Hello all! My name is Ana, I'm 29 years old and I'm already an YLF addict (in my mind the acronym is pronounced EE-L-F -- does anybody else do that?).

I live in WI and work as a research technician in the natural sciences. Most of my work time in the summer is spent outside in the field, which calls for gear (steel-toe boots, Carhartts, and the like), but if I had my way, I'd live in skirts.

I'm an hourglass with pear tendencies who's been dealing with a lot of body issues most of my life. It's gotten very tiring and I'm ready to leave it all behind. Angie's message to dress the body we have today resonates with me strongly. I'm going to be 30 this year, which, while not that large a number, feels like a milestone. The most flattering clothes for my body have always felt too mature for my age, but now I can feel free to wear them without the fear of looking too old. I've always felt best in pencil skirt, wrap dresses, and high-waisted pants and the trends are finally catching up with me .

I originally stumbled across the forum when I was googling for handbag and scarf storage solutions. Having started reading the blog, I couldn't stop. I look forward to sharing with you all.

Hi All!

Thought I should formally introduce myself as I've been actively weighing in on other members' threads and such. I'm Jewell. I am a wife and a mom of four. I work full time as a teacher. I realized last spring that I'd fallen into a fashion rut after having my daughter (now three years old). I had a closet full of ill-fitting clothes and items that I'd held on to for far too long. At the time my most recent clothing purchases had been maternity clothes, so it was time to renew my interest in looking nice. As I was evolving my "style" I stumbled onto YLF while seeking advice on how to wear wide belts and a few other "how tos". Angie's blog posts provided an invaluable source of information as I worked toward my goals. While lurking on the forum I was surprised to find such a friendly and helpful community of women. The atmosphere was so alluring that It didn't take long for me to decide to become a part of it, too.

Hi there! I am new here but already addicted so I figured I'd go ahead and introduce myself. My name is Lori - I'm 40 (for a few more weeks at least) and married with two kids. My son is 8 and my daughter is 5 1/2. We live NW of Boston.

I work from home and don't anticipate that's going to change anytime soon. I once was an opera/early music singer wanna-be, I have a Ph.D. in musicology (you can call it music history ) and now I work as a freelance editor/proofreader and Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

I used to work full-time (more than 10 years ago) and back then I was way too frumpy for someone that age. I'm trying to make up for it now, though! I'm on Weight Watchers (16 lbs down so far) and now that I'm starting to feel better about how I look, my goal is to truly be fabulous in my 40s. Working from home, though... there's not much incentive to put much thought into my clothing. Clearly I need to get out more!

I think my style is still evolving - after watching lots of makeover shows and finding some fashion blogs, I feel like I'm learning how to put outfits together, but I have a ways to go. I'm not sure what I would call my style - elements of Modern Classic for sure, but I always want to have a little something fun going on too.

I'm an X hourglass (according to Inside Out Style) and after reading some about that body type, I think I'm mostly doing things right. I'm still looking for what will really make my style ME - and I'm glad I found this site! A friend in another online community mentioned it to me and I was hooked right away. I am sure I'll have lots of questions as I keep going on my style journey! This seems like a very wonderful and welcoming place so I'm happy to be here!

Oops, I accidentally posted this on the "Welcome" thread...I was going to delete it and move it over here but wasn't seeing how to delete...

Anyway I joined a few weeks ago and never got around to introducing myself. I came across You Look Fab a few years ago, forgot about it and somehow ran across it again, which is so timely, since it's a goal of mine this year to simplify and to work on, in Oprah-speak, living my "best life." That includes figuring out what works for me stylewise so I can save time, money and energy and put my best self forward. I am married, 32, pear-ish shaped, and from reading recent discussions feel I gravitate toward a somewhat Euro Chic style. I'm excited to learn more from you all!

I am 18 years old. I am from Louisiana. I am a college freshman at Louisiana Tech. I am majoring in Family and Child Studies. I want to be a child counselor and work with abused children. And my name is Tara.

Hi! My name is Jen (jenanded) and I just found YLF a few days ago and already addicted like others! I am so pleased to find other people so dedicated and fascinated by clothes, organising them, mix and matching them etc etc... Apparently I made my first dress at 3, then coordinated myself and my cousins in outfits I would plot and sew from mum's scraps and then sewed nigh on everything for years and years until my PhD just blew my brain. Anyhow, I now buy more stuff than sew now but still spend ages sorting, and mixing up my stuff. I am a great one for trying to get to the smallest possible working wardrobe and weeding out things that aren't quite right. I love the imaginary life wardrobe post from a few days ago - lol when you see the things I routinely buy and let go... I pretend that this fascination with clothes is all about construction of personal identity (I did my Masters thesis on this topic but not on what we wear, just who we say we are!) so I can moonlight as an academic (lol!!). I am also mad on Ed my super-dog hence my name here of jenanded so he will probably be at my side when I am online. So I am super pleased to join the forum and look forward to more ideas and inspiration. As for me, I am married with 3 children, a tall curvy hourglass, and probably dress modern classic but love and would like to lean more toward euro chic - those european girls just are so divine... I was lucky enough to go to Milan for a few days once and the women my age were both so divine but also had just one lovely accessory, natural looking skin and hair, and simple clothes I can only just hope to ever be like that... sigh.... Jen

Just wanted to say hello - I've been following YLF for some time now and thought it was time I joined in. My name is Stephanie, I'm 51 and live in Wales in the UK with my OH. I work as an administrator - two days in the office and two days home each week, which is great. We live in a rural location with a large garden, growing fruit and vegetables is my main hobby. I also enjoy reading and attend a weekly art class which is lots of fun. We have two border collies - so plenty of dog walking - a Norwegian Forest Cat called Merlin and we also keep chickens. Clothes can be a major challenge, I'm 5'2" and short waisted, I know what I like and what suits me but find it very hard to find the right item..... losts of returns. But reading YLF it is reassuring that lots of other people have the same issues. I like classic styles and have embraced accessories over the last couple of years, mainly scarves, earrings and brooches. My main problem is looking too casual, the climate here is often wet and windy and dog walking and gardening means practical clothing that can take a battering, so I'm trying to change out of the scruffy gear into more attractive casual wear - my OH threatened to burn by fleece jacket last week as he is sick of seeing me in it!

Time I introduced myself...

I'm an expat from the UK living in the mountains of Utah. I'm 50. I own a closet company so I spend a whole lot of time looking at and organizing other people's stuff. And I also spend a lot of time on construction sites. It's an interesting balance of looking professional and stylish while grovelling around in the dirt and snow, (and the nether regions of people's closets aren't always as clean as you might like, either!)

Over the years I've developed a fairly simple style of jeans and boots (I do love boots) and I have a huge variety of knits (I like to knit...) and jackets to wear with them. in the summer I wear skirts and flats, or cropped pants.

For fun, I have horses. I compete at dressage. I love my riding clothes and have fun accessorizing my horse an self to match when outside of the competition arena, and bending the dress code as much as I dare inside...

My husband works with me in our business, and is also a singer. So I go to a lot of concerts (classical.)

So now comes the tale of why I'm on this site at all. About two months ago I was attacked and badly gored by a deer who had got trapped in my pasture fence. It's a long story, I was being cautious, but apparently not cautious enough. As a result, amongst other things, I have a slow-healing and rather horrible wound which will leave a noticeable and very sensitive 8" long scar and divot around my inner thigh just above my knee.

So I've had rather a lot of 'net time on my hands, and a rather battered self-image--the things that I love to do and that to a certain extent define me, like riding, I cannot do for a while, and the whole mess makes me feel like the anti-pretty--and have also had to put some thought into what on earth I actually can wear without it hurting.

So thats me!

Hi Amanda,

What a tough break -- hope your healing process will continue well and you'll be able to get back to riding. I know deer can be dangerous, we have them on our property with no problems to date, but my parents live in southern Oregon and there have been a number of attacks in town there.

YLF is a great place to banish the anti-pretty feelings and easily pass way too much time!

Are you able to work with your horse at this point, aside from riding?

Thanks, Ginko! My trainer is riding my dressage horse. Everyone else is either retired or having the winter off. My wonderful neighbor and my husband have been looking after them for me (amazing that I've been doing it wrong for all these years, apparently...) But I started back into my feeding routine this week, which makes me very happy, even when it is snowing!

Hi Ladies,
I am 58 years old and work in the Technology IT department for the Boise, ID school district. I live downtown (which I love) and am married to hubby John (he is 63) and we have our "dogchild" Reilly (who is a whippet). This my second marriage. I never had children but have lovely step children and grandchildren by this second marriage. I have been identified as being in the middle of an hourglass-pear by Angie and also as an X hourglass by several other forum members. I dress VERY conservatively although I do like color and am trying to pare down the wardrobe to only what I truly love and wear and also loosen up a little and add some edgier/fun pieces. I love looking at all the postings and am clipping many of the pictures for inspiration. You ladies ROCK!!!!! Attached is picture of hubby and adorable whippet and me, hubby and grandchildren.

Hello, All!

I was going to try and lurk and learn for longer, but I am typically pretty much a joiner, and have found a lot of interesting conversations going on. I've been trying to learn who's who by reading your site bios and visiting your blogs and websites and such, so it's only fair to offer a window onto myself, I think.

I'm glad to find many of us are over fifty. I'm 58, although I can't quite believe that! I am a rare born-and-raised Marylander and a liberal arts grad who got whisked into IT work soon after I started working. Then after I retired, early, with my older husband, Tim, we took on fulltime work in an animal welfare nonprofit program.

Tim is a bit on the reclusive side, so I have to be the "social" one of us, and I was feeling that I need a bit of a push for myself, too, to not fall into the "retired from life" sphere. I adored fashion as a working woman, but have been living, more and more, in a pair of jeans and some t-shirts.

We have been doing more advocacy work, meaning that we are sometimes in court, and I want to present a more fashion-forward image for our work, and I enjoy looking good anyway!

I had dreams of sewing my heart out when I retired. But I've found it really hard to find fabric AND patterns I love as it turns out -- most stores now sell quilting and crafts cottons. Also, I didn't keep up with my skills, so although I took some garment classes at G Street Fabrics, and I have a terrific sewing machine, I feel awkward with sewing. Ten years ago, when my elderly Mom was living with us, before we had to move her to a memory care residence, my sewing space was relinquished for her, and then it became a home office for my hubby.

Anyway, all to say that I am a kind of rebel and misfit in many ways, but I love my cats and my stepchildren and grandchildren -- I forgot to plan to have babies until it turned out to be too late! -- which hurts most when I do genealogy and think about how fleeting our lives can be!

I love shopping and bargain-hunting, and definitely tend to buy too much, then not wear it or put things together wrong. I'm here not only for inspiration but also for some ...er ... counseling? or at any rate, encouragement to think more in terms of outfits than individual great bargains!

Oh, and I am very interested to check out the Book Club situation, too!

so fun to read about the newer newbies than me! Just so interesting to hear about everyone, literally, the world over, meeting here. What a great site Angie and Greg created!

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited to finally join! I love all the conversations going on and Angie's very helpful blog posts! I'm in my late 20s and a petite pear. I have always had a frustrating time shopping for jeans. I love fashion and I used to shop a lot, but I've been cured, somewhat. My friends and I recently hired a stylist for a consultation and closet edit and it was so eye-opening! I have a lot of clothes with the tags still on. Shoes that I never wear but really pretty to look at. She told me that I was buying clothes too big for me. Thus, now I have a big pile of clothes to sell and donate -- and a long list of things to buy since I don't even have the basics covered. I'm looking forward to reading more blog and forum posts! Thank you so much for this site!

Hello all!

I've been following YLF for quite a while now and am a big fan of Angie's posts and style. I also have a few things in common with Angie: I am 2 days older (and also determined that my 40s will be fabulous!) and lost my mother and my dog in the last few years.

I am South Asian and live and work in the Washington DC metro area. Style-wise, I was in a major rut in my 30s as my body and lifestyle changed dramatically after having children. Over the last couple of years or so, I decided to do something about it. I lost some weight and renewed my interest in fashion and dressing well given my current age and body. YLF has been a BIG part of that change.

I'd describe myself as borderline petite (5'3") and a pear with hourglass tendencies. I tend to dress in and buy classic pieces that I can wear for years. I like dress pants, bootcut or straightleg jeans, cardigans, and fitted/tailored jackets. More recently, thanks to Angie's recommendations on YLF, I have bought several dresses and skirts and am experimenting with skinnies!

I look forward to getting to know the community here.

Best,
Sunita

Hi, everyone! It's so interesting reading all of your posts, and I'm amazed by the diversity of jobs, locations, interests, etc. just on this page. I discovered YLF a few weeks ago, through a link from a "dressing for the forties" blog. Like the rest of you, I was hooked pretty quickly. I love the links, photos and topics, though my favorite has to be WIW. I'm obsessed with checking it every day to see what people are wearing.

A little about me: I'm in my late 40s, married, with two boys. One is a teen and the other is almost a teen - I'm often pulling my hair out with those two! My priorities are faith, family, friends, with hopefully some fun and shopping thrown in here and there. I enjoy creative activities like writing and making art collages. I just started taking an acrylic class, too.

As far as my personal style, I think I've always been a modern classic, with some trendy bits thrown in. My shape is mostly hourglass with apple tendencies. I lost 35 pounds about a year ago, which was wonderful, but then I gained 10 or so pounds back, so my wardrobe has been on a seesaw, with some of my clothes too big, and some too small. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's done that!

I think if I had a fantasy personal style, it would be a really cool, artsy, bohemian look (being tall, thin and maybe a redhead would help too!) Oh well, I can enjoy everyone else's cool style on YLF!

I recently discovered YLF and I'm now officially obsessed with it. I'm much older than most of you who post here(I'm 58), and I have gray, short, cropped hair. I LOVE Anglie's style, and I'm trying to figure out how to best adopt some of the latest styles and trends into my wardrobe without looking like an older woman trying too hard. I've really enjoyed looking at some of the pictures of Angie's older clients. I really love the classic looks with a bit of something edgy thrown in to give them a different twist. This is a wonderful website.

Hi, all!

After lurking here for several months, long enough to Angie's suggestions on layering Ts and camis, I finally joined. I am nearly 59 and 5' 1", tho' sadly I used to be 5' 3/4". I live in the SF Bay Area and work part-time. My daughter will be leaving for college in the fall, so I realized I needed coaching on what to wear and what not to wear. (Love that show! I try to catch a few episodes on my annual trips to visit my MIL.)

My clothes were getting tight, so I recently lost about ten pounds. Then I came to the unsettling realization that maybe I shouldn't wear them after all and got rid of those Lands End pants with pleats. Same with the big shouldered blazers. Oh, and those Lands End turtlenecks that kind of flared at the bottom like most of my other Ts. And really, after a 19 year hiatus, I've only started shopping again in the past six months because I hate low cut pants and mini length dresses and skirts so I stopped buying. (Thanks to YLF, I now have the famous and fabulously flattering Halogen skirt!)

My friends/crowd IRL are not too style conscious; I kind of get the feeling that it is politically incorrect, but I view it as a creative outlet. The community here is so warm and supportive. I just fear that I will never get the hang of the picture taking thing.

Hello,
My name is Raven - I'am a longtime reader of YLF, but I've just recently joined the forum. I'm in my early 30s and embarking a new style journey. Currently, I am a grad student who works full time, so my wardrobe has always consisted of trying to find clothes that can perform double duty (ease from corporate to after work and weekends).

Lately, I've become more interested in dressing pieces that excite as opposed to purchasing clothes I feel I'm "supposed" to have. I love saturated, bright colors (though you can't tell from my current wardrobe), pattern mixes, animal prints, knits and silky tops. I have a ridiculous collection of boots and coats (but I live in Chicago, so I guess that makes it OK).

I am African American with wild, curly hair and an apple body type.

Generally, style wise I'd say I'm a bit classic with unexpected or quirky touches thrown in. However, I want to experiment with my style a bit by trying brighter hues and more daring pieces. I recently posted a question about fur vests in another thread, I'm looking forward to seeing what the YLF community thinks.

Hello everyone :0)
My name is Jo and I'm in the UK.
I'm brand new to the forum although I've been a lurker for a wee while. I've been planning on joining in and since falling down the stairs on Sunday and having some enforced time in bed with the laptop, I thought this might be the ideal time! It might take my mind off the pain in my back too!

Not really sure what to say about myself (this is my first ever forum). I'm 36 years old, I *think* I'm an hourglass but not too sure on the classification as I'm quite small all over.

I came to YLF after realising I was having a bit of a style identity crisis after leaving a job i'd begun to hate. It's really strange how a large part of 'who you think you are' is tied into work. Quite sad that in todays society we're defined by what we do rather than who we are. Anyway, this is something that I'm working through :0) and reading all the awesome and inspiring blog posts and forum entries on YLF has been a massive help and inspiration. Thank you all.

I'm currently setting up my own business and also going back to college in the Autumn (REALLY looking forward to this) so I will have to assimilate being a student again into my newly emerging style identity - whatever that turns out to be. Thankfully my awesome husband thinks I look lovely whatever I wear!

Looking forward to getting involved...

So I thought I'd introduce myself, now that I'm hooked, after reading Angie's blog for a few months and delurking only recently to sign up on the forum.

I'm nearly 36, a journalist and editor in India, writing mostly on food and travel. I currently work mostly from home, travelling on assignments all over the world every few months, and sitting cross-legged at my floor-level desk to write, edit and blog the rest of the time. I love my work, though it's not the best-paid business, and could do with more of the same!

I live on the outskirts of a pretty hectic Indian city --- Kolkata, and being in this neighbourhood means country roads, cow pats, and the most amazing assortment of birds because of the nearby wetlands... and hardly any public transport! The weather is hot and humid (42 degrees Celsius in summer, 98% humidity... unless it's driving monsoonal rains, which is half the year), a veritable pressure cooker. Our winter is more like the temperate zone's spring.

When I arrived at YLF a few months ago, I was exasperated. There was my muddle of a closet, with clothes from four decades in a four-season city. For various budgetary reasons, I need to stick to mostly SYC at this time, despite 'muggy heat' being the ONE season my previous wardrobe did not have to deal with. The move across the country to a different climate has completely rewritten the book on what's practical for me in my new working lifestyle. At the same time, I can't let my four-season wardrobe go entirely --- when I travel, I could be anywhere, in any weather!

So I threw up my hands, moped a little, thrifted a few breezy cotton things that at least kept me cool --- in a very slovenly way... and tried to make do. I despaired for a few months of feeling fabulously turned out ever again. Then I got tired of feeling like a frump.

I've never really managed to look all that fab --- I had body image issues, and I've always been extremely retiring and self-conscious. But I have always been fascinated by fashion, and inherited a love for the construction of superior garments and accessories from my father --- who counts sewing and crochet among his hobbies, taken up to fill in the long months of leave from his mercantile naval career! He used to hand-tailor most of garments when I was a girl, which was great for customization and indulging passing excitement over trends.

Unfortunately, he also passed on to me a fussiness about fit, and retail here hardly ever stood up to scrutiny until the last decade or so --- which made me grumpier and more despairing of ever actually getting much fun out of shopping. I guess I got so disillusioned about the time and effort and funds required to get a well-made set of garments... that I stopped trying, and started to make do. At work, as it was sometimes hard to be taken seriously as a petite young woman in a mid-level position, in my 30s I fell into the trap of dressing too conservatively and entirely too safely so that I would be taken 'seriously' --- to the point of boring myself to tears.

It didn't help that India's climate and road conditions (our messy streets, overcrowded and old public transport) can be very hard on clothes, and even more so on bags and shoes. Much of the 'fashion' available here is simply not meant for wearing outside an air-conditioned office/mall/home --- and what you actually see on the streets is too often a mix of dull practicality and more fashionable clothes/accessories in cheap fabrications that wear very badly. The middle ground is hard to find. Such a pity in the land of such skilled craftsmen and weavers! But happily, things are starting to change a bit, as more brands wake up to the huge market India represents, and homegrown retailers in turn are nudged into offering more and better choice by the competition.

What I appreciate most about YLF vs other fashion blogs and forums is that the advice and commentary is geared more to how than what --- how to wear XYZ trend, how to change up this outfit for the better, how to make a particular garment work... rather than simply buy X and add A, then B, and finally C; or the must-have item of the season is THIS, and nothing else will do. There is no judgement of 'fat girls must not', no 'fashion isn't for petites or the cash-strapped' (which our own media is still striving to get beyond).

It gives me hope. Maybe one day I will learn to perfect my proportions and find confidence enough to articulate in my own wardrobe the whimsy that I so admire in many forum members and in Angie herself. Maybe one day I will stop hoarding my faourite clothes, because if I ruin them, I'll have nothing nice for tomorrow. Maybe one day I will have a smaller, superior closetful and a dedicated four-weather travel capsule. Maybe one day I will be proud of my personal look again (I had a brief taste of it when a rather eclectically outfitted college student!).

For now, as I still try to muster up the gumption to post my first WIW, it is enough that I have recognized my shape with help from the forum --- Hello! My name is Manidipa, and I'm an apple-y 'rounded rectangle'! --- and that I have started to be critical of my buys, that I have started to evaluate my favourites and my workhorses, started to push the envelope on my combinations, and given myself permission to have fun and take risks rather than 'fit in and impress'.

For now, I'm here to find my style again. This time, I'm aiming to re-integrate Indian ethnic influences with 'Westernwear', as we call it here --- that's shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, sweater, and coats to you! I hope to remove drab from my life this year. I'm looking to find climb-a-tree-and-jump-a-fence-then-fall-in-the-pond comfort in my clothes, while looking decent enough to meet you for lunch or coffee and a cake, or to video-conference at a moment's notice while I slice and dice tonight's dinner. I'm looking for help --- but even more, I'm looking for support and constructive criticism while I remix my closet, identify holes and hopefully fill them in.

Will I change my style statement from (Enduring) Organic Eccentric to Comfortable Maverick or Natural Whimsy or something else equally contradictory to my current situation of Mismatched Misfit? I can't be sure... but I intend to enjoy finding out. And hopefully, I'll learn to be Patient, Picky and Persistent about it!

Just came across the site while browsing around. I read a few blogs and thought I would join up. I'm 39 years old, petite, have a pixie cut and am an avid fan and admirer of fashion. I would say my style reflects my mood for the most part; however, I am a firm believer in buying high end quality classic pieces that stay the test of time.

I am "returning" to the forum with a slight change in user name (tech issues with the old one ) but happy to be once again joining the supportive ylf community.

Have been in retail for 25 yrs. (wow). During the last two years I was store manager for a large big box kids-type store in which the team wears a uniform of sorts - black or khaki pants and a red/purple shirt. Pretty boring to say the least.

I left that position in December and have been a mission over last month or so to re-connect with everything in my life. The career path I had been on was energy-zapping, not healthy and not moving in direction I wanted. Making the decision to leave was long in coming but the right thing ultimately.

You may imagine that I am frantically looking for new employment - I have just begun to interview in fact - in this down turned economy. I am grateful for a supportive husband, savings and the ability to take a different path. Obviously, a lot of shopping and large expenditures are put on delay. Instead, focusing on simplifying, being thankful for what we have and moving on.

I have gleaned and cleaned my closet a few times. After I find the right employment, I will go through once again - it may not make sense to keep a few suits I am holding on to. I also had a pretty major leg injury this Fall and my body is not where I would like in terms of fitness or sizes so that too is "work in progress".

So happy to be back on line and not just watching from the sidelines any longer

Hi - I'm new! Since I've already posted my $0.02 on the forum I thought I should throw in a brief bio.

Mary, 51, married, two adult step-kids out on their own. I teach yoga part time. I'm in the process of unveiling my new body. I've lost 36 lbs and hope to lose another 10 lbs or so. So now, instead of shopping for whatever fits(!), I'm buying what I love and what looks great on me!

I recently discovered Pinterest (danger, danger!) and I'm discovering what my style is!! I just happened upon YLF website and love the forum aspect and am dying to post pics of What I Wore for feedback. Seeing an outfit on Pinterest is not the same as seeing it on me!

I do quite a bit of online shopping (Gilt, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom). We have a Nordstrom in Pittsburgh but Saks is in the process of closing. Besides Nordstrom, other stores I frequent: Macy's, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, DSW, Chico's, and local boutiques.

My goal for 2012 is to add more color to my outfits! Hopefully when you see some of my WIW pics, I will have succeeded.

Looking forwarded to "meeting" all of you.

Mary

Hi,
I'm new to this forum, but have been reading on the YLF fashin blog for some time. I find the blog very informative and inspiring!!

I am 37 and live in the north of Scandinavia with four seasons; snowy winters, wet springs, almost midnightsun during summer and wet and windy automs.

After years with main focus on kids, pregnancy, home etc, I had a wow-moment when trying to buy myself a pair of new jeans. It seemed simple, but I was totally lost! I didn't know what I needed, what I was looking for or what fitted me (but I was in total in control with the kids' need!).

After this incident, I started a long term project of renewing and refinding myself style wise. I have thrown out almost my entire wardrobe (which did not fit or was warn out) and started builing a new basic wardrobe. I'm on my way and love it! But I need some advise to find my body type, to add more colour to my wardrobe and wether to get rid of or keep some items I still havn't thrown out.

I am not sure how to label my style, but I love tailered skirts, dresses and jackets, the femininity of the 1950's-1960's (ie Jackie O.'s style), but also practical jeans, sneakers and jackets. Prints and colour are fine, but must not be too sweet or overwhelming.

My body type is petite, I think, (158cm = 5 feet 2 inch), but what shape it is, I can't figure out (maybe pear, spoon or bell according to some body type calculator). I am eastern Asian with stright dark hair and brown eyes. And I find combining different colours in an edgy way difficult. I often end up in the same colour scale.

I'd like to live by "less is more", because of economical, environmental and practical reasons. I love combining high end quality pieces and vintage/second hand clothes (preferably with a personal history) with cheap high street pieces. I love natural fabrics and can't stand polyester which makes me itching and sweating and itching again.

I'm looking forward getting involved in this forum (and hope I will manage the picture taking thing)

Hi there!

My name is Malama (it means gold) and I live in (godforsaken) Athens, Greece. Currently I am unemployed and I don't see that changing anytime soon...
However, I looooooove style and this is what brought me to this website. My wardrobe has been through a lot of changes and as it keeps evolving, it's getting smaller and more versatile with time. I beleive that fashion is cheap and style is expensive. That's the reason why I aim for expensive, all-time classics that I can mix and match. Ahhhhh... mix and match! 10 tops, 2 skirts, 2 pants, 1 pair of jeans, 1 blazer, 2 pairs of shoes, 1 bag... the combinations are endless. Then you add one more skirt... another 100 combinations!!! Getting dressed for any occasion is so easy, packing for a trip takes but a few minutes... What a feeling!
Of course, there's always more one can learn, so here I am! Congratulations on the wonderful blog and forum!

Hello! My name is Meghan and I live in Maine, outside of Portland. I'm in my first year of being a history professor at a liberal arts college, which raises all sorts of sartorial issues. The biggest challenges are: how to hit the right level of formality for academia, how to use my clothes as a way to bolster my classroom authority, and how to look cute in extreme weather. I've always seen my style as modern classic. I'm currently most drawn to the clothes of J.Crew, Banana Republic, and Emerson Fry (I would wear *everything* she makes).

Hi, I'm Deb and I am sort of new to this fashion thing. A good friend is a fashionista and is helping to wean me off of "mommy clothes." I feel like I have no sense of style and what I wear is boring. I'm a student and mother to three, so I can't run around in heels and skirts, even though I like those looks!

I am here to see if I can go beyond leggings, flats and tunics, skinny jeans and blazers for a busy mom. My typical outfit is jeans or leggins, top, scarf, Converse Chuck Taylor low tops and a Banana Republic blazer which I love. But it just doesn't seem extra special, you know?

My love for Michael Kors is fed through shopping second-hand stores, especially Goodwill. I bought a beautiful MK gray cape at the big Seattle Goodwill and I LOVE it. It makes me feel good because I always get compliments on it. Most of my name-brand purchases come via second-hand shops. I figure that if properly cared for, they will last longer and be more beautiful than a cheap T-shirt I buy new at a discount store.

Hi!

I was introduced to the YLF Forum earlier today by a member who happened to be shopping in our boutique.

My name is Inaas and I'm one of the owners at Milk, a cute indie boutique in downtown Ottawa, Canada.

I noticed the forum post featuring the article on how Ottawa lacks style, and I'm here to SHOUT OUT LOUD that there are a good group of boutiques here that are trying to change that!

I look forward to introducing more of what have in the shop to you ladies and hopefully getting some positive feedback in return!

For those that live in Ottawa or plan to visit, you can see some of what we're up to on http://www.milkshop.ca

Hullo to all the new members. I hadn't checked back on this thread for ages and it was great to learn more about you. Some of your names I am recognizing already. Welcome to YLF!