alt="Image"/>
Photograph © Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images.
A little extra detail on a vest top adds extra style.
JEAN GENIUS
Tanks and racer-backs can look great with jeans. I’ve seen Scarlett Johansson do this look in a simple, stylish way; with some three-quarter-length denim capri pants and a plain white, cotton vest. Her gorgeous curvy figure brought a real old-fashioned sexiness to the look that made me think of the Pink Ladies in Grease.
EXTRA PRETTY
If you can do that Fifties kind of thing, it can look really cute, but I’d say you have to be careful with vests as they can easily slip into ‘builder’ territory, and if they don’t suit your shape, the effect can be a little too masculine. Layering a fine cotton shirt on top of a vest will help avoid this. Remember, too, to go for nude-coloured bras under white vests, so that they don’t show through. It’s nicer not to have bra straps showing, so go for tank-shaped vests, which should cover them.
SUPER SMART
Another thing I look for in a T-shirt is good-quality fabric: silk or fine cotton adds a smartness that stops a tee feeling too loose and casual, while a little more detail will look dressier. It’s just the kind of thing that Joseph, See by Chloé and Topshop Unique do really well – they take a great basic T-shirt shape and make it in a luxurious or silky material. I often spend a little extra on smart T-shirts, and I find that those are the ones that last longer and wash up really well.
ALL IN THE NAME
I’m not as keen as I used to be about logos on clothes. Small ones are fine, but you have to be careful with large logos. Saying that, I remember about 13 years ago I had a pair of red Moschino jeans with ‘Moschino’ written all over them. I thought they were fab at the time!
Real Style Note
If you’re curvy, go for fitted tops that show off your shape.
If you’re worried about your tummy, pick a looser style with sleeve detail and a low-cut or buttoned neckline to draw attention away from it.
If you’re tall, choose a vest to highlight your waist and wear it with a fitted jacket of the same length. Elle Macpherson looks great in this combination.
If you like to cover your bum, choose a tee with sleeve and neck detail – like a ruffle- to draw attention away from the bits you feel conscious of. I’d also try wearing longer styles that skim your hips.
Blouse, Wallis.
All-time classic
The white shirt
White shirts never go out of fashion – whether you wear one to the office every day or buy one every summer, there are not many people I know who don’t wear one at some point. The good news is that they don’t just come in straight ‘office’ styles anymore. Stores like Gap, Marks & Spencer and Hennes do several versions of classic white shirts now, as do most of the big designers. Chanel always do quite special ones, but I like the Chloé shirts, as they always have something more going on – like pleats around the neckline – and this stops them looking and feeling too stiff. I’d tend to stick to this type of shirt for during the day, but really, the brilliant thing about a white shirt is that it goes with almost anything. The key is to keep it as pristine and as white as you can; once it loses its sharpness you’ll need to buy a new one.
Style Tip
Choose a crisp, fitted white blouse for a polished look or a looser, softer, hippy style for casual days. Pull your shirt in at the waist with a wide tan or black belt for a sleeker look.
Blouse, Marlene Birger.
Dressing the part
Beautiful blouses
I love silky or chiffon blouses. I might go for a chiffon one that’ nicely fitted around the body but that has big, full or puffy sleeves. This can look just as lovely and glamorous with a pencil skirt or some high-waisted jeans as it would with classic trousers or a skirt. Smock styles with jewels and stones around the neckline can also work during the day, and short-sleeved blouses tend to look better in daytime, too.
NIGHT BRIGHTS
For night, choose loose, wide-neck blouses that sit slightly off the shoulder, as they can look just the right side of sexy – as can pussy-bow necklines and ruffle-front styles. I’d say that a plain blouse in a lush fabric and a bright or block colour doesn’t need anything extra with it, as the brightness speaks for itself. I’d also stick to the same rule of ‘don’t accessorize’ when it comes to printed styles.
IN THE MIX
Another good look to bear in mind is combining the two and wearing an evening-style top with jeans in the day. I got a fantastic silver-sequined, T-shirt-style blouse with a bow at the neck that I wore in the first series of Coleen’s Real Women. It was from Topshop and I think it looked kind of trendy and not too blingy. I wear it with my skinny denims and high shoes. For me, this worked because I let the top do the talking and I didn’t wear any accessories. I got loads of compliments on it.
A sheer, silk blouse with ruffle-front detail is just the right side of sexy.
The soft touch
Easy knits
Knitted tops can be quite hard to wear: they tend to be what we reach for in between seasons when it starts to get a little colder. But in changeable weather, jumpers can feel too bulky and fine-knit tops can feel too thin. My advice is: try layering.
THE WARM UP
In winter, layer a chunky-knit cardigan over your favourite long-sleeved T-shirt or polo neck. Big knitted cardigans have more shape than jumpers, which not only look better on all figures, but they give you the chance to turn the heat up or down by taking your cardi off when you’re indoors.
PLAIN SAILING
In spring or summer, layer fine cotton-knit tops. Try soft colours like grey and powder-pink in cashmere or merino wool: they can look great over a plain vest. Varying the lengths of your tops worn together also gives a flattering, layered look.
GET UP AND GO
I
