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Fitting the shirtdress into your look
Because you can button it up or button it down, you can make the dress work for winter or summer. I’d maybe wear a nice khaki-coloured one with a big brown belt and some brown leather wedges in warmer months. Or if I was to do a fresh, mini look for day, I’d only wear flats. Try Gap and Principles for classic styles that you can dress up year after year and which won’t date.
GET SHIRTY
Dress, Hennes; belt, Sport Max; bangle, Topshop; clutch, Hennes; sandals, Gap.
THE FLORAL DRESS
Perfect for real romantics
A few years ago I didn’t have any floral dresses in my wardrobe. Now they are a big theme in the designer collections every spring and summer, and now I’ve got quite a few! And I must say, I do think all these pretty pinks, purples and citrus shades that you see on the catwalks always look so Boho and lovely. But it’s with the softer, smaller, spriggy tea-dress styles that I could easily get into ‘nan-dress’ territory, so I have to be careful with the dress shape I choose. I’d probably go for bigger, more graphic prints, like a Marc by Marc Jacobs white mini-shift with giant flowers on it. Gucci have also done some good flower designs, and Temperley London always do something a little different with floral prints that I like, too. The Balenciaga one that I wore for the races was quite a bold look and I felt great in it.
Real Style Note
Floral dresses need a bit more edginess to stop them looking the wrong side of old-fashioned. Some people like to wear them with leggings and flats.
Most of the high-street stores do floral dresses every spring. Oasis are particularly good as they do some nice strapless ones with bold prints that have a more stylish and less frumpy look.
You can find some pretty vintage dresses if you look around charity shops – it only takes a wide belt to make them look fresh and modern.
Most dresses look great when worn with wedges and slingbacks – but I’d steer clear of black shoes with summer styles as they’ll look too heavy against light colours and floral prints.
Getting the fit right
Mini-shifts with bold prints are a great look for anyone with good legs. The ones I’ve worn even felt fine with my shorter legs. If you’re tall, you can get away with longer, floaty styles. But if you’re curvy or short, traditional tea-dress shapes – buttoned up, in at the waist and out at the hip – might make you look a bit like a dinner lady. Just don’t add overalls!
Fitting the floral dress into your style
Wearing tea dresses can be a hard look to pull off, and if I was going to wear one, I’d probably do it in a Boho kind of way – longer, buttoned down, with loads of accessories. Big chunky belts, flat sandals and lots of necklaces and bangles would pep the look up, too. Other ways to cut out the frump factor is to buy one with thin, Seventies-style tie straps.
Dress, Warehouse.
Top, Marlene Birger; jeans,Earnest Sewn; shoes, Christian Louboutin.
Skinnies, flares, high-waisted or boyfriend – which styles are best for you?
With so many styles, colours and fits to choose from, is it just me, or has shopping for a pair of jeans become a bit of a challenge?
To be honest, I’ve always found it hard to get jeans that are a good fit, and I’ve spent a long time trying to find the perfect pair. I’m still not sure that they exist but after trying on skinny, high-waisted, boy-cut and umpteen other shapes, sizes and colours, it’s fair to say I’ve got a good idea of what’s out there now.
So what kind of jeans shape will suit you best? That’s up to you. I say, if you feel good in skinnies, wear them; or if you fancy giving high-waisters a go, just do it – that’s what I do. The main thing with jeans is to just try loads of pairs on: you’ll know yourself what works and what doesn’t. Here are my top tips on what’s out there and how to wear them.
MODERN CLASSIC
If you don’t like skinnies, try straight leg instead. Wear with a pair of cool wedges.
Top, Gap; jeans, River Island; wedges, River Island.
My jeans rulebook
1 Dress the Part
When you’re getting ready to go out shopping for jeans, be sure to put on the kind of top or tops that you intend to wear with them; I’d also take a good belt, too. If I’m wearing flats, I’ll shove a pair of heels in my bag, or vice versa. I like a big bag for daytime, so carrying shoes around is not usually a problem for me!
Take whatever you think you’ll wear your jeans with most, basically. It may sound like a hassle, but honestly, a little bit of planning works wonders, and I just think that jeans are such a big part of your wardrobe that it’s worth putting the effort in.
Jeans, Boohoo.com.
Jeans are such a major part of our wardrobes that it’s worth buying different styles for different occasions.
2 Don’t think ‘size’, think ‘shape’
The trick is to find a pair of jeans that highlight your best bits: you can always cover up your not-so-good parts. And remember, the sizing from one brand to the next can be completely different; so don’t think size, think shape. I have some Balenciaga jeans which I love because they are really thin and stretchy and make my legs look much longer, but they are a little less flattering around my bum, as they make it look a bit long too – and with my short legs, my bum isn’t long! But they do look nice with a floaty blouse that covers my bum, and I wear them all the time.
So, the trick is to think about balance and to use a few styling tricks. If you find a pair of jeans that make your bum and legs look great but that are a little loose around the waist, spend a little more on a good belt: it will pull them in and add extra style. The only definite no-no
