Cropped pants fall into two categories: walk shorts and capris. The distinction is based on length rather than silhouette:

• Walk shorts are pants that are cropped anywhere from just above the knee to the widest part of the calf. Clamdiggers, bemudas, pedal pushers and culottes are all forms of walk shorts.
• Capris are pants that are cropped below the calf and above the ankle. I am allergic to pants at this length. They are extremely leg shortening and unflattering. Models that sport capri lengths wear 4 inch heels which visually raises the hemline. I rest my case.

Retailers and magazines often refer to clamdiggers as capris, which confuses the issue. As long as cropped pants fall on, or above, the widest part of your calf, I’m in favour of them. Anything longer looks dumpy. Stacey London and Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear are not opposed to capri-length pants (which explains why Stacey wears them throughout her book “Dress your Best”). We will agree to disagree.

Walk shorts at the perfect length (clamdiggers, culottes and bemudas)

Capris at an awfully unflattering length.

A sleeveless, wrap knitted top with wide welt is flattering. I’ve tried this style on various body types and I’m always surprised at how well it works. It starts to make sense when I break it down:

• The armholes are cut away to reveal a pretty shoulder bone. Sleeveless tops usually look better when you show your shoulder bone.
• The blouson effect is forgiving around the mid-riff area. It’s the perfect camouflage for those with a little extra around the tummy.
• The wide welt provides structure. Make sure that the welt starts below your navel and is comfortable over the belly. Its ruching effect is another plus.
• The V-neck and wrap feature are elongating and slimming. The wrap feature gives a larger bosom room, and a smaller bosom volume.
• The shawl collar is great layered under V-neck jackets.

Soft, silky knits feel heavenly against our skin, but are often clingy in the wrong places. This style offers a superb solution. Wear it with a camisole because the front opening tends to part when you move. Comfortable, versatile and chic. So much better than a T-shirt and just as easy to launder.

Ana from the forum found this particularly good example of the style, available from Bluefly.com.

Thanks to digital image manipulation techniques, models and actresses can have perfect bodies, no cellulite and flawless complexions when they are depicted in magazines. According to a recent article in the UK telegraph, the same techniques are now being used in reverse to make gaunt models look fuller-figured. Apparently “Fashion magazines are manipulating images of skinny models to make them look “fatter” than they really are”.

According to a representative from one of the popular retouching agencies:

“It is now deemed just as negative to be too thin as too fat. Everyone is scared of being highlighted as the magazine or label that promotes very thin girls, so they are being a lot more careful about the images they present.”

But Susan Ringwood, who is chief executive of eating disorder charity “Beat”, responded negatively to this practice, saying that it acknowledges the issues associated with projecting the images of very thin models, but misses the point: “They should be using naturally healthy models in the first instance, instead of having to make them look that way.”

I’d love to see a magazine filled with pictures of models and actors that have not been retouched at all. How do you feel about digital photo enhancement in magazines?

Ps. The celebrity gossip site Jossip has some hilarious reporting on the use of Photoshop to alter our favorite celebrities in print.

Dark-wash denim can rub off onto shoes, clothes and skin. This is especially annoying when you’re wearing white. You’d think that merchandise would fail quality control standards if dye bled off garments, but sadly this isn’t the case. Instead you’ll find a swing ticket attached to the garment stating something along the lines of “garment dye may stain clothing”. So what is a girl to do when we’ve painstakingly found the perfect pair of jeans?

Stephanie recently shared the answer on the forum: soak those jeans in a bucket of vinegar and water overnight. The acidity of the vinegar helps to set the dye. Wash and hang dry afterwards and you’ll notice less bleeding the next time you wear them. I tried this in January with my ink blue denim clamdiggers from Zara and it has definitely helped. The dye has set a little more, and my hands aren’t blue after a day’s wear.

I believe that you get your money’s worth when it comes to jeans. I have two pairs of ink blue Diesel jeans that were expensive. They have never rubbed off onto my clothes, shoes, handbag or skin. I suppose setting the dye is just too expensive a process for the manufacturers to use on less pricey jeans.

We’re half way through Spring 2008 and I’m pretty pleased with what we’ve seen thus far. The resurgence of bright colours and higher rises and have been among my favourite trends.

That said, I do have a few complaints:

• Skirts and dresses are generally too short. Most gals require lengths that are on, or just below the knee, which are hard to find. Miniskirts are a fashion statement but the industry has gone overboard when Ann Taylor raises its hemlines to well above the knee. I can’t believe that I’m taking petite clients to shop in regular sizes to gain a couple of inches on the hem.
• The absence of cream jeans and cream pants. Unlike white, cream is a seasonless colour (hence the term “winter white” which is a rich creamy colour). White bottoms are a Summer essential, but cream bottoms should be available all the time. Retailers have opted to make beige a basic instead, which is often harder to wear.
• The absence of A-line denim skirts. Denim pencil skirts are everywhere, but A-line denim skirts are universally flattering. This is a missed opportunity.
• An abundance of wide-legged pants. Most of the silhouettes are too wide and clown-like. What’s worse is that wide-legged pants are selling alongside voluminous tunics which encourages them to be worn together. This is not a good look.
• A shortage of skinnies and straight leg jeans. Voluminous tops continue to flourish which means that streamlined bottoms should be widely available. But they’re not. It’s interesting how skinnies remain the “it” pants in Europe, but they’re few and far between in the US. You’ll battle to find skinny jeans unless you’re shopping in a Euro chain store.

A fab fashion season provides sufficient choice in style, colour and fabric. In some areas this has not been the case for Spring 2008. I’d love to hear your feelings on the current season. Don’t hold back!

“Business casual” for men can be interpreted in different ways and it’s therefore a little controversial. In my previous experience, business casual consisted of professional separates that were worn without tie or jacket. This is often not the case in America. What I’d refer to as unprofessional clothing is regarded as business casual appropriate because many companies accept khakis and knitted polo shirts as business casual attire.

The resulting business casual dress code has three acceptable looks with increasing levels of smartness:

• Level 1 - Khakis + polo-shirt + chunky leather shoes + belt
• Level 2 - Khakis + button-down shirt + chunky or refined shoes + belt
• Level 3 - Dress pants + button-down shirt + refined leather shoes + belt

The caveat here is that khakis come in all sorts. They can be ultra-casual, or smart. A casual pair of khakis worn with an un-tucked knitted polo shirt is not a professional look. It’s casual and there is nothing business-like about it. Pop a bloke into sleek dark denims, a sharp button-down shirt and fabulous shoes and that’s much more professional. Unfortunately, smart denim is not part of the business casual dress code. Denim still carries a stigma. And the wrong style of jeans can look very sloppy, which is what companies try to prevent.

So here is my opinion: Despite what the dress code allows, knitted polo shirts are strictly casual and khakis are debatable. Stick to dress pants, button-down shirts and refined leather shoes. This will ensure a polished, professional, business casual ensemble.

Business casual dress code Levels 1, 2 and 3. I’m not partial to the first, lukewarm about the second and advocate the third even though this particular Banana Republic ensemble is a bit conservative.

Everyone looks good in a one-piece bathing costume. Do not torture yourself trying to find a flattering two-piece if your body is not what it used to be. The right one-piece is practical, alluring and an absolute confidence booster.

“Miraclesuits” continue to meet with expectation because they are designed to fit real women. I am impressed with the “Sonatina” Miraclesuit this season. I’ve popped this style onto a whole slew of sizes and body types and they all got my thumbs up. Its V-neckline, vertical seaming and mid-riff ruching is elongating and extremely flattering. Its “girdle” effect is extraordinary and the cup size is available in a DD.

Give this particular Miraclesuit a bash if you are battling with bathing suits. But don’t faint at the price. This superb bathing costume does not come cheap.

The Sonatina is available in black, brown, indigo and coral at department stores, or on sites like simplybeach.com. Unfortunately, the style is not available in bright beach colours, but you could add a bright wrap or tunic to your poolside ensemble.

Inspired by the growth in online shopping, we thought we’d try to make it easier for YLF readers to find good deals at our favorite online stores. You can find the new feature on the right hand side of the site. The red block at the top contains links to popular shopping destinations. The column below that has links to online sales, specials and promotions.

You are now one click away from a fabulous deal. Happy shopping!

It’s makes a big difference when we wear the correct gear for sporting activities, and bras are no exception. A recent discussion on the YLF forum suggests that “Shock Absorber” bras are a very good choice. The brand offers various levels of support and you can go with or without underwire. Wearing sports bras for working out is a must because heavy perspiration shortens the life of everyday bras. So you’ll actually be saving money after the initial investment.

Thanks for the information Nicole and Ana. Shock Absorbers are available on Figleaves.com. Here’s to no more jiggle when we wiggle.

Greg and I started YLF two years ago and the time has flown. We like to celebrate these anniversaries by reflecting on the activity of our readers. Below are the 10 posts that received the most comments over the last year. Crocs seem to be the shoe we love to hate – they came in at positions 1 and 10. Especially notable in this list are numbers 1 and 7, which were posted very recently and haven’t had much time to accumulate comments.

1. Crocs mean business
2. Do you love or loathe the new Trapeze jacket?
3. Preferred shopping categories
4. Katie’s new cut
5. The volume watershed
6. Vanity Sizing
7. High-waisted, wide-legged jeans
8. The body shape bible
9. An American holiday tradition?
10. To Croc or not to Croc

These are the top 10 categories. “Body Type” was at the top of the list again this year (last year’s positions are in parentheses).

1. Body Type (1)
2. What to Wear
3. Dresses
4. Wedding Wear (5)
5. Party Wear
6. Casual Wear (2)
7. Men’s Style (8)
8. European Style (7)
9. Dress Codes (10)
10. Celebrities

I have posted over 500 entries so it’s hard to come up with a list of my favourites. I enjoy writing all my posts but hold a special place in my heart for the pieces on:

• International style and fashion
• Upcoming trends
• The best and worst of a season
• Dressing for your body type
• Dress codes

The posts that generated the most controversy were “Dressing your age” and “Are you too sexy to fly?“.

A big thank you to all our subscribers, forum members, daily readers and occasional visitors for making our readership what it is today. Your valuable contribution is appreciated. Remember that if you enjoy the blog, you can vote for us in the Blogger’s Choice Awards (in the “Best Blog About Stuff” and “Best Blog Design” categories).