Today’s post is written by fabulous Euro forum member, Inge, who is Belgian and resides in Antwerp. Inge is a freelance translator and personal book shopper whose spunky and creative style is often a source of inspiration on our forum. Inge, LegacyOfPearl and Zeynep recently met for a fun shopping trip in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This is how their delightful day went down.

Recently on a sunny but nippy Saturday morning, I donned my A.B.S. dress and jeans, added my cream bomber jacket and drove to Rotterdam for the first ever European YLF gathering. At the Central Station, fellow YLF member LegacyOfPearl (LOP) and her stylish friend Zeynep were already waiting for me. Unfortunately, Elika had to cancel last-minute and Angie, who had actually been considering flying out here for the event, couldn’t make it either due to other obligations.

A five minute walk brought us to the city centre with its numerous shops, and we decided to systematically work our way down to the Koopgoot (Dutch for “buying gutter”). Zeynep, who has a predilection for Italian clothing, immediately struck gold in a small independent boutique specializing in Italian brands. The earthy colour of the sleeveless dress with pleated skirt looked stunning on her, and it was 50% off!

Next stop was a funky shoe store were LOP fell in love with a suede sand-coloured pair of sandal booties that she ended up buying the next day in Amsterdam. We trotted from shop to shop all the while talking up a storm. Zeynep snapped up a cute gym bag with fluorescent animal print in a discount store and then we hit Mexx. On the sales rack my two lovely companions found me a fantastic dark brown sleeveless dress. The utilitarian vibe was right up my alley and it proved perfect to wear with leggings or jeans. While I was paying, LOP spotted a two-toned grey strappy dress. She’d been looking for a Summery frock for an upcoming wedding in Turkey. Something festive, elegant and mom-friendly that would still allow carefree playing with her son. And there it was.

Successful shopping makes me hungry, so we headed over to “De Bijenkorf”, a huge luxurious department store, for a spot of lunch. At their Restaurant La Ruche we were spoilt for choice: fresh fruit juices, sandwiches that resembled works of art, sushi, wok dishes, colourful salads and delectable pastries. We toasted to Angie and all the YLF forum members over strawberry tartlets and yummy chocolate gateau!

On our way out the three of us drooled over the Karen Millen collection and a gorgeous navy & white Armani frock with amazing detailing. At H&M, LOP and Zeynep bought black leggings, and convinced me to go for grey leggings with a bit of sheen to them (jazzercise anyone?).

Vila, a budget-friendly Danish brand with a somewhat minimalistic feel comes highly recommended. Zeynep went home with a fab white button-down tunic and a dressy sleeveless top in a gorgeous purplish blue. We also witnessed an on the spot style transformation: in the dressing room LOP unbuttoned her beautiful white & yellow ruffled cardi, revealing her blue cami, popped on the just bought leggings under her denim pencil skirt and topped it all off with a skinny belt. “Now I feel like myself again”, she sighed relieved. Fun!

Suddenly a slight panic broke out because we thought the shops were open until 7 pm, when in fact, they close at 5 pm. We hurried over to another H&M and then sprinted to Zara. Good thing we persevered, since LOP walked away with a patterned black scarf and the cutest pair of green pumps.

Catching our breath we plopped down on a terrace to enjoy a well-deserved drink and admire our purchases. Drinks turned into dinner, during which we chatted happily about language learning, eating Nutella straight from the jar, how to start your own book club (wine is the secret ingredient apparently), Indonesian and Turkish cuisine, luxury brand shopping in Istanbul, American menswear, children’s clothing, dressing for a corporate environment…

It truly was a marvelous day, and we were especially pleased to discover that as three solo shoppers at heart, we hit it off so well and actually made the perfect shopping team. Thank you Angie for creating the opportunity to make this happen! And thank you LegacyOfPearl and Zeynep, you are two super sweet lasses and a dream to shop with!

I love encouraging YLF forum members to push their fashion envelopes. It’s fun to see people put their preconceived notions aside and experiment with new looks. One of the great examples of this has been leggings. Initially, there weren’t many takers for the look and I couldn’t understand why. It’s inexpensive, comfortable, unfussy, flattering, modern, practical and very versatile. We are into their third season and the item is still popular in cities like Paris, Hong Kong and London.

Anyone can wear leggings and look smashingly appropriate once the details are right. This is why they made my must have list for Spring and Summer 2009, and they’ll work perfectly as we head into Autumn. I’ve written several posts on how to wear leggings, including this recent synopsis.

In case you need to refresh your memory, here are 5 easy steps:

1. Leggings are not a substitute for pants and jeans: Think of them as an accessory and not an item of clothing. In the 80’s some of us wore normal length tops that exposed our thighs and more when we wore this look. Not this time round. Think of leggings as bloomers that peek out from under an outfit. Note that even as an accessory, they still look best when they’re thick and substantial so go up a size if you need to.
2. Consider the length of the leggings: wear them cropped, on the calf or at the ankle. Somewhere between the bottom of your knee and the widest part of your calf seems to work for most people.
3. Consider the length of the top: A certain amount of coverage is necessary because leggings aren’t pants. This makes tunics and frocks the way to go. Generally, tops and frocks that finish between mid thigh and right above the knee cap are most flattering.
4. Consider the height of the heel: There are no hard and fast rules regarding the height of the heel and the length of the leggings. It’s a question proportion and preferences. You’re after a look that gives you a longer leg line. In some instances you might prefer a heel and in others flats will be fine.
5. Keep the look a little more sophisticated once you’re over the age of 40: You don’t want to look child-like in leggings unless you’re a child. Check out this discussion for thoughts on how to keep leggings age appropriate.

In most cases you’ll need to experiment with the length of the leggings, the length of the top and the height of the heels. There are many combinations that will work. In some instances you might prefer a tunic with cropped leggings for flats. In other instances you might prefer a dress with ankle length leggings and heels. I tend to prefer the aesthetic of a longer tunic or dress with leggings, but that’s not a rule.

The actions of our forum members speak louder than my words so feast your eyes on 35 of them in over 120 leggings outfits. Our models cover ALL heights, body types, sizes, ages, fashion personas, budgets and dress codes. A lot more compelling than catalogue models. Brilliant.

It was terribly hard to select only a subset, but here are 14 of our fabulous forum gals that illustrate an assortment of very wearable leggings ensembles (click the pictures to see the original photo). From super casual to chic deluxe and everything in-between. But that’s not all. Be sure to check out the rest of the looks in the forum.

The soft, pleated, roomy trouser has been an integral part of haute couture collections for the last year. Very 80’s. The revived silhouette trickled down to a few high fashion chain stores, but it’s by no means a mainstream look (yet).

This style is hard to pull off and for that reason I have my doubts as to whether it will ever become mainstream. Pleats on pants are often voluminous in the wrong way, making us look bloated and poufy, especially when the style demands a tucked-in top. Pant lengths that end around the ankle, or a few inches above the ankle, are leg shortening style suicide, unless they’re super tapered like skinnies or leggings.

But having fun with fringe trends is one of the nicest parts about being a fashion stylist. I have a trendy aspect to my style so I enjoy giving new trends a whirl if I can make them work in an effortless and flattering way. So, believe it or not, I’m attracted to the longer length trouser versions that are ruched at the ankle (you couldn’t pay me to wear anything leg shortening because I’d feel awful and that wouldn’t be worth it). The new LONG slouchy trouser look is interesting and different, which means I’m going to give it a bash.

When I do try the longer length style, I’m thinking of matching it up with a tucked in button down shirt or soft blouse, glorious belt and ankle booties or pumps. Could be fab, or disappointingly hideous. I’ll keep you posted.

The cropped styles on the left do not make it through my style filter, but the longer length styles on the right have a little more potential.

Boden is by far the most popular affiliate link on YLF, so there must be quite a few readers who are big fans of this British mail order label. Boden has no physical stores, but for those of us who are shopping online from the US, this is hardly an issue.

Their latest sale is offering up to 50% off, and is running from now until July 15.

The distance between the shoulders and the natural waist will vary, even among people who are the same size in other respects. If you are outside the norm and either “short waisted” or “long waisted“, it will be just a little harder to find clothes that are flattering because most clothes are designed for people with average proportions.

I find it relatively easy to judge this with my clients. I don’t apply any complicated formulas, but no doubt there is one built into my brain that has developed over years as a buyer and fashion stylist. I have noticed that other people often struggle to judge whether they are short or long waisted though. It is a frequent question on the YLF forum.

Imogen of Inside Out Style recently proposed a shortcut that appears to work quite well:

“A very quick and easy way to tell if you have a short waist is to stand up straight, and see if you can fit two hand widths under your bust to your waist (narrowest point). If you can fit more than two hand widths you have a long waist, less than two, a short waist”.

I can fit exactly two hand widths between my under bust and waistline, so I’m average according to Imogen’s method and this is in line my own assessment of being neither short or long-waisted. Over to you. How many hand widths can you fit between your under bust and waistline and is the result in line with your own assessment?

So far, I’ve singled out Clarks “Brulees”, Kenneth Cole Reaction “Cedar City wedges”, and Me Too “Nadias” as this season’s comfortable 4 to 10 hour walking shoe options. I own them all, have put them through their paces, and am thrilled with the results.

Here are 9 more comfy, tried-and-test footwear options that have been favourites amongst my clients for Spring and Summer 2009. My clients put them through their paces and they’ve passed with flying colours. Some styles will go as a far as the 12 hour mark. Unbelievable.

They may not be the most fashion forward shoes, but they’re super sweet once you add a buffed foot and great outfit. That way, you’ll increase the style quotient of the shoe while enjoying its unstoppable comfort. Mum’s on the go I hope you’re listening.

These styles come in an assortment of colours so be sure to check the different options. Also remember that you can alter shoes if they’re not perfect right off the bat. All foot beds are gloriously cushiony with straps as soft as butter. The ballet flat styles allow the addition of orthotics if you require extra arch support. If you’re still not convinced of their comfort levels, check out the Zappos review for each style. Cheers to happy feet!

Lucky’s twice yearly 50% off sale started yesterday. They are offering 50% off select items. Their jeans, belts and handbags are great casual options. If hippie chic is your thing, then don’t miss it.

Imagine if you had a set of appropriate clothes that made you look good and feel great for EVERY aspect of your life. It is possible. You need to understand how the needs of your lifestyle translate into a set of understandable and manageable chunks that I call wardrobe capsules. This concept is an essential part of the process that I follow with my clients and I’d like to start using it on YLF too.

Wardrobe capsule: a set of clothing, footwear and accessories that satisfy the style needs in one area of your life.

The first step in wardrobe capsule creation is to assess your needs. You need to take into account what you do during the day, what you do for fun, where you go on vacation, the roles you play in life, the climate where you live - anything that impacts your choice of clothing, footwear and accessories. In some instances the items in a capsule form complete outfits (like a beach and poolside capsule), and in others the items don’t create complete outfits, but support several other capsules (like the weather resistant capsule).

To help you get started I will list some of the main areas in your life that impact your wardrobe needs. Once you’ve thought about these areas, factors like climate, age and budget will also play a role. Start making notes:

Getting around

Whether you commute on foot, by car or use public transport will impact your capsule choices. For example, I live in an urban area where the climate is cold and wet. I travel short distances by car, but I don’t have a garage and I’m on foot most of the time. These aspects of my life created the need for an elaborate weather resistant capsule. I have a whole slew of jackets, trenches, coats, scarves and umbrellas of different shapes, sizes, thicknesses and levels of dressiness. I also have several pairs of flat, or one inch 8-hour walking shoes and boots (some for rain and some for snow).

Parenting & Children

Casual or smart casual Mum-on-the-go capsules are imperative when you have young children. This capsule will comprise the bulk of your wardrobe if you’re a SAHM, but less so if you work part or full time, unless work allows casual and smart casual dress. I like to divide up this capsule even further so that my clients have a set of clothes for settings like: going to an amusement park, visiting a farm, playing in the park, camping, or attending sporting events.

Mothers to be will need a maternity wear capsule. In a sense, maternity wear will cover most areas of your lifestyle, but it is sufficiently specialized that it deserves a capsule of its own. Also, understanding your other capsules will make it easier to build this one.

Social life

Your life stage and how you spend your leisure hours gives rise to different types of capsules. For example, you might need a date night capsule, a fine dining capsule, a party capsule, a clubbing capsule, or theater capsule. In most cases, these capsules require dressier clothing. But your social life might be more casual like having game night at home with friends, or attending BBQ’s in Summertime. In these cases a casual capsule will work.

Vacations

If you like to holiday in the sun, you’ll need a beach and pool capsule. If you enjoy Winter sports, you’ll need an après ski capsule. If you like to sail, you’ll need a boating capsule. There are countless vacation possibilities and some of them require a particular set of clothing, so make sure that those needs are covered too.

Work Life

If you work in the corporate world, you’ll need extensive business casual and/or business formal capsule. But if work dress codes are less strict like they are for me, you’ll get away with a small business casual capsule and a large smart casual capsule. Also think about whether business travel warrants its own capsule. For example, traveling for business might require smarter dress than working back home, in which case you’ll have a business travel capsule.

Travel

I also like to dress in a particular way when I fly and since we travel quite often it’s created the need for a traveling capsule. Of course, your travel capsule may be optimized for a different mode of transport.

Religion & Tradition

You might require a special capsule for religious practices like going to your place of worship. In these cases clothes are usually smarter or more modest than normal dress. Furthermore, religious beliefs might impact all of your capsules.

Sporting

You’ll need a workout capsule if you like to go to the gym, or the right gear when you practice a specific type of sport. For example, your sporting activities might require a cycling capsule, snowboarding capsule, hiking capsule, swimming capsule or kayaking capsule.

Lounging & Sleepwear

Everyone needs a lounging capsule. Curling up on the couch to read, or watching a movie at home requires comfy sweats. These are also the items we turn to when we’re home for the day and desperately want to get out of day attire and into something super relaxed. Old, beaten-up collegiate T’s and sweats won’t do. Treat yourself to something nicer. And if you wear sleep clothes, give that area of your wardrobe some thought too. A fun sleepwear capsule is a super idea.

Events

Weddings, Christmas parties, baptisms, bar mitzvahs, cocktail functions, auctions, special celebrations and fancy fundraising events require a formalwear capsule. If you attend one or two of these types of functions a year, you’ll need a small formalwear capsule, but if you attend several, you’ll need a more diverse one. If it looks like you will be attending many weddings over a period of time, then you may even consider a wedding wear capsule.

Wardrobe capsules are not to be confused with dress codes. In some instances, a capsule adheres to a particular dress code, like a formal wear capsule, but at other times it comprises of several dress codes. For example, a business travel capsule might comprise of three dress codes: casual (plane travel), business formal (client interfacing), smart casual (dinners out at night). The casual wear dress code on the other hand, covers capsules like in Mum-on-the-go and beach and pool.

Effective wardrobe capsule management helps you to decide where to skimp and where to invest. The strategy prevents unnecessary wardrobe duplication and identifies the gaps. It also allows you to become deliberate about changing your wardrobe when your lifestyle changes. And it saves you time. Once your capsules are in place, you’ll turn to the ones that are relevant for that day without fuss or thought, updating and evolving them when necessary along the way.

What are your important wardrobe capsules? Are there additional areas that you would add to my list above?

True to my word, I recently gave stirrup leggings a whirl. Love them! Arty, unfussy, practical, inexpensive and extremely comfortable. I really liked the idea of stirrup detailing on tights instead of pants, and what an improvement. It makes perfect sense to wear the look like a light-footed dancer instead of an 80’s ice-cream cone. But stirrup leggings aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and I won’t take it personally if you don’t fancy the look on me.

While my new short zippered leggings are cute and refreshing, these new stirrup leggings have been something else. I was totally inspired after seeing how Vera Wang rocks ankle length leggings at age 60. There is something magical about the way the style elongates the leg line, especially when you add heels. I feel like I’m gliding across the ground like a graceful gazelle when I wear my frocks with stirrups. I probably don’t look nearly as elegant and willowy as I feel, but that’s okay. I’m going with feel fab on this one.

I have at least 20 different outfits in my existing wardrobe that work with my new stirrup leggings. Frocks that end just above the knee are an obvious pairing and you can see some of those outfits above. From a sleek mock-wrap dress on the left, to a voluminous sheath in the middle, and a reined in sack dress on the right (click on the images to zoom in). Shirt dresses and empire cuts will work well too. I swap out the frock for a pencil skirt and top when I need a change, and add a denim jacket or black trapeze jacket for air conditioned environments. I also like to throw in stacked round-toed pumps for a bit of extra glam.

The effect of stirrup leggings is not quite the same as wearing opaque tights because the vamp of the foot and back of the ankle are exposed. To me, the skin baring cut-outs of the stirrups look more interesting. Wearing shoes with low or strappy vamps like sandals, pumps or ballet flats is ideal because it keeps your vamp uncovered. I prefer my stirrups with heels, but they aren’t a prerequisite. Forum members Tam and Maya have perfected the look with flats and look wonderful.

I’m good to wear this look in Summer as long as my tops or frocks are breezy and my feet are cool. In fact I’ve worn the outfit with the citron frock in a non-humid 85 degrees and was totally fine. The look will also carry me through to Autumn with additional layers, sweater dresses and closed toed shoes.

I’m all over my favourite look of the season and have already duplicated my stirrups. Do you think you’ll try the look too?

The huarache post last week sparked off a few thought provoking comments:

Starry: “I find I am drawn to so many different styles, partly from being exposed to persuasive styling in magazines/stores, or admiring how something looks on another person… and I don’t always have the clearest picture of what is ‘me’ and what isn’t. I suspect having that kind of clarity makes a person much better at shopping and building a good, functional wardrobe.”

Budget Babe: “Starry makes a good point. I often struggle with passing up those trends that truly aren’t “me”, i.e. I might go ga-ga for something on the rack, but then it’ll end up sitting in my closet because it doesn’t work with my personal style. I was loving the huarache trend until I actually tried them on and it just felt way too “boho” …maybe the heels you showed above would work, but the flats, nope.”

I know that I am very open to wearing new trends and am constantly trying them out, but I also have a strong sense of my own aesthetic preferences. For example, because my individual style is modern, retro, trendy, professional, fun, modest and practical, I’m automatically attracted to items that are in line with those descriptors. On the flip side, I’m less attracted to items that are overly casual and sporty, eclectic, earthy, bohemian or too revealing. But then again, it doesn’t mean that I don’t adore those types of styles on others. Instinctively I just know that they are not for me.

I occasionally force myself to step outside of my comfort zone, but it is hard to trust your own judgment in these situations. How can you tell whether it’s a question of getting used to a new trend, or whether it just doesn’t work with your personal style? What does it mean for something to be “you”? Sometimes you will love a style on other people, be confident that you can pull it off, but still feel that it isn’t “you”. How can you tell whether your individual style will adapt and incorporate the new look over time?

This is an area where I can really help my clients. They need an objective opinion that they can trust in order to get past their comfort zone and extend it into new territory. This objective opinion could also come from your friends and family (including your friends and family on the YLF forum), or even from complete strangers – sometimes the best thing is to wear a new look and see the response that you get from other people. Often my opinion is enough to get my clients to wear something new, but it is only when they get lots of spontaneous positive feedback that they really open up to the new style.

Do you have a clear picture of what style is “you” and what isn’t? If so, how did you arrive at these conclusions? How do you test the boundaries of your comfort zone?