Contributions from Caryn Franklin, Jane Galpin, Melissa Dick and Kathryn Byrne.

April

Nice website!
 
Went straight to your swimwear section but nothing for us ladies that need cupsized bikinis.
 
I have found 2 good makers....Freya and Fantasie...lovely stuff but only come in very basic colours nothing too exciting...please help.....!
 
Thanks
Emily

Dear Emily,
Thanks for highlighting this, we love to get feed back from readers so we can keep on improving the site for you all. 

In the meantime, a brilliant place to start is figleaves.com, they have an amazing selection of cup sized swimwear, with leopard prints, pretty florals, and gorgeous citrus colours from a huge range of quality brands. 

I hope this helps, please do let us know how you get on and keep checking the site, we will look for more retailers who offer cup sized swimwear to add to the directory.  So pleased you like the site, spread the word!

Dear Caryn,
I'm 16. I'm 5ft and I'm about a size 6in jeans and an 8 -sometimes 10 in tops. I'm a bit of a rock chick, my style is quite bold. A normal outfit for me would be a pair of baggy moto jeans with love heart detail on a pocket, a vintage iron maiden t-shirt, a suit jacket(normally from GAP) a pair of converse tennis shoes and lots of bright, chunky,tacky braclets.

I wear baggy jeans with tight hips to show off my hour glass figure but I cant seem to find tighter jeans that fit me in length that do the same and the baggy jeans tend to make me look shorter than I am. I shop in topshop alot but they rarely have jeans to fit my length. I've tried 3/4 length jeans with converse tennis shoes but they just make my legs look skinny.

Do you have any suggestions to make me look a little bit taller with out making my legs look too thin?

By the way I always watch Style Academy and I love your look!
Kitty, Dundee(Scotland)

Hey Kitty,
Im loving your rock chic look! Unfortunately, as Ive said to many women, there really is a lack of stylish petite clothing around, Topshop do have a capsule petite range although at just 5ft I think even their petite jeans will be too long.

The best advice I can give is to buy a pair of jeans that fit really well around the hips, bottom and thighs and take the jeans to be shortened. There are two key things to remember though:

1. Make sure that the seamstress uses the same colour thread on the hem as originally used, when a different colour is used it tends to make the jeans look cheap and makes it glaringly obvious they have been altered.

2. Secondly wear a pair of your heels when having your jeans measured for alteration, ask for the length to inish about 3 to 4 cm from the ground this will give the illusion of longer length in the leg, the longer length will also look great with your converse.

Have you considered investing in some cowboy boots with a slight heel? They would also give you a bit of height whilst fitting in with your look.

Let us know how you get on!

Help, please! I'm getting married in July, having my first dress fitting in June, and I need to sort my shoes out!!
The pair I fell in love with are by Rainbow Club (www.rainbow-club.co.uk then handbeaded, then Cai), style called Cai, but their largest size (8) doesn't fit me! can you recommend anything similar? I was considering a pair from America (www.touchups.com then flipflops, then Jinni) but they won't let me return them if they don't fit!

Please help me!
Lucy

Dear Lucy,
I’ve just spoken to Karen at www.selve.co.uk they are a family run business and she has recommended the ‘Janine flat’ size 9 which they can make up any colour for you. She say’s it’s very similar to a flip flop in design but much more elegant. Call her on 0207 731 0200 (they have a showroom in London)
 
Try also  Ivory of Bond Street. They stock size 9 and have a selection of flatties too (they will dye to match any shade you need also). They have a website which is listed in our bridal directory but not all the ranges are featured. Best to call their flagship store in London on 0207 495 3483. They also have a store in Birmingham.Caryn

PS there are other shoe sites listed under tall in our directory that might be worth ringing also. Remember the websites don’t often stock the comprehensive range so always call for fuller details. Do let me know how you got on please.

Dear Caryn
I am a 41 year old woman with very long curly hair. I used to have  naturally very dark brown hair which began to turn grey in my teens. I  spent many years with short hair dyed every possible colour, but for the  past few years have grown it long (which I love and don't want to lose!)  and for a few years have used a permanent home colorant in dark brown. The  problem now is that the retouching of roots has become a real bind - the  roots are noticeable after 3 weeks, so every 3 weeks I'm struggling to do  my roots. Having such long and curly hair, it's a chore I'd love to be  able to give up. I've thought about growing it out and letting the grey  come through. Some areas are sprinkled with white hairs, other areas are  completely white. Other areas are still dark brown. The trouble with  growing it out and not wanting my hair cut short is the ugly very definite  line of dramatically different colour. I cannot afford regular salon  treatments, maybe 2 or 3 times a year at most. Incidentally my eyebrows  and eyelashes are still dark brown. HELP!
Sharon

Dear Sharon,
Yours is an interesting question and one we will put in our ‘soon to be launched ‘fabulously forty,’ e-book.

I asked the person most qualified to answer your question twice winner of the British hairdressing Colourist of the year, the lovely Lisa Shepherd. She has a salon in Kidderminster. Her websiteis www.lisashepherd.co.uk 
telephone for appointments etc: 01562 748833

This is what she says.
 
"What would be more  effective for you, would be switching from a full head colour to having pieces  of colour (also called weaves or lowlights).  

This can be an affective  way to disguise the growing out process - don't get me wrong you will have a  demarcation line as it grows out - but if you have some colour, it will not  be as obvious.  You can then decide whether you want to go completely  natural or still keep having the pieces of colour - which won't take away  all your grey - but will blend it in with your natural hair.  

This kind  of colouring service does not need to be repeated as often as a full head  colour - and even then you would only need to get the top parting area and  your hair line re-done every 6 - 8 weeks - with perhaps a full  head done every six months.  

This should mean that you will have to  have a lot less treatments through the year and if you get a professional  hairdresser to do them, then you will find the whole colouring process much  less of a chore!" Lisa Shepherd, British Colourist of the  Year

hi
im really frustrated in the lack of plus size clothes available for a person of my size. I'm 18 and a size 18-20, huge I know but I'm trying 2 loose weight! I was just wondering if up could give me a list of places in the high street that do trendy clothes for my size

thank you
Sanaa XxX

Hi Sanaa,
You aren’t huge my darling!
We have lots of enquiries from women who are 30 plus. If you look in our directory you will see a section entitled fuller. I believe there are around 30 entries in there. My own favourite is ‘Size up’ 14 - 34. Fantastic clothes and helpful service – most shops in the midlands but a limited website ordering facility. Just  ring the national enquiries number.
Try also ‘Simply B’ 14- 32 I went to their spring summer press launch only the other day they have some beautiful clothes. Both of these ranges are excellently priced.

But you know Dorothy Perkins go up to a size 22 – they have a great selection and there are hundreds of stores nationwide.

Use clothes to celebrate yourself and all you can be. Remember your body is doing it’s best for you. Don’t put yourself under pressure to lose weight just because you think you are large.

I am size 30/32 and a pear shape.  The top half of me seems to be shrinking which is making my bottom half look even bigger (I am on a diet and have lost 5 stone so far) !  I have stacks of clothes but have terrible trouble trying to find skirts that fit me well.  Most seem to cling around my stomach area.  The ones that I wear all the time are 6 panelled full skirts with buttons down the front that I bought from Evans ages ago.  The material is quite heavy, which is great as it conceals a lot.  I cannot find this type of skirt anymore, the ones they seem to make now are in print material which is really thin and this just clings to me.
 
Any tips would be great.
 
Thanks
Debbie

Hi Debbie,
My best advice is to order an e-book on fuller pear shaped bodies www.howtolookgood.com. I give you all my very best tips on clothing and creating body symmetry in there.
Then go into our fuller directory and order yourself a catalogue form Maria Donati who go up to size 34 and phone up the lovely people at Size Up who go up to size 32 who will talk you through what they have 33 shops in the midlands and excellent trend oriented clothes (there are other stockist in there too like Taillisme a great French mail order company to size 30).

Basically you are looking to create symmetry by reducing the bottom half of your body. My quick solution  is a dark denim skirt with vertical lines and a lighter or brighter top with or without print that has a cowl neck to even up the top of your body. The e-book will tell you so much more.

Let me know how you got on.

That’s all for this month - join us next month for the answer to your question.