You guys seem very nice and helpful

Love,
Magda

Welcome Magda! You're in the perfect place to get the positive guidance you need for your style journey! I'm the same age as you, and I spent some time studying abroad in Poland (mostly in Krakow, but I also visited Warsaw, Bialystok, and Zakopane), though my Polish is VERY bad. Anyway, I look forward to seeing more of your posts!

Welcome to both Magda and dragonfrog!

So glad to see both of you here. Jump right into the forum, we're always glad to see new people.

Hi, I'm Anne and I live in Cambridge, England. I'm 48, 5'2", and a curvy inverted triangle (I take a size larger in shirts and jackets than in trousers). On the work side, I'm a science graduate and web developer (tres geeky!) and have put on rather too many pounds in the past five years - I blame the combination of a sedentary temperament and a Scottish husband

The very lax dress code at work (post-grad science campus) means I've gotten into a serious Tshirt'n'jeans rut. However this January I was promoted to team leader and have become conscious of spending more time giving presentations, holding job interviews for new team members and generally having to look vaguely professional. Also I know I need to lose weight for health reasons, but it's hard to do that when you don't feel good about how you currently look - comfort eating is just too tempting...

So, I've been combing the interwebz looking for tips on how to up my fashion quotient without going too corporate and formal - if you see someone in a suit on campus, they're either an interview candidate or a laboratory equipment sales rep! There are some great blogs around, but it's nice to find a friendly welcoming forum where people are happy to pitch in with suggestions.

Hello everyone!

I'm Jill, a 29 year old girl living in Michigan with my husband and 2 cats. I'm a graphic designer who has been unemployed for over a year now. (Laid off from the newspaper industry.) With my wonderful husband's support, I keep trying to get back on the job path so I can afford all these fabulous clothes and shoes you all post.

I'm about 5'5" and fluctuate between 125-135lbs. I found out today with the help of forums posters that my body shape is an inverted triangle. This information alone has already solved a number of problems I've had with clothes, like why I hate how I look in strappy dresses (because of the wide shoulders!) I am just starting to become comfortable with my body and consider myself a fashion novice. Sites like this are a godsend to the fashion impaired.

I look forward to reading and learning more. This is the kindest group of forums readers I've ever seen, so it feels very comfortable to be posting here.

Here are some photos: one of me and my dad (who gave me my strong shoulders) and one of me being goofy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....576079942/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....575446715/

Hi Anne from Cambridge and also Jill from Michigan!

We welcome you both and look forward to your posts. I'm glad you both feel like this is a friendly place, because I know that's important to Angie and Greg (and to the rest of us!)

Anne - it is tempting to put off buying clothes when you're not happy with your current body. I think some of the ladies find that feeling good about yourself and your style right now is actually an inspiration to work on the things you want to improve!

Jill - Isn't it amazing how just having guidelines for dressing your body type makes things so much easier? I'm sorry you're currently unemployed - you're not the only one in that boat here either! We'll be here to root you on and especially to give you reassurance about your interview outfits.

Jenny - exactly! I spent the last two years thinking "I won't buy anything new (except replacing worn-out jeans, etc) until I've lost some weight" - which is of course a recipe for a fashion rut of epic proportions! This last week or so, I bit the bullet, purged my wardrobe of things that I no longer like, don't fit into, and/or don't flatter my build. I've hung onto one LBD that I'm only slightly too big for, because the cut is very flattering and good dresses can be hard to find when you're petite and shortwaisted, but everything else is on its way to the charity shops.

I'd love to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe, but then I wouldn't be able to afford a holiday this year! In the meantime I'm having great fun with new casual wear and accessories

HI! I am so happy to have stumbled across this site! It has quickly become part of my daily read.
I am Lisa, from Madison Wi. I will be turning 45 at the end of the week. I am mom to a 16 year old daughter, and 2 boys ages 15 and 13. I spend the majority of my time driving them to sporting events or cheering from the sideline. Which can lend itself to a host of fashion questions

I am a rectangle/pear depending on how much I get to the gym and how many cocktails the week offered At 5'3" and about 115 pounds it only takes a couple pounds to become a pear for me.

I love clean lines and classic tailoring, with a touch of fun and whimsy.

I am looking forward to sharing my fashion/clothing obsession!!

Hello Lisa! Nice to meet you.

Lisa, it sounds like you'll fit right in here. We have lots of ladies who share your style. I look forward to seeing some posts from you!