Shapewear Secrets

Staring at a picture of Kerry Washington on the red carpet makes us want to put down our muffin and run to the gym for a 90 minute spin class. So we took comfort in knowing that it’s not all down to good genes and Pilates.

Kerry Washington

Celebrity stylists Jessica Paster, Rob Zangardi and George Kotsiopoulos were interviewed in WWD Magazine and told them which shape wear products they use to help their celebrity clients look red carpet perfect. And it isn't Spanx!

“Even actresses don’t have perfect figures” said Jessica Paster who styles Emily Blunt and Diane Lane, among others. “All those shapers and helpers work beautifully and are so important.”  She always has a stash of Commando thongs (available in nude, dark nude, brown and black) that “make you look like you are wearing nothing - you don’t see a line.”

£13.66

She also recommends Calvin Klein’s Perfectly Fit Bra which can be worn strapless, halter or one shoulder and Wacoal’s waist cincher: “It takes away four to five inches.”

£31

£46

Jennifer Lopez’s stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn call Wacoal’s iBra “one of the softest bras with just the right amount of push-up.…It’s great with your favourite dress or a T-shirt because it doesn’t cut into the back too much.”

£49

George Kotsiopoulos (from E! Fashion Police) dresses Freida Pinto and relies on Maidenform’s Easy Up Pull On Waistnipper:  “A well-defined midsection guarantees a great photo on or off the red carpet, so I’m pretty much waist-obsessed. This perfect modern corset gives an incredible hourglass shape for those with or without curves.”

£23

Dakota Fanning’s stylist said: “You could have the most beautiful dress but if you don’t have the right undergarments, it can ruin everything.”

While this doesn't excuse you from the gym, it does give you the cheats way to a perfect silhouette!

Dress Your Way to a Better Body

As much as we want embrace running outside or working our way through a gruelling spinning class, we much prefer the idea of using clothes to fix our body flaws, real or imagined. Call it the (very) lazy girl’s workout. These are tried and tested tricks we can all use to down play the bits of us we don’t like and shouldn’t mean buying a whole new wardrobe – just assess what you already have. If you are going shopping anyway, keep these points in mind.

Problem: Bingo wings
Fashion Solution: Midi sleeve tops hide the upper arm and only show the slimmer bit from the elbow to the wrist.

Miss Selfridge. £29

Problem: Short legs or cankles
Fashion Solution: Stay away from ankle straps! If you must have a strap, it’s all about placement. Try shoes with straps that go across the middle of your foot.

Kurt Geiger. Was £100, now £69

Problem: Big thighs
Fashion Solution: Maxi skirts were made for you. Or if it’s your thing, try culottes that skim over the legs.

Erdem. £665

Problem: I feel fat!
Fashion Solution: Take a tip from uber-stylist Rachel Zoe and carry the biggest bag you can find. You’ll look smaller in comparison to it.

DKNY. £125

Problem: I’m Pregnant and feel huge
Fashion Solution: If you’ve never been 8 months pregnant you won’t get this but it can feel like a genuine fashion (and emotional) emergency. Our tried and tested tip – buy the best black maternity maxi dress you can afford and wear it to death.

Isabella Oliver. £129

Problem: I’ve just had a baby and still feel huge
Fashion Solution: If still wearing the maternity maxi dress makes you want to weep into your Bounty pack (and again, we get it) buy the best black non-maternity maxi dress you can afford and wear it to death. Actually, buy two. Carry a really big bag, don’t do anything drastic with your hair (now is not the time to try that new look) and resist the urge to throttle people who say things like ‘still got one in there?’

Theory. £216

Problem: I feel short
Fashion Solution: Get a jumpsuit: it’s the same fabric from head to toe so no breaking up your figure. Embrace the 70s trend and get a wide legged version and wear with high wedges.

Miss Selfridge. £45

Was £200, now £110

Problem: Big bum
Fashion Solution: Sleeveless blazers are your friend. Wear with skinny jeans or leggings.

3.1 Phillip Lim. £530

Problem: Pear Shaped
Fashion Solution: A long blazer will cover your bum and thighs and you can roll up the sleeves to show off slim arms.

Reiss. £195

Problem: I’m too skinny
Fashion Solution: Create the illusion of curves with horizontal lines; slash neck tops can make your shoulders look wider and add volume to your frame with tassels and embellishments on clothes.

Charlotte Ronson @ Uniqlo. £24.99

Miss Selfridge. £55

Mini Trend: Peek a Boo

A trend we’ve noticed on a slew of celebs – clothes with little cut out details. Some do it subtly like Kerry and Jourdan, others leave too little to the imagination.

Jourdan Dunn in Burberry

Kerry Washington in Michael Kors

Depending on your modesty levels and your desire to flash the flesh, wear this one with caution!

Evening Dresses by Lipsy

Wide Legged Trousers – Everyone’s Friend

A pair of wide legged trousers are everyone’s friends – they make us feel and look taller and slimmer and as a plus they channel the 70s trend.

Was £220, now £44

Was £125, now £62

Kelly Rowland. Do!

Tyra Banks. Don't.

There are lots of ways to wear them:

• Keep it simple with wedges and a plain tee.
• Tuck in a silk blouse when in the office.
• Go for the darkest wash you can find if you’re bottom heavy.
• The sun is shining (kinda) – why not try a pair in a bright colour?

Shortsleeve Tops at John Lewis

Next Season Sale Shopping

As much as we like a bargain, we don’t want to be stuck with vests and flip flops as the weather takes the inevitable turn for the worse. With that in mind, we scoured Vogue for what’s big next season and will use that as a guide to buy next season’s clothes at last season’s prices. Fashion is such a fickle beast and we simply can’t afford to buy a new trend every month!

Sales are the perfect time to buy investment designer pieces that will last. Here’s what we like in the my-wardrobe.com sale:

Was £173, now £71

Masculine style clothes and shoes are big for Autumn/Winter. Buy these patent flats and wear with summer dresses now or fluid trousers when the weather turns.

Was £150, now £75

You could always wear the above flats with these Jaegar London trousers.

Was £608, now £304

We know this isn't cheap but this Tibi coat will look good for years.

Was £246, now £123

Knitwear is always a good investment and this Rag and Bone cardi will go with everything.

Was £54, now £27

Splendid do lovely jersey knit tops and surprisingly, this colour is hard to find.

Was £397, now £198

We don't really need a bag, but we do want this Sara Berman beauty!
















All the above are at least 50% off so will ease your shopper's guilt somewhat!

Calling All Wannabe Stylists!

If you are the one your friends come to when they don’t know what to wear or how to pull a certain look together, you may have that natural fashion flair needed to become a stylist. If that sounds like you, online shop Very.co.uk is searching for a fashion advisor to join its new Very V-Team, a panel of five experts who will give customers style advice and conduct monthly makeovers. The search is led by Fearne Cotton.

Fatima B. Stylist to 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj and Christina Milian

The winner will join the team as ‘V-Styler’ and in addition to a very nice £50,000 package, he or she will attend fashion events and help design a range which will be sold online. The competition runs via Facebook and the winner will be announced next month in London.

The most famous stylist of the moment is Rachel Zoe who has styled just about everyone in Hollywood and has recently released her own clothing line so who knows where this Very job could lead! Go for it – sounds like fun!

http://www.facebook.com/VeryUK

Online Find: Monsoon

Yes, we know what you’re thinking – Monsoon?! And we agree; up until recently we only ever went in if a) we were with our Mum or b) we needed an outfit for a wedding. But we visited the shop recently and were surprised by how much actually fashionable stuff was in store!

Don’t believe us? Take a look at some of these:

£90

£50

We got these and they are very flattering.

£50

Visited three stores but couldn't find this skirt. Best to buy online we think.

£60

£65

We got this too and are often complimented on how it looks.

Not all these styles are available in smaller branches so we recommend either visiting larger stores like Bluewater or Marble Arch or buying it all online.

Told you they had nice stuff!

www.monsoon.co.uk

Online Find: Wardrobe Mistress

We recently stumbled across Wardrobe Mistress – a place where you can buy and/or sell your luxury designer goods. After speaking with the company, we discovered they also offer wardrobe management and detoxing (love that phrase – be gone you toxic blouse!) personal styling and personal shopping services.

We were more interested in the online buying and selling of designer goods. If you have designer clothes, shoes or accessories that are still in good condition but you know you’ll never wear them again, Wardrobe Mistress are worth considering. They make the sale of your goods easy and hassle free and basically do it all for you.

You can drop your items off at their Knightsbridge office or post it to them for appraising. If they decide it’s real (!) and saleable, you sit back and wait for the money to come in. There are no fees to sell and their commission starts at 25%. A lot more than EBay yes, but we think you’re more likely to get the price you know your goods are worth.

Even better, you can use Wardrobe Mistress to get ‘gently used’ (their phrase) and even some new designer clothes and accessories at a huge markdown. They stock authentic Chanel, Hermes, YSL, McQueen – brands you love but might never afford full price.

Gucci small clutch. £85

Prada purse. £50

Balenciaga. £300

Vivienne Westwood. £399

Definitely one to keep in mind when you want to treat yourself!

www.wardrobemistress.com

J’Adore: Python Heels

As much as we love leopard print, we are slowly thinking about converting to snakeskin. We’ve seen some gorgeous cropped snakeskin trousers in Zara for only £39.99 but we’re not sure we’re ready to make that bold a statement.

In the meantime, we’re loving all these:

£640. 

Wear simply a la Jada Pinkett Smith

Or...

Was £90, now £72

For evening wear

£130

£155

Style Crush: Zoe Kravtiz

Zoe has been a busy girl this week. Clocking up the air miles, she was in London at the ‘X-Men: First Class’ Photocall looking cute but casual in Topshop top and shoes, Twenty8Twelve jacket and Matthew Williamson skirt.

Later in the week she was in New York for the film’s premiere glamming it up in an Alexander Wang dress and Chanel shoes.

Good example of how to dress up and down and still remain age appropriate.

Cocktail Dresses by Halston