Skirts

Do you know your best skirt length? It's quite simple really, a matter of appreciating your figure assets and acknowledging your challenges.

Short skirts (thigh length) look great if you have slim, shapely legs and knees. Avoid wearing extremely short skirts - 6cm above your knee is modest, alhtough that may still be too much for some conservative environments.

Knee length skirts suit most women and if you have lovely knees then show them with a just-above knee length.

My knees aren't gorgeous (neither are they too dreadful) so I wear my skirts long enough to just cover them.

To discover your best knee length, slowly slide the hem-line of a scarf or sarong over your knees while you watch in a full-length mirror. You can discover your best shortest- and longest- length using this method.

Have you noticed you automatically wear your wider skirts longer than your slim skirts? It looks better doesn't it? (due to proportions).

If you have, or want to cover, heavy legs and calves then choose calf- or ankle- length skirts. Hem your skirt in line with the end of your calf muscle or slightly lower (nb not the widest part of the lower leg).

Ankle length skirts suit those who are 1.65m (5'5") or taller.

If you are 'vertically challenged' (short, like me) then remember that dresses offer the very best line for maximising height and slimness.

Could you wear the Same Dress Everyday for a Year?

One woman is! Sheena Matheiken is doing it as an 'exercise in sustainable fashion' and fund raising for a charity. The fascinating bit is that she manages to make it look different each day.

Actually there are 7 identical simple black button-through short dresses which can be worn open or done-up, and even back to front so it's very versatile. Do have a look at the site; it's called The Uniform Project.

Looking Slim Rule 8

Continuing a series based around Leah Feldon's 10 Rules for Dressing Slim. It's good to know her Top Ten are all covered in the Personal Style Workshops, so this is just a refresher for you.

Rule 8 Build on the Right Foundations

Underwear can make a big difference to how you look in your clothes. Visible panty lines not only look bad but they often create bulges eg bikinis create bumps across buttocks AND hips, boy-leg cuts emphasise heavy thighs.

Experts reckon 70-80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra, could that be you? You need a 'wardrobe' of bra styles. Push-up bras create cleavage and look great in a low-cut top but add lumps under snug knits, that's when you need a seamless, moulded cup (t-shirt bra). A convertible bra for different strap styles (halter neck, criss-crossed, wide set, racer-back). Some women need padded bras, others need minimiser bras, while side support panels are a great choice if you bulge at the sides (under the arms).

Sheer pantyhose offer leg support (compression to increase blood circulation) and help hold you in. Good ones aren't cheap but they are definitely worthwhile (M- I've started wearing Kolotex Sheer Relief).

'Shapewear' is the next step up from underwear; it's designed to slim and "de-jiggle" you. You may have heard of Nancy Gatz' Body-slimmers and Trinny & Susannah's Magic Knickers. There's something for every problem area: body suits, body slips, half slips, tummy-toner panties, waist cinchers, derriere lifters, long-leg panties, and leggings.

Looking good in photos

The reason most red carpet poses appear to be angled from a side or three-quarter viewpoint is that it gives the appearance of smaller hips. So, too, the ubiquitous trick of crossing your ankles. If seated, push forward slightly to keep the bottom half farther away from the lens. Bend your legs at the knee and push your feet slightly back.

The standard beauty pageant pose - one hand planted on a hip with the other straight down - is popular for good reason. It not only gives a woman something to do with her hands, it also causes her to consider how the rest of her figure appears. Read: stomach in, shoulders back. Palms are also best facing the thighs.

As for your face? A chin tipped slightly up can stretch out a double chin. But don't overdo it or you risk an uninvited view of your nostrils. Tip your head down and the focus is on your eyes. Keep lips partially open or smile generously.

When in doubt, smile! Any flaws in an outfit or pose disappear when you look like you're having a good time.

PS

Isn't it lovely to see the sun? Even in the freezing depths of winter, a sunny day is cheering. Although it's feeling warmer for us, it will feel very cold for my daughter Cherie & family who will be home in NZ from early October to late December.

My grandson Malakai is 2 now and we haven't seen him since he was 8 months old. As they've been living in Cambodia, he speaks Khymer but his English is improving.

We're looking forward to all being together to celebrate my husband's birthday.