The Importance of Shirt Buttons

 Aww - I love this photo.  I have it as my desktop wallpaper on my work computer and my laptop. It captures a beautiful moment on the happiest day of  my life.  But - oh my gosh it irritates me, too.  Drives me mad.  Just -just look at it...

I have known my utterly wonderful husband for about four and a half years. During this time, I have explained, demonstrated and cajoled, but still he insists on unbuttoning one, but not two of his shirt buttons - I've more or less given up with him, but it just looks odd.  And yet, as I look around at the gentlemen of Britain, this one-button-madness seems to be rife.  The problem is one of connotation. Two open buttons give an impression of comfort and relaxation.  One button open is, well, more buttoned-up.

The king of 'Only Opening One Button Land' is actor / writer / presenter / comedian and all-round likeable chap David Mitchell. But it works for him. Mitchell's media persona is one of slight diffidence and discomfort, a man who finds himself ill at ease with things like relaxation, fun and the modern world.  As such, the single button open at the neck says "I didn't want to wear a tie, but actually, I'm not quite sure what to do if I don't have a tie on. I know that leaving all my buttons done up looks weird, so -there - look, I've undone one. It's more comfortable and I don't look like I've just taken off my tie. Even though I probably have." And while that works for him, it's not the kind of image many men want to project.  It's also true that, having two buttons open makes you look leaner both in the face and neck; and in the body. It's the same optical rules that make V necks so flattering for women.

When I was at the pub on Saturday, I got some of the gentlemen to pose for us, with one and two buttons undone. Ignore the odd orange glasses - and instead, notice how - when Adrian has more buttons done up - he looks a bit geeky.

It's even more pronounced here, on Harry - perhaps because of the long sleeves - that with only one button undone the wearer looks uncomfortable and uptight. It's important to notice that if you undo two buttons you're not normally going to expose great acres of chest-flesh: you just give the impression of a longer neck.

Undoing two buttons is flattering, and it also marks a clear distinction between work and play. On the left, Pete would be smart enough for many workplaces... but who (except barstaff) wants to look like they could be at work on a Saturday in the pub? On the left, Pete looks laid back and casual.  It's so simple.

There's always one. It's funny, though - a few men have pulled their shirt open in a similar way when I've brought this subject up. Assuming it's not a crazy desire to show me their manly chests, it sometimes seems to be a way of jokingly dealing with insecurities related to showing off  more of their bodies.  Or perhaps it's not feeling it's ok for everyone, even very 'blokey' blokes, to look stylish and be aware of what suits them.  As I said above, most shirts won't show much more flesh if you open two buttons than one, but actually, very soft, unstructured shirts like Steve's will tend to fall open in a wider V shape.

I think the more open neck here looks great - very relaxed and summery, but you can go too far with a good thing.  It takes a certain type of person to pull off more than two buttons open, and on others, it can look a little odd...

In the unlikely event that you are Mr David Mitchell and you are reading this blog, please accept my apologies. I think you know that you've a look and persona that work for you - but should you ever want to change all that, I think you should start with the hair. Seriously...

Nude Shoes

The number one way to make your legs look longer is to trick the eye into seeing your foot as being a continuation of its length.  Conversely, a bold colour difference between leg and footwear leads to a shortening effect.  In summer, when bare legs are much more the order of the day, then, it makes sense to banish winter black and opt for skintone shades as the go-to neutral.  Obviously skin colour is a varied palette - I apologise that the shoes I've selected for this post are caucasian in hue - clearly summer shoes are available to suit all shades of skin from ivory to ebony - but buying shoes in brown tones is somehow less of a departure, less radical - it's beiges and peaches that I think often go ignored on the shoeshop shelves, and so I'm featuring them here.

My first selection are these peep-toe, ankle strap wedges from Apepazza at Yoox. (£69)  What's great about these shoes, other than that gentle, wearable wedge heel, is the way they marry smart, durable leather with a summery espadrille sole.  Normally an ankle strap is a no-no for elongating the look of your legs, but because this one is skin-toned, from a distance, it won't be obvious.  Lovely, too is the peep-toe styling.  Perfect for a glimpse of polished toenail, and because it allows a certain degree of vertical movement for the toes, it's actually more comfortable too.
 

Does it have to be plain beige? Yes and no.  Lots of beige shoes have a darker strap, heel, sole, or even toe section - and while these might be stylish in their own way, they won't have the effect of elongating the leg because they create a horizontal line on the foot.  The shoes above, however (Vic Mattie at Yoox - £98), use colour as an accent - a splash that enlivens but doesn't break up the flattering monochromatic line. Another open toe, too - these shoes are unashamedly dressy and quite grown up. Imagine them with an iris coloured dress for a special occasion.  Love the sexy curve of that heel, too.

Can beige be young and sexy? Absolutely.  Look at these fabulously eighties-vixen stilettos from Love Label at Very.  They're a steal at £32, and beautifully detailed with tiny gold studs and a chunky concealed platform to make that heel more wearable.  These are enough of a statement to hold their own against a sexy short skirt, but are the right tone to flatter this season's fashionably pale pins.  (No really, tans are 'out' - you can thank the vampires all over our screens).

 

Lastly, not really leg-lengtheners, but something more casual-glam? These jewel-encrusted sandals from Boden are steep at £59 if you think of them as flip-flops, but would be perfect and flattering for a more bohemian look at a summer wedding, or if you're lucky enough to be going somewhere luxurious this year - comfortable too, having no toe-post.  The colours here are key: that metallic strap and footbed is subtle, but the warm peachy crystals add glamour without contrasting with your skin - call it 'sophisticated glitz'.

Oh - and if you're Friday Frocking tomorrow, don't forget to let the swelegencia know - and let the compliments flow.

A question of scale.

I've a blog post in my head about belts, and why some people don't think they can wear them.  This isn't that post, but it's inspired by the crucial aspect of scale in selecting lots of elements of your look. Although these rules are for everyone, the photos tend to focus on the mistakes slim people can make, and for that I apologise.  It's becaus if I'm pointing out mistakes, I want to use pics of celebs and models only, otherwise it's a bit nasty.  And most celebs and modes are, of course, slim.

Your hat's too big, Li-lo... (and actually, about the rest of this horrorshow...)

Basically, it goes like this: if you have a small frame, you will be most flattered by delicate things - if you are large framed, you need to think bigger.  So, let's start at the top.  Take, for example, the wooly hat.  If you have fine features and sleek hair, a baggy beret can make you look like a mushroom.  On the other hand, bigger hats will balance out a bigger body and be in proportion to big hair or a rounder face. A large lady in a juliet cap is wont to look like a cherry on top of a cupcake.  Hair too, then.  None of these rules are hard and fast, and if you love a look that is the number one most important thing, but bigger hair looks better of bigger people - it's very hard to pull off a gamine crop unless you're elven of features.  It works the other way - big hair on a petite frame and you're likely to look a bit cartoonish.  It's even true that very long hair looks best on tall people: and here I'm guilty of ignoring my own advice.  If you're short, too many long straight verticals can draw the eye too far down and make you look dragged down.

All these gorgeous necklaces would look better on larger women.

Jewellery - and by and large it's the same rule.  Fine chains are hard to wear if you're larger because they look overwhelmed by the surrounding flesh, whereas big statement pieces can look like they're wearing you if you don't have the frame to balance them out.  Of course, you might be a tiny size eight and have quite chunky hands - go for jewellery that suits the part of the body you're wearing it on.  It's not quite as simple as that, though.  Beware bracelets and chokers!  Anything chunky cinching the thinnest part of you (wrist, ankle, neck) actually makes it look wider.  It's the same reason that wrist-length sleeves are less flattering than three-quarter ones.  So look for larger circumference bangles or bracelets that will sit past the wrist, onto the hand, or up the arm a little: it's a much more flattering look.

 I've got some nice cushions to go with that...

Patterns are simple.  The bigger you are, the bigger the pattern you need... but: keep patterns simple as a big busy pattern on a big body will make you look like a sofa.

This belt should be twice as thick. It looks silly next to those boobs.

Belts follow the same theory, except that you also need to consider the weight and thickness of the fabric(s) in your outfit.  Sometimes it can be nice to juxtapose floaty and flimsy with chunky and industrial, but for a more elegant look you'd keep them in proportion.  There's often a fashion for big belts, worn by slim ladies - that's fine, but they should then be worn on the hips.  Trying to cinch a slim silhouetted outfit on teeny frame at the waist with a big belt can make you look like a weightlifter. Sorry.

 Chicken-legs ahoy! I actually found this as a recommended look on a style blog... eek.

Then, lastly, shoes - or more specifically, heels.  In theory, you'd want to leave slim heels to slim girls (a skinny stiletto beneath a plump calf can look like one of those balloons-on-a-stick they have in McDonalds for the kids) - and as far as possible you should aim for this, but more importantly, if your leg has curves, so, ideally should your heel, and that's more true the thinner the heel is.  Platforms and wedges also suit more substantial calves more than they do slim ones - remember my chicken-legged friend?  She should avoid a blocky heel lest it look wider than her calf.  Again, the actual proportions of the body part are important too: I have size 3 (36eur/5US) feet, but they're broad and so delicate strappy sandals wouldn't suit as they would if they were more narrow.  If your ankle is significantly narrower than calf and foot (mine look like the knots between sausages) again, avoid any straps that are right on the ankle.  Ties up onto the leg or down on the foot are far better.  

Massive apologies if you already knew that stuff, by the way.  It's the sort of thing that I feel like I've always understood, but people tell me quite often that they find these types of post useful.

What you want - 2: A big man

So, I have a lovely friend - very stylish, gorgeous, sharp...  and she has a chap who is also lovely - but struggling rather, in the struggle to match her sartorial splendour, and so she's written me an impassioned plea for ideas.  As you know, this isn't my field of familiarity: I'm no expert on where to shop for men's clothes, but I'll do the best I can using basic principles.  My friend's boyfriend is 40, tall and broad shouldered, but she describes him as "portly of tum", and "generally top heavy".  I can't reproduce all of her letter here as it gets a bit 'frank', and it wouldn't be politic to use a photo of the chap himself, so I'm going to use the actor Vince Vaughn to get the body shape in your minds.  I get a bit weak-kneed about Vaughn: he's a great big scrummy bear of a man. 

It's hard for men.  There are far fewer variables of shape and form in men's clothing, and their bodies don't offer many failsafes that can distract the eye from the imperfections.  Where a woman can put on a slash of vivid lipstick or show a splendid decolletage, most men would consider these strategies as probably not enhancing their look.  But there are some opportunities: my friend's chap has a good head of hair, and I strongly advise him to adopt a hairstyle that's a bit flash - short at the sides for slimming effect, but longer on top in the tousled style of Hugh Grant, David Tennant's artfully messy fringe, or Vaughn's own suggestion of a quiff with killer sideburns. A pair of stylish glasses can also draw the eye.

Some things don't change, though - the rules of what is optically slimming are the same for men and women.  It's no more flattering for a man to wear a t-shirt, with its unforgiving high neckline, than it is for a woman.  Any man who wishes to look a little more svelte would do well to eschew just about everything other than the traditional, button-front shirt, worn two buttons open at the neck, just as above.  The V shape neckline elongates the throat and counteracts any burgeoning double chin (a beard can help, but should be well groomed.  Those of us carrying extra weight have an unfair tendency to look unattractively ragged). The line of buttons going all the way down the front draws the eye down, creating a slimming effect.  A shirt with vertical panels will enhance this too, and generally indicates a closer fit. It may seem counterintuitive but heavier bodies shouldn't be swathed in tent-like quantities of fabric; a more fitted look will reduce bulk.  Just make sure the shirt is big enough (and long enough) to allow for a full range of arm movement when done up.  As a general rule, unless very smart dressing is required, leave the shirt untucked and remember that long sleeves are far more flattering (and classy, and elegant, and stylish) than short ones.

Just as with larger women, heavier men should pay attention to pattern.  Checks add width, horizontal lines are not to be countenanced, and patterns should be on a larger scale the bigger you are - but avoid anything too big  as you may end up resembling a sofa.  If you're going to wear the shirt without a jacket some kind of pattern is advisable, as unbroken blocks of colour can give the impression of acreage.  Perhaps surprisingly, since vertical lines = slimming, I'm advising against the ubiquitous Paul Smith-style striped shirt.  It'll make you look like a deckchair.  Not all colours are great to be worn near the face: pale colours can make you look washed out, and yet slimming black makes some look completely drained.  Experiment with dark wine reds, purples, blues and blue-greens as these shades suit all but the fairest skin and hair.  Primary colours are for children and those with very dark skin only.

If the belly protrudes significantly over the waistband, the solution is another layer that will follow the form of the body.  In winter you can wear a fine knit V neck sweater or tank top over the shirt and this will bring the shirt snugly to your waist. Summer is harder though, as obviously you won't want a knitwear layer.  You can wear a t-shirt tucked in to avoid exposing the tummy, but t-shirts themselves are so unflattering... I would advise a t-shirt in a colour no darker than your skin tone, and wearing an untucked shirt on top, done up (apart from the top two buttons) or worn undone, like a jacket. 

Over the shirt, jackets and coats should be tailored with vertical shaping, like a well-fitting suit jacket.  A retro-style leather blazer in black, brown, or warm cherry red is a fantastic everyday standby.  Finding one in the right size may be a problem as many are vintage, but keep an eye out.  In the meantime consider a well-cut suit jacket as a standby.  In colder weather, a classic overcoat like this from Crombie at House of Fraser is an investment that will flatter him and cut a dash for years to come.  It's available up to a 48" chest, and costs £395 (reduced from £675!).  Cheaper options are undoubtedly available, but it's the shape you want - deep V line, mid-width lapels, single breasted.  It needn't be black: charcoal grey is an easier shade to wear for people with paler colouring.

What then to balance out the bottom half?  Avoid anything with a tapered leg, and conversely, also avoid bootcuts.  Bootcut trousers are designed to balance out a heavy thigh.  Great for pear shaped women and rugby players, but heavier set men tend not to have proportionately wide legs.  We want a trouser style then that will add bulk and an impression of width to balance out the top half.  Cargo / combat pants do this, but probably won't work with the button front shirt and form fitting jacket.  Instead I'm going to recommend a wide leg trouser in flannel or corduroy for winter: in summer adopt a dark linen suit with a wide leg. It should be long enough to crumple over the shoe at the front, but shouldn't rub the floor at the back: this is a fairly smart look.  Avoid all except very dark denim with a wide, parallel leg, and say 'no' to shorts and cropped trousers altogether.

Footwear is important, and this look won't work with most trainers, although retro style tennis shoes, baseball boots etc would give a creative edge.  More conventional would be a lace up (or ankle boot for casual wear) with elongated lines, echoing the vertical tailoring of the shirt and jacket.

Giving you what you want - 1: Tights

I recently asked members of the facebook group what they wanted me to cover, and I'll be working through their requests in the order I recieved them.

First out of the gate was lovely Miss Dippy, who replied:

Ooh tights. As it's winter. I am often confused about what tights are in fashion for evening wear and what tights go with what shoes and colours etc? Ta x

And you all know me: I love this kind of thing as it allows me to get all bossy and lay down some rules.

Basically there are three kind of tight-wearing occassion.  There are everyday tights, classy tights and statement tights.  (For the purposes of this post, please read 'stockings' for tights, if that's your preference, especially in the 'classy' section.)

For everyday and night, your wardrobe should have a good stock of opaque black, probably brown, and possibly navy blue tights - as high quality as you can afford.  There's a world of difference between cheap tights and more expensive ones in terms of softer fabric; closer, longer-lasting fit; and durability, so buy the best you can afford.  Opaque tights tend to last for years in my experience, so you can justify spending a bit more for an item you will wear loads of times.  Obviously tights can suffer in the washing machine if they come into contact with zips and bra hooks.  You can buy net bags to wash them in, or tie them in a pillowcase.  The style rules dictate that you match your tights to your shoes or boots, and also to your hem (if it's black, brown or navy).  If you're wearing a brighter colour, match your shoes and tights anyway, depending on which neutral colour fits your preference and what suits the colour of your skirt.

Opaque tights are durable, flattering, easy to wear, and they allow the modest wearing of shorter skirts than would be viable with bare legs or sheer tights... but sometimes they just won't do.  Some workplaces require a level of grooming that won't be met by the more casual look of opaques, and by extension of the rules above if you're wearing a light coloured skirt you really need flesh tone tights.  As I wrote yesterday, retro dressing requires sheer hosiery and indeed, there are social occasions at which you will feel more elegant in sheers.  The best rule of thumb is your footwear.  The more elegant and ladylike your shoe, the less likely you are to wear opaque tights.  A simple court shoe needs sheer tights, where a chunkier mary jane probably needs opaques.   The spohisticated tapered heel above screams for sheer tights, whereas all kinds of boots look better with opaques. Peep toes can be worn with sheer tights if the 'peep hole' is small, but a fully open toe should be worn with bare legs.  Sheer tights should be worn in a colour that represents your actual skin tone (don't try and use your tights to give the sense of a tan: it looks wrong), or in Nearly Black (a warm black tint) for most occassions.  Pure black sheer tights can look a little more dramatic than elegant.

Tights, though can be fun when worn creatively.  I'd avoid patterned sheer tights like those on the right, as they can look like blemishes on the legs, but vertical patterned lace tights look fabulously 'Moulin Rouge' when worn with boots, plain heels or with simple ballet flats and a short skirt (beware, though: lacy tights can chafe if your thighs rub together).  In this case, keep the rest of your outfit plain - as a rule, the more attention-seeking your legwear, the plainer everything else needs to be in relation.

Opaque patterned tights make a real statement.  Be aware that they're not going to be flattering on the whole (though a vertically ribbed pattern will of course elongate and slim the legs, optically), but sometimes fun is more important than flattery.  Diamond tights are widely available, and suit straighter legs, whereas the also widely available herringbone pattern is great for all leg shapes.  Patterned tights can be worn with any footwear, including sandals, but complicated straps will detract from the impact of the pattern.

Less dramatic, more 'stylish' impact can be had by the bold use of colour contrast with plain opaque tights - and it's also an easier look than he patterned looks above, especially if you're less than leg-confident.  A mary-jane or T-bar shoe is perfect for this look, as it evokes a kind of retro nursery-chic, but you can also experiment with open toed shoes and sandals.  The simplest look is pastel opaques worn with darker shoes (though beware the widening effect of pale colours).  But as shown above, coloured tights can add drama to some quite unassuming shoes.  The juxtaposition of colours makes the impact of both thights and footwear more dramatic.  Equally, teaming your plain old black opaques with a splash of lighter colour makes a bold, stylish statement.

Back to the missions...

Hi! I just wanted to say how much I love your blog - and as a result have bought a dress I would never even thought of from a shop I never go into - Wallis!! Everyone says how good it is - so thank you very much! If you need a new challenge for those of us with non standard bodies, wondered if you could advise me on what I should buy next - am an odd shape! I am 5'8" with really short and fat legs - that are made even shorter by the presence of a long and huge bum... I have a waist that is two sizes smaller than my hips, and quite a flat stomach - 32DD top half - so find it hard to find things that fit, never mind look good... My legs are really bad - I can only wear the dress with tights and boots to hide the lack of leg. What would you suggest? Thanks Sharon

Ok - so first I must apologise to this lovely lady, because I've been sitting on this email since 16th March - quite forgotten in all my wedding self-obsession.

Right, secondly- to the task in hand. This really is quite straightforward: almost everyone can identify themselves as either having a short body and long legs (can be hard to find a waist) or having what I seem to recall someone from my childhood calling 'duck's disease' - where your bum's too close to the floor. As a fellow short-legger I sympathise with Sharon - although she's five inches of height on me - so perhaps not that much!

The silhouette we're looking for is empire line - cinched in under the bust, with a more free-flowing skirt part and then straight-legged trousers worn underneath. This picture is a good representation of what I mean, but sadly it's a back view - couldn't find the front shot - but you should get the idea. Look at the overall silhouette - don't her legs look lonnnnnnng?

Firstly: play to your strengths. Nice boobs and a small waist / back, plus flat tummy. Not all empire lines follow the body in their underbust tailoring, and can look smocky - that's fine if you have flabby abs: I can look pregnant if I wear too close-fitting an empire-line, but if you don't have my problem, then show off that difference between boob and ribcage. If you don't want your boobs to look too big, remember to go for a deep V or kimono neckline, modesty preserved with a vest underneath.

We don't want to fit all the way down to the waist, though, small as it may be. The reasoning here is we want to give the impression of longer legs. With a fitted empire line we get the impression of a trim waist, but without giving away where that waist actually is. It's also very hard to fit to the whole underbust-to-waist area without drawing attention to that bottom.

To length. You don't want a dress that's too long, or the trousers underneath will look like you've thrown the frock on over your pyjamas. Pink here is committing a second error in having two shades of black - this look can work with jeans, but I think you'd want a patterned dress to make the jeans look tied-in. The shorter the top layer, though - the harder it is to sustain the optical illusion of legs that go on forever. Once we start to see the shape of the leg, the game's up - and even with straight leg trousers, that becomes evident not far above the knee. So we're probably not looking for tunics. The other thing that will give the game away is a sheer fabric. diminutive 'Madmen' actress, Maggie Siff nearly gets it right, but due to the sheer fabric you can see that she too, is a duck's disease sufferer. Those flares don't help, either.

Which trousers should you go for? As a rule of thumb, the more trouser on show, the wider-leg you can wear.

These by Wallis would be a good purchase at £35, but I'd stick to no longer than knee length frocks. The right hand pair are more streamlined - don't be afraid of the snug fit, you'll be covering everything from the waist to below the knee with a loose dress. Marks and Sparks, £29.50. Both pairs are black, but you have to start somewhere, and true black trousers (as opposed to jeans) should work under other colours too, so long as they're vivid or have black in the pattern.

An absolutely brilliant everyday standby for work and play is this jersey dress (above left) - £35 from Evans (see what I was saying?) It doesn't photograph well, because it's black - but if you follow the link you can see it on a model, and get a better idea. It is, of course, just like those frocks Dotty P's were doing so well last season - but a little longer it seems. The dress on the right is available in black, but I think is just gorgeous in the pale pink and black print. It's £50 at French Connection.

This dress would go perfectly with straight-cut jeans, and those full sleeves will help to balance out your boobs and any fullness over the bum. It's by Great Plains (£45) and is also available in green. Which means you'll need some jeans to wear under it. Leave skinny straight jeans to the kids - besides which the wrinkled ankle look will not work for this silhouette. I adore these jeans from Monsoon, because they have such elegant lines. They're relatively pricey for jeans at £45, but worth it, I think.

Baby, it's cold outside

Not the sort of thing, apparently...

Hey there ms Charlotte, I have a problem from Australia land that maybe you could help me with. Down here summer will be over in a few weeks so I have decided to look for a new winter wool coat. Problem is most of them look AWFUL on me. I’m 5’3”, size 16, top heavy. I have pale skin, grey/blue eyes and dark hair at the moment. Most coats that fit me around the waist and hip strain around the bust. Coats that fit around the bust make me look like I’m wearing a large woolen sack, as well as most sleeves stopping somewhere around my thumbs cos of my short arms. I’m not keen on trench coats and sadly even though I think duffel coats look adorable they generally look shit on me. Any suggestions?

Hmm - I've had this mission on the back burner for a while, but I'm really struggling for two reasons. Firstly, I know absolutely nothing about Australian retailers. I've tried to research, but I'm just not 'there' with my knowledge. Secondly, over in the UK / US, retailers are already well into Spring/Summer - but I will never admit defeat. What I'm going to do is find some pictures of coats that have the flattering qualities our girl is looking for.

Coat number one (Paul Smith - £293) has a decidedly retro feel, fusing swing stylings with a modish crombie-style lapel. The shorter length and bracelet sleeves mean that there's flexibility over the length of both: shorter sleeves may sit anywhere along the lower arm to within about three inches of the wrist whereas full length sleeves really ought to hit the wrist dead on. It's generally a good idea for shorter people to wear shorter coats/dresses too. Although a clean vertical line may be elongating, a heavy garment can look like you're being dragged down to the floor, or overwhelmed. Double breasted garments will make anyone look wide and chunky, so this clean single breasted collar is great, and the deep V is flattering. It's also the case that it fastens below the bust line. Girls with big boobs should look out for this - you may well be able to get away with a closer fit than you would do if the button was higher up; essentially, your boobs fit into the gap. The overall A line shape of this coat, though, may run the risk of looking bulky.

This apple green coat is by Nanette Lapore and costs an eye-watering £405. I'm really not suggesting anyone spend that kind of money on a coat, but I am looking for pictures of things that I reckon will be influencing high street designers - this coat features a big bow at the back, and already that's something I've seen on several coats at topshop. It would work because it's a thinner fabric, which means that the waist can be cinched in a little without looking bulky. The full 'skirt' will balance out the big boobs, and again it's single breasted. My other reason for liking it was colour. I know I've said that green is difficult - and it is - but the combination of pale skin and pale eyes can (but not always) make dark colours hard to wear. The problem with colour, is that coloured coats tend to be thinner fabrics. But then, thinner fabrics are slimming... You can always rock some super stylish scarves, gloves and hats over the winter.

A cheaper option, but continuing a similar profile is this mac from Topshop (£75). There were a lot of belted coats this winter, but unless you have a very boyish figure with little defined waist, stay away from belts on thick coats. It looks bulky and chunky. On a mac, though, it's fine. Here we have the fuller skirt for balance, the lighter colour, a belt to cinch and the all-important single breasted styling. That top button is going to be on the bust line, though - and that means you'll have to make sure the fit at the top is bang on, at the expense of a closer fit elsewhere.

My last suggestion is not to choose a style which accommodates your figure, but find a coat that fits. UK readers who are top heavy can buy from Bravissimo - the bra specialists. Their coats are cut to fit over the boobs but without excess bulk at the waist. Which is why both the coats above can get away with having belts. The first is in the sale, in very limited sizes, at £49 - reduced from £112.50. Notice the single breasted styling. The second - jacket length but wool/nylon/cashmere mix for warmth - is £77.50. Bravissimo do mail order to Australia, but don't publicise the shipping costs. The alternative would be having something made or altered to fit. Perhaps a coat is something one doesn't buy that often, and so is worth getting right.

So - to recap:

Flattering (for our girl):

• Single breasted
• Lighter colours
• Deep V necklines
  
• Belts on lightweight fabrics (cold weather notwithstanding)
• Full skirts
• Shorter lengths
• Bracelet-length sleeves
• Made to measure
  

Unflattering (for our girl):

• Double breasted (Including military styling)
• Dark colours (probably)
• High necks
• Straining buttons
• Belts on thick fabrics (if non-specialist fit)
• No fitting below the boobs
• Long lengths
• Full-length sleeves (unless altered to fit)

Good luck - let me know what you find.