Hello everyone!

I'm a lurker, getting around to posting because I've absorbed a lot of what's on the site, and I think I'd benefit from becoming an active participant.

I'm 38 and I live in Queens, New York, with my husband and toddler, in a 1-bedroom apartment. As you can imagine, closet space is pretty tight, so I need to keep my wardrobe small.

SInce I work full time in a business casual office, I struggle to find the right tone with work outfits. Jeans and comfortable clothes are a slippery slope for me, I end up getting sloppy if I'm not careful. Perhaps because of this, I like the idea of a work uniform, but not literally wearing the same thing everyday, of course.

A small collection of beautiful clothes that fit and flatter sounds so good to me! But I've made poor shopping choices in the past that waste money and leave me with less-than-fab clothes.

My fit challenges include a large bust and a big booty, along with a softer tummy than in previous years, though I'm still an hourglass. This means that the tailored looks that appeal to me (button-downs, blazers, etc.) won't fit off the rack.

YLF is such a great community of people, I look forward to getting involved, plotting my progress along with the group, and benefiting from the wise eye of the crowd.

Thanks!

Hi all! Like Buttercream, also a lurker, for years, and here I am. ! I live in Colorado, and I live in jeans. I also miss having my sisters nearby to help me with shopping advice, so I'd love for feedback and advice.

Hello Haruka and Buttercream. Welcome! I am fairly new to YLF as well and have learned so muc in a a short time. I've "met" some lovely ladies and had great conversations. Hope to chat with you soon

Mary

I'm new to YLF, at least being a member. I've been a passive participant but decided to join in the fun.

I'm 29, recently lost 80lbs and live in Orange County, CA. I have no kids (but my youth is running out and they better be coming soon, haha!)

I work in a casual work environment where jeans are considered norm, and since I'm in southern California, flip flops are not unheard of at the office. Like Buttercream, the casual environment at work can lead to a slippery slope in regards to fashion. Also if I do dress up, I stand out like a sore thumb with everyone else in flip flops or yoga pants (no joke). I would love a look that combines casual and fashion where I don't feel frumpy and where I don't look out of place at work either.

My fashion challenges are my body, formally 80lbs heavier so the girls are not as big, and definitely not as perky as they used to be. And the stomach's gone somewhat but replaced with "fun tummy stuff" as I call it. My legs and my stomach don't match, as I have slender-ish pretty defined legs so jeans fit stomach or waist usually not both unless I'm lucky. Also I'm 5'8" and while I love heels, my BF (hopefully DH) is only about an inch taller then me. So with heels I tower over him.

Fashion has come late to me, I only just discover fashion could apply to anyone, but I only enjoyed shopping after the weight was gone. I'm betting that this site is going to go a long way in helping me discover my personal style.

Hi everyone I found my way to YLF from Google last night and it was love at first sight! I think it might be my new addiction.

Up until last year, I worked in a corporate office in Austin, TX. I had the money to purchase nice items and a place to wear them. I also had a pretty big closet to store all my shopping treasures (everything's bigger in Texas!).

Now, I live in the mountains of WA state in a tiny house in an extremely rural area; I can't see any of my neighbors. I'm a stay-at-home-wife (for now) and the only person I see most days is my husband. Needless to say, most of my business-casual apparel isn't practical here, but I still love clothes (and shoes and handbags and jewelry, oh my!).

The nearest clothing store is over 100 miles away, so I do most of my shopping online these days. I've also become much more selective due to my new lifestyle out here in the sticks, having a teeny-tiny closet, and a limited budget.

I'm looking forward to meeting some great people and participating in the YLF forums.

Hello all! I'm a fairly new lurker and a very new member.

My name is Cindie, I'm 26 and I live in Brooklyn. I am an adviser at a local college, and I am in the process of trying to figure out my personal style and what will fit me best! My budget for clothes isn't too big, and I recently signed on a new apt that I need to buy furniture for (read: usually small clothing budget is even less than normal!). But I just bought a pair of red twill pants, so I'm hoping that's the start of something good.

Hi everyone my name is Sarah I've just joined also and am fascinated by the amount of information on the site I came across it by accident I'm an inverted triangle but prefer the term strawberry, it's a little sweeter! I look forward to taking an active part and having fun with the forum

I' m Ann from central Utah. I found this site last week while recovering from bunion surgery and entertaining myself by planning a travel wardrobe for a summer trip. Somewhere I fell down a rabbit hole called YLF. My husband and I are late-blooming new farmers. He still works in the big city 200 miles away. Eight years ago I left a professional job and my uniform for a freelance career. I still do that work and now we have the farm. Most days I wear gear to tend the critters and fruit trees. Sad but true, my last "outfit" came from Cabelas. But now and then, like the guy walking out of the Egyptain desert in the Amex commercial, I need to transform my look for the city,man event or travel. The entire wardrobe (as opposed to gear collection) needs a revisit after 8 years of hanging mostly unused in the closet. I don't spend much time in town and shopping has to be efficient. I'm getting loads of ideas already from everyone's posts. And for the first time in years, I'll be able to wear cute new shoes! Looking forward to where this might lead.

Hello, everyone!

My name is Lelde and I am photographer and photo retoucher. I am very interested in fashion photography and fashion.:)

Currently I am editing photos for Stylewhile.com and I am really enjoying it.
if someone is intersted: Stylewhile is a website where you can create different styles and share them with your friends. chek it out: http://www.stylewhile.com

sorry, did mean to spam, I just really love my job. hi hi

Hello
My name is Donna. I have been lurking around for a few months. I am 58, and interested in fashion. I believe that you are never too old to indulge your fashion creativity. I live in Winnipeg Canada, and currently I am not employed outside the home. I love the supportiv nature of the forum and am looking forward to participating.
Thanks

I love beauty and I love fashion as well... Actually, I bookmark this site to be updated on what is going on.

Hi! I'm a newbie, was brought here via Already Pretty. I love this site! What's great and sets it apart from a lot of style blogs is that it's welcoming to women of all sizes and shapes! Love that!

Hi All! I'm pollylou from Minneapolis, I'm 39 and work in sales in the very image conscious interior design industry. Dressing youthfully and creatively is a must in my work! I love creating my style from budget friendly items from Gap, Old Navy, Loft and J Crew. I find accessories on etsy/ebay and in clearance racks from Target to TJ Maxx! I would say I'm funky/preppy, so you might find me in skinny colored denim and platforms with a patterned dress shirt and fitted jacket or a fit and flare dress or tunic and boots. I LOVE Frye boots, colored belts, statement necklaces, chunky bracelets, heeled oxfords and heeled clogs, skinny jeans, and cardigans. I'm a fair skinned, long haired redhead and am a petite hourglass shape. Most of my friends don't enjoy fashion as much as I do, so I'm excited to be a part of this new community.

Hi, I'm AnnieMouse! *waves*

I'm likely to be a lurker more than anything - I'm terrible at figuring out what to say that hasn't already been said prior and better, so I will probably just hang around the edges. I'm 5'8" with relatively modest hourglass proportions.

I'm 38, and I'm an avid thrifter and bargain hunter - so my wardrobe is constantly being turned over so it doesn't take over my home. *laugh* The bulk of my wardrobe comes from charity thrifts, some Ross/ TJ Maxx, with the occasional eBay/ etsy finds... I have a Thing about shoes (no, really - I have significantly more than the "average," and I firmly believe they change the entire tone and tenor of an outfit), and a girlfriend once told me my superpower is sweaters.

I'm a big fan of the skater/ riot girl look and era - not surprising, really - but I also have a deep appreciation for the tomboy 50's aesthetic (saddle shoes and rolled dungarees? Sign me up!).

My fashion icons are Tank Girl, Gidget, Kathleen Hanna, and Coco Chanel, with a dash of Diana Vreeland.

This can - and has, on occassion - led to some sartorial misteps. I'm working on codifying it into somethig that's a little less anarchic and a little more refined.

lHello!
My name is Dani and I have recently embarked on a mission to be seen! I had an aha moment recently when I looked at a photo taken with friends and realized that I was almost invisible due to my style choices and color choices.

I just got my colors done and I am a vital spring which means I get to wear bright reds, royal blues, purples, turqouises, with some olive and gold because of my eye color. I've been wearing muted and neutrals for ages because I thought they were supposed to look good on me. NOPE!

So the stylist also said I was a mix of a soft inverted triangle and an oval. Now I have no idea what that means. I've always had broad shoulders and narrow hips, a smallish bust with rounder arms and upper thighs with a plump butt. But my measurements are 35"-27"-37". My hips are larger than my bust but don't really look it. I guess baby just has back LOL. Recently my hips have gotten a bit rounder (YAY!) but now that means my old style of dressing, draped tunic shirts that hit the hips, just make me look round and undefined where before they made me look svelte!

I love the hourglass look and if I could just whittle my waist a bit, I'm practically there! I love the elegant classic look and French Chic. I adore the styles of the 40's and the 20's. I LOVE corsets! I also find that for me, classic with a little bit of an edginess (chunky jewelry, clunky boots) fits my personality so as not to just fade into simplicity. I like fun and flirty styles too. I just gotta figure out how to dress the new me! Colors and body!

I'm excited to explore this site and see what everyone has to share!

Hi! I'm Kirstie from Melton Mowbray in England. I am married with two sons and two step children - all of them in their twenties now. I teach English as a foreign language and love crafting and gardening. My image is important to me - I try to look good every day but am on a budget - I buy a lot of clothes from e-bay! I have a huge bust - size 20-22 and a size 14-16 lower part (these are English sizes!) I love blues, turquoises, pinks and purples. I would love to make more of my own clothes.
I love the fashions of the forties, but don't think they would really suit me. Much more me are the boho fashions of the 60s and 70s. As I work with a lot of moslem men, I only wear trousers to work.
I'm 53 and trying to find myself - in all sorts of ways before I get much older. I have suffered from depression in the past and have just finished another bout of counselling. I'm really looking forward to making friends here.

Hi; I'm Jessica Rose Milton, a singe gal who lives in a bungalow on the New Jersey Shore. A recent college graduate, I'm interested in movies, TV, video games, fashion, food, travel, and the world around me.

Hiya everyone,

I'm Steph and I am from Australia, although currently living in the Philippines for 12 months. I've been lurking for a while and decided to join in all the fun because, well it looks like fun!

About me: I turn 30 in June and have never considered myself to be particularly stylish. Especially these days, when I am at home all day. As I approach 30, I've decided it's time to do an overhaul and figure out my style. This comes at a good time as we (my almost husband) and I will be moving back to Aus in late June.

Hi everyone, I'm Eve. It's great to join this forum! I'm taking some time off work right now to reformulate my career and do some soul searching. I'm in my early 30s and just recently got interested in fashion. I've always dressed "appropriately" but am now looking to be much more expressive and personal with my style.

Something I am working on when shopping is being open to trying new things. I gravitate toward solid colors, simple clean lines, and beautiful fabrics, but sometimes those items are over my budget and/or not as practical as a versatile print, for example. I often walk away from shopping empty-handed and frustrated, and I think I need a push to try some new fun stuff.

I am a tall, slim, hourglass-ish pear. I love jeans and pants and am looking for more skirts and dresses. I have trouble finding tops that have long enough sleeves for my long arms, yet are slim enough for my torso.

I'm very happy to be joining you all and learning about your style! =)

Hi there. I'm Katy, a 52-year-old writer and editor. I've lurked here for awhile and thought it was high time I jumped in, so jumping in I am.

I've always loved clothes but my rather scattershot approach to acquiring them has left me with an overstuffed closet full of far too many things I never wear. One of my goals is to learn better to dress the body I have and not the body I'd like to have.

As far as that goes, I'm an appley hourglass, physically fit and well-proportioned but with a tendency, ever increasing with age, to gain and retain weight around my middle. I'm busty, with a thickish midsection, broad shoulders, good legs, and not a whole lot of junk in my trunk. I work in a conservative sector, which is challenging, as I am not by nature a conservative dresser. In my downtime, I favour jeans and interesting/oddball tops, nonclassic footwear (you'll have to pry my red patent Fly London wedges off my cold dead feet!), and large and fairly outrageous rings.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to "meeting" you all!

Hello, I'm Beverly.

My introduction to blogging was with my first blog, Style Underdog. That’s where I fell in love with the blogging community. I'm tall, thin, and am shaped like an apple, which seems to be growing the older I get. Hmm. I'm a native California and was born wearing jeans. I'm looking forward to being inspired by all those here!

I'm a 40-something woman living in the southwest. I was interested in fashion when I was younger; I spent a lot of time in vintage clothing stores. When my son was young, I also gained weight, so fashion for me wasn't a priority. I didn't think I'd look good in anything! Now I've lost 30 lbs., with 15 or so to go. I feel like I can look good in clothes again, so I have a newfound interest in fashion. My style's a bit eclectic. I still love vintage styles (40s, Victorian, Edwardian), but I also like some of the modern looks like skinny jeans, maxi skirts, and bright "pops" of color. My most commonly worn colors are black, gray, bright pink, and turquoise.

Last weekend, I wore a new outfit: black and white asymmetrical striped maxi skirt, black v-neck tee, denim jacket, silver sandals, silver drop earrings. My husband loved it, and so did I! I'd love to wear more outfits like that, and find ways to incorporate romantic florals and vintage vibes.

I perform in community theatre and homeschool my son. Very dressy occasions are rare for me; I mostly want casual to dressy casual looks that are comfortable, age-appropriate, and show some personality.

Hi everyone. I'm Sanet and I am a 42 year old SAHM. I've been lurking around here for a while and really enjoy and value all the wonderful advice members give to other members. I can definitely use some of it too, so, decided to take the big step (for me) and introduce myself.

I live in sunny South Africa where we will be entering winter soon.

I am not a 100% sure about my body shape and might post a photo at some point to get your thoughts on it. I always thought I was a pear, but I don't have the narrow shoulders that I associate with pears. Probably more of a rectangle (after 2 kids) and slightly hourglass-y.

I have looked at the style personas here, but I am not sure what they all mean and haven't been able to really define my style. Possibly something like casual classic - if there is such a style. (I generally like what Suz and Ingunn wear.)

I have never been very fashionable and used to do my own thing when I was much younger. My kids are now 4 and almost 3 and as an older mother between younger mothers with kids the same age, I felt I looked a bit dowdy by comparison. Not that I am dressing for them - I do feel a lot better when I wear some modern, fashionable clothes. That is actually how I came across the YLF website - I did a search on what a MOTG of 42 should wear. I am delighted that YLF came up in the search.

Hello,I am a girl lived in Califonia,my name is Cathy.I love all things of beauty especially the fashion jewelry.I have collected a lot of jewelries in my jewelry box,from antique to the latest one.Very happy to find the tread.

Hello to all of you wonderful ladies
My name is Debra, I live in sunny ( most of the time ) Queensland,Australia.
I am now 52, how did that happen? Work full time in adult education and have 3 grown up children and twin grandchildren.
I love clothes, shoes, handbags. While most of my working life has been wearing a uniform, the last few years I haven't had to.
While searching for style ideas and inspiration I found this site and am so excited to find wonderful women of all shapes and sizes sharing tips, advice and encouragement.
I am 5 ft or 152cm and have what I think is an apple shape?
I like easy, fluid, drapey looks with a little toughness .....finding my style, a work in progress and a journey I look forward to sharing with you

Hi i'm Sharon from Ireland. Im 38 and still do not have a clue on how to dress myself. Im a short bodied long legged rectangle or a plank as i like to call it. I have two children and work in childcare

Hi Everyone!

I'm Rebekah, I am a designer & photographer and I teach at university and a private high school in seattle, all of which keeps me running around all the time, like most busy folks. I'm 43, married (no kids), love to garden, travel, cook, create art & am living a bit of "urban homesteader" life these days--brewing beer is our latest endeavor. I came to YLF a little over a year ago, browsing some over 40 style blogs. I love seeing everyone's styles & great discussion & have finally purchased a full length mirror (after a year in our new house) so hope to be more active in the posting soon!

My style is a mix of urban eclectic, with touches of classic and boho thrown in. Since I'm always on my feet-(working & commuting), my wardrobe needs to be flexible, comfortable & modern. The 40s have gifted me my own "personal furnace" and super fussy feet, so I am now finding these are #1 priorities in developing my style these days.

I enjoy fun/colorful accents, especially bold jewelry--I am always on the search for the perfect tough, but stylish clothing. I have a curvy hourglass shape, which is leaning more towards a rectangle these days & that has added some challenges to dressing!

Hi,

My name is Juliana and I've been on and off lurking YLF for a year now. I decided to join the website due my growing concern 'bout dressing age-appropriate (I'll turn 30 next June and, after reading several guidelines on dress-code propriety and how to still rock youthful looks after 30, I believe the gals around here might be great advisors for my style transition.) I am a petite: 1.53m and 43kg (5ft and 95lbs).

As a freelancer and post-grad student in Communications, I don't really require a formal attire capsule in my wardrobe. I think my everyday staples tend to be rather to the clean and "dressier" side of the casual spectrum (You see, I own several dresses and flared skirts, but only three pairs jeans - and all in dark washes). As a fashion goal, I would like to wear my heels more often and to feel comfortable while sporting jeans and trousers (I can't exactly explain why, but I always find I don't look very groomed once I am wearing those).

I look forward to contribute to this forum and also get your gals' help with my style transition.

Hi everyone! I've been reading YLF for years now (and have bought a few favorite pieces based on YLF recommendations) but I read blogs much more often than I ever participate. It's been useful to understand my body shape and how to dress to flatter it. I browsed this forum the other night and thought I'd like to join in - I enjoy looking over other people's outfits and acquisitions. I'm in my mid-30s and a SAHM with a pile of kids. I've been busy working on losing the weight I've gained from my pregnancies and I've lost quite a bit but still have some to go. I can't wait to really clean out my closet! Not only is it full of different sizes out of necessity (a lot of fluctuations in my weight in this past decade) but I do get into retail therapy a good deal, haha. I can't really figure my style down to a couple phrases? Comfort and practicality absolutely come first for me, but I love color, pattern, and impact in my personal fashion choices; I tend toward simplicity overall but dig a good dose of the unexpected. I'm casual, but I wouldn't say sporty. I own way too many pairs of shoes. I like to thrift and I'm easily lured by a bargain or a sale - if someone compliments something I'm wearing I'm quite likely to tell them how little I scored it for (which I'm sure is gauche, but part of the fun in my fashion is the thrill of the hunt). Anyway, I hope that is an adequate intro, and look forward to participating here!