What’s your greatest challenge with dressing? What do you want to know?
Is it about your body shape?
Is it about a specific part of your body?
Is is about accessorising?
Is it about fit?
Is it about fabric?
Is it about choosing flattering colours?
Is it about putting together a wardrobe that works?
Is it about shopping?
Is it about body image?
I’d love to know what you want to know, what I haven’t already covered, or you would like more information on.
Please leave your questions in the comments and I’ll work through them for you all!
Also, as we’re coming into the ‘silly season’ here, both Christmas and our summer holidays, I may not post daily, but will be posting at least 3 times a week, more if I can! With the kids on holiday from school, it will sometimes be hard to find a quiet moment to put together a post. I hope you understand.
Thanks for all your inspiring posts over the year.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy new year.
You may have covered this before I found you. Here's my problem. I did fine at dressing for work. Fine at dressing up. Casual in the house, who cares. But given that I'm always tempted to wear my loose jeans, my yoga pants, and a tshirt, what kind of jackets can I get so that I look decent when totally comfortable? For shoes I've found casual, semi-hip Aerosoles that I am fully willing to put on in place of sneakers. But what to replace my sweatshirt?
How to dress professionally with a large chest. I want to be taken seriously, not dress in a sack, and not ace-bandage my boobs. It keeps annoying me when I go clothing-shopping; lots of shirts that I like are the kind that poof out and are tied at the waist, which looks appalling on me (I end up looking like a pillow), and button-up shirts are a pain in the butt, and sweaters can look tacky. I never show cleavage–I am cleavage-averse–but somehow my boobs end up dominating most of my outfits. They're not even that big–just… intrusive. Also, blazers; I like them in theory and on other people, but appear to be awful at styling them.
Reading your Blog for almost a year now, I want to thank you for all those inspiring posts which give me so many ideas to try something new.
But there is one thing, where I am still at a loss. I usually wear black and lots of cool colors. But over the last months I ventured away and bought some trousers, shoes and a bag in cool brown tones (warm colors look awful on me, especially orange, olive green and beige). I really love these items but I dont know how to mix them with other colors. Even observing other people hasnt helped me much, as I am living in a city, where fashion is always some years behind :-). So I still wonder which colors go with brown. Can I mix it with black? And if so, are there any rules to observe? I really need some help and would love to hear your opinion.
So thanks a lot for all the inspiration and have a wonderful christmas with your family.
Anja
Reading your Blog for almost a year now, I want to thank you for all those inspiring posts which give me so many ideas to try something new.
But there is one thing, where I am still at a loss. I usually wear black and lots of cool colors. But over the last months I ventured away and bought some trousers, shoes and a bag in cool brown tones (warm colors look awful on me, especially orange, olive green and beige). I really love these items but I dont know how to mix them with other colors. Even observing other people hasnt helped me much, as I am living in a city, where fashion is always some years behind :-). So I still wonder which colors go with brown. Can I mix it with black? And if so, are there any rules to observe? I really need some help and would love to hear your opinion.
So thanks a lot for all the inspiration and have a wonderful christmas with your family.
Anja
Always read your posts and have found them so useful – I would love to see some information about how to put together a wardrobe that works… I dream of having a minimal wardrobe where things 'go' together and all fit in with each other… Thanks so much…
p.s. my word verification is "fable" !! So maybe I can't have the above, EVER!
I have been reading every post you made. You think about everything! Rhanks for asking what we are interested on.
I learned soooo much reading you!
And start making less bad buys. There is so much offer out there that we can spend a lot of money on clothes we'll never wear! For me, the next step will be re-reading all your posts ( big work), and take notes to build my list of musts to be able to recognize them while shopping. I find challenging the question of style as you get older ( I am 48). I find the internet content about it very conservative or too obsessed about details to look younger. I like to look at images and exemples. Some blogs dont show enough images. I appreciate it about yours. You illustrate what you write about. My fantasy 'd be to find on internet more inspirational images. I like when you make posts on personal style and personalities.
I also fantasisez sometimes seeing
pictures of what other girls do with your teaching, the solutions they find, their discoveries.
Have a great time with your kids!!!! They are beutifull! and family!
I still have problems figuring out which type of figure I have. Many of your old pictures have been deleted, so I look for tipps for persons with H-figures (I guess that's what I am…).
I wolud also like to read an article with your opinion on belts and the different figures.
First, thank you so much for your blog! It's such a wealth of information.
My trouble areas are:
– How to accessorize and choose which types of belts, shoes, jewelery go with what sort of outfit
– I'm a SAHM. I'd like suggestions for how to look put-together without overdressing.
– How to dress with confidence. I want to be comfortable with how I look and the outfits I create. I don't want to worry about what other people think!
– How to pair tights with skirts. Which colors work best together? Which not so well?
I would love to know more about:
1) Color
2) How to accessorize, combining color and choosing the right styles for different body shapes
3) Body shapes, the different in-between shapes. I´m a blend of H and X.
Um, I would say
a) How to look up to date by blending cheaper, trendier items with a few 'investment' pieces.
b) How to keep warm at work and still look vaguely professional: I seem to live in a handful of cardis.
Thanks for all the lovely posts and of course you must take time to be with your family.
Thank you for all your interesting post along the year.You have been incredibly generous about sharing your knowledge.
My deep darkest wish was that you would show me 2 or 3 outfits that would work for me specifically. But maybe that's asking too much.
I hope this season and the next year brings all the best for you and your family.
One thing I'd love, is information about finding a good hat. I'd really love to find a flattering vintage (or vintage-style) hat, but I'm afraid that I'll look silly or costumey. What's the line between daring/unusual and crazy?
Also, maybe a post specifically on stretching a tight clothing budget to look like I've spent much more. Where should the largest percent of the budget go? I tend to spend everything on really good shoes, and then skimp out the rest, but should I be saving for certain other pieces?
Apologies if youve already covered these topics, I'm still working through old posts!
Hi Imogen:
I have been reading your blog almost daily for about 2 months. Thank you for many wonderful suggestions here. I am in my 40s but look at least 10 years younger than my age. I am a physician and many patients think I am too young to be experienced. I would like to know how to dress professionally, age appropriate, and not appearing too young.
Thank you.
Hi Imogen! You have always been so very helpful whenever I have had a question on my mind, I am so very grateful, thank you. So many areas have been covered, but at least for me, there is yet one question. I´d like your opinion on. Makeup; the right amount of it! The essential everyday amount of jewelry. An eyebrow pencil is a must for me, I also feel pale without a contour pencil for my lips. And studs are absolutely my must for jewelry, without these three, I feel totally naked. Is there something more? Oh, and I feel comfortable when I have had a visit to my hairdresser and have clean, shiny hair and clean, well fitting clothes. Btw. I just heard the weather forecast for today: -15C to-25C. It really is just impossible to believe that you are having summer over there!
My biggest challenge is my body shape, petite, hourglass, large chest, hips and tiny waist, nothing fits nice, how to dress to look slimmer and taller.
Love you site.
A merry christmas to you and your family
Hi Imogen
I really love your blog – I find it very informative, and also very inspiring! My big problem is matching my wardrobe with being mama to two very young, active and messy boys. I'm at a loss how to look stylish, and yet wear clothes that are destined to withstand the sticky fingerprints all over them almost as soon as I get dressed. My clothes need to be easy to wear, yet I feel stuck in t-shirts and stretchy pants. Oh yeah, and my body is still (post-pregnancy) boob-a-licious, so nothing much fits properly!
Some others have mentioned this – age appropriate dressing for "older" (in my case, 50+) women. I'd like to add that I've chosen to work in a field (childcare) that doesn't pay well, so I don't have a lot to spend on clothes/accessories.
Thanks for a wonderful blog. Season's Greetings to all.
How do you know the difference between the A and 8 figures?
For me it's about all of those! Thank you for all your great posts over the year – you've certainly helped me find my way a bit clearer!
My question is about how to choose t-shirts (long and short sleeves) for my body shape – something I still can't quite seem to get right!
Merry Christmas – enjoy your summer holidays! (not at all envious here in cold and wet England!)
I discovered your blog a few months ago, and I've learned so much going through the archives! My question, and I apologize if this already has been addressed, is how to accessorize in a semi-conservative/formal office environment (I'm a lawyer, but rarely wear suits; usually nice slacks or a pencil skirt and a sweater or blouse with a blazer). The one thing I had been accessorizing with is belts, until I realized I'm an H-shape, and belts highlight the worst part of my physique! Also, I feel that a lot of accessories age me too much (I'm 36, and the mother of 3 under 5, and I feel I look older than I am). Thanks!
-YSJ
Thanks for all of your great posts. My question is which beige neutrals look good on which kind of skin or do they all look good because they're "neutral"?
Wishing you great holiday times with your family.
I love broad straight shoulders. Don't have 'em. My shoulders aren't excessively narrow but they do slant down. If I square them up a bit with pads, having a shorter neck, run the risk of looking like a football player – beefy. I'm a kind of solid semi-hourglass or maybe an 8. I look lots narrower from the front or back and most of my weight is in thickness you can see from the side. Don't know this has anything to do with shoulders, but just to indicate I don't have pronouncedly out-of-balance hips or thighs or bottom.
Also, raglan sleeves. Sometimes what I want is great except for having raglan sleeves. Lots of fabric in that shoulder/upper arm area. Makes sloping shoulders look punier. I can sew but can't figure out what shoulder pads would work. Love a sharper shoulder but seems at odds with the whole raglan concept.
I tried emailing this link to you, but it got bounced back to me, so I figured I'd post it here and hope you saw it. It's from the Pattern Review website, one of the sewing websites I frequent. I saw the winning wardrobe contest entry there and thought you would enjoy seeing it:
http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&ID=43905 (you can click on the thumbnail to see a larger image of her wardrobe composite photo).
I think she did an amazing job on her 10-pc wardrobe entry, don't you? I've sewn almost my entire life, but have never looked THAT put together. I guess it just goes to show that you *can* have a fabulous homemade wardrobe.
Happy holidays!
Imogen, thank you for sharing all your knowledge. My day always starts with your blog!
My problem remains: How to dress with thin legs, big boobs and a flat butt.
When I was younger the problem didn't seem to be that big, but now I have all my weight on my belly. I look narrow from the front and back, and equally broad from the side. (not nice!)
During the colder seasons I can hide my flaws better than in the summer. The beach is a horror for me.
Imogen,
You are an amazing teacher… making artistic ideas very practical, down to earth and applicable to each of us. You take the mumbo jumbo out of this wardrobe/groomin stuff, and I thank you for that!
my issue is one of height and proportion: 5'1" hips and chest… in Austria I was told iwa sthe perfect "dirndl figur"— infortunately, we have lived in the era of Twiggy type straight up an d down a sthe silhouette of choice since the 60's. What to do? How do i dress without looking frumpy hiding chest/ uncomfortable exposing chest. Plus, there's nut much physical room where boobs end and waist/hips go out.
Maybe you could show us the same outfit done for 2-3 body shapes— short & cuurvy, short rail thin, medium height, medium weight, tall overweight, etc. You get the idea. Then we can learn how to adapt some of the outfits to our own figure, once we see how you make the changes.
Also, I fall into a rut as a SAHM, and wear the same "sporty casual" cashmere top and wool yoga pants for most of the week. How to look not too dressed up, yet put together for the bus stop and school runs? That is really what 90% of my life is about at this point in time.
Thank you, and happy holidays to you and yours!
Hi Imogen, As a new reader to your blog I have been so impressed with all your tips. Like some of the other readers, I would be interested in the minimalist approach to putting a wardrobe together.
Also maybe pointers on dressing up and breastfeeding???
Have a great Christmas,
Nic
I'd like advice on when a piece is worth having altered and when you just shouldn't buy it.
Fairly new to your site so I have a lot of back reading to do but the things that I'd really love to see are 1) how to make a particular style (say skinny jeans, high boots and tunic) work for the various body types…what to do for that look if you are an 8 versus if you are a H. Also love the posts about putting together a whole wardrobe that works together.