This sounds counter intuitive, but there is method to the madness. Obviously, after a certain fall in temperature you’ll want to wear sleeved garments under sleeved layers. But before it gets really cold, sleeveless garments can work beautifully, even if you tend to feel the cold quickly like I do.

Sleeveless dresses and tops layer exceptionally well. No fabric bunching. No cutting off the circulation to your arms. Pure comfort. With it being a tunic cardigan season, sleeveless tops and blouses are practical items to wear under long sleeved knitwear and indoor jackets. And the same sleeveless items will double duty for warm weather worn on their own.

We haven’t reached freezing temperatures in Seattle yet, so I’m still wearing sleeveless dresses, knit tops and blouses layered with cascading or boyfriend cardigans, pullovers and cropped jackets. In the chillier mornings and evenings I’ll add a trench or wool coat on top of those layers. My feet are deliciously warm in boots with socks or hose and I’ll also throw in a scarf from time to time. Inside I peel off my coat but leave on the layer that’s over the sleeveless item. Easy.

It won’t be long before I’m in long sleeves most of the time, but for now layered sleeveless dressing makes sense. Do you wear sleeveless items in colder weather like I do?

Of course, wearing long sleeved tops, blouses, shirts and dresses under long sleeved knitwear and jackets is fabulous. But hopefully this might inspire you to extend the life of your sleeveless items. We’re always trying to get the most from our wardrobes!

Shoes that are a similar colour to your skin do wonders for elongating your legs when you’re wearing a skirt or frock. This is because they visually extend the length of the leg right down to the foot without a break. It’s as if your legs magically received ten inches of extra flattering height.

Most flesh-toned shoe styles achieve the leg lengthening effect. Shoes with heels and low vamps are particularly effective but strappy sandals, mary janes, peep-toes, ballet flats and gladiators also work.

Surprisingly, it took me a while to actually like the look of flesh coloured shoes on bare legs because my first impression was: “oh no! I look like I’m not wearing shoes”. But that’s the point, and since the penny dropped I whole heartedly believe it’s a good look.

I prefer a little texture and depth to my flesh-toned peds so I opt for a champagne or pewter shade of metallic that’s close to the colour of my skin instead of flat beige leather. It’s probably not quite as visually effective, but it does the trick.

An assortment of flesh-toned and metallic shoes in different styles. The comfy strappy wedge I bought last week is close to the colour of my skin so it serves as a flesh-toned shoe in my wardrobe. Works for me.

I recently had a new piece of knitwear taken it at the waist. I took it to my alterations lady, who overlocked the side seams and re-steamed the garment for $10. I’m impressed with the results. It’s made a huge difference to the fit of the garment, making it less boxy and more streamlined. After the alteration it looks good both as is and belted at the waist.

Knitwear can be successfully altered at the side seams by a competent seamstress. In fact, I’ve never tried this, but you’ll probably be able to narrow the width of knitwear sleeves in the same way. This got me thinking. Are there ways to shorten the sleeve and hem lengths of knitwear? I’ve always thought that this can’t be done, but now I’m not so sure.

I’ve found that going up a size in hosiery is often a good idea if you’re regular height or taller. For example, if you usually wear a medium, try a large. Or if you’d normally fall into the “C range”, size up to “D”.

Going up a size reduces the stretch, making colors more even and reducing pattern distortion. It also lowers the risk of laddering and increases the longevity of the hose, which is particularly good if you prefer the better quality, more expensive brands.

Saggy hose is unsightly, so don’t go up more than one size. If you are petite the stretch is already less than average, so you may not need to size up at all.

My skirts fit well when I’m standing still, but they shift around when I move. I end up with the front somewhere on my side after a minute of walking. It drives me batty. I’m constantly pulling skirts back into position. Once my ensemble is on, I don’t like to fuss with it.

The penny dropped when I realized my high-waisted skirts stay put. Their waistbands lie on my natural waist above my navel. I promptly took my skirts for alteration. I had their waistbands taken in, which moved the position of the waistband higher. The end result was fuller coverage and a snugger fit around the waist and tummy area. It worked like a charm.

The alteration costs about $15, which I found well worth the price. Your mileage may vary – the higher waist is a different style and not for everyone or every skirt. Also, beware of losing length. This alteration shortens a skirt by one or two inches, so make sure you have length to play with before you move up the waistband.

Do you battle with shifting skirts? Any other tips on how we can prevent this phenomenon?

Left: Skirts with lower waistbands like these tend to shift when I walk. I found that the silhouette of the skirt makes little difference (pencils and A-line styles both shift).

Right: Higher waistbands like these shift to a lesser extent. I tend to prefer skirts with higher waistbands because I find them more comfortable (whether I tuck in my top or leave it out).

Stacy London, co-host of TLC’s “What Not To Wear” shared five tips for looking your best in the August edition of People: Style Watch magazine:

1. Know yourself: “Accept your body type for what it is”. Embrace your size and find what works for you.
2. Fit is key: Once you have found the cuts that flatter your  body type, have them altered for perfect fit.
3. Don’t fall back on black: Other colours, like navy, charcoal grey and chocolate brown are also slimming. Also, cut is more important than colour.
4. Ignore labels: Brand and size labels are secondary. The fit of the garment is the important thing.
5. Good posture is essential: “Stand with your shoulders back, boobs out and tummy in.”

These are superb tips. I see some overlap with my post on how to look slimmer in your clothes. I also believe that polish makes a huge difference to one’s appearance. A fabulous haircut goes an especially long way.

There’s one other key ingredient to looking your best: confidence, an accessory that  can’t be bought. In most cases, you only look as good as you feel. Looking good makes you feel fabulous; but feeling fabulous makes you look even better.

I could scarcely believe it, but it’s true. Nordstrom can add an inch or two to the length of your jeans by using a heat stretching process. The alterations department uses heavy duty heat presses to make the elastic component of the denim pliable. The process is continued until the desired vertical stretch is achieved.

The jeans must have an elastic component – the process won’t work on 100% cotton jeans. After lengthening, you can wash, air dry and press as normal. But you’ll undo the stretch if you machine dry.

This might be your answer to perfect pant lengths, especially if you wear heels with bootcuts. Sometimes an extra one or two inches does the trick on a petites, or regular length pair of jeans that’s a tad too short. Tall girls, this trick is fabulous for you.

My friend Stephanie has just had her Seven’s stretched two inches and she’s thrilled. Thanks for sharing this information with us, Stephanie. May this be the end of your “short jeans dilemma”. Brilliant! What would we do without Nordstrom?

There is a slight difference between “straight-leg” and “skinny” jeans. It’s all in the width of the leg opening. Straight-leg jeans are a little wider at the hem than skinnies, and often more flattering because they create balance between the top and bottom part of your body.

• Skinny jeans have leg openings of 12 -13 inches
• Straight–leg jeans have leg openings of 14 – 15 inches

These hem width measurements are representative of the smallest size (24 or 25 inch waist). They increase as the size of the denim increases, but not by as much as you’d expect. Straight-leg jeans can run as wide as 16 inches on a larger size hem width. But go beyond 15 and 16 inches and you’re in boot cuts or flares.

Straight-leg jeans are generally better than skinnies for gals with wider calves, or pear and inverted triangle body types. Curvy hourglasses also do a pair of straight-legs justice. In these instances, straight-legs are a great substitute for skinnies. They’ll offer a similar sleek profile with the advantage of balancing out your silhouette. It’s a win.

The styles on the left and in the middle are straight leg jeans. The hem width is the same as the width at the knee, thereby creating a “straight leg”. The style on the far right is skinny because the hem width at the ankle is narrower than at the knee.

Heidi Klum presented this product on the Oprah show recently and to quote Oprah herself : “no more muffin tops”.

The Yummie Tummie is a body contouring camisole that discretely slims the midsection. It’s better than a conventional camisole because of a stretchy stiff spandex panel across the midriff. Unlike conventional shapewear, this item is not supposed to be hidden. It acts as a visible layering piece under a jacket, top or dress. But there’s nothing stopping you from covering it up. It’s available in a variety of styles, sizes and lengths in most department stores and online. It’s versatility is key, but you pay for it at $62 apiece.

I haven’t personally fitted one on, but have seen it’s positive effects first hand with my clients. It works and is worth a try if you’re prepared to wear shapewear.

I suggest shapewear to my clients as a last resort. We first try to find clothing that flatters without shapewear, because that’s the more comfortable option and one less item to think about. But I do have clients who are happy wearing shapewear daily and it does make a visual difference.

Tops over pants look best when they’re worn a little longer. One to three inches above your crotch point (somewhere between where the inseam of your pants start and the zip fly of your pants end) is the perfect length. Hip-bone length is perfect for skirts, but not long enough when you’re wearing pants.

You need to find the specific length that works best for you. Generally, the curvier the thighs, the longer you’ll need to wear your tops. It makes a huge difference when a pretty pear shape wears her tops a little longer. But don’t wear them too long. Tops slightly over crotch point create a horizontal line over the widest part of your body, which is unflattering for pear shapes (but ok for inverted triangles). Fortunately, a top that’s too long can be ruched or “scrunched” to its correct length if you’re short-waisted.

If you haven’t bought tops over the last two years, your cupboard is probably full of shorter lengths. Fashion has moved on and I’m thrilled with the flattering update. Demote shorter tops to wear with skirts and sport a longer length for pants.

Models sporting longer length tops a few inches above crotch point. Longer length also creates a wonderful visual layering effect as the top peeps out. It’s a win.

Models sporting shorter, less flattering tops with pants.