2017 is one of the better Fall and Winter retail seasons in recent memory because of improved fits, and a larger assortment of colours and silhouettes. Here are some of the items that have worked well on my clients recently.
1. Isla Maude A-Line Skirt
This is NOT a pencil skirt as reflected in the retailer’s description. It’s gently A-line and remarkably streamlining on both a curvier or straighter lower half. Excellent fit for pear-shaped gals, body types with “saddle bags”, fuller bottoms and thighs, wider hips, and hourglasses. Also good on rectangles with long rises and torsos. Not as good on inverted rectangles, narrow hips and thighs, or apple-shaped body types. Extremely comfortable casual knitted fabric and interesting patterns. Dress the look up or down. Nice knee-covering length too. I liked the style best with a cropped sweater that showcases the waist, but a shorter top with a welt can work as well.
2. Boden Washable Silk Blouse
A well-made modern classic with French seams. It’s fab layered under a blazer, or semi-tucked into a pencil skirt, jeans or trousers. The colours are rich and refined. Machine washable. Runs a size big and goes up to a US18. Runs long, so not good on petites. I was sized out of the smallest size because it runs big, but if it had fit better, the turquoise would have been mine.
3. Maeve Floral Velvet Skirt
Pouffy knife-pleated skirts are generally hard to style and feel fab in because they pack volume onto the midsection. These knife-pleated skirts do the opposite because they lie flat on the tummy and hips. Streamlined, and works on a range of body types. Super comfy and easy to style with a welted pullover. Good for casual holiday parties.
4. Maeve Floral Jacquard Pencil Skirt
An extremely comfy pencil skirt that works for a range of body types. Bless that work-appropriate length. Knitted, but quite crisp. Dress it up or down. I like it best styled with a semi-tucked fluid pullover, but wearing it out over the skirt is lovely too.
5. Maeve Nico Pencil Skirt
Super cute, comfortable, a tad romantic, fab length, and excellent with a denim jacket. Great swoosh-action in motion. There is a petite length for shorter gals. Fun with dressy flats and good year round. Read the rave reviews.
6. Boden Cashmere Pullovers
There is a LOT of bad cashmere at retail, and unfortunately the price of the item does not guarantee good quality. Over the years, I’ve had good luck with Boden’s simple cashmere pullovers – (and J.Crew’s cashmere tee, for that matter) – that I consistently buy in a crew neck. They’re great to wear on their own with a variety of bottoms, some jewellery, scarf and coat. Soft, robust, no pilling, and easy to pull on. Beautifully finished on the neck and hemlines. The colours are a little less acidic in person. The V-necks are fab for a larger bust or shorter neck.
