I have a friend who has sturdy calves, she is so embarrassed by them she won’t wear a skirt, and suffers through our hot, hot summers in pants every day. Sure, you can do that, and pants and jeans are an easy way to cover up your calves, but why not think about some alternatives.…
Dear Imogen, I would be most grateful – on behalf of all the ladies blessed with wide calves – if you could write a post about winter fashion for women who can’t wear boots. Personally, my stocky legs and circulation problems prevent me from wearing boots – even if could find a pair that fits,…
Recently I received two requests for posts on issues surrounding trouser fit and flattery asking about issues such as knock knees and thick calves. Given my post on which pants suit your body shape I’m now going to go into these body variations. Knock knees (where the knees have an inward curve and then the…
I’ve been asked by one of my lovely readers to do a post to help her make the most of her long slim legs, without looking Mutton Dressed as Lamb. 1. Wear shoes with detail and ankle straps – all those gladiator shoes will work for you. Just ensure that the straps are finer…
Reader Question:Also, is there any rules with shoes and body types? Particurarly thinking about boots, as it’s getting colder here in Europe 😉 Thanks again, Maija When thinking about what are the best shapes of boots and heels for different body shapes, consider your shape and what will balance it. Stiletto heels with their long…
When my mother came into my bedroom and surveyed the 12 pairs of knee high boots lined up against the wall she commented that I had a lot of boots. This may be true, but I wear them almost every day in winter and I’ve been collecting them for a decade or more. I love…
 I love books, which is why I was so attracted to work in publishing when I left university, and one of my favourite ever memories was the first time I walked through the warehouse at Penguin, seeing row upon row of stacks of shiny new books. The colours of the covers, the potential enjoyment,…
I’m 5 ft 2 inches a petite athletic frame and weigh 118 lbsI have short legs and muscular thighs and calves. What dress shoes / evening style do it west to give my legs a longer slimming look. Also heel and strapping styles Thank you so much. Strap Styles Straps are not ideal on evening…
Legs One of the great body parts – they move us around and we should appreciate them. They may be longer or shorter proportionally and so it’s good to know what yours are so you can make better decisions regarding lengths of skirts and dresses. Want to know how to make your legs look longer?…
I love your blog . My biggest question is proper footwear for the cold fall weather (but before it snows). I live in the Midwest of USA. I am wondering if you could do a blog post for casual ladies who like slim fit jeans and shorter boots. I like tall boots on other people,…
This season I have noted a lot of mid-calf dress-boot styles. Generally I would say no to the boots because they chop the leg up and mess with proportions. However, I am tempted…so cute… can you show some flattering ways to wear this type of boot, besides the under pant and with same color legging?…
I’ve had a few requests on how to wear leggings after my post the other week. So here are some ideas if you’re no longer in your twenties or don’t want to show off too much leg. Some Ideas: 1.A skirt that is a bit too short – leggings that go over the knees…
Finding the Perfect Fit: A Guide to Choosing Garments that Embrace Your Style If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me “I wish I could find clothes that fit me”, well I wouldn’t be a millionaire, but I’d have quite a few dollars! So why is it so hard to find…
X Marks The Sweet Spot for Hems of All Kinds We all have sweet spots on our bodies that hems end and flatter us. Hems for sleeves, for tops and jackets, for coats, skirts, dresses and pants. Finding your sweet spot can take a little determination and trying different things out, but once you’ve figured…
Shoes are a really important part of your outfit – even though you want to dress your portrait first, we notice the whole of you as you enter or leave a room and if the shoes don’t work, they can create an unwanted focal point, or create disharmony. So how do you choose shoes? What…
Reader Question: How do I create my own figure flattery guidelines when I have to take into consideration my body shape, my body proportions and my body variations? This is what I call the body equation and here are tips on how you can put together your own set of personalised guidelines, as you are…
Cropped pants, according to the Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion are “Pants cut at varying lengths between ankle and knee.” So really, anything that ends just below the knee to the ankles. They can have a leg shortening effect so here are some tips on what kinds of shoes to wear them with (as well as…
Body Proportions There are body shapes (X, A, H, I, O, V, 8) which tell us where to add detail and where to use horizontals to balance or draw attention, and where to use verticals to elongate. Then there are body proportions, which tell us where to end hems of sleeves, tops, jackets, skirts and…
Have you ever thought about what your skirt length says? Many women have skirts in their wardrobes that end at unflattering lengths for them. It’s commonly because the skirt is made for someone with longer legs than they have (particularly for the short legged and petite). The other common reason is the skirt is from…
Focal points are created by detail on clothing – whether it’s colour, shiny fabrics, pockets, distressing on jeans, ruffles, pattern, belts, beading or jewellery. You can use detail to draw attention to your assets and away from areas you’d rather people didn’t notice. You can see from this collection how the details draw…
After my post on Highlighting Your Assets, some commenters seemed to have trouble working out what their assets are, they’ve spent so long being told about and focussing on their ‘flaws’ but never ‘assets’. I see everything as an asset, and don’t believe in flaws. It’s just that some assets you may want to highlight,…
