current fashion trends and latest styles for your body shape

New fashion trends for every body shape this season

To illustrate this season’s autumn/winter collections, your favourite high street stores have created some practical and desirable interpretations of the current fashion trends, and that’s why I will choose specific brands and styles to answer your questions each month in Ask Caryn.

Let me show you how you can work with the new fashion trends to get the most flattering effect for your body shape and satisfy your budget - after all that’s what this site is all about!

And if you're not sure what shape you are find out here...

Remember, these trends can suit all shapes and ages, but if you’re over 40 then see my ageless style advice on how to look and feel fantastic at any age.

Now select any one of my 19 inspiring e-books and you will see how to look great in the current fashion trends. Your e-book will be emailed to you today for just £9.97. You will also receive a special bonus e-book on everything you need to know about Jeans, completely FREE of charge!

Ok, let's get on with answering your questions this month with the help of La Redoute…

Question: “Hi Caryn
I can’t seem to get a day look right. I would like to wear dresses but I always end up looking and feeling too glam, too over the top or too girly. I can’t quite hit that relaxed, cool, not-trying-too hard vibe. Could you recommend a dress for me and help me put together a more casual and relaxed day look? I am going away for a few days on a city break so I’d like some new looks that are also practical. I’d like to do flats but I am a little bit shorter so don’t know if I can. I like to look feminine and sexy (but not overtly) with a more casual air. I’d like to buy into some fashion trends but hopefully with some pieces that will last me a while. I like colour especially red and blue. I am 5”4, size 14. I have a tummy and a 34D bust. I also have quite chunky arms but my legs are quite slim. Please help!
Thanks"
Claudia

Hello Claudia
I think we have to go with red – there was a big nod for it from the catwalks and a beautiful red dress will make you feel on trend and sexy. The old red dress cliché still stands true. The feminine and romantic drape (another new fashion trend) silhouette of this dress will swing and sway, echoing the sensual lines of your figure for a feminine and refined look. The solid bock of colour will streamline your body and the bias cut jersey is a good tummy tamer.

This a great start to a fabulous day look – a great fitting and flattering dress that makes you feel confident and in turn relaxed. Then you just need to engage your secret weapon - that one unexpected item which will tantalisingly transform your look. It could be gorgeous shoes, a stunning bag or a piece of statement jewellery.

I’d try this season’s leather biker jacket, though, to give a relaxed cool edge. For a comfortable chic look team with black flats and black tights – matching your tights with your shoes will help elongate your legs and the empire waistline of the dress will also add to this effect. Keep the rest simple with pulled back or sleek hair and team with red lips for grown-up casual sex appeal. Perhaps add a cocktail ring and a slouchy bag but I’d let the dress do the rest!

BA&SH Dress
£59.00
Sizes 6-20
Available in red and black
La Redoute

If you want to know exactly what to wear to flatter your body shape, then treat yourself to an e-book specially written for you by me. This is styling advice that will last you a lifetime and save you money (you’ll never impulse buy again) and there are 19 different body shapes to choose from. One of them is just right for you.

Question: “Dear Caryn
Could you please give me some advice. Last year I bought a double breasted military style short coat. It is quite thin as I didn’t want to look bulky but I have found that it doesn’t keep me that warm and that it only really works with certain outfits. I am also not sure if it really suits my figure anyway and it kind of lost its appeal after a few months. Would you be able to advise me on a style that would suit me? I feel totally clueless! This year I have saved up so don’t mind spending more on a coat that I can wear in most situations (if this is possible) and that will last me a long time. I am out and about a great deal with work so it is a big part of my look from day to day and so I want something that looks great in itself and is stylish and elegant but still looks trendy. I am 5”8, a curvy size 14 with hips and boobs and I have a 34EE chest.
Thanks very much"
Sophie

Hello Sophie
Far from being clueless, it actually sounds like you already know the required ingredients. As you inferred, a great coat can make a serious style statement and really pull your look together. The coat is a big part of your wardrobe so it is worth trying to buy the best you can afford as you are doing.

It’s not easy to find the perfect coat, one that works as well for the office as it does for the evening or the weekend but I think that this classic camel pretty much hits the nail on the head. It is a coat that delivers not just on style but on warmth, longevity, and versatility. Throw it on whenever, wherever and over whatever (the warm honey hue goes with everything).

With the recession biting, many designers understood that this season is not all about glitz and glamour and so the classic camel coat stepped back into the limelight as one of the biggest new fashion trends. It is the epitome of the easy luxe trend but will serve you long after the spotlight on this season has dimmed.

This coat will really flatter your figure – its narrow figure-skimming sleekness will compliment your curves and the open wide collar will flatter your bust. Cinch with a belt for instant glamour and to show off your waist. Put your own stamp on the look with a skinny leather belt – this season’s essential outerwear styling tip.

REDOUTE CREATION coat
£179.00
Sizes 8-22
Available in camel, choc and black
La Redoute

Question: "Dear Caryn
I was wondering if you could help me. I’d like to buy into some of the fashion trends but as I am a bigger girl (size 20) I don’t really feel that I can wear trends and at the same time I wouldn’t want to look too obvious about it either. I am a young mum with two children so I like quite a casual look but I would like to little more stylish when I am waiting at the school gates! As I said I am size 20 although I am bigger on my bottom half, I am quite tall 5”8 and I have quite a small chest. Is there anything you could suggest?
Thanks so much"
Anne

Hello Anne
How about some punchy pattern? A perennial favourite which yet again returned to the catwalk with a veritable roar. Designers looked to liven up patterns with garishly beautiful colour combinations. This top fits that bill nicely but is also extremely practical. The narrow style tunic shape worn over straight leg trousers will create an illusion of overall slimness and balance out your lower half. Wearing heels (they don’t have to be high!) under your trousers will further help the streamlining effect.

Curvier women look best in print that has fluidity and wearing the print up top will also help to draw attention from your hips. Remember that actually not everyone can wear large bold print as you can. And to be fair many of us cannot carry off the trends we see on catwalk models in the way that they are wearing them – it’s all about adapting them or taking inspiration and tailoring it your style and shape. Bear this in mind and make a few key purchases where trends do work fir you an I bet there will be some fashion envy at the gates!

Anna Scholz Print Knot front top
£55.00
Sizes 14-30
www.simplybe.co.uk

Caryn says. To know more about how to dress for your body type download an e-book specially written by me for your individual body shape. Choosing the best clothes for you will become so much easier.

Question. “Dear Caryn
I have been invited to a wedding in November and am already panicking about what to wear! It is the wedding of an old university friend so there will be lots of people there who I haven’t seen for a while. I used to feel that I faded into the background but I have grown in confidence now and want to show them that I am no longer a wallflower! The wedding is also going to be quite a glamorous affair. I would really like to wear a dress for a change – I normally steer clear or them as I am not really sure which shape suits me and I am also not too sure about my legs. I am a size 18 with quite a big chest (which I am a little conscious of) and hips but a relatively small waist and I am 5”6. I’d be really grateful for any help you can give.
Thanks"
Louise

Hello Louise
There aren’t that many chances in the year to dress up so enjoy the occasion! This is also a time when somehow a short frock just won’t do. How about a figure-skimming (not hugging) maxi dress in a fabric that is fluid but not too fluttery. The dress I have chosen here is deceptively simple but your curves will make it sizzle. It offers all the right elements – offering good deffinition around your bust, nipping in at the waist, fitting around the hips and falling straight down to elongate your legs. Naked shoulders are not only sexy but they will divert attention away from your busom if you feel it already gets too much attention.

When it comes to making an entrance, it doesn’t have to be all about sparkle or showing off lots of skin a more refined look can be just as glam. Of course you can vamp this dress up or play it down but a little pared-down jewellery and a red pout will do the trick nicely.

A colour spectrum of cool blues were a key component of this seasons colour palette and, while the black dress is always a safe stylish option, this beautiful smoky teal is a shade that really mesmerizes. As a sultry siren, just make sure that you are prepared for all the attention you are going to receive – the wallflower has gone for good!

Sweetheart Waterfall Maxi
£9.00
Sizes 14-30
Available in black and peacock
www.simplybe.co.uk

Question. “Dear Caryn
I read in the fashion and styles section on your website that the pencil skirt is a key piece for this season. I like the idea of wearing a pencil skirt and being more sophisticated and ladylike but can you tell me if this type of skirt will suit me? I have also recently turned 35 so I’d like to look more sophisticated but at the same time would still like to have some fun with it and I am worried about looking too prim. I am a size 10 and am quite straight up and down with no hips and small breasts. I am 5”6 and my legs are shorter than my body and they are really slim. I’d like to feel more feminine!
Thank you"
Sarah

Hello Sarah
Just because you are looking to create more pulled together serious looks it doesn’t mean you have to be a total square. The trick is to experiment with fashion-forward styles while maintaining a level of polish which is what I think you are seeking to achieve. A sculpted pencil skirt is seriously sophisticated but certainly not stuffy and it will work really well for you to help create curves. The waist is your pivotal point so make sure it is cinched. A top with volume tucked into a figure-skimming skirt will create sexy curves and the top tucked in to the long straightness of the skirt will also help to lengthen your legs.

As it so happened this season there is a return to ladylike sophistication and the image of a polished, powerful woman coursed through many collections. Think about a little opulence, teaming your skirt with this season’s stalwarts - marabou, velvets, silks, lace and lots of pouff.

Oh and yes don’t forget to have some fun. Patterned tights strutted down many a catwalk and could add a fun dimension to your look. They do add bulk but you can get away with it as you have great legs, just keep it tonal.

VENTILO Pencil Skirt
£59.00
Sizes 6-18
Available in grey and black
La Redoute

Caryn says. To know more about how to dress for your body type download an e-book specially written by me for your individual body shape. Choosing the best clothes for you will become so much easier.

That’s all for this month's current fashion trends. Don’t forget to check ‘Ask Caryn’ where there are further questions answered and of course the ‘Ask Caryn archive’ where one of the questions answered might just be the solution you are looking for.

Don’t forget our shopping mall features petite, fuller, standard and tall sections with retailers who will provide the right clothes to fit your body shape.

And if you want to know how to build your wardrobe this season and which key garments I’m recommending, then subscribe to my newsletter so I can talk to you exclusively and tell you about my month in fashion, and you can reply to me!

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Discover how to look good in the current fashion trends for October 2009

New fashion trends for every body shape this season

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