Fashion right now is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Voluminous styles, chunky knits, and long tunics overwhelm my frame, and anything without a defined waist makes me look dumpy. I live in one of the student ghettos here in Halifax and have been picking up ideas from the East Asian students in my building, many of whom seem to have mastered the art of wearing slouchy clothes on a petite body. The secret seems to be wearing very fine, drapey fabrics, and making sure that everything fits in the shoulders.
I recently bought this high-waisted skirt from Allison Wonderland on sale; while it's technically a summer item (that fabric reminds me of seersucker), I expect to be able to wear it for the next couple of months. It's a good way for me to wear volume, since the waist is clearly defined. The pleats and pockets are beautifully placed, and the dark grey makes it suitable for fall.
Another end-of-summer sale item: Odd Molly's Love A Lot blouse in ivory: a swingy, hippie-ish shape that I normally would avoid, but in such a fine, soft fabric that it works, even under sweaters and jackets.
The cotton cardigans from Kersh look boring, but I love this modified V-neck: it flatters more than a standard crewneck without flashing a lot of skin, and the cut is fitted without being tight. They're about equivalent to Gap sweaters in quality and price, and they come in a huge variety of colours. I own three of them (albeit with full-length sleeves, not the 3/4 sleeves pictured here), in black, teal, and plum.
The problem with living in ballet flats is that it makes you incredibly lazy about shoes: anything more complicated than a slipper starts to feel like too big a hassle. Still, I shall need some not-too-casual flats to wear once it gets too cold for ballet flats, and I think I'll look for some oxfords. I love the perforations on this Stuart Weitzman pair, but Zappos seems to have sold them out. The search continues.
And now, a fantasy item: I love trench coats and I cannot find one that fits. They're usually too big and too stiff and balloon out over my hips, which looks stupid. This A.P.C. trench probably would not fit me (unless their 34 is particularly small, I suppose) and is way out of my price range anyway, but I love the colour, so much nicer on me than a standard khaki, and the subtle herringbone print.
I can never find trenchcoats, either. All that khaki, especially if it's treated, is so stiff and it stands out anyway, so it feels like wearing a sandwich board. Which I guess is just as well - they're not really me.
ReplyDeleteThe only ones I've ever seen that I've really really liked have been satin and well above the knee. You know, in the thousand dollar range....
Tee hee. I like the look of tulip skirts or balloon skirts sometimes, but there is NO way I can wear them... with a bottom-heavy figure like mine, there is no way I can wear volume on my lower half, except as a 50's swing skirt.
ReplyDeleteI like loafers too. They're a good alternative to sneakers.
Yes, and shoulders ARE important for slouchy clothes. My cream blouse that I just wrote about is sort of ten-shaped, but it works because it's fits across the shoulders.
There's such a delicate fineness to each of your pieces. When you first consider them, they seem almost plain, but the attention to detail sneaks around to you. Especially when it comes to basics—who wants puffed 80s shoulders or tiers of ruffles on a cardigan? Someone who buys clothes and doesn't think about wearing them.
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