Short-and-Sweet and Super Slim Summer Smarts - A Mission

I received a plea for help from a lady known to me only as Hellsbells:


Can I ask for some urgent advice please?

I have an interview on Friday for a PGCE and don't know what to wear. It's been years since I had an interview of any kind and don't own any smart trousers or skirts. I was hoping to get away with wearing smart black jeans, but not sure this is a good idea. Plus, in this heat, I'd probably be stupidly uncomfortable.

I find buying trousers that fit properly REALLY hard. Practically impossible actually.
I'm petite - about 5 foot 1. And very slim. So for anything to look decent on me, it has to be pretty fitted. Don't know what's going on with sizes in shops, but trousers in Next (for eg), in a size 6 in the petite range - they just fall off me or look utterly ridiculous.
Should I wear a skirt instead? And if so, what kind of length/style etc?

Thanks for your help

Sometimes, we all need to look smart. Some jobs require an everyday level of spit-and-polish, while others - like teaching - are a little more relaxed day to day.  Some jobs are T shirt and jeans territory... but almost all of us need to look tailored and groomed for interviews, and although this is for a course (post-graduate teacher training, for the uninitiated), it's the sort of thing that demands a professional-looking appearance.  But then - wow, but it was meltingly hot today.  Looking the part may be important but if you're too flushed and flustered to answer your interviewer with your customary charm and sparkle...? Well, you may as well be dressed in your pyjamas. So we need to find a balance - on the one hand, smart; on the other hand we need to keep it cool.

The answer, my swelegant lovelies, lies in dresses.  If you weren't going for elegance and poise you could be cool and comfy in a loose linen trouser, but linen is too soft and crumply to give a super-professional impression.  The two dresses above will both allow cooling breezes to circulate around your bits and pieces, and while they are superficially similar, not all Little Black(ish) Dresses are created equal. The dress on the left is from Marks and Spencers' petite range.  It's £29.50 and available in sizes 6 to 18.  The dress on the right is also from the petite range, is £35 and available in sizes 6-18. So which is better?  It's the latter.  Hellsbells is a teeny size 6, so we can safely assume she doesn't need to worry about that high neckline making her boobs look matronly, as a more buxom girl would, and the benefit of that is the fabulous retro styling that the neckline gives (along with that perfect little belt). Think Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy - the slightly pointed low-heeled pumps add to the early-sixties look. Also, it's not black, but rather charcoal grey: an entirely more flattering colour for almost everyone. Dark grey also manages too look more expensive than black, even in a budget-friendly man-made fibre like this. Lastly, the lack of sleeve will help keep Hellsbells cool as air can get to the underarms too.  We can't all look smart when sleeveless - those of us with flabby arms can't help making the place look untidy if we let them wobble around freely - but a size six has no such problem.  Cover shoulders and decolletage, of course - but the arms can be exposed without compromising your smartness.

Both those dresses are very plain, though.  It is possible to look more 'fashion forward' (to use a revoltingly fashionista phrase) while still communicating grown-up intelligence. My least favourite high-street shop seems to be having a little moment of style.  The navy dress above (available in a size 6, petite length - but also in regular and tall length and sizes up to 22) is rather fabulous.  The matte, businesslike fabric is enhanced by feature seaming and silver buttons to create a suitably subtle but unmistakably stylish military feel.  It's £28.

So far all the dresses have been super-sober, but this is an interview for a potential teacher, and teaching is all about personality - so how about some colour? Also from Next (I know...!) and available in the same range of sizes and lengths is this soft raspberry pink dress - a colour muted enough to be sensible but bright enough to fit the season (£38).  In terms of cut, this dress is in the same family as the charcoal Marks and Spencers dress above - more contemporary (with the draped skirt) but also not quite as smart at the waist.  For that reason it's not a clear winner: you'd have to decide whether fabulous tailoring or gorgeous colour is more 'you'.

Regarding the rest of your outfit - I'd accessorise with black: even with the navy dress as matching blues can be hellishly hard.  A low 1 - 2 inch court shoe or mary-jane would be ideal, but a well polished ballet pump would do (no sandals or peeptoes, though), and a plain black bag or slim briefcase. Keep jewellery minimal, and probably silver for all of these outfits. If you want to take a warmer layer, a black, lightweight fitted cardigan in the twinset style would be better than a jacket.  Despite ettiquette I think, in extremely hot weather, that you needn't wear tights: so long as you aren't self conscious of your legs being blotchy or some other such thing.  If you do choose hosiery, go to the locale bare legged and take two pairs of 10 denier, non-shiny, skintone (not tan) tights in your handbag.  Put one on in a cafe loo just before you arrive - the second pair is in case you ladder the first through nerves or plain old cack-handedness... or is that just me?

And good luck! Teaching, eh? Why anyone'd d want to do a thing like that I'll never know...

Marks and Sparks and the capsule wardrobe.

You know all those promotional emails from internet retailers? I read them. One such came today from Marks and Sparks, announcing a capsule wardrobe collection called 'Dress for Less'. It's okay, I suppose: the dress would be nice unless you have no boobs / tummy issues, but I'm not inspired. The whole concept of a capsule wardrobe strikes me as odd. Buy five (or thereabouts) pieces and rotate them through all permutations to fulfill every sartorial eventuality in any given season.

Where's the fun in that?

M&S have chosen from a fairly limited price range for their pieces:

• Dress £29.50
• Jumper £18.00
• Jeans £19.50
• Skirt £19.50
• Blouse £7.50

Which comes to a total of £94. And yet, I don't think it's terribly versatile at all - two of the outfits are almost identical and four of them are pretty much exclusively smart /workwear. I don't think that scoop neck jumper works with the blouse, and there's no arm coverage if you're wearing the frock. It's also horribly grey. I think I can do better.

My first choice is a versatile frock - don't worry it comes in black, but this clovery pink is absolutely gorgeous and will suit just about every skintone except the very rosy of cheek or flame of hair. The less fitted cut is more forgiving below the waist, the sleeves provide coverage and the asymmetrical draping at the bust and waist (but not over the hips) provides flattering diagonal eye lines. It would be fun as it is for a birthday party or meal out, and with the next item, is completely respectable and smart for work. £25.

Item two: you can never have too many vests. Vests take up hardly any drawer space (fold in half lengthwise, then roll), are cheap and last forever. My choice is this Lace panel empire line vest £9.50. Not lacy as in see-through, but detailed and feminine on the part that's going to be visible under your dress. If you preferred the black dress, then you have the choice of keeping the vest black too, or going for the cream version, which may be a less draining colour to have near the face. And when else can you wear it? Around the house or visiting friends at the weekend - you'll need something warm on top, though.

This cardigan (£39.50) might not look terribly impressive, but it has great potential. First, imagine it undone with the belt tied loosely behind the back - it has clean lines, good drape and will serve as a soft jacket for the dress. Now imagine it over the vest top - it has cashmere in the mix so it'll feel soft next to your skin. Personally, at home I'd leave the buttons undone but do up the belt - in the manner of a dressing gown. Then, when I'm out with friends the buttons are done up, covering all my wobbly abdomen bits. Err on the side of generosity for size if you do have wobbly bits - you don't want the buttons to strain. Oh, and keep your hands out of your pockets - silly model!

So - vest on top: on the bottom? These Bootcut Linen trousers are as smart as you want to make them, and a bargain at £15. Press the seams if you need to be work-smart, or wear like pyjama pants when the pressure is off. I love black linen - the creases show less in black, I find, and you can wear these trousers with smart shoes, trainers, and even flip flops into the summer. You could even wear them underneath the dress, if you like that hippy kind of look, especially if you made the dress a little less formal by breaking up the clean neckline with a long scarf or beads.

And lastly? A proper top to wear with those trousers. I'm not a big fan of blouses, because they don't flatter my boobs - but this short-sleeved gingham blouse (£12) is too cute not to love (check the link - gingham doesn't show clearly in small photos). It comes in red or black, and will work with or without the cardigan in a workplace environment. If you have bigger boobs, wear it with the vest top and unbutton it to relieve strain on the buttons and give a flattering V neck, and then everyone can unbutton it all the way for a more casual look - or, if you want a country-flavoured party look, knot the unbuttoned shirt below your boobs - leave the vest off if you have fabulous abs to flaunt.

So that's my version. Mine comes to £101 - so it's a tad more than the original collection - but I gave you a cashmere mix cardi. Replace that with the more standard polycotton version (pretty much identical except for the lack of belt), which is only £25 and my total is a snip at £85.50.

More importantly, these are wearable, practical, yet gorgeous clothes which can be worn to flatter most ages and shapes - and adapted for a true variety of occasions. For me, the exercise has been theoretical: even if you were into the capsule wardrobe as a concept, you've no reason to restrict yourself to one shop. But there's no reason for wearable, versatile clothes to be dull - no matter how many of them you buy.

A shortage of tops.

Miss Charlotte, any idea where i can get some longish smart/casual tops for work? i work in care/education with teenagers, so it needs to be not too revealing , its quite an active jobs (lots of manual handling, helping them with personal care,running around playing silly games etc) so it needs to be able to wear in layers so i can stay at a sensible temp, but also smart enough to be able to look presentable for meetings and during class times. doesn't have to be as smart as mainstream teacher type clothing, but not too casual either. atm, i wear mostly jeans/black trews, and v neck jumpers with vest underneath. I'm 5'10, large boobs, and trying to hide a post pregnancy tummy. any suggestions gratefully received as i currently have two tops on a loop!

The search for practical, flattering, reasonably priced work tops is bugging me lately, too. The new season ranges seem to lean heavily on design features that widen the look of the torso - and when you start with big boobs, that's a nightmare. The top above is deeply wrong, and yet you'll find similar in just about every shop at the moment. It's wrong for the following reasons: the drop waist draws attention to your hips with a horizontal line - and furthermore, the billowing blouson effect adds bulk to every tummy - not just post pregnancy ones. You want a loose fit - but you don't need to draw attention to which specific area needs the room. The batwing sleeves add volume between the torso and arms. Even as you move your arm, there's no visual distinction between body and arm - and the over all impression is that you're adding the width of the arms to the body.

Then look at the neckline. The round neck is a reasonable height, but round lines at the neck make big boobs look bigger. But the main problem at the neck is the gathering, which will make the neck and decolletage look tiny compared to the boobs. I don't want my boobs to look any bigger, thanks. By having no tailoring between the neckline and the dropped waist, the boobs seem visually united. Or droopy, if you will.

So what do we want? Well according to the rules of flattery, the best option is the kimono neck tunic. Very often the neckline is low, so a vest is needed - but this enables you to strip down a layer if you begin to feel too warm. The black and white top above, from Urban Outfitters is only £5 in the sale - up to a size 14, and would look gorgeous with a bright coloured vest underneath. The red and black oriental print tunic above is from Debenhams and costs £25 and is available up to a size 22. I think the pattern is really lovely - the sleeves are perfect, and the only fly in the ointment is that it already has an 'insert' where you would wear a vest - except I would be prepared to bet that you'd want more of a cover up for working with teenagers. Still, a black vest shouldn't look too odd.

Of course, there are other options: Bravissimo cater specifically for girls with big boobs and so their tops don't need the tailoring features that other top do if they are to achieve visual separation of boob and body. I like the twist neck top in Raspberry wine or chocolate (£25.50), but it isn't as long as the tunics, and so less practical. It's probably less forgiving of post-baby tummy as well. The final option is a cross-over top - but you want one that ties in at the waist, rather than fastens at the hip. The one above is by Linea at House of Fraser it costs £20, or £15 in black, although sadly the claret option is sold out. Sizes up to XL.

Looks familiar!

It's the Spring/Summer incarnation of M&S's fabulous two-in-one frock - familiar to regular readers as the 'What I wore to Work' dress.  

£35 - and not as immediately appealing as the original, I still rather like it.  Shapewise, it has all the benefits of the original (as well as the drawbacks: those sleeves haven't got any longer) - and the new pattern for the shirt insert is less dramatic, but still plenty glam. Classy manifestations of animal prints are few and far between, but this fits the bill.

A windfall.

I've just received £50 of M&S vouchers. An unexpected surprise, but nothing's crying out to me from the current line. I suppose I should be sensible and wait until the post Xmas sales - especially since I don't imagine I can redeem said vouchers online - but (confession) I hate sales shopping, so I might give in to temptation a little earlier. It's not the shopping per se - I just hate queueing for changing rooms and fighting with grannies for a chance to pick over the offerings.

I'm somewhat taken with the neckline of this 'Ponte' dress (£35) - Art deco structuring and Mouret-esque straps. It's a little bare to wear at work; the girls will call 'bingo wings' if they see them... The empire line is flattering, though.

Posing a similar 'too dressy for work?' dilemma is this fabulous mock-layer pussy bow top. (£29.50). It succeeds where the 'what I wore to work' dress failed - in that it has wonderful longer-length sleeves - but whereas royal purple satin is restrained opulence, this cerise is all rather 'Studio 54'. The black V neck styling is flattering, though - and I am still loving the sexy-secretary look. This would be great with a black pencil skirt.

But of course, M&S is synonymous with undies - and although it doesn't quite come in my size, I might try on the closest size available to see if I can get away with this firm control multiway body (£39.50). M&S don't tend to be wonderfully reliable on larger cup size bras, so fitting in person is essential but with a body, where there is support all the way up you torso, you can sometimes play a little bit fast-and-loose with sizing. Using the fairly reliable equation that if you go up a back size, you can go down a cupsize and still get a bra to fit, if not support as well, I might have a bit of an experiment with this item.

£200 working wardrobe challenge.

The school I teach at is about to introduce a 'business' dress code for sixth formers - and because the students didn't know about it before they signed up, the school is going to give each of them £200 towards their new wardrobes (it is a very small sixth form, but even so...) Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to see how far £200 would go and what I would pick were I starting from scratch.

First of course, are shoes. I've chosen these fabulous mid-heel T-bar shoes from Marks and Spencers. They are only £19.50 - which is a steal - assuming the quality we've all come to expect from M&S. I see the girls tripping around the school in skyscraper heels - but these are low enough to be practical for even the faint-hearted, and the retro styling will look smart and funky at the same time - especially since I'm allowing £50 for a selection of fun tights from Dorothy Perkins (£4 - £8).

So - £70 spent already, and what next? Well how about some tailoring. These girls are young; we don't want to stuff them in a standard suit, but this jacket (£16) from Peacocks has three-quarter length sleeves and cute, Victorian-style puff shoulders. Predictably, while I'm in Peacocks, I'm going to pick up this pencil skirt for £8 - available up to a size 22, too: my girls aren't all slim little things by any means. And that takes us to £94 down, £106 to go.

Next to New Look. Buying on the cheap side might be a false economy in the long term, but these girls might not need their smart clothes after they leave the sixth form, and they can always upgrade to better quality pieces one at a time as they afford it. So two pairs of trousers, adding up to £30, and we'll 'splash out' a whole £20 on this fun pencil skirt with animal print belt.

Lastly, tops. Our opportunity to inject some colour - I like these scoop necked tops (above) from Top Shop at £10 each, so we'll have all three. Finally back to Dotty P's - where £12 will buy you two of their £7 basic tops - so we can have four of them for our remaining £24.

Work the glamour.

With the upcoming Christmas season I need some fabulous things to wear for a number of occasions. However, a few of them will have the same people at them so I'm after some separates that I can chop and change. Ideally as I'm utterly skint, these could be things I could wear for work as well.

Please help me in my hour of need!

When categorising clothes as either 'work' or 'play', sometimes there are clear signals - it's a rare workplace where a sequinned corset would be standard daywear - but more often than not it's about adaptation and context. The outfit below is very sexy-secretary with a hint of Katherine Hepburn, but the same top worn with a pair of black bootcut jeans or my favourite: the black velvet wide-leg trousers, becomes - by virtue of its glorious colour and sheer fabric - a show-stopping party top. It's only £16 from Simply Be, available in sizes 14 and up, and is cut long enough for longer-bodied girls. You could even wear it untucked with a belt on top. Apart from the sleeve length, it's an essential buy.

The other trick, for a girl who has a cleavage to be proud of, is to wear something with a flattering deep V neck, but with a vest underneath during the day. I really love this hankyhem tunic from Dotty Perkins (£22) - I've shown it in grey because the photograph is clearer, but you'll almost certainly want it in the black, which is what I've linked to. That triangle at the bottom of the V where the vest will show during the day is the chance to inject some dynamism into your work wardrobe. Imagine a bright turquoise, a jewel-like purple or a festive red. Vests are cheap to pick up from all kinds of place and are a great way to accessorise. Then when worn without the vest you can jazz it up with some funky, chunky beads. As well as the flattering neckline, the draping flow of this top is flattering to tummies and hips. Dress down with jeans or up with black trousers and heels.

The last trick is suitable for a blouse like this purple spotted shirt from Debenhams (£22). The top is sheer, so you'll probably wear a vest underneath it at work - for an evening out, leave it undone and tie it in a knot at the boobs (in the manner of the blue top below). The fullness of the shirt makes the tight fitting vest area look more streamlined, and the knotting draws focus to your boobs.

Step away from the sequins...

Miss Charlotte, I am shortly moving abroad and need some decent smart clothes for my new job. I don't have a lot to spend so some advice on key items would be lovely. I want so make a really good first impression and not look like the scruff-monster I really am!

I'm a 14 on top but my boobies are pretty huge, and a 14/16 on the bottom. I'm far comfier in trousers than skirts, but will consider anything.


Aha... "anything", she says... well in that case let me quickly get out of the way the one dress that I really, truly believe that every buxom lady needs in her working wardrobe: a black wrap around dress. Smart enough to wear for a job interview, comfortable and practical enough to throw on every day, I like to wear mine with a bright vest top just peeping from the neckline. Then for the evening, the vest comes off and the cleavage can take over. The Bravissimo version isn't cheap, at £50, but it's good quality and the clever cut really makes a difference for the boobilicious girl.

But back to trousers. Speaking personally, I find the most versatile and flattering work trousers are mid weight, and slightly textured. Think linen or a very lightweight tweed. As for style, I love the 1930s Oxford bags wide leg style - with either a low or high waist. It visually balances out a heavier top half, and invites super-comfy flat shoes: a godsend at work. I like this pair from Evans, of all places. Despite the fact that Evans now stock down to a size 14, it's generally not a contender for stylish offerings when compared to the rest of the high street, let alone the internet. However it is worth keeping an eye on. The spotty dress I'm wearing in the picture at the top left of the page was a fantastic find, and I think these trousers (£35) are some of the best looking ones around.

Finally, tops. Imagine if you will, a girl with a buxom, hourglass physique wearing astraight up-and-down dress. The horror, right? So please, oh you Ladies of the Curves, don't do it with your tops! This:

is very bad, yet you see it all the time.

There needs to be some tailoring, to fit into the waist below the bust. This purple top from M&S is £21, but these are the kinds of tops you can pick up quite frequently in supermarkets and Primark/New Look considerably more cheaply.


The other great option for boobier girls is the jumpershirt. I was initially unconvinced by these - they seemed to feature heavily in Next's perennially unexciting ranges in bland colours and shapeless styles. Well, I was wrong. Working on the same principle as the 'what I wore to work dress' they allow buxom girls to wear the best kinds of blouses without having to worry about strained buttons. They also visually break up the extent of fabric from neck to waist, which makes the boobs look higher, and some of them are cut to fit quite closely. Today I bought this one from Rocha John Rocha at Debenhams - £16 until Saturday, but only £20 otherwise, which compares favourably with other 'cheaper' stores. It seems to be channelling 'Heidi', which I thought was irresistably fun, but these tops exist in all kinds of styles, are easy care and look smart and flattering.

Stop press! The 'what I wore to work' frock is in the sale!

Okay, it's only available in sizes 14 and 16 at the time of posting, but the pussy bow frock is reduced from £35 to £15 in the sale. Go here and order one now - you surely can't lose for that price!

Thanks to sarah who alerted me to this. I'd love to see anyone wearing theirs.

Hit or miss? Part one.

I reckon I know what flatters my body shape, and what will suit me. The above dress fits neither category - yet I find myself inexplicably drawn to bidding for it on ebay. Because sometimes, just sometimes, it pays to follow your instinctive response.

My instinctive response to this frock is "ooh, fabulous", and I'll tell you why:

• That neckline is a direct transplant from the Roland Mouret "Galaxy Dress", created in 2006 and a honest-to-goodness classic ever since (although whether Mouret can be said to have designed something so transparently lifted from 1940s daywear is debateable - but here's a photo anyway. Don't you love how awful Vicky Beckham looks in this? That's because it's designed to accentuate an hourglass physique, for which one does need some actual body fat.)

• It's another candidate for my glam work wardrobe - not too low cut or clingy. And all one piece - so easy to throw on.
• The full skirt suggests a rockabilly vibe - fun, retro, stylish, and slightly subversive (imagine an old school tattoo emerging from the neckline or shoulder? Not that I have one, but that would look unspeakably cool) - it's a good candidate for a wide belt in a statement colour or pattern, too.
• It's by Monsoon - which is a label of reliable quality, but more to the point Monsoon frocks hold their value insanely strongly on ebay. The resale for a second hand Monsoon frock often reaches 75% of its retail price, especially in the larger sizes.

So far so sold. But I may end up regretting it - logic says I should - and you, dear reader will be the first to know if I win it and it's a terrible mistake.

• Look at that strong wide horizontal neckline. How wide will my boobs look? Terrifying thought...
• It's pale - which doesn't suit my skintone - and beigish grey. Where's the drama? the passion?
• No sleeves. Why does nothing have sleeves anymore?
• Dangerous length. Just as sleeves that draw a horizontal line across the widest part of the arm add width, so does a skirt which ends at the thickest part of the calf. Hard to tell from this photo where it's going to end up.

I would never advise someone my shape to buy this dress - but I only have to look at it for my heart to quicken in attraction. It's love. Besides - there is a happy prescedent to bear in mind. A little over a year ago my eye was caught by a princess jacket in Marks & Sparks. It was rather like the one below - all boxy tailoring, high neck and wide, short sleeves, but worse, it was made of a bulk-adding woolly, fuzzy, furry fabric and it was covered in a very busy black and white design. But it made my heart beat faster so I tried it on.


I have to tell you that I don't believe I have ever loved, or will ever love a jacket quite as much. It is my constant companion from September to whenever summer settles and I look fabuolous in it. Sometimes rules are there to be disregarded with reckless abandon. Shopping is an art, not a science.



Oh, and don't go and look for the dress on ebay and bid for it - because then there'll be no Part two, and we'll Never Know.

What I wore to work yesterday.

New term: new frock - because one likes to make an effort - and this particular number (Marks and Sparks, a bargainous £35) is a gorgeous solution to the barriers to someone my shape wearing the sexy-secretary stylings of the pussy bow blouse.

I like the idea of the blouses currently all over the shops - demure but retro and sexy - like whassername in 'Ashes to Ashes' and Maggie Gyllenhall in 'Secretary'; dressing for work has become a chance to raid the dressing-up box and play at being smeone else.

The typical pussy bow blouse however, is deeply inappropriate for girls who are bigger on top.

• A high neckline gives the impression of your boobs being lower - or rather a low neckline gives an illusion of their being higher (visually connected with the face) and a high neckline doesn't allow for that.
• Blouses with buttons tend to gape over the bust, unless specially tailored (see Bravissimo).
• Many cuts of this style of blouse are quite voluminous - adding bulk to the torso - no one wants to look like a ship in full sail.

So this dress appealed because it incorporates the look of a purple satin pussy bow blouse, while actually being and all-in-one, close fitting, stretchy frock. Easy care - machine wash and I doubt there'll be ironing - this also dress solves many of the problems above. The scoop neckline of the false pinafore breaks up the expanse of fabric across the bulk of the boobs which together with the empire line tailoring prevents the "low-slung-boob" effect. Furthermore, the tails of the bow break through that scoop line to draw the eye still further, in a flattering vertical. The section below the dress is pannelled - princess line style - allowing for a closer fit above than below the waist - empire lines can otherwise look rather hippyish or worse, maternity-wear shaped otherwise.

Attention to design detail: the satin is wintery and luxurious (many other pussy bow blouses at the moment are also in 'eveningy' fabrics - silk chiffon animal prints, gold satin...) and the length is over the knee even on me, but still a modest workplace length, especially with my purple tights and winter boots. What I'm not buying, however, is the sleeve. It's puffy of course, we know these blouses tend to be voluminous, but by finishing short on the upper arm it's about as unflattering as possible.


The model gets away with it, but I don't. Two reasons - firstly, even though this is a size 2o, and an M&S 20 at that, it's a bit too tight on the arms. You can see in my pic that it can't come as far down my arm as the model's, cos the widest bit of my upper arm is just a little too wide. Secondly, the sleeve finishes level with the fullest part of the boobs, and the two horizontal lines across the arm draw out a widening optical illusion for the whole area. (You can see this better on the model's pic. I'm far too vain to stand straight on to the camera.) It's a winter frock and a full sleeve would have worked better even on a slim girl. At any rate, if a short sleeve was favoured, something ending at the elbow would surely had more of a vintage look.

On balance though, it's a keeper. Easy wear and two different girls asked me where they could get one. It's not just Drama I'm teaching them I tell you...