I really enjoy wearing sleeveless tops and frocks. And I believe we can all wear the right type of sleeveless garment. There is no need to have slim, toned and young arms to sport the style. That said, it has reached the stage where I’m going to resist the urge to purchase sleeveless tops and dresses as much as possible. And here’s why: 

1. It has to be at least 30 degrees Celsius outside (that’s 86 Fahrenheit) in order for me to feel comfortable in sleeveless garments sans topper because I run very cold. We hardly ever reach these high temperatures in Seattle. 
2. Even when I’m on the East Coast during their hot and humid Summers, or in sweltering Asian cities on holiday, I find myself in air conditioning a lot of the time. Most of the public transport has freezing air conditioning too. Sure, I can cover up with a topper when I’m in a/c, but it’s still too cold wearing sleeveless tops with a topper. I find sleeved tops with topper more insulating in arctic air conditioning. 
3. I don’t want to purchase sleeveless items just to have to cover them up. 
4. When it’s extremely hot and I’m out and about in the heat, I like to protect my skin from the sun with a silk, linen or cotton-rich sleeve. You’ll often find that people in the hottest parts of the world cover up for skin protection.

Sleeveless tops and dresses sans toppers worked really well when we lived in France and South Africa because their Summers are hot and air conditioning is rare. Those are the conditions I need to feel comfortable in sleeveless stuff. 

Many of my clients are against sleeveless clothing for different reasons to me. Covering up untoned arms is top of the list. I try to convince them that they needn’t be ashamed of their arms, but I’m not very persuasive in these situations. Sleeveless garments are often cut too wide baring too much underarm. Some prefer not to wear sleeveless to the office. And some don’t like to layer sleeveless items under jackets because of the increased laundry requirement of the topper. 

Of course, there are advantages to wearing sleeveless items. It’s breezy if you run warm, ultra fashionable, and a fab way to showcase arms. There’s no sleeve bunching when you layer over a topper, plus retail stores are full of sleeveless stuff. And on that note, I hope that retailers hear our plea for sleeved clothing. 

At this rate, I will need to move to another part of the world, or go on loads of beach holidays before I expand my sleeveless garment collection. Over to you. Are you challenged by sleeveless clothing, and do any of these reasons resonate with you?

Bikinis, hipsters, boyshorts, briefs, high-cuts, thongs, with or without shaping panels, and a large assortment of colours — there is tons of variety in panty silhouettes these days. Yet we’re still searching for perfect undies. I get bored of a certain style of panty after a while and want to change things up. As soon as it’s time to replenish my undies I look for a newer and better style. 

The assortment of styles here have been winners with my clients, and I’ve road tested a few styles too. 

1. DKNY Delicate Essentials Bikini: Soft, comfy, cotton-rich and does not ride up the bottom. Read the rave reviews. 
2. Wacoal Awareness High-Cut Briefs: Great all-over coverage without feeling like you’re wearing huge un-alluring panties. 
3. Shimera Seamless Boyshorts: I used to wear these exclusively a few years ago but found that the “Vanishing Edge” boyshorts from Soma were an even better fit. But I still have many happy clients in this simple boyish style. 
4. DKNY Underslimmers Cute Girl Slimming Briefs: Conturing, covering and slimming sans the stiffness of spanx. 
5. TC Wonderful Edge Boyshorts: These were recommended by a sales assistant and I love their retro look. I have a pair on the way to me and will keep you posted. I have high hopes that these will be fabulous. 
6. DKNY Underslimmers Signature Lace Shaping Briefs: More comfortable control and coverage that doesn’t feel like you’re having the living daylights sucked out of you. Pretty lace panelling. 
7. Hanky Panky Lace Trim Knit Boyshorts: I LOVE these, and they’re my new favourite pair of undies. I adore the lace trim and low cut, which is a little different for my style after wearing high-rise boyshorts for years. They don’t ride up my bottom and I can barely feel that I’m wearing them. No panty lines. I wish they weren’t this expensive, but my word are they pretty, flattering and comfortable. I’m stocking up. 
8. Natori Bliss Girl Shorts: These are the cheaper version of the hanky panky lace trim knit boyshorts, and I enjoy wearing them too. Extra lightweight. They are low cut so consider yourself warned. 
9. Wacoal B Smooth Briefs: A comfy basic. Read the rave reviews. 
10. Shimera Full Briefs (Plus): These are the top choice for my plus size clients because they are comfortable and flattering. The elastic is soft and does not cut into the skin, and there is plenty of coverage over the bottom. Lots of stretch, no panty lines, and super lightweight. 
11. Cosabella Never Say Never Cutie Thong: This is an alternative to the oh so popular hanky panky lace thong. Some prefer the Cosabellas because they last longer, keep their elasticity, and are available in more colours.  
12. Hanky Panky Regular Rise Thong (Plus): Probably the best plus size thong on the market. 

Comfortable undies are vitally important. My day is ruined when I’m wearing panties that ride up or shift around. I’ve been a boyshorts gal for many years, and continue to love the retro look of the style. I’m also wearing girl shorts, which is just a low rise version of boyshorts. What’s your favourite panty silhouette?

Meet Italian-based blogger Antonietta (34), proud owner of a big Italian vintage closet and firm believer in smiling to increase one’s style quotient and happiness factor. “Trying to live a creative and sustainable life” is her motto. Thrifting, shopping vintage, DIY and recycling projects are near to her heart. She started documenting her outfits in May 2012 over at My Vintage Curves as an exercise to learn to love her curvy body:

“I’ve always been a curvy girl, I have a typical Italian body shape (I’m a pear) and even when I was a teenager and I was skinnier than now my seat and hips were bigger than other girls’. I couldn’t stand this fact and I constantly tried to slim down with very strict diets. But growing up I understood that this is my body and there’s no reason to think that it’s wrong only because it doesn’t respect the fashion rules. So I started enhancing my curves and being more feminine and classy. I said to myself: ‘This is me and I like the way I am.’ My blog helped me so much, it was, it is, like a therapy.”

Antonietta often wears heels, but I love her in flats just as much. Case in point, this classic button-down and skirt look with whimsical flair. How could sporting a pleated elephant print skirt not make you smile, right? It’s vintage, as are the beige Cacharel belt that accentuates her waist and bustline (one of her figure flattery priorities), gold-toned flats and brown leather bag. This outfit made her feel like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. I say it’s a perfect ensemble for a spot of sightseeing in present-day Rome too.

Pretty Pears often shy away from adding extra volume to their bottom half, convinced that they can’t wear the new baggy and slouchy trouser silhouettes. Well, follow Antonietta’s example, ladies, and give them a bash anyway. Styling is key, and she gets the proportions exactly right. The outfit above on the left is built around slim-fitting cargo pants. Tucking in an oversized, 3/4-sleeved cargo shirt in the same colour family creates a flattering tonal effect. The tribal-inspired pendant, silk scarf used as a belt and the dainty pumps add just enough sweet ladylike touches. (Clever trick: use elastic bands to roll up the pants and let them pouf out into frilly hems.) I find the harem pants look on the right absolutely delightful too. Modern tomboy chic in black and white. The hip length blazer over the tucked-in top and refined sandals balance out the proportions, while the layered necklaces and floral brooch add a playful retro contrast. Antonietta’s gorgeous brown curls are the icing on the cake, adding heaps of alluring ladylike charm to the boyish nonchalance outfit basis.

Trench coats are timeless classics, and we often tend to buy them in neutrals like black and beige. I actually love them in bright and more unusual colours too, and believe they can be just as versatile. So I was happily surprised to see Antonietta rocking this light blue version. So fresh, and stunning on brunettes. It’s a blue-themed outfit from head to toe that cost less than 30 euros in total, can you believe it! I hereby crown her Queen Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire. The marbled blue and white print frock give it her signature retro touch, the baguette-style clutch is a well-chosen happy splash of contrasting colour, and the fab peep-toe booties are the on trend accessory that finishes it all off. 

Almost head-to-toe vintage and my personal favourite! The green pencil skirt and 100% silk blouse are ’70s pieces. It looks quite modern, don’t you think, with the banded hem? Plus the white stripes add exactly the right amount of crispness to the overall look. I’m a graphic pattern loving minimalist at heart, so it’s no surprise this outfit stole my heart. Strong pieces and simple, clean lines do all their own talking. Antonietta undeniably has a great eye for details too: note how the stripes in the beautiful dark green clutch are echoed in the bandage design of the new peep-toe booties. They probably caught your eye in the trench coat outfit too. Here’s to bloggers who aren’t afraid of reusing and remixing clothing items and accessories in their outfit posts.

Antonietta inherited her passion for vintage from her grandmother, a seamstress with a knack for restyling old clothes. She knew the value of original Italian couturier items all too well and bought them for a few pounds from people who no longer wanted them. Antonietta started doing the same, in the meantime relatives and friends also gave her entire chests of clothing for free because they couldn’t see the potential. Antonietta can! And if she doesn’t have the right vintage piece, she’ll just as happily recreate the vibe with contemporary items. Inspired by the recent Hitchcock movie with its glorious outfits, Antonietta decided to do a ’50s look with this beautiful black and white midi cocktail dress as the centre piece. She cinched in the waist with a simple black belt, added a black long-sleeved shrug, dainty white pumps and a kicky bag. But I’ll be honest: she had me with the fascinator fashioned from a scarf!

Thank you Antonietta for sharing your outfits with us. I sure had a hard time picking just six outfits from your big Italian vintage closet, there are so many treasures in there. Be sure to check them all out on her blog and discover what inspires her on Pinterest too. But first let us know what you think about Antonietta’s vintage-inspired style. Do you also have a favourite?

It looks like an explosion in a garment factory when I’m creating outfits with a client. There are piles of clothes, shoes and accessories everywhere, along with snacks and many cups of tea. I often find myself searching for the camera to document outfits because it gets lost under piles of garments. Occasionally I’ll use a rolling rack in an attempt to keep the clothes organized, popping them back onto the rack when we’re not using them for a particular outfit. But as much as I try to keep things neat throughout these sessions, it’s to no avail.  

These days I don’t even try to keep things neat because the effort takes my attention away from the creative process. And that’s no good at all. So I boil down the temporary mess to a creative and productive work session. When I’m creating outfits at home with a new piece that might earn a place in my own wardrobe, our room is a shambles as I traipse a set of clothes and shoes to and from the walk-in closet to our full-length mirror, leaving a trail of belts and eyewear along the way. And that’s okay. 

The outfit creation process is a climactic and crucial point in your style journey. This is when it all comes together. It determines how you ultimately show the world your sense of style. If it means making a mess when you’re putting together an outfit first thing in the morning, in the evening, or during a dedicated outfit creation session — go for it. Bless the mess, and shoot for the best outfit combinations.