I hang my garments per category in my walk-in wardrobe. So all my tops hang together. All my jackets hang together. All my dresses hang together, and so on. Then within each category, I hang the colours together, as you can see in the photo below. This is for aesthetic reasons only, but it makes me happy. And it actually makes Greg happy too (we share a small wardrobe AND an eye for visual harmony).

To take things completely over the top, I keep all my clothing on one type of hanger so that the neat, colourful effect is maximized. I can’t help it. A pretty and organized closet makes me feel in control of my day. And I am quite the control freak.

Does anyone else colour code their wardrobe organization?

We often hear that adding heels to an outfit can balance out proportions. That height straightens curves. That wearing the same colour from head to toe elongates your frame. That wearing nude shoes will lengthen the leg line. On YLF you will often hear me talking about dressing your body to create “a long lean line”.

Surrounded by these messages and confronted with models that are generally around six feet tall in flat shoes, you might begin to believe that height is an important component of being stylish or fashionable. And that being short (or “petite”), is a disadvantage. One of our members Scarlet recently touched on this topic in a forum post, saying:

“It is so often that I read in the blog comments or in the forum negative comments about being short. Depending on the tone, it is treated almost like a disease or deformity to be below average height”.

Personally, I don’t think that being short is a style disadvantage at all. Just like style is NOT a dress size, style is NOT a height measurement.  Style is a celebration of individuality. There is no one way to be stylish, and we are reminded of this daily in the blogosphere, where uber stylish ladies of all sizes and heights post their fabulous outfits. The cities of Hong Kong and Tokyo rank amongst the most stylish cities in the world, and most of the women are petite.

Garment fit, clothing proportions and colours that are flattering against your complexion are key to creating an attractive and interesting personal style. None of these factors have anything to do with height. I do talk about creating “a longer leg line” or “a long lean line” in my posts because I count that as a figure flattering priority. But it doesn’t mean that you have to be tall. It is relative to your overall frame, so petite and regular height women can create a longer leg line.

And when it comes to shopping for tall ladies, which includes leggy models, they have their fair share of fit challenges. Their limbs and bodies are longer than average which often makes regular sized clothing too short in the leg, skirt, dress, top and sleeve length. The clothes that models wear on catwalk shows are made to fit them perfectly. Catalogue and website models are less fortunate and have to wear the items that were made for the masses. As a result the tops are often pinned to fit and the pants are just too short.

Granted, some clothing combinations lend themselves better to taller ladies just because those proportions work best. Wide leg trousers are the first item that spring to mind here. However, I also think that some clothing combinations lend themselves better to shorter ladies. Petite women rock a shorter hemline like nobody’s business.

So ladies, do you think that height is a sought after style attribute? Do you wish that you were taller? And if so, why? Do you think that tall women are automatically more stylish than shorter women?

Striped casual maxi dresses are quite the trend this season and have been popping up all over the show. The stripes are usually broad and horizontal, and the silhouette either flared or form fitting.

I’m not going to beat around the bush. I vote a subjective nay. Very few things don’t make it through my style filter, but casual maxi dresses is one of them. And to my eye, the broad horizontal stripe makes them even less flattering (although I do like broad horizontal stripes on tops, tunics and short dresses). To me these items look like ankle length t-shirts, which in a sense is precisely what they are! And the bolder the stripe, the less I like it. What’s your verdict?

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Today’s post is written by the insightful image consultant, Imogen of InsideOutstyle who has it down on how to best dress and flatter a full bust line. Although I regularly dress clients with a full bust, I am not well endowed. Imogen’s first hand experience here makes her fabulous words speak extra loud!

My larger than average bust is the reason that I became an image consultant, and it’s what got me interested in the how and why some clothing styles worked for my friends but not for me.  I was 16 when I realized that dressing my bust was more of a challenge for me than it was for my more modestly endowed friends. It took me years of trial and error, plus my training as an image consultant, to ensure that people talk to my face not my chest.

Just so you know, I’m a G cup (34G), so I’m fully aware of all the intricacies of enhancing a full bust. People are always surprised when I reveal this figure.  Here are some of ways I’ve found to make a full bust less obvious:

• Foundations are incredibly important. Keeping “the girls” up high and supported will give you the illusion of more of a waist. You tend to lose your waist when you have a large bust as it naturally sits lower as it takes up more room on your rib cage.  Great bras are a must.  Don’t forget to adjust your straps every time you wear a bra.
• Wear lower necklines. Not too low, but ones that stop at the top of your cleavage.  Yes, V-necklines are the most minimizing, but really, you can also wear square, scoop and sweetheart necklines well.
• Accessorize with a larger scale necklace. That tiny solitaire diamond is almost invisible next to your large scale bust.  Look for necklaces that are made up of multiple pieces. If  large jewelry is too bold and dramatic for your personal style, choose a necklace that shows skin in-between the beads/pieces, rather than a solid, dense piece.
• Keep necklaces out of your cleavage. If they sit just below your collar bone this will draw the gaze upwards.
• Wear tops that are fitted and come in at your waist. Boxy and baggy tops will make you look bigger all over.
• Don’t end sleeves at your mid-bust point. End sleeves above or below this point.
• Use shoulder detail. It can draw attention up and away from your bust. Look for epaulettes, or other embellishment on the shoulder. A little padding in the shoulders (if this works for your body shape) or a puffed sleeve can visually diminish the apparent size of your bust.
• Wear wide collars. They can draw the eye outwards making your bust look smaller.
• Knits are your friend. You will often find that there isn’t the give in a woven fabric shirt to make it fit correctly.  There are garment manufacturers now who do make shirts for larger busts, but otherwise you need to go up a size or two and then have the rest of the shirt tailored to fit.
• Consider button position. On shirts that button up in front, make sure there is a button at your bust peak so that the shirt buttons don’t gape.
• Look for higher cut armholes. They are more flattering than lower cut ones. So avoid dolman sleeves, batwings and kimono sleeves.
• Wear your belts lower. Belting can be more difficult for the well endowed as a large bust gives you the illusion of a short waist, so you may find that lower hip belts work much better than waist belts.
• Don’t tuck. It is generally not advised when you have a large bust (unless you have a very long waist) because it visually shortens your torso.
• Always create a focal point somewhere else. Either above the bust, or well away from your bust, like with your shoes for instance.   If you direct people where to look by adding detail, they’ll do what you want and won’t focus on your bust.

Ever since I discovered the power of a large scale pendant necklace to make my bust look smaller, I wear one every day (unless I’m wearing a scarf).  People always comment that wearing a necklace is my “thing”.  It never used to be, but since I know that it works I now collect gorgeous and interesting necklaces in all styles so that I have something to distract the gaze away from my boobs.

Thanks for the great post, Imogen! Well endowed ladies, do these guidelines resonate? Please share with us your do’s and don’ts on how to best dress a full bust. We’d love to hear your insights. You can read more of Imogen’s thoughts on her blog, InsideOutstyle, and you can follow her on Twitter.