Full Circle - Skirts for Fun and Frolics and Flattery

I was asked months ago by a friend to have a look at circle skirts, but I confess I forgot.  Still, she has reminded me, and so here we are.  Circle skirts flatter most hourglass and pearshaped women, but actually give the impression of curves to anyone with boobs bigger than their waist - and they're forgiving of bums, hips and thighs, and tummies too, if like me you bulge out primarily below your natural waist.  They're a fun, lighthearted sort of shape, often - but not always - evocative of a retro 1950s look, and as the Autumn Winter collections reassured us, they're going to be around more and more over the coming months.

The retro look of the circle skirt is fairly obvious - they're much beloved for giving incomparable swirl and movement when dancing, and you need a lot of skirt to top a net petticoat.  The skirts above and top are by Hellbunny, cost less than £20, but come in a terribly limited range of sizes: only going up to a 14.  I include them because they're fun, but for similar skirts you could also try Wagtails Dancewear, who have a good range of sizes and patterns in a slightly longer length.

Length then.  Most circle skirts fall between 'just above the knee' to 'tea length' (upper calf), and certainly it's worth bearing in mind that most retro petticoats are designed to fall just below the knee if you're average height.  But the full circle skirt has many incarnations. Taken shorter it becomes a skater skirt, and these are huge fun if you're confident showing your legs (be aware that circle skirts of any length have a tendency to get caught by the slightest gust of wind and expose more leg than you'd planned) - ASOS have a good range of these up to a size 22.  Taken longer than calf length, and without a petticoat to create the shape, all that extra volume becomes quite blowsy.  They are around - the example above is by fashion brand American Apparel, and you'll find a lot of them in 'hippy' shops, but it's not a flattering look.  As a rule of thumb, the longer a skirt is, the stronger silhouette it needs.

What about a modern look? Well, a circle skirt doesn't need to be dressed up in retro trappings to be a flattering option.  The skirt above is by catalogue company Very, and with its net overlayer looks very contemporary and clean-lined.  It's available up to a size 24 and costs a reasonable £32.  To avoid echoes of the fifties, don't overplay the waist with a cinched belt, and whereas you would wear a more retro look with ballet pumps, wedge heeled espadrilles or curvy high heels, here you'd keep things modern with some more modern lines as above, or perhaps a tomboyish pair of flat, heavy-soled boots.

In most cases, circle skirts look best with a close fitted top, to give definition to the waist, but of course if you opt for a dress you don't have to think about what to wear with it. Obviously purveyors of fine retro frocks Vivien of Holloway and Collectif, amongst others, will cater perfectly to your vintage-look needs, but contemporary fashion also provides.  The dress above is silk, by Great Plains at Oli, and it breaks my heart to say it only goes up to a size sixteen, because it truly is gorgeous. £59 reduced from £85.  For other full skirted frocks, look for anything called a 'prom dress'.  Odd terminology (have you seen what is generally worn to proms?), but the silhouette is usually right.

Lastly, an apology and a request. My friend did ask me to find a particular skirt that she saw, once upon a time in some long-lost corner of the internet. I couldn't track it down, but maybe the swelegencia can? We're looking for a circle skirt with flames appliques or embroidered around the hem. Please pass the information on via the comments box or email if you happen across it on your travels.

Edit - one suggestion from the lovely people at Biscuit Boutique: This gauzy number from Mode Merr - handmade and with a breathtaking price to reflect all the work involved.

Undercover Arms

So, I've been meaning to get around to this mission for a while - but Friday Frocks has been a shameless attention seeker, and I've been dazzled by its frivolity.

Mission request? As you know I have tattoos on my upper arms, and as much as I love them I don't show them at work (professionalism and keeping work/private life separate). Looking for long or 3/4 sleeve tops and dresses in the summer tends to limit the choice so I sometime buy things that have shorter sleeves and wear cardigans. I hate buying them them so need some suggestions on cardis for covering up my tattoos in the summer and not leave me boiling.

We don't all have fabulous tattoos like Trudi, but many of us feel more comfortable covering up our upper arms. It seems especially true that ladies with big boobs have had the dubious twin blessing of hefty hams to match - but lots of us are sensitive about our 'bingo wings' - the untoned flesh that keeps waving long after we've stopped. It stands to reason then, that Trudi's quest for ink-concealment will come in handy for quite a few others of us.

The most common solution to the problem is an elbow-length cardigan, either cropped or very fitted.  The pink cardigan at the top of the page is versatile enough for day or evening, and won't look dated anytime soon, so it's probably worth the £50 price tag (it's by Phase Eight at House of Fraser - other colours are available here). The orange shrug above, (£49, John Lewis, also available in black) has a little more femininity in its design detail, with the puffed shoulder and gathering at the elbow - and this can make it easier if you are trying to disguise rounded arms. There are two problems with this style of cover-up (and for more in the same kind of mould, see here): firstly, they're quite expensive, and secondly, they're probably a bit much for a really hot day.

So we want pocket-friendly, heat-busting, arm-covering pieces. This white three-quarter sleeved bolero from M&S is a perfect summer cover-up. The colour is light-reflecting and summery, and it's 100% cotton so it will allow air circulation. It would also be ideal to protect yourself when you've had enough sun. Those flared cuffs will help to balance out heavier arms, and the fabric has a pretty, subtle, circular pattern. It's only £19.50 and will work with all kinds of looks.

Not everyone feels comfortable wearing white, but I've rarely met someone who doesn't look great in shades of turquoise. This bolero is also from M&S, also £19.50 and also 100% cotton (it's also another really weird picture with an uncomfortable-looking model - try to see past that). I'd say his bolero is less versatile - unlike the last one, it probably wouldn't be suitable for more casual occasions - but it is a lovely colour and those A line sleeves are going to be cool and flattering.

Lastly, this slouchy shrug is from ASOS. It comes in black, a warm pale beige, and a super-fashionable pale grey, and the loose cut is easy to wear in the heat.  Best of all it's reduced from £18 to £12. This is a less tailored look, but that doesn't mean it's only suitable for casual dressing.  Kept simple with a more tailored dress or skirt in a plain colour, it would look draped, elegant and classy.

A Classic Coat

I have a mission for you... I'm hoping that now is the time that I might find a winter coat in the sales?  My black coat is looking pretty scraggly and worn.  I'm after something that is a little bit fitted (I think), but still has room for me to wear a jumper underneath, black, and comes down to below the knee.  I don't have many coats, so this will be the one I can wear to weddings, or work do's.  Not sure where to start.

Well, for someone who isn't sure where to start, actually we have a really great list of preferences.  It's a fab idea to have a think before you look for new clothes, about what you'd like in an ideal world, even if you can't picture it exactly.  It may not exist, but it helps to narrow down the field.

I haven't owned a proper winter coat for years, something I only realised recently when I've been carless and commuting.  It's an item that needs to be functional - to keep you snug; durable - because it'll get daily use; and stylish - because it's the layer that people see.  Which means it's worth spending a bit on it... but then, who has that much money to splash at this time of year?  And the price of even a cheaper coat means you'll probably only own a couple - so it has to be versatile too.

The first two are available from website ASOS.  I love the first one, originally by high street chain Mango.  It's £109, reduced from £145 - and for that you get a 95% cotton/wool blend, and some rather elegant design details.  The braid on the cuffs also forms a fixed half-belt detail at the back, nipping in the waist, and those puffy sleeves leave plenty of room for your jumper.  It's dressy and feminine - I love the covered buttons and Princess Grace-style collar.  I happen to know the lady who has set the mission is not of model height, so it'll be at least knee length. Sadly sizes 10-16 only, but this is such a pretty coat I couldn't resist.

The second offering from ASOS is cheaper (£70, reduced from £90) but also a cheaper fabric with less wool content.  That said, this is a great design for hourglass and pearshapes due to it's fuller skirt, and the fact that that cosy funnel-neckline opens out to a deep, single-breasted V.  It's a wee bit shorter, but still long enough to count as a winter coat - on me, it'd be knee length.  This one's available from size 6 - 18.

The classic, no frills option here (picture in red, but available in black) is from good old Marks and Spencer.  It's £79 and available in a great range of sizes up to a UK26 - though not all sizes are in stock, everything from 14 to 24 was available in the black at the time of writing.  It's high in wool content (75%) and even has 5% cashmere in the mix.  Single-breasted coats flatter everyone, and this should suit girls of all shapes and sizes. I like the tiny puff on the shoulder and the double-effect hip pockets, echoing this season's ubiquitous Crombie: small details that tie it to this season, but wont stand out as an anachronism in years to come.

My last option is very different - not tailored or fitted at all, but stylish, practical and flattering, after a fashion.  Closed, it's nothing to write home about - though the pod-like clean lines are quite futuristic Japanese-style, but open, at least part way, this coat has a fabulous statement collar that balances the shapelessness and focuses attention on the face.  This coat is by Isabella Olivier, who is a maternity designer primarily - but this coat seems to be from her non-maternity range.  At least I think so... those models certainly aren't pregnant. It's £119.50, reduced from £239, and available from a size 6 to an 18.  The fabric is a wool cashmere blend and I think this really would count as an investment piece.