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

March

Hi Caryn!
I am a very busty size 18/20 with an exaggerated hourglass figure and a short waist. I am studying abroad this semester in the UK, and my fiance is coming up from the US to see me over Easter break. I would really like to wear something sexy and /not/ my usual style (dark stretch jeans and jewel-colored tops or blouses). I found a lovely halter top wrapped-style dress that's both sexy and classy. However, I don't have any bra to wear with it. At a 42DD, I am not all that sanguine about letting that much weight hang off the back of my neck, even if the dress would give me enough support, which I am not sure of. Where could I find something inexpensive and pretty to keep me from falling out of my dress?
Thanks,
Marika

Hi Marika,
There are loads of places and they are all listed in our virtual shopping mall you can access this from the home page. Just click on two sections that will be relevant to you...Fuller and Lingerie. There are loads of specialist underwear sites and you will definitely find something.

Consider also a fitted and wired corset style top with a strapless bra also, then this will not in any way hurt your neck.

Simply Be are also doing a great corset style top that you can wear with an ordinary bra. It is so very sexy and is designed by Anna Scholz. I featured this a month or two ago and if you go to the bottom of our home page you will see our recent features, click on it to read more and access the site
There are also two stores to checkout if you want a more human approach. At one end of the scale there is Evans who have around 300 stores nationwide and a trained bra fitter in each store. They go up to 50HH and prices are very good.
Then there is Rigby and Peller, you will find other bra shops in our virtual shopping mall too.

My best tips for a halter neck bra in a fuller cup size is make sure the band under the bust is tight enough so that you are increasing support. If it is too loose then you will be asking your neck to take all the strain and that is bad news for your spine.

All the companies I have mentioned are in our virtual shopping mall. Now go dazzle him my delicious Diva

Thank goodness for this!!! I shall be purchasing some of these books for my friends and myself. Which body shape am I? Is it? pear.

No waist, flat/prominent sternum, medium length straight hair and thin legs (very!) I am 47 and don’t feel frumpy. Love Next, Wallis, Principles and Per Una.

Bust: 34 B
Waist: 29”-30”
Hips: 36”

Please help! Standard pear or ‘noodle’ shape
Thanks
Sue

Hi Sue, Glad you like the site,

I don’t think you are pear shaped unless you feel you have large hips but 36” doesn’t sound large to me! This book will help you to disguise your bottom and hips and even up your top half

If you wish you had more of a waist then choose apple although I don’t think you are technically apple because you don’t have a rounded tummy.

Without seeing your body I would say you are petite apple because you say you have no waist and this book will give you tools to redefine it.

Hope this helps

Dear Caryn,
Well at last a wedding. Aaarrgghhhh. Where can i get a trendy looking suit in size 24 for september. I am onle 5'2" so that just makes it worse. The happy couple are our best friends and i would really like to make an impression. I dont think they have ever seen me out of jeans. Helllpppppppp!!!!
Lee

Hi Lee,
Don’t forget to look in our virtual shopping mall under your body shape (fuller, and petite) we have so many specialist companies.

There are some great online companies that will once they have their spring collection posted will be able to help with trendy. My fist recommendation is www.chesca1424.co.uk I love these fluent designs produced by the designer who tries on everything herself before giving it the seal of approval.

Another site for fashionable designs is www.yoursclothing.co.uk But in both instances you will need to work with a good dry cleaner to take up the hem of a suit.

Perhaps it is worth considering a bustier style top that will hold you and give you good definition and a skirt which is always easier to get the fit on a petite frame. Give your look more drama by using accessories. Great jewellery, bag and shoes will make your chosen outfit look very trendy

I think my best advice to you in this instance is to visit Evans www.evans.co.uk who have been working to up their fashion offer this season. Not only that, they produce a petite range so you will find the fit suited to you.

Give the staff a brief and get them working on it – after all they want to sell you the clothes. I am currently consulting with Evans to provide a more fashion oriented service so I would be very interested to hear back from you as to whether they could help.

Hi there,
Please could you let me know which high street store stocks very skinny jeans? I've been hunting high and low, yet they all tend to be quite baggy around the calf area which means they gather when wearing over knee lenght boots (unless there is a technique I'm not aware of!). I guess I need stretch ones but even the Gap stretch jeans aren't tight enough in that area. I'm a size 8 and they look fine elsewhere, it's just the gathering that bothers me. Any advice very welcome.
Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Denise

Dear Denise,
Designer jeans like Citizens of Hummanity, Sass and Bide and Fornariner all have super skinny jeans but they do come with a price tag of about £160 upwards. If you don't want to splash out, and the jeans you have fit you well over your bottom and thigh - the most important areas when it comes to good fitting jeans - have yours taken in at the calves to fit you perfectly. However, make sure the seamstress finishes the jeans off in the same colour thread as has been used originally, its always a dead give away and can sometimes ruin jeans when a different colour thread is used.

Hi there I'm 5ft 5, 17years old I have a small bust,a very small shaped tummy my hips are slightly wide and I have a very small bottom what type of of bikini should I wear?

Wow, it sounds like you have an amazing figure and could wear anything!

If anything get a bikini top with slight padding to give a bit of added shape to your bust, ruffles on the bust line also help and can give balance to your slightly wide hips. But ultimately enjoy being able to wear most styles. There are some amazing fifties inspired swimwear designs for this spring summer, with a one piece swimsuit also due to be a huge trend. Have a look at swimhut.com and figleaves.co.uk who both have gorgeous swimwear at good prices. Topshop.co.uk will be great for you too. You'll find all of these links in our Shopping Mall.

Hi. What should I look for when buying an outfit for my brother's wedding in South Africa in October? I'm 26 and only 5'1". I'm hoping to be a size 10/12 and I would prefer to wear a dress. I don't want to spend a fortune, but something a little special would be fine if I could get more use out of it.
Julie

Dear Julie,
A dress is such a brilliant choice, its the must have item for the season so you should definitely get the wear out of one, plus there are loads of fab shapes and designs around in a multitude of colours fabrics and patterns. Most popular styles are the shirt dress and the fifties shape wrap dress in linen or cotton, which would be great for the South Africa climate. Have a look at the Spring/Summer 06 catwalk and highstreet reports on howtolookgood.com for inspiration on what to look out for to take you through the season, Principles, Miss Selfridge, New Look and Topshop are leading the pack fashion wise, Debenhams, Karen Millen and Monsoon have a more classic but equally stunning selection. All of these stores have websites in our shopping mall.

Have a fabulous time at the wedding!

I'm a size 12 and prefer to buy jeans with a flair as they give me a bit more shape but I always seem to struggle as I like a slightly wider flair than most high street shops tend to stock. Have you got any suggestions on where I could look? I don't mind paying for a decent pair of jeans as I always get a lot of wear out of them.
Thanks,
Rachel

Hi Rachel,
Warehouse have some at the moment called "The New Yorker" which have a much more generous cut. Have a look in the howtolookgood.com virtual shopping mall for a link to the Warehouse website. There is also a brand new site called www.ilovemyjeans.com which specialises in finding the right fit and cut for jeans connoisseurs. They have just launched and will be up and running shortly.

Hi, I have a VERY strange body type as my two children seemed to have stretched out my ribcage. I wear a 38 A cup bra and so in shirts I would wear a medium...while in pants I am a 3 or a 5. I am 5'6 and 132 lbs. My main struggle is my tummy. It just can't get over the "I am four and a half months pregnant" stage..even though I am not, and working out to try to fix that. I have come to peace that my "gut" might just never go away unless I rely on technology. So, I want to know what type of shirts would be flattering on me to minimize my belly size. It seems like EVERY shirt out there snugs really close to my tummy and I am afraid of getting more poofy shirts because my top half already is unporportionate to my bottom making me look "top heavy". So have I confused you yet? I sometimes feel like I look like a miniture version of Rosanne Barr. I am sure I am overexaggerating a bit but still..I am out of ideas on how to hide this thing.

Thanks so much!
Amy

Dear Amy,
So many women's body shapes are permanently changed after pregnancy. Its not uncommon to hear that clothes that looked great pre pregnancy can look less flattering afterwards, and therefore a new approach to dressing is needed to make the most of your new shape.

It sounds to me like you have an Apple shaped figure, I have written an e-book, available on the howtolookgood.com website, that is packed full of hints, tips and personal styling information that would give you a great understanding of what works for your figure and what doesn't! At 5'6 and 132lbs I recommend you have a look at the Standard Apple book.

Meanwhile, why not look out for a longer length drop waist cami top, very popular here in the UK, as this style will give your body a sense of elongation through your middle when you need it.

Hi - i'm going out tonight and i want to wear my longish button through dress/top (army style) with my skinny jeans. What do i wear on my feet? What shoes can I wear with skinny jeans? Please help!!!
thanks
love donna xx

Hi Donna,
What a great look! Shirt dresses are huge for this spring summer season. To keep with the military feel look for some boots with buckles, Nine West and KG by Kurt Geiger have some gorgeous ones in at the moment which have a cross between a military and riding style feel to them. Ultimately, skinny jeans are so versatile; they look fab tucked into boots, with funky heels or stilettos or flat round toed pumps, all of which will also look great with your dress.

Try a waist cincher belt over your dress for the ultimate in spring summer style.