To mark my first full year of writing and editing, What Looks Good, I reviewed every post from 2025, 114 in total, in search of the most popular posts that garnered the most engagement. The wisdom of the collective community is interesting and often unpredictable. You keep me on my toes. I’ve narrowed it down to 12, including paid posts, which I’ve unlocked for this story for a limited time. In chronological order, I’ll link the first six today and the last six next Sunday.

I’m thankful for the entire Substack community, particularly all of you who regularly read and weigh in with comments; you know who you are, and I loved getting to know you this year. To all my subscribers, particularly paid subscribers, thank you so much for your continued support and kind words of encouragement. I spend many hours conceptualizing, researching, writing, and finally assembling each post. It is your support that makes this possible, and for that I’m grateful.

Ever the optimist, I’m hopeful 2026 will be a pivotal year in fashion. The dust has settled from the many creative director changes this year at the major houses. More importantly, though, I believe rejection of the large fashion conglomerates will continue to gain steam. Exorbitant prices and scant offerings for wearable clothes have turned many people off. Where there is upheaval, creativity follows. Vintage, resale, and small independent brands will continue to grow in importance. I’m hopeful this will inspire more women to explore fashion on a more personal and less disposable level.

In 2026, I’ll continue to share my observations, discoveries, and advice on navigating the information overload we all experience, and help you edit it down to What Looks Good for you personally. I’ll continue to make recommendations and share with you great deals, with an emphasis on independent brands that are making high-quality, stylish clothes and accessories at a fair price.

What it comes down to is:

Style over fashion, quality over quantity

As Diana Vreeland famously said, “Style is everything. It helps you get up in the morning, it helps you get down the stairs. It’s a way of life. Without it, you’re nobody. And I’m not just talking about clothes.”

Extending beyond clothes is also in the works for What Looks Good in 2026 as I embark on a kitchen renovation and then a room-by-room makeover. For paid subscribers, I’ll chronicle everything from inspiration to final results and everything in between. It should be interesting.

Finally, to encourage you to become a paid subscriber, I’m offering 20% off all paid subscriptions from now until the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. That’s $4.80 a month or $48. for the year.

Now to the WLG year in review.

Perfection is Boring January 12, 2025

I was surprised by the reaction to this one. In it, I vented my frustration over our celebrity-obsessed society and how overstyled many celebrities are to the detriment of real style. Apparently, I was not alone in my thinking. Guess it had to be said.

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The Myth of Dressing for One’s Age January 16, 2025

In this post, I flip the script on dressing for one’s age and offer more relevant factors to consider for evolving personal style. The post is illustrated with style champions who make aging look cool, as it should.

The Power of Saturated Colors January 19, 2025

I was on a roll in January, with another popular post inspired by the saturated colors that permeated the Pedro Almodóvar Film The Room Next Door, which I had just seen on the big screen. I was craving more color in my wardrobe, and the movie sealed the deal for me. The post explores ways to integrate saturated color into your existing wardrobe.

Is Miuccia Prada The Only Designer That Matters? March 30, 2025

In my second post on Miuccia Prada, I delve into her family history and formative years to understand how she became the most powerful woman in fashion. She’s a fascinating person, destined to do exactly what she’s doing.

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The Ultimate Prada Edit April 6, 2025

I followed up the Miuccia Prada post with a deep dive into Prada, both new and vintage, parsing the codes of the house as well as the inimitable style of the lady herself.

Blackout in Spain and Owning My Age May 1,2025

This was a personal post recounting the country-wide blackout we experienced while in Spain. The day before, I celebrated a big birthday and how I came to terms with that scary number.

To wrap it up:

‘Tis the season to be out and be seen. Here’s an outfit suggestion for holiday festivities:

Wear a midi pencil skirt, extra points for shine or sparkle, as this CO skirt, with a fine gauge cardigan, over a silk cami or lacy bra, unbutton the top buttons. Pair it with boots or go for something strappy and wear with hose the color of the sweater. Add gobs necklaces like this pendant and gold chain, and finish off for the win with an exquisite tiny bag and the perfect shearling bomber. It’s modern, festive, and relaxed.

And finally, Banana Republic has cashmere sweaters worth looking at on sale. I like this oversized striped turtle, no surprise there, and this yellow oversized crewneck, love it as an accent color to tie at the waist or shoulders.

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Thanks for reading. Next Sunday, I’ll have the remaining six most popular posts of the year. Let me know if you have a favorite post or if there are subjects you would like me to cover. I love all your comments and show me the love with a like!

Enjoy the day. I hope you’re already jumping right into the holidays. Now is the time to enjoy and have fun!

xxx Jolain

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