In your shoes

Right missy, I have these shoes:

and this dress, minus the white shirt part:

and I want to wear them together for a wedding next month. Think 40s style. Find me some accessories - I'm stumped as to what colour stockings to wear.

Wow - those shoes are gorgeous. Sadly they are unavailable now (Agent Provocateur doesn't have a footwear collection at the moment), but there's a size 8 pair on ebay at the moment. The dress is absolutely classic, too - and will suit Sarah who is slender but also has a fantastic hourglass figure. What it's also important to know is that Sarah has alabaster-pale skin, and lovely dark wavy hair.

Let's look at stockings first. There are two types of stocking: those which are 'fully fashioned', and those which are not. Fully fashioned stockings are made the old fashioned way on specialist machinery, and the cuban/pointed heel, and seam are a result of the stocking being sewn together from a piece of shaped silk or nylon. They are obviously more expensive, and not suitable for larger than a UK dress size 14-16. You can get unopened packs of vintage stockings on ebay, for that real authentic touch.

The problem with these is that vintage stockings, and those made in the vintage style, are often black or tan only. For this outfit, Sarah needs to match her stockings to her shoes. Footwear should never be lighter in shade than your hosiery if you're going for classic elegance. So Sarah might end up with modern stockings, where the seam is stitched on after the stockings have been made as a tube. Modern type stockings are cheaper, but I'm still really pleased to have found some fully fashioned stockings in ivory. You wouldn't want ivory in a thicker denier - we're not looking to create the 'cream tights' look - but these are in effect just fleshtone for paler skins. The ivory seam is elegant too. It's fine to look gorgeous at a wedding, but turning down the sex appeal just a shade is probably wise for most people. There are many makes of seamed stocking which are nude with a brown or black seam (or even red or blue!) but it is more femme fatale than class personified.

If it weren't a wedding, black seams would be a way of visually tieing the black dress to the pale shoes. So we'll need to do that another way. Instead, we're going to use the dark, brick red which outlines the detail on the shoes. I already know Sarah looks gorgeous with dark red lips, and she needs to work that shade through the rest of her outfit. Opinions are divided on the classiness of red nails, but a brick red, worn on short nails will look gorgeous. Bring this colour through to the hair with a comb, clip or fascinator, securing one side of the hair back for a Rita Hayworth-style cascade on the other - try ebay for a huge collection made by home crafters... and feathers for an authentic 40s look.

I'd keep jewellery small and subtle for the most part although I'd make an exception for these perfect earrings, £8.99. The dress needs something to break up the black, so I'd look for a gorgeous vintage brooch - ebay again, for bargains like this, currently £4.99. Other accessories I'd keep black - an overdone accent colour can be a little jarring.

Of course, other readers might just be coveting the frock, in which case similar dresses can be found - although not identical. For the slim, try this sleeveless frock from M&S for £25, or more forgiving to a fuller figure herald the return of the flutter dress from Dotty Perkins, £25.

Edit - apparently, modom wants a belt, and a bag big enough for a dslr (hefty camera). OK - the belt is easy peasy: House of Fraser, Linea - lizard effect belt. Slimmer by far than for a fifties look, but not so insubstantial as to be unflattering for her hourglass curves. Comes in black or red. I'm erring toward black. £19.

Come back for the bag... I'm working on it.

Ok - A frame bag should sort out your camera issues - although check the dimensions. My favourite is a thing of utter beauty. Leather, with a patent croc effect, you'd want to hide away the silver Jasper Conran tag, because it detracts from the clean lines. Not cheap - £75 - but look after it and it's an investment piece. A little cheaper, and slightly less retro is this by Betty Jackson £60. Perhaps a little paler than the shoes, but they won't be next to each other.

Howzat?

It's not easy being green.

...by which I don't mean eco-friendly (although there is a blog in the pipeline about combining sustainability with shopping). Green the colour. Bright, vivid green. Not for the faint hearted.

Various 'New Season' emails have been trying to persuade me that vibrant Absinthes and Apples are the go-to colour for spring and summer, and I was sceptical. I love dark greens: forests, bottles, British racing cars... and bluey-greens can be festive - emerald and jade... but the spearmint raincoat at the top of this blog? (Dotty P's, £60). It's everso in your face.

Maybe I'm prejudiced. I love vivid pinks and reds, oranges and purples. But it strikes me that green is a very unforgiving shade. This hoodie (£14, New Look) would make a lot of skintones look drained and pale. The exceptions are people with ruddy complexions (as the red and green 'cancel each other out', somewhat) and many Afro-Caribbean complexions.

Of course, it may just be easier to avoid the colour altogether, or stick to easier shades. But if you would like to wear bright spring green without looking peaky, there are some strategies to try. Firstly, it's much less draining if you keep it away from your face. The skirt above left is £100 by LK Bennett, and worn with either a stone-coloured or cherry red top would make a striking and lovely outfit. A more budget option is the green and cream version from Boden (£39 - above right).

You can use the colour in flashes on an otherwise neutral outfit, too - and leaf-green will accent all neutral colours. I love Kurt Geiger's T-bar court, above (£95), while a cute hair accessory, like this one by Tarina Tarantino (£30.40 - but check your local chemist for cheap options) will sit beautifully in brunette and redhead coiffures. Gloves, belts, handbags, scarves...

The reason I bring the subject up today is that I bought myself a really cute top at the weekend - it's the same as this Marks and Sparks floral top (£25), but mine is in a bright green and pink colour scheme (much brighter green than the photo would suggest). That's my last tip: you can wear most colours if they are diluted enough by shades which do suit you. It reminds me of my childhood bedroom wallpaper, actually, but it's also fresh and flattering. Spring will be sprung and I shall be verdant.

Of corsets

Corsets. A good corset is flattering and theatrical - and very very sexy. They vary massively, though, in price - so what makes a good corset, and which one will suit you?

Corset construction is a hardcore process. Steel bones are encased in at least one layer of special, close weave, stretch proof fabric, and often another layer of fabric, such as satin, brocade, leather, velvet etc is also part of the building process. The reason for all these heavy-duty materials is that a properly made corset is capable of reducing your natural waist size by 2-4 inches. It won't fray at the seams, warp or distort under the pressure, and that's quite a task. The term corset can be applied to almost anything with a pannelled bodice, but if it hasn't been made properly, it should only be worn to fit your existing shape. If you pull a cheap corset in, it will pucker and lose its clean vertical lines, and it may become damaged. Meanwhile bones will often poke through cheap fabrics, and plastic ones will twist.

Things to look for:

• Price. There's no getting away from it, a decent corset will cost a fair bit, because much of the process is very skilled and has to be done by hand. The cheapest underbust corset I've seen lately was £55 - but usually expect to pay more like £75 and up, and £100 and up for a full corset.

• The opening. Forget hooks and eyes, the only appropriate opening for a corset is a busk (above). This is a series of steel buttons and loops, welded onto strips of steel. It will probably have very little if any flex. Some corsets don't open at the front, which is massively impractical, but not actually detrimental to the function of the corset, as long as there are lots of bones at the front. Ditto front lacing in addittion to backlacing.

• The back laces. Ribbons won't last in a corset - a real corset should be supplied with something similar to woven bootlaces. The laces should go through metal eyelets, of course, but there needs to be a steel bone either side of each column of eyelets, shown clearly in the picture of the fairly ugly corset above. This stops strain on the eyelets and ensures the vertical shape is held. Occasionally you might be able to feel that the eyelets themselves have been set into apertures in a wider steel bone - this is also fine. There may be a modesty panel (a flap or corset fabric to go behind the laces) or not - it's a matter of taste.

• The top and bottom edge. These should be bound seperately - the outer shell and the lining should not just meet at the top, or you'll end up with protruding bones. If you can, follow the stitches as they go around the top of each bone - they should encase the bone completely - not just run in a vertical line from bottom to top.

Good corset manufacturers are proud of the work that's gone into their garments, and often publicise this on labels attached.

So which corset is for you? There are two main types: Over and underbust. An overbust corset is great for all but the curviest girls - if you do have large boobs, though, you should be prepared for the fact that although they offer excellent support, you really will look quite spectacular, and perhaps a little over the top, particularly in a standard, horizontal topped design. See the picture of me below and imagine it without the black shirt... well, quite! An underbust corset is a solution to this problem - you can simply wear a gorgeous bra on top. An underbust will offer a more natural profile, too.

If you have a very defined natural waist, but you still want to reduce your circumference, look for a corset with gored hips (and bust, though these are rarer). Goring means that the panels aren't parralell, but instead flare out to accomodate parts of you that are wider. Conversely, if you have a straighter figure, go for a corset with less pronounced or no goring. Corsets are different lengths, and the more tummy you have, the longer you'll want your corset to be.

Corset sizing is misleading to the uninitiated, but really quite simple. Measure your waist in inches, and subtract between 2 and 4 inches, depending on how dramatic a cinching you desire. Regular 'tightlacers' can achieve reductions of over 6 inches, but that's just not possible for the beginner, and the look is something of an aquired taste. It's important not to be too uncomfortable, too. I've worn my trusty Vollers corset out dancing on three occasions now, and I genuinely find it very wearable all night, partly because they prevent me getting lower back pain.

Corset-making is quite a growth industry for small designers. A judicious google will find you a myriad of options. Secondhand ones occasionally go on ebay - but it's going to be harder to sort the good from the bad there. Vollers are probably best for quality, and I love 'What Katie Did' for their fun designs, particularly their pretty underbust styles (example above). Bear in mind when clicking links, that some corset photography may be considered 'not safe for work', in a burlesque kind of way.

New season!

Although struggling stores may keep reducing out of desperation, we've definitely heard the last holler for the January sales. So I thought I'd have a a look over the coming days and weeks at what we can expect from the high street, and any items that look particularly good for various body shapes.

I'm going to start with Monsoon. I have a love/hate relationship with Monsoon, and I know I'm not alone. On the one hand their designers enjoy colour, but on the other hand they make some odd-looking clothes. I find the fit of their tops to be extremely ungenerous, and there's no denying that their prices simply don't compete with most of the rest of the high street. On the other hand, they give great sale - walking into a branch of Monsoon just after Xmas is like being a kid in the proverbial sweet shop.

The trio of dresses above all feature a rather 'Jackie O' neckline - it's a fresh twist on the fifties prom frock, and much more sophisticated. Only really flattering if you have small boobs, this neckline is dying for a simple short string of pearls and an updo. Very Holly Golightly. The purple dress (£95 - silk satin), is just lovely for a wedding, and will forgive a shorter stature and a pear shaped figure - unlike the black and white number (£95 - silk/cotton mix) which is going to need either height or streamlining to carry it off. The third frock is the same shape as the first, and has a particularly vintage feel to the print. Had I the figure and the money (£65) I'd wear it to work with a neat little cardigan.

There are slimmer pickings for the well endowed. I love the tropical colour riot of the dress with the orange bow (£95), but the wide band of turquoise at the hem doesn't work for me: it looks tacked on, and at any rate, will make legs look shorter and wider. I love the shape of the blue silk dress (£95) and its flattering sleeves, but the insipid blue will do nothing for most skintones (pale redheads excluded). I really like the kimono-inspired dress (a great height for shorter girls) but for £85, I'd want something that looks less like a beach cover-up.

If it seems like I'm focusing on 'occasion wear', it's because I think that's Monsoon's niche. Their trousers are nothing special, and their tops are sometimes lovely, but overpriced. The top above is very similar, in cut and fabric, to a long-sleeved dress I bought for work in the sales. When all's said and done, it's pretty, but it's just a jersey top, and it's £40. What one can justify spending on a frock is, for me at least, far removed from the extravagance I can justify for separates. They do some well-designed knitwear though, and the shrug at the very top of this post is a gorgeous, colourful, practical item - well-cut for hourglass girls - which I might consider spending £50 on if I needed a cover up for a special frock.

What's wrong with this picture?

I'm about to be terribly brave. I'm about to post a picture of myself wearing a dress which I've come to realise is rather unflattering. No laughing at the back, there.

Hmm. Well, my wall displays look nice, and my newly-hennaed hair is shiny, and my legs look okay... but. It isn't just the dress - I've put on some weight since the last picture I posted herein, but the dress isn't doing me any favours. I thought it might be useful to point out what exactly is wrong with it - understanding fit is a really important step in loving shopping, even if you do sometimes get it wrong.

So, here I am again - side by side with a professional model, and with my worst bits circled for your special attention. Sheesh...

A - I'm a short arse. I have short arms and fairly narrow shoulders. This dress doesn't fit on my shoulders, and because the shoulder seam is slipping down my arm, it gives my upper torso a wider look. That slippy, slidey look also lends an overall droopyness to the outfit.

B - It's nearly a crossover dress, but not quite, and there isn't enough room for my boobs to get in there before the waistband section takes over. This is a Bravissimo dress, and it's cut for bigger boobs to the extent that it doesn't show tonnes of cleavage - but i seem to have pushed it beyond the boob capacity it was designed for. The effect is that by starting the waist section before my boobs have stopped, it looks like my boobs are droopy. Ugh. Taken in combination with point A, I want to reach into the picture and hoick them up, but actually it's the frock's fault, and not the bra.

C - Droopy shoulders and short arms = cuffs hanging over my hands. I used to do this deliberately when I was a teenage goth, but it's not really the look I'm trying to 'work' here.

D - OK, look at the model. This ruching across not just the waist but the whole body from underbust to hip creates a series of horizontal lines. And what do horizontal lines do? They widen. Shopping 101, if you will. On me, it's worse, because if you have lumps and bumps, they will fill out the excess fabric of the ruching, drawing special attention to those parts. I knew the waist section would be unflattering when I bought it - but I got carried away because Bravissimo were finally making clothes in an 18.

So there you have it. All is not lost. I will put it in my ever-growing category of 'items I must ebay' - and it really will suit someone taller, with slightly smaller boobs and broader shoulders.

A niche challenge...

Here's a tricky one: moddish or twentiesish stuff that might look good on a tall fattish bloke who dresses like a lass?
Anyways it was a trick question. The answer is 'nothing'.

Au contraire.
You've chosen two periods of clothing history where the most desired shape was elongated and androgynous. Ideally suited to someone tall without womanly boobs or hips. I'll look at solutions for both periods, although if you're carrying a tummy, the twenties styles may be more flattering.

I'm going to recommend two looks which I think will give your wardrobe a modish flavour, but also more forgiving to a less strreamlined physique. The first, and most wearable, is inspired by mod icon Jean Seberg. You need to find some tapered trousers, sitting high on the waist and ending just above the ankle. This gamine look focuses attention on your footwear, and it is unmistakable 'girl'. Because of your height, I recommend you try the Marks and Sparks trousers above (£15) - they'd be awful on anyone with a generous bum/hips, but will be just the thing for you. They run up to a women's size 22, which is a 39" waist, and come in three lengths. No socks, then, and a pair of ballet pumps or lightweight, thin soled loafers.

On your top half you want a high neckline - and a close-fitting black polo neck worn untucked would be a stylish look, although possibly more 'beat' than 'mod'. Alternatives might be a long-sleeved, fitted shirt in a tiny floral print. Liberty (above) are the ultimate for these, but new they cost £75. Look out for second hand ones on ebay, or lookalikes in other stores. To ensure the look is female, you need close fitting lines, but that doesn't mean going a size smaller. The right tops will be tailored in at the side seams, but will fit comfortably. If you're stuck, a local dressmaker should be able to take a man's shirt in somewhat.

The second look incorporates a skirt, but it needn't be a mini, as Leslie Ash demonstrates above centre. The over all profile is clean lines and slightly flared from the shoulder to the hem, as this will help to skim over your tummy. Avoid anything with a horizontal seam at the bust, you need boobs to carry that off. The best thing to do is to search on ebay. I found the dress above right, which has a 40inch chest, currently going for £9.99 (auction ends in two days). Note, high neck and long sleeves - those are the areas you want to keep covered. Underneath your dress, you'll need opaque tights and ballet pumps, again.

With twenties style, you have to decide whether you want a replica outfit, or something influence by those looks. Replica outfits like the one above can be made from patterns available in the US and copied from original designs. Note the opaque tights again, and you'll also want T-bar or Mary Jane shoes with a low heel. Dance suppliers stock these inexpensively up to a size 10 (although dance shoes tend to come up a size smaller). If that isn't big enough, I've found some almost right ones - the Glinda range here comes in a host of colours and is available up to a size 13.

If you want to add a twenties accent to daywear, think about the sillhouette. Drop waistlines, with or without fullness above, are de riguer, and as with the mod look, the over all line is straight, although there may be some flaring towards the hem. This might be as simple as wearing a long plain jumper/tunic over some wide leg trousers, but you can add interest with some long knotted beads, or a long silk scarf, a la Isadora Duncan. If you go for plain coloured clothes you can really go to town on these accessories - try a chunky bangle too (a hinged one will go over larger hands) this one is perfect.

This season however, there are a lot of twenties influenced outfits on the high street. Blouson-style tops and dropped waist tunics will give the right silhouette above the waist. You could team the top above (£10 in the sale at Long Tall Sally - also available in grey) or even something as modern as this low waist, batwing jumper (also at Long Tall Sally - £25) with a long, bias cut (nearly straight) skirt. Again Long tall Sally comes up trumps with the devore number above in grey (£25) or brown (£15).

Note to all my girls - there are some good bargains to be had at LTS - especially for those who find their tops for work are never long enough!

edit - apologies for the odd formatting of this entry. HTML editing is beyond me, but I promise normal service will be reumed next time.

Welly?

Note: Post updated - see entry 13th Jan 2010

I don't often need to go places where my feet will get wet. Other than the shower, that is. But one ought to own a pair of wellies - this much has been evident today - when surely I would have frolicked with unbridled energy in the snow (as opposed to staying in my cosy bed all day) had I only owned a pair of good old gum boots.

I did have a pair. They were £6 in Tesco's kids department several years ago. I eventually pressed them into employ on one weekend, at last year's Endorseit festival, and I was jolly glad of them in the Somme-like conditions. By the end of the weekend though, I'd sliced them down the back (because it's one thing getting your legs in; losing all feeling in your feet due to constricted blood supply is quite another), and eventually threw them away on the way home, in a motorway service station bin, because our car was rammed to the gunnels, and the boots had doubled in size thanks to having half a Dorset field clinging to them.

So now I am bootless. It's quite discomfiting to discover myself lacking in clothing or footwear for any occasion, so I've been looking on the internet for my next pair of wellies. Of course, if I do buy some, they won't be delivered before the snow disappears... but I'll be ready if it happens again, goshdarnit!

But my word - buying wellies which will accommodate the larger calf is harder, and in some cases more costly than buying lovely leather boots from Duo. Who knew?

Purveyors of Serious Wellingtons, Hunter, stock a larger calf size in their more boring styles, but prices start at £50 - rising to £240, and the most exciting colour in the wide fit styles is black. There are other serious brands selling serious wellies - mostly for horsey types - but the only brand selling purpose-made, wider-fit wellies that don't look eye-gougingly dull are Jileon Ltd. Jileon are welly specialists who stock loads of cute and glam welly designs at around the £25 mark. Sadly, only one pretty pattern makes it to the wide-fit style, but it's a versatile black-and-polka-dot boot (above), which should please many. However, for some reason, for the larger fit they nearly double the price - to £44.99. Even then, I was tempted... but sadly, their smallest size is a 5. Tsh! Back to the drawing board.

I should probably point out that Jileon stock two other 'wide fit' styles - which cost £19.99/£32.99, but they are that ubiquitous muddy green colour. They'd have to be free to find a place in my wardrobe...

Another welly-specialist is Funky Wellies - and the name sounds promising. Their neoprene-lined range is supposed, according to their blog, to be more capacious around the calf. They have a cute pink floral boot, but I rather love the royal blue ones patterned with cars and camper vans. I don't love them to the tune of £45.95, though - even though they have them in my size. Lakeland Welly Workshop do a cute daisy boot with handles for £25, which they say is good for wider calves - but seem to have very few sizes in stock.

So what, then. Well the choices seem to be one of two: buy a pair of sensible wellies in sludge green or black; or go for something other than a standard welly. Plenty of retailers sell ankle-height wellies, which will fit - but you can't exactly tuck your trousers into them. I know serious outdoorsy types who reckon wellies are for fools anyway, and would encourage me to buy some stout walking boots and waterproof gaiters. Quite apart from the cost, walking boots seem to only come in ugly colours, and I guess I'm just too shallow. And that's before I even contemplate wearing 'waterproof gaiters'. There is a compromise of sorts in low-calf boots, epitomised by the Crocs above (£25-£35). Pretty colours, yes - and if you buy the imitation ones on ebay they can be cheap as you like... but they're truly very odd looking. Maybe I'll wait it out...

Proof that I did wear wellies once. Even if they were the most sensible part of my outfit...

Post updated - see entry 13th Jan 2010

My right to Choos

My, my. Longstanding fans of SSS will know my method for owning the tippety-toppermost quality shoes. (If you missed it, read "The Only Way to Buy Shoes" and prepare to get excited). Well this time, I've come up trumps.

My big sister is getting married in May, and I've bought a gorgeous aqua satin dress to wear. But I was somewhat saddened to observe that I already own a pair of Kurt Geiger peep toe mary-janes which match almost perfectly. There was no way I could be considered to 'need' new shoes. Hmm. Unless...

Unless I found a pair of shoes that embodied absolute perfection.

Let me tell you why these shoes are so special.

• The colour is perfect. The photos look a little pallid, but that doesn't matter because it's the colour compared to my skintone that is important, and that looks a bit pasty in these pics too (below). They are a cream colour with a subtle old-gold shimmer. It warms up the cream to skintone levels, which makes my legs look longer, since there's no horizontal colour-change to break up the line. If you want bare legs and you want them to look longer and slimmer, go for a warm version of your skin colour.

• Most shoes of this colour are sandals, or open-toed. Which is fine, except that it can be tricky wearing tights with them. I might not always want to wear tights, but I'd like to have the option.

• The heel is high, but realistic. They are going to hurt, but I can at least walk in them. Why wear a high heel? I was trying to explain this to my boyfriend, but he didn't get it. Essentially, the dress for this occasion is old Hollywood glam. Flat shoes would just look a bit weird. But also high heels make you look thinner. Or your legs, at least.
  

• There's something a bit 1960 about the design. At any rate I wear retro clothes quite often, and these won't look out of place - but then again, they're not so specific to a period that they'll look out of place with a modern outfit.

• Bit of a personal one, this, but I adore the elongated toe. My feet are stupidly stunted. These shoes make them look more elegant.

• Oh, come on... they're Jimmy Choos.

Anyway, these ended up costing me £77 on ebay - about £8 below my maximum bid. They're in mint condition - worn by a bride in 2004 and kept in their dustbag and box ever since. They cost her £400 at the time, which is fair enough if you're the bride. I'm a bride's sister, and having spent only £30 on my frock, I think £77 on the perfect shoes is completely fair enough too.