Fashion
I’m a fashion stylist – how to dress whether you’re tall, short, curvy or skinny & the wardrobe staples to buy now
SHE’S a professional stylist and blogger with more than 275,000 followers on Instagram, so there’s no doubt Kat Farmer has plenty of style secrets up her sleeve.
Kat, 49, a fashion guru on ITV’s This Morning and BBC’s You Are What You Wear, insists in her new book Get Changed – Finding The New You Through Fashion “we are all perfect” – whatever our body shape.
Not known, clear with picture deskProfessional stylist and blogger Kat Farmer has plenty of style secrets up her sleeve[/caption]
Kat says: “It’s about understanding the shape that we are, it’s about buying clothes that fit well and it’s about buying clothes that flatter.”
Today, in an exclusive extract, stylist Abby McHale picks out Kat’s top tips for every body shape.
Curvy: Kelly Brook
Find perfect bra, get boobs right and wear wide stripes
BackGridGenerally, for the larger bust like Kelly Brook go for a V-neck, a low square neck or a low scoop neck[/caption]
PERFECT YOUR BRA
Kat says: “Your first port of call should be finding the perfect bra – for the logical reason that without a really good bra, your breasts won’t even be in the right place.
“And if they’re not, no clothes are going to sit well, as they’re cut for boobs to be in a certain position.”
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AVOID HIGH NECKLINES
Kat says: “Necklines are the easiest way to show your assets in their best light.
“Generally, for the larger bust, that is a V-neck, a low square neck or a low scoop neck. Anything with a high neckline is going to be trickier to wear.
“And anything that’s very loose, well, you run the risk of looking like the bow of a ship.”
WEAR WIDE STRIPES
She adds: “You can wear stripes – and horizontal stripes, so long as they are wide stripes.
“If a narrow-striped top is fitted, as it extends and stretches over your assets the stripe becomes distorted.
“And, as you can imagine, it just looks weird.”
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Slim: Victoria Beckham
Accessories add texture and volume, then pile on layers
BackGridIf you’re slim like Victoria Beckham, the curves you don’t have, you can create with accessories[/caption]
ACCESSORISE
If you have a slender shape, this could leave your outfit feeling “flat”. But Kat has a solution.
She says: “The curves you don’t have, you can create with accessories.
“Large scarves add volume and texture. We’re back to distraction – bulky jewellery or layers of finer, delicate necklaces, earrings and bracelets.”
CHOOSE PUFF SLEEVES
“Think about creating the illusion of curves,” says Kat.
“While barrel-leg trousers will have no padding on you, the cut suggests a curvier figure. The same with balloon-sleeve tops.
LAYER UP
Kat says: “Imagine you’re going on a budget airline and your hand luggage is too big or too heavy.
Rather than selling a kidney to check it in, you decide to wear a whole load of your clothes, piling them all on.
“OK, not exactly that! There are more stylish ways to layer. But your goal is to add bulk. If you’re tall and lean, you can break up your height by making natural breaks in your outfit with layers.”
Apple: Paloma Elsesser
Don’t tuck in tops, and choose dresses with a fitted waist
BFAIf you’re like Paloma Elsesser, then master the half-tuck[/caption]
SPLIT-HEM T-SHIRTS
Kat recommends: “Look for tees that are looser without being oversized. They should skim your middle without clinging.
“T-shirts that have a split hem – where they have a little notch cut into either side of the seam on each side – are a great idea.
MASTER THE HALF-TUCK
She adds: “The key is to not tuck in all your top.
It could just be the front half, leaving the back swinging free. Or it could be half of one side, so that you have the same half-in, half-out.”
BEFRIEND THE JUMPSUIT
Kat says: “Jumpsuits, like dresses, are the best friends of an apple shape.
“Loose above the waist, loose below, but either a fixed waist or a drawstring waist gives you the most amazing shape.”
But if you are keen to wear a dress, then Kat recommends: “A dress with a fitted waist does the work of creating a seamless one for you.
“It nips you in exactly where normally there would be no nipping in and, hey presto, you have a waist.”
Pear: Ashley Graham
Flared skirts, shirt dresses and belts accentuate waist
Getty – ContributorIf you have the classic pear shape like Ashley Graham, then invest in off-the-shoulder to widen your top half[/caption]
DRESS UP YOUR TOP HALF
Kat says: “Distraction can be the easiest weapon in your arsenal. The colour, print, ruffles, sleeve detail can be as outrageous as you want. Off-the-shoulder is a fabulous shape for widening your top half. Or think about drawing the eye away towards earrings, necklaces or hair accessories, as bold as you want for your style.”
WEAR A-LINE SKIRTS
Kat says dresses are “the easiest bottoms to wear for those prone to the shape of pear”. She adds: “A-line or full skirts are ideal, while pleats can work so long as you take into consideration the shape of your tummy.” When it comes to trousers, Kat says: “Shape-wise, if you’re not looking to show the roundness of your bum, trousers and jeans that are looser through the legs are a better idea.”
INVEST IN BELTS
Kat says: “Most pear shapes have the most incredible waist, so take advantage with belts you can add to anything.” Fashion can even be comfortable! Kat says: “The obvious choice is an elasticated waistband, which doesn’t need to be as ‘retirement home’ as it sounds, or a drawstring.”
Petite: Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Keep prints small and draw eye up with vertical stripes
InstagramGreat wardrobe staples can be found in younger ranges, if you’re petite like Leigh-Anne Pinnock[/caption]
SHOP IN KIDS’ RANGE
Kat says: “Don’t dismiss children’s ranges. They’re a lot cheaper and teen ranges aren’t like they were when we were growing up.
“Great wardrobe staples can be found in younger ranges: Classic denim jackets, jeans, cargo trousers, plain tees, fab sweatshirts and hoodies.”
WEAR SMALL PRINTS
Kat advises against large prints to keep a look in proportion.
She says: “To make it flattering, keep the print small.
“A large print will overpower you. A repeat of lots of tiny flowers or paisley is more flattering. Vertical stripes are your friend. They draw the eye upwards, automatically making you seem taller.”
CHOOSE HIGH WAISTS
Kat says: “High-waisted items are your friends. They give the illusion of a longer leg, making you seem taller.
The lower a neckline, the more flattering it is. The larger the space you create between your neck and clothing, the more your neck is elongated, giving that wonderful illusion of length and height.”
Tall: Vogue Williams
Tool up with arm candy and raid menswear departments
GettyKat says tall women like Vogue Williams should be open-minded to shopping in the men’s department[/caption]
SHOP MENSWEAR
Kat says: “Be open-minded to shopping in the men’s department. Think extra-fine merino knits, cashmere, polo necks, denim jackets and shirts. Take a size down.”
EMBRACE THE ANKLE
Kat says: “Find retailers that cut things more generously. Often these days, lots online give the height of the model wearing the outfit.
“Think creatively about what you’ve got to work with. Skinnies and leggings can always be a little cropped.”
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WEAR ARM CANDY
She adds: “Use arm candy. Be it a chunky watch, a cuff or a selection of finer layering bangles, it is ideal for bridging the gap between cuff and hand.
“Adornment on your wrist takes away the excess flesh that would usually be on show and – hey presto – no one notices your sleeves are too short.”
Kat Farmer’s book Finding the New You Through Fashion
