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

June

Hi there
I've just bought some Fornarnia jeans and am undecided at which size to get.

I initially brought a size 30 pair which fit comfortably but were a little baggy around the front of the crotch area and slightly around the bum. I've since tried on a size 29 which look better but feel tight around the bum and are pretty much waist hugging!

I know that some jeans have a tendancy to stretch which means that the size 30 pair could potentially end up being quite loose and the size 29 could end up stretching to being perfect without the tightness around the bum. However, the stretching (or not stretching) is not guaranteed!

What is the general advice you would give about jeans? Which size would you go for?

Many thanks
Sarah

Dear Sarah
You are absolutely right, jeans do have a tendency to stretch as they are worn more and more and then shrink back again once washed - especially if they are good quality brand such as Fournarina. 

If I was you I would go for the Size 29, if the size 30 is slightly baggy on the crotch before you have even worn them, this is only going to get worse the more times you wear them.  The Size 29 sound perfect, one tip I would give is everytime you put them on after they have just been washed they will feel at
their tightest - do a few squats to get the elasticity in the denim going a bit before you leave the house, whats more squats are great for the thighs!!

Hi,
I hope you can help me. i am getting married next year in May Orlando i am looking at wedding dresses but i am not sure which type is should choose. I have a large bust and big hips although i have a waist line. i also have  a podgy stomach since having my daughter 6 years ago. I intend to lose weight (about 3 stone) but i know that i will not lose my bust or my hips (I have not before). I have looked at straight dresses (two piece) and strapless A line dresses. Please do not say wait until i have lost the weight as a wedding dress will give the incentive to lose it!  

Hope you can help, i am not getting so confused
Thank you
Tracy   

Hi Tracy,
A two piece is best for you. With a corset style bodice (scalloped at the top to curve and dip over your breasts to create a minimising effect. The boned bodice will act as a glamorous girdle for your tummy and give you a great shape for your wedding photos. (The girdle shape needs to ride up over you hips and down over your tummy. Remember when the photo’s are done to have your best woman loosen it for the wedding breakfast!

Now team it with a flared or fuller skirt. This will do two things make your waist look smaller by comparison and cover curvy hips giving you a classic and elegant silhouette.

You will look gorgeous

Hi I hope you can help me.

Please can you tell me what is the correct way to button a three button jacket.

I have alaways prefered just the top button but my husband does the top and middle which I think makes him look fatter. Is there any particular etiquette rule for this?

Thanks
Caroline

Dear Caroline,

These days styles are less formal and so there is much more room for individual interpretation.

In olden times when English Royalty was influential, Queen Victoria’s son Prince Edward set a fashion for men of leaving the last button unfastened on his waistcoat. He did this only because of his expanding girth but it is still worn today in formal circles.

It’s possible that your husband looks leaner when he only fastens the first button because the fabric stays loose around his body. Either way it’s a personal choice.

Hi Caryn

Great show – love it!

I am in a dilemma with my hair – which hasn’t changed its style since I was about 14. (I am now 27).

I recently had some foils put in, the whole experience NOT what I’d hoped, and now I want to visit a really good stylist, who knows face shapes, hair types and personalities, and will be able to suggest a style that might suit me and my boring boring boring hair!  I don’t want to risk going to another ‘high street’ salon, to be experimented with by some newie, only to want to cry at the end result (not to mention the waste of money).

Can you help me out here??

I'd be forever in your debt.

Regards
Jodi

Hi Jodi,
I don't know where you are based, but any good salon will give you a free consultation. This is where you book ten minutes or so just to tell them about your likes, and dislikes and what you need or want and they make suggestions. (Take photo's if you want). Then when you are happy with what they suggest you make an appointment to go ahead.

Sounds like that didn't take place at all. I can make recommendations of where to try but it won't be necessarily local.

The key thing to remember is that your hair may not be suited to the stylist you want but a good stylist will suggest what will and won't work.

Hello

I really hope you can help.

I have recently had a baby and am keen to breastfeed him for as long as possible. But I am finding it really hard to know what to wear which does not expose my whole top half when feeding. My breastfeeding friends have also had this problem, so much so that many of them have already given up.

I have tried using wraps and shawls as suggested in your e-book, but these don't work for me, especially now summer is coming, and dont look too good on me either.

I am slim but with fairly broad shoulders and so like to avoid baggy tops and have always preferred fitted, sleek clothes. But fitted tops do end up exposing a lot of flesh when pulled up. I know that kaftan type tops would work but they are just not my style as I find them a bit too ethnic. Neither do I want to wear tracksuit or sports type tops all the time.

I am finding it very hard to reconcile my baby's needs with my need to look half decent and also like my former self!

It is also very difficut to get much time to go window or clothes shopping as you probably know so any advice on where to look would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
Anna

Dear Anna,

Sorry I just can’t think of anything else. There just is no magic solution from the maternity companies  - it seems you want a fitted top that will allow you to lift it and reveal no flesh.

I have a girlfriend who is a stylist for the Sunday Times and she is wearing smock tops while she breast feeds – there is enough fabric in them to give her some coverage, they are current and they are feminine. Top shop is awash with these and there are many different styles.

Perhaps you could invent the style of top you are looking for and make a fortune!

Hope that helps

Dear Caryn

I really love all the long gypsy skirts and tiered skirts but at 53 years old am I going to look silly in these fashions. Iam 5foot2 & eight & a half stone, I dont want to be the proverbial mutton as lamb.

Glad for your advice
Elaine

Dear Elaine,

It’s an old fashion phrase and you sound like a modern woman, so pay no heed.

You were part of the original era when it was big in the early seventies so you own it! Added to that you have a great body. However, I do tell people if the wore it the first time around not to repeat it in the same way.

I’ve just checked with my favourite (grown up) petite label Precis and they say they don’t do a gypsy skirt – they do some lovely soft pleats which have a boho feel so that might tell us something!

At the other end of the scale Additions catalogue do a great faded denim, flared skirt with diagonal seaming (petite section £21.00) which has a gypsy feel

If I were styling you I would work by the ‘less is more,’ method. Choose a skirt that has fewer fussy features both because of your height and age. As we get older we need to interpret the trends with a level of restraint. Quality is also important here a cheap gypsy skirt will look more like a Glastonbury staple than one that has beautiful fabric.

Go for a shape that is fairly straight and calf length then match a sophisticated pair wedges (for a bit of height) not a heel because this look has it’s origins in the hippie styling

Now add a crisp classic shirt and some chic wooden bangles. The style of skirt that I found in additions would suit this styling.

Why not have a look in our directory under petite at the online offers to search for any potential styles.

Good luck

Hello!
 
I am on the hunt for a crochet bolero, but unfortunately, seem to  have caught onto this trend quite late.  As a result, I cannot seem to find one anywhere in my size (size 6-8).  I saw a fab one on ebay from Topshop, but again, missed the boat!
 
Help!
Prit

Dear Prit,

Crochet bolero's were huge last summer. This summer crochet tops are still a key piece for your wardrobe although the shape has been updated from a short bolero style to a longer in length shrug style top finishing just above the waist instead of the bust, which for many is more flattering.  A crochet shrug looks just as gorgeous as a bolero and is much more on trend. 

Topshop have a lovely one with 3/4 sleeves for £30, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins also have great variations, all of which have Petite ranges too.

I am sadly fashion illiterate and need some help.
My mother in law is getting remarried this summer in a social club.  She is wearing a cocktail dress, she is 75 years old.  I need to know if I can wear a long dress made of polyester crepe with small beads on the bodice and a jacket to match.  It is a light teal color.  Is this appropriate or do I need something simpler?
Wendy

Dear Wendy,
In this instance I think it would be a good idea to talk to your mum in law and find out whether she has any expectations for what you might wear. This would be an easy thing to do by just slipping it into the conversation – when you talk about how her outfit is coming together.

I’m thinking about my own outfit and I just wondered whether there is any kind of dress code?’ Is the best way. You could also ask other guests what they are intending to wear. I do this all the time – it just helps to gage the mood. Being over or under dressed at an occasion like this might be interpreted wrongly. The dress you are thinking of sounds great if there is a bohemian feel – you will look individual and grand. But it could look overdressed if eveyone else chooses shorter styles.

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