I adore cowl neck tops, but they are hard to find. Cowls can work for both busty and less endowed gals if the details are right. Here are a few guidelines:

• Wear a camisole if the cowl is low. It’s instantly work appropriate and wearable that way.
• Choose knits and wovens that drape. You’re after a cowl with maximum drape because they’re less bulky this way. Stay away from cowls in stiff fabrics unless they’re meticulously engineered (you’ll find these highly structured cowls in designer wear).
• Exploit the cowl’s vertical appeal. It elongates the neck and creates the illusion of height. Furthermore, if the edge of the cowl starts close to shoulder-neck-point, women with dainty shoulders and long necks are in business. (Yay! That’s me).
• Use them for visual interest. Cowls look great under jackets, cardigans or waistcoats, and on their own. Their ripple effect is attractive and punchy.

If you own cowl neck tops, tell me you love them too. If you don’t, start experimenting . It might take a while to find one that drapes the right way, but chances are high you’ll become a cowl convert too.

An assortment of Summer cowl neck tops. In cooler weather the neckline works just as well with longer sleeves and thicker fabrics, as long as there’s maximum drape-ability.

A quick note on several big sales that are happening online right now. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale continues until 4 August (we’ve had a lot of fun with this one on the forum). Liz Claiborne is running their Cyber Sidewalk Sale until 25 July. you can get a 25% saving off a different category every day. Macy’s is on the final day of an Extra 25% Fashion Clearance Sale.

Don’t feel pressured to buy. Summer sale season here in America will continue through to the end of the month and markdowns will get even better over the next week.

The demanding lifestyle of a stay-at-home-mother (SAHM) requires casual, comfortable and practical outfits. Fortunately there is a formula the superhuman SAHM can follow for appropriate and stylish dressing. All it takes is the right pieces.

The no-nonsense SAHM often has a preference for pants (casual skirts and dresses are an equally casual and comfortable ensemble choice and I’ll touch on those possibilities in a future blog entry). Cropped pants therefore take center stage for the flop-proof SAHM Summer look. Match them with a sweet top, fab flats, a great handbag, one statement accessory and Bob’s your uncle. Start ticking off the list:

• The best bra: Remember to refit annually or when your weight has changed significantly. The majority of women are still in the incorrect bra size.
• Cropped pants: Choose clamdiggers or walk shorts in denim, cotton or a cotton blend. Please wear them at a flattering length (somewhere between the top of the knee and the widest part of the calf) .
• Casual top: Move away from T-shirts and step it up with casual tops instead. Make sure they are long enough. The right length keeps you covered and creates a contemporary edge.
• Cropped cardigan: It’s often chilly in the morning, later at night, or in the air-conditioning. Adding a cropped cardi keeps the silhouette structured yet unfussy. It’s also easy to fold up and pop into a tote.
• Fab flats: casual ballet flats, thong sandals, strappy comfort sandals, gladiators, slip-on sneakers, espadrilles or low wedges will do the trick. Stay away from anything too clumpy. There’s nothing stopping you from wearing a bit of a heel if you can run around in them. I draw the line at flip flops. This is not a good look unless you’re by the pool, at the beach or lounging at home.
• Handbag: Keep it healthy and make the size and shape work for you. A flat tote is the obvious choice, but if you need both hands free to attend to little ones, a sling bag is the solution.
• Accessories: If you wear specs, sort them out first because they are your most important accessory. If you wear a watch, that’s next. Go for something with personality. Choose between statement necklaces or earrings but don’t wear both at the same time.

For more inspiration, check out the YLF forum. Stylish SAHM’s like Dani, Becky, Julie and Shannon post their daily outfits. They have their fab Mummy style down.

Share your secrets stylish SAHM’s. I’d love to hear suggestions on how to improve this formula.

Don’t be discouraged if these styles aren’t to your taste. Just apply the formula to your own fashion persona, colour preferences and body type.

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.