As an adorable apple, your average to full bust, wide waist and slim legs look best in knee length dresses with straighter lines that elongate and skim over the curves of your upper body. For the most flattering effect, choose dress silhouettes that reinforce your hourglass shape, accentuate your shapely bust and highlight your lower legs.

• Empire lines with straight seams (not gathered) that emphasize the narrowest part of your torso. This will deflect the eye upward and away from your  natural waist.
• Sheath dresses with a bit of stretch for extra comfort. Keep the neckline low ( V or scooped) to lengthen the neck and look for sleeve details for variation.
• Shirtwaister dresses with pencil skirts, front ties and front-buttoning details that give you shape and structure.
• Printed wrap dresses that define your waist while the busyness of the print camouflages the tummy area.
• Draped dresses that deemphasize the midsection through design details like knots, pleats, ruffles and ruching.

Look for:

• Asymmetrical and handkerchief hemlines that deflect the eye away from the widest part of your body.
• Vertical seam details and diagonal lines that help elongate that unbroken line.

Avoid:

• Lengths that are mid-calf or longer. You’ll expose the best part of your body with a skirt that’s at the knee.
• Thin jersey knits that cling across the tummy area.

You won’t go wrong if you keep your dresses structured, stretchy, skimming and short. Sport them during the day and at night to bring out your most feminine side for Spring.

A printed wrap, a bias cut with vertical seaming (created through the ruffle detail) and diagonal lines, an empire cut with a straight seam and a draped dress with ruched waistband and front pleat detail (Nordstrom and Macy’s).

Gap’s Forth & Towne is due to close on 15th June. As a result their Spring lines are going for a song until they close their doors for good. They stock casual and dressy attire from sizes 2-20. Their shoes and handbags are both modern and classic and well worth a look.

Cash in on their chic clothing and impeccable accessories over the next 6 weeks while stocks last. I’ve personally got my eye on a snake skin tote and woven straw clutch.

There isn’t a single item that I can think of! Last season’s fashion fads (skinnies, leggings, romantic ruffle blouses, bubble skirts, jailbird stripes, walk shorts, wide waist belts, metallic shoes and handbags, gladiator thong sandals and chunky long chains) are still stylish. Continue wearing modern black & white combinations and bring new life to neutral pieces by layering them in interesting ways. 

Evolve your Spring look by adding day dresses, wide-legged pants, cropped jackets, polka dots, bright accessories and tops, wedges, patent shoes and an oversized day clutch. And, of course, by incorporating white. Voila!

Piperlime is “a fresh on-line shoe shop offering a hand-picked selection of the world’s best footwear brands for women, men and kids”. Gap Inc. launched the on-line startup in October 2006 so that “the Gap customer could be dressed from head to toe.” Shipping is free (both ways) and shoe selections are focused specifically on the needs of the “Gap customer”. On-line shoe retail giants like Zappos and Endless remain the market leaders, offering larger selections of shoes and accessories; but there is something to be said for a smaller and more focused shoe shopping site. It’s easier to navigate and less overwhelming. In the light of their declining sales and the closing of Forth & Towne, I hope that Gap’s new shoe fits.

Sneakers for the whole family (women, men and kids) from Pipelime.