The London Lookbook: Fit to flatter
Dressing for your body type is a skill that takes many years to master and much experimentation. In my personal styling days I spent most of my time advising my clients on how to emphasise their best points through choosing flattering shapes. Despite the fact that I am acutely aware of how the right clothes can dramatically change the look of a body, I still get it wrong.
The best look for me is anything that’s fitted on the waist and full in the skirt – I rarely wear jeans or trousers. The problem is that I get bored and deviate from my tried and tested formula. I recently bought an amazing By Malene Birger jumpsuit in the January sales hoping that I could work a new look. Unfortunately the jumpsuit looked terrible on me – it was simultaneously too tight and too baggy – I looked like a Mario Brother. As much as I’d like to work a sleek, masculine silhouette, it’s never going to look good on me. Rather than trying to shoehorn my feminine body into androgynous tailoring, I’ve accepted that womanly skirts and nipped in waists are my best look. I can add oversized tailoring to my 50’s silhouettes, but there’s a basic shape that I stick to. It’s only when you acknowledge your body type without judgement or criticism that you can dress to your strengths.
This cropped T by Topshop is perfect because it adheres to 50’s my fashion formula, but has a minimalistic modernity, which brings my look up to date. Luckily for me, full statement skirts are hot for spring 2014, and this Whistles skirt will see me through the year. My trusty old camel coat from French Connection grounds my girly outfit, keeping the look grown up.
