Hello everyone,

My name is Janet and I just signed on here after discovering this site a few days ago. I'm not sure what took me so long -- I've always enjoyed fashion, but I've never really looked at style blogs until last week and now I'm hooked. I've been a faithful viewer of "What Not to Wear" (both the UK and US versions), and my husband confirms that my style has improved over the years I've been (mostly) following Stacy and Clinton's advice.

I'm 45, married with two college-age stepsons off at school, and three dogs. My husband is the best thing that's ever happened to me! We met 13 years ago and married 7 years ago.

My career path has been varied but interesting -- broadcasting, advertising, nonprofit work, graphic design, interior design, and photography. I've been self-employed for over a decade but am now working as a fine art photographer. Twenty years ago I first dreamed that someday I could spend my time traveling and taking photographs, and now that's what I do! I feel incredibly lucky.

My style is on the rock and roll side of classic. I like structure and somewhat tailored lines (at 5'7" and about a size 8/10, my shape is quite hourglassy), but I'm drawn to interesting and funky details. I know a lot of people worry about being "age-appropriate" when they're the age I am, but I think I do a pretty good job of keeping things interesting without wearing clothes that look "young."

I'm working on stepping out of my comfort zone and recently embraced skinny jeans for tucking into boots (I LOVE boots), and I'm started reworking some things in my closet that have been languishing -- things like skirts that I keep saving for some "occasion."

I'm looking forward to learning from you all and getting to know you all a bit!

Hi,

I'm so pleased to be joining the forum! I've been reading YLF for a number of months now. It's helped me tremendously! I'm a SAHM and want to look "pulled together", rather than "thrown together at the last minute!"

I love modern classic looks; perhaps a bit preppy too. My everyday look is casual in order to keep up with the kiddos

I look forward to chatting with you all on the forum!

FoolofATook - love your username!

Thanks anne... LOTR is one of our favorite books.

Ha! Anne beat me to it -- I also love your name, FoolOfATook!

Thanks Janet!

Hello!

My name is Cynthia and I'm from Toronto. I'm a blogger with two main sites, one which is dedicated to petite issues (www.shorty-stories.com) and the other is a lifestyle site for young, professional women, focusing on fashion, food and fun (www.delectablychic.com). I consider myself a body image activist, and am always concerned about the lack of discussion regarding height in the body image realm.

I guess I'd describe my style as on the classic side. My style inspirations come from stores like Banana Republic and J.Crew, with a bit of Anthropologie thrown in. I also like Ann Taylor/LOFT and go there whenever I'm in the US. I'm not a big fan of large jewellery. As a petite with a small frame (I'm about 5'2", wear a 30B bra, waist about 24 inches (though I'm about 23.5 on my thin days and 24.5 on my "bigger" days) and hips at 33) , I find that jewellery often overwhelms my frame. I pretty much wear my charm necklace, a bracelet and my wedding and engagement rings. I wear earrings once in a while (mostly when I go out). like shoes, but as a US size 5 (sometimes 4.5), it's very hard for me to find good ones. Many shoes start at size 6 (I pretty much stick to Stuart Weitzman, Tory Burch and Anyi Lu as they ALMOST ALWAYS have my size. Cole Haan often has size 5 too). Also, it's almost impossible for me to buy shoes on sale. Thus, my collection will never be Carrie Bradshaw/Imelda Marcos big - LOL! Bags on the other hand.....

Hi,

My name is Niki and I'm a working mom of a two-year old girl. I've always been interested in fashion, but I'm totally clueless about putting outfits together. My body doesn't exactly fit into most clothes on the rack...I'm tall, with a long torse & wider hips. For much of my adult life I've worn a size 10, although thanks to having a baby I'm in between a 12 and 10 right now. Working very hard at losing those drasted last 10 pounds. Five pounds to go!

My styles is very much casual, or maybe simple? I like solid colours, clean lines, and accessorizing in fun ways (jewelry, scarfs). Sometimes I think my style might border on being dull.

Hi Shortstoriesgal and Niki Lea! Welcome to the forum. I just joined a recently myself; this is a very supportive place and you can get constructive feedback. No one is mean here LOL (unlike some forums).

Thanks CocoLion! Working up the courage to post some of my outfits, although I'll probably lurk in the dark just a little while longer before I jump in with both feet.

Hi ladies

Well, I better start with the formal introductions!

I'm Rebecca (I prefer shortened versions of the name) I live in Western Australia, I am in my early 20s and I have a love of art, fashion, photography, interior design and music and somehow ended up working in admin! Go figure.

I stumbled across this forum when the link was posted on another forum I am an active member of... and I have been addicted ever since! What a wonderful, caring community Angie and Greg have created here! I am impressed.

I didn't realize dressing for my body type was so important, I didn't even know I was a racy rectangle until I took a really good look in the mirror last night and realized I don't really have curves. I'm SO glad I did though, because now I can buy clothing I know will work for me. I am a standard size 10, love jeans, and I'm more casual than I would like to be due to lifestyle and where we live (very hot most of the year! Oh how I wish for cold weather and snow so I could live in trenches and booties!).

I love makeup and jewelry, although I always seem to make the wrong decisions when I come to purchasing jewelry and I'm disappointed when trying to wear said item with an outfit.

So... can't wait to meet you all and be an active member of this forum. I have been scanning the blog archives and I'm very excited about going shopping!

Bec
xox

Wow I just discovered this treasure trove of a blog yesterday! And what better way than to start than with an introduction.

My name is Sueanne, I'm 22 years old and I hail from hot and sunny Singapore. I love to dance; I do social dances like Salsa, Bachata, Zouk Lambada, etc. So ideally the clothes I wear should look good and feel good on the dance floor too!

Because of where I live (summer all year round) and the nature of my job (arts and film), most of my everyday dressing is extremely casual: beach dresses, above-the-knee skirts, jeans, tee shirts, sandals, etc...

Some time last year I acquired a pair of combat boots (not the fashionable Doc Martens kind but the real military/police boots). As strange as it sounds, it has actually started to become a staple in my wardrobe! I got more and more addicted to it because its just so darn comfy, that I forced myself to match it with more outfits. And surprisingly it really matched certain dresses and skirts.

Photo just for kicks: goo.gl/QTTDO
(Tis not the best picture, but the only one I could find! If you're wondering why I'm wearing boots on the beach... well we'd just landed in the Gold Coast and were sent to explore the beach while the hotel was still making up our room!)

Anyway, I'm still exploring this whole place, but I'm sure I'll be posting pretty soon!

Hi, ladies!

Just a short intro:
My name is Diana, and I live in Central PA (though having grown up a military brat, it's hard to say I'm "from" anywhere). I've been reading Angie's blog for ages, but hadn't thought to go to the forums until recently. (I think this bleak January weather has me longing for bright pretty fashion!)

I'm 31, and my wardrobe is probably mostly "modern classic," though what I really love is a hybrid between that and whatever you'd classify Anthropologie. I'm a 5'4" hourglass (I think). In theory, I'd wear skirts or dresses every day. My clothes for work have always needed to be conservative (profile photo is clearly not an example), and I'm trying to revamp my wardrobe to keep it conservative, but make it younger and kickier, too.

Hi everyone,

This is the first time I've joined a forum. I stumbled on Angie's blog a month or so ago and have greatly enjoyed myself reading through the blog archives. Last week there was a blog on red shoes, a topic near to my heart, so I finally joined in.....and it's kind of fun! I have a few fashion issues that I would love to have some help with, and this seems like just the place.

For background, I'm a 38-year-old mom with two kids aged 7 and 3. I live in Vancouver. I used to be a high school science teacher; now I'm trying to juggle mom stuff with a new career as an illustrator.

My style has changed a lot over the years. I went to college during the grunge era, so wore baggy jeans with either Doc Marten boots or (ahem) birkenstocks with lumberjack socks. Not high style. Once I started teaching, I had a style crisis for a couple of years as I tried to find a look that was professional without being too much of a stretch from what I was used to (also, not blending in with my students was important). Then I went through a "surf chic" phase, and by my mid-thirties settled into a sort of funky urbanite look. I still prefer casual clothes, but I want to look more polished now. I like cigarette pants and bootcut jeans, flattering stretch tops, minimal but funky jewellery, and above all, awesome footwear. Lately I'm getting into shoes with higher heels, and I'm trying to branch out and wear more skirts to show them off.

The questions I have are mostly related to how to dress my figure, and what to wear now that I no longer look 20. I'm only 5'1", 34-29-34, totally a rectangle -- very little waist or butt, but nice bust and legs. Also there's the issue of what's practical to wear sinceI still have to lift and carry a child at times.

Welcome, Elisabeth! It's great to have you aboard!

Thanks Deb!

Hi everyone! I just found this site a few days ago and finally decided to register and say hi. My name is Cheryl, i'm 45 and i'm from Michigan. I'm married to Leo, we will celebrate our 4th anniversary in May. I have one amazing daughter who is 22 and a college grad but still living at hime which is just fine with me, lol. I really enjoy it here and love everyones different styles.

Just found you all on Friday and love the site and the forums. My inner fashionista was awakened recently when I finally discovered thrifting. I take a lot more fashion risks when I'm only paying a few dollars for something and it has also freed up dollars for accessories and shoes. I've always loved clothes but just never spent the money to really pull it all together until now.

I'm 50 years old and single. An avid cook, a gardener, a newly-obsessed knitter, a jewelry designer, and love to sew but can't ever find decent fabric locally. My fashion sense is classic with a bit of funk thrown in. Through sheer genetic luck, I'm a slender 5'6" wearing mostly 2's. I'm pretty good about picking good clothes that work on my body but don't do as well with the accessory part. I need help!

Hi Cheryl and Annie welcome onboard x

Thanks Louise

Hello, everyone! My name is Tammy and I am so happy to have found this site. I will be 48 on my next birthday, and it has become challenging to find clothing that is age appropriate and still modern. It will be nice to have some honest input. I am 5'8" with an hourglass figure. My hardest area to fit is my bust - I'm a 34G (really not as Dolly Parton as it sounds), so I tend to stay away from anything that buttons down the front. V-necks are my best friend.
I am married and have a 23 year old son currently serving in the US Navy. We also have three cats. I enjoy travelling, shopping, history, military aircraft (I know, weird), amongst other things. Looking forward to getting to know some new people!

Hello! My name is Sue, I am 39, married with two daughters (ages 6 and 8), and live in north central Wisconsin. I found this wonderful site by searching "outfits for busy mom's on the go" (I have been labeled this by a single friend) and this is where I ran across Laura's great outfit ideas. I am 5'4", 135 lbs. and I think I am a rectangle since I'm not very curvy.

I recently went back to work as a preschool teacher so this has forced me to rethink my wardrobe. Before kids, I worked in the healthcare field where scrubs were my daily attire. And as a SAHM, I wear mostly jeans (at least I'm on the right track with Gap Long and Leans), North Face fleece pullovers, and Keen shoes.

So, with my new endeavor as a teacher at the preschool that my girls attended, I feel a new freedom to update my style and try something new, fun and funky. I started with a newer, short haircut with pixie bangs. I know this style is a keeper because I've gotten compliments on my hair from complete strangers, which I find to be the greatest form of flattery. Then I moved on to wearing skirts with tall boots. That's about as far as I've gotten.

I think one of my hardest obstacles will be giving up comfort for style, but maybe that won't be as big of problem as I am expecting. And I also hope I won't wear out my welcome with too many silly questions!!

Hello! My name is Kelly. I am 43 and work as an IT administrator at a small 4-year University. I have three children ranging in age from 20 to 6, a great husband, and a crazy dog. I am currently back in school to follow an old dream. I have had some health challenges over the past few years and weigh more than I want to, which leads to too many "nothing looks good on me" mornings.

I stumbled on You Look Fab and have been getting some new ideas and a feeling that maybe there is hope.

Looking forward to meeting everyone and developing a better sense of personal style.

I think I am an hourglass with a big side of apple at the moment!

Hi Tammy, Sue and Kelly and welcome!

Hi! My name is Jen and I'm from Ontario, Canada. I'm a 39-year-old work-from-home Mum of a beautiful 3-year-old. I'm in a bit of a style transition right now and looking for all the help I can get. I used to have a closet full of suits for my corporate job, but now that I work from home and rarely see clients, I am looking for a more casual look. I find casual chic very difficult and have been stuck in a rut of jeans and t-shirts that just don't make me feel very good. I came across Angie's site several months ago, but am just jumping into the forums now. I look forward to becoming part of the community!

Cheryl, Annie, Tammy, Sue, Kelly and Jen (wow, a lot of people joined this week!): welcome all of you!

Thanks for the welcome Elisabeth!

Hello ladies,
My name is Anh and I just discovered this wonderful site today. I'm 35, a mother of two beautiful boys and my two biggest passions are food and fashion. I started a fashion blog not long ago just for fun. I love to be inspired by street styles, runways or where ever and I hope to inspire too with my casual style yet always chic with a little edge. Alot of people from work or friends ask me: Where did you get this top or shoes? So I decided to post an outfit picture close to everyday of the week and I mention where each item came from.

Tell me what you think?
http://fromhaircolortostilettos.blogspot.com/

Anh
xxx

I guess I should introduce myself. I've been lurking around for a while and even comment on occasion. I'm shy even online, though I'm really too old to be shy anymore.

I am 48, married with no kids and sadly no dog ( she passed on 1 1/2 years ago and we are taking a break). I do work at a doggie daycare/kennel though.

With my job I am usually covered in mud ( I live at the pacific coast...rain, rain, rain).

I have always loved fashion, in my first life I was a cosmetologist and wore cute outfits all the time, then I left that life behind and worked in manufactering (two years in Italy!) for a very large company. I had to wear special garb sometimes and just got into wearing jeans and ts. Now it's the dog job, which I love, but no use dressing nice, even fixing my hair is a waste of energy.

I do still love to play around with outfits on my off time when we go out. The worst thing is I have way too many clothes and shoes that I never wear.

I started coming here to get a feel for new trends.

Anh and tracina welcome to the forum x