Posts Tagged ‘empire line dress’
As the New Year starts, we all tend to make a list of resolutions, most of which we stick to for a day and then forget all about. This year, why not make a resolution for your style. You’ll be surprised at the small differences you can make, which will do wonders for your confidence and help you feel organised for the year ahead.
The first thing you should do is have a good clear-out of your wardrobe. We tend to keep clothes in the hope that we will eventually fit into them, and needless to say, we never do. Get rid of clothes which don’t fit you; take them to a charity shop or give away to willing friends. You may even be able to swap the clothes for other pieces. If there are clothes which you don’t wear, or no longer like, then get rid of these too. Start with a fresh wardrobe, and you’ll feel a lot better and much more organised. Make sure you have some essential pieces of clothing in your wardrobe, which you can alternate to create different outfits. Some ideas include; a crisp white blouse, empire line dress, pair of everyday trousers, and of course, the little black dress or some day dresses.
Another resolution to make, is to stick to a clothing budget. It may seem like a boring resolution, but it will stop you from overspending on your style. Work out exactly what you can afford to spend each month on your fashion, and buy key pieces which you can wear for different occasions, and can adapt to make other outfits. You can even save up each month, and buy one expensive item every so often.
You should also think about a resolution to keep your finger on the pulse, and stay up-to-date with the latest styles and trends. You can do this by taking time out to read fashion blogs, or sign up to newsletters for fashion websites and retailers. Style magazines are another way which you can keep on top of the latest trends.
A resolution which will save you a lot of time (and money) is to ensure you always try on clothes before you purchase them. Obviously this is not possible if you buy them online but you can try them on in the comfort of your own home and return them if they don’t fit. All to often, we will buy clothes, discover that they don’t fit us, but then never bother to return them. It’s such a waste of money!
Another idea is to be more creative and experimental with your style. Rather than always playing it safe with your style, try out new trends, colours and create your own identity with your clothes. We can actually become bored with ourselves if we wear the same types of clothes all the time, so think outside the box and try a change of image. Learn the benefits of accessorising, as it can completely change your outfit, and make it suitable to wear for different occasions.
When it comes to sorting out your wardrobe, it’s a good idea to have some classic pieces of clothing, which you can alternate for different occasions. They also have the benefit of staying timeless, so they never go out of fashion.
Jeans
A pair of jeans is an essential item for any ladies wardrobe, and you can dress them up or down, depending on where you are wearing them. Always make sure you have a pair of jeans which suit your body shape and you feel completely comfortable wearing. Blue and black are the classic colours for jeans, and will go with lots of different outfits. You can wear a pair of jeans with a drape or cowl top and pumps or ankle boots, for a stylish everyday outfit. If you are looking for an outfit for a special occasion or night out, a pair of jeans will go well with a ruffled or one shoulder top, and a pair of heels.
White Blouse
A crisp, white blouse is another essential piece of clothing for your wardrobe. You can wear this staple item with a pair of smart everyday trousers for a look for the office, or team it up with a pencil skirt and belt for a style to wear for after work drinks. A white blouse doesn’t need to be kept for everyday wear; you can also alternate it with a pair of leather trousers and heels for a night out.
Empire Line Dress
Empire Line Dresses have sustained trend for a number of seasons now, and are a great piece to keep in your wardrobe. You can wear an empire line dress for all different occasions by simply choosing costume jewellery to suit. Empire Line Dresses are flattering for almost any body shapes, due to their high waisted style, and the fact that they skim the hips.
Little Black Dress
No wardrobe can be complete without a little black dress. The LBD is an essential piece for all ladies, and is a classic outfit which will never go out of style. If you’re stuck for something to wear for a night out, you can always rely on your little black dress to save the day.
Fitted Blazer
A fitted blazer is another trend which will never go out of fashion, and it can really help make an outfit more stylish and smart. Fitted blazers can be worn with many styles, including jeans, trousers and a skirt. This piece of clothing can be worn as part of an everyday outfit, or for a night out. The classic colour is black, but you can find fitted blazers in many other colours.
Black Everyday Trousers
A classic pair of women’s trousers is a good piece of clothing to keep in your wardrobe. You can wear these for work, or dress them up with heels and appropriate costume jewellery, for a look outside the office. You should ensure your black everyday trousers are in a style to suit your body shape, and make you feel confident and comfortable.
There are times in all our lives, when we find ourselves frantically pulling outfits from the wardrobe, feeling uncomfortable in each and every outfit we try on, and it doesn’t set you up well for the day. Try keeping one or two of these wondrous items in your wardrobe, which are guaranteed to instantly fix and flatter your figure.
Straight Leg Trousers
If you have a pear shaped body and don’t feel comfortable wearing skinny trousers, then straight leg trousers are a great alternative. These trousers are an instant slimming fix, as they will make your curves look even more fantastic, and will accentuate your bottom. They also work wonders for smaller ladies, as they will give the appearance of a taller frame. Team your straight leg trousers up with a pair of gorgeous heels, for an even more balanced, and fabulous look. If you don’t have a curvaceous body, but more of a straight shape, then it may be best to avoid straight leg trousers, as they will not enhance your body shape. This shape, however, will look fabulous in a pair of skinnies.
A Line Skirt
A Line Skirts are those which are wider at the bottom half , compared to the top half, and will fix the figure of almost any type of body shape. The A Line Skirt manages to balance out slender frames, by giving the impression of a curvaceous shape, whilst minimising the hips and curves of those with a larger bottom half. It’s all about choosing the right style to suit your shape, so as a general rule, pear shapes should stick to the one colour, whereas apple shapes can experiment with different designs and patterned A-Line Skirts. The length of the skirt is also highly important, and those which sit below the knee will look great if you have slim legs. This dark grey flock pattern a line skirt is in a flattering dark colour but has a pattern to add some interest.
Empire Line Dress
The Empire Line Dress is simple, elegant, and an essential for all female wardrobes. As trendy now as it has been in previous years, the empire line dress is one which will instantly fix your figure, particularly if you have a curvy bottom half. The style shows off your top half, but skims the bottom half, concealing any unwanted lumps and bumps. This short sleeved blue empire line shift dress is a beautiful cut which is incredibly flattering. Â
Black Tights and Shoes
Black colours always work as an instant slimmer, so teaming up a dress or skirt with black tights and shoes, will easily take inches of your bottom half. Tights also help to control any lumps and bulges around this area, by pulling everything into place, and helping create an equal weight distribution throughout the body.
Tunic Top
Tunic Tops are very stylish this season, and are great for any type of body shape. The style is quite loose, and sits below the waist, making it ideal for covering up a multitude of sins. The designs of the tunic top are vast, and if you have a slender figure, they will look great teamed up with a pair of leggings or skinny jeans.
The key to look stylish for any sort of occasion is partly about choosing the right clothes to suit your body shape. If you are getting dressed up for an important occasion it will probably be really important to you to look your best. You should consider carefully which occasion dresses will look best for your body shape.
Apple Shape – people who tend to put on weight around their tummies are generally described as apple shapes. They tend to have slimmer arms and legs, so occasion wear that makes the most of these features will look amazing. An empire line dress looks really good on apple shapes as it skims over the tummy hiding it. This floral patterned dress has a beautifully draping material. The black band under the bust highlights the slimmest part of the torso for a flattering effect.
Pear shape – the pear shape is probably the most common body shape as most of us tend to put on weight around our hips and thighs. The key to finding a great dress for this shape is avoiding anything that clings around this are and look for detail on the top half or a wide neckline which balance out the wide hips. Look for occasion dresses with a line or straight cut skirts and ruffles or embellishment on the top half. This floral print dress is ideal as the sleeves make the top half appear wider balancing out the hips. The dress also skims over the hips which is much more flattering than a dress which clings.
Athletic Shape -some one with a smaller hips and bust can be defined as athletic. Athletic shaped ladies tend to be quite slim with good body tone. The key to dressing this body shape is usually to try and accentuate curves for a feminine look. Ruffles, belts or colour blocking at the waist will help to create the illusion of curves. This ivory print dress does just the trick with a contrasting colour belt.
Hourglass Shape -larger hips and bust with a small waist define the hourglass shape. Many curvy or hourglass shape girls are self conscious of their curves but they shouldn’t be as this is the most feminine of all the body shapes. The key to dressing this body shape is to add definition and ensure that the waist is defined, otherwise clothes can look shapeless. The contrast of the white belt against the black dress is a great way to define the waist. Black is also a very slimming colour for those who are a little self conscious of their curves. Add some brightly coloured accessories for a bold and fun look.
A bolero or shrug is the perfect cover up for any body shape if the weather is not quite warm enough for bare arms. It is also good for those who prefer to cover their arms up. High heels are also a great way to add height for all body shapes and can also have a slimming effect.
If you are petite or under 5ft 2, it can sometimes be quite challenging to find clothes that suit you. There are however some great ways that you can keep everything in proportion and lengthen your body using the clothes that you wear. As a petite it is advisable to avoid wearing clothes that make you look shorter or wider in any way.Â
One of the most important rules of dressing as a petite is to wear fitted clothes and to avoid anything too baggy or chunky. Tailored jackets look great on petites. Clothes that are too baggy will make you look wider and swamp you. Similarly very chunky clothes will make you look bulky and out of proportion.
If you are short, there can be the temptation to add height by wearing very high heel shoes. Apart from the impracticalities of trying to walk in them, they can also sometimes look too much on someone with short legs. A pair of shoes with medium heels is the perfect answer, they are in proportion, easier to walk in and will give a bit of extra height.
There are some styles of clothing that will always flatter a petite figure. These include the three quarter length sleeve, straight leg trousers, skirts that finish just below the knee and empire line dresses. All of these pieces of clothing help to make the body and legs look longer.
Vertical or diagonal lines of any sort will help to lengthen the body. Use stripes, patterns or embellishments jewellery of scarfs for this purpose. Other details like draping, ruffles or frills are also good ways of creating body lengthening vertical or diagonal line. Horizontal lines have the opposite effect, making the body look shorter. You should avoid obvious belts, embellishments and stripes that create horizontal lines across the body as these will make you look shorter (and wider).
 Wearing an outfit in all one colour is also a very flattering way for petites to dress. If you wear a black dress with black tights and black shoes this will make you look taller. You can add some colour with accessories like a coloured handbag or scarf.
 If you choose to wear patterns, smaller scale patterns usually work best on petites. Think about polka dots, ditsy florals, paisly, animal or abstract prints. Very large florals or geometrics will look out of proportion.
Generally speaking as a petite simple and well fitting clothes look best. If you want to add interest to an outfit, you can do so with a small scale print or statement accessories. Finding the right pair of trousers can be a challenge and often the best way to guarantee a good fit is by getting them altered or doing so yourself if you know how.
Finally, as a petite, you should also dress according to your body shape. So if you have relatively large hips wear boot cut trousers and wide neck tops to balance them out. If you are an hourglass shape you can cinch clothes in at the waist buy choose a belt in the same colour as your clothes.