Dressing is easy; it’s looking good that’s hard!
By now in these, our summer years, we’re pretty much aware of what suits us. We know what feels comfortable, what we like to be seen in and what we wouldn’t put on our bodies in a pink fit!
But many of us have become complacent about our attire. Now is the perfect time to reinvigorate the image and switch the clothes up a notch or two; take the chance and liberate your look!
There are probably dozens of outfits in your closet that you haven’t imagined putting together; it’s just a matter of reviewing your wardrobe and perhaps eradicating some of the old fashion rules from your memory.
And while we’re on the subject, we sometimes read or hear that there are no rules in fashion anymore, that anything goes. Well actually, that isn’t true, not anything goes, and there are rules. Personal style is about being smart and unique. It’s chic to develop the knack of mixing high street basics and classics with a touch of luxe.
So, think outside the square, raise the bar and work up a modern eclectic wardrobe that celebrates you.
First things first:
Have you ever seen someone wearing a bizarre blend of garments and wondered if the person even owns a mirror?
Your own appraisal of your appearance is the vital first step to gorgeous. This can only be achieved by an honest assessment of your reflection in a full length mirror. There’s no way you can properly evaluate your appearance by looking down on your body. So, invest in a full length mirror, it doesn’t have to be expensive, and stick it to the back of your wardrobe door or bedroom door, and no, your reflection in the lounge room window won’t do in the meantime! You need a proper, full length mirror that you can twirl around in front of, look at over your shoulder and examine every stylish detail in before you set foot outside!
Jeans Genius
“I’d like to say, we’ll do ok, forever in blue jeans”. Neil Diamond.
There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t be forever in blue jeans - as long as they’re the perfect pair! This is crucial. Jeans have replaced the LBD (little black dress) as the newer “must have” wardrobe essential. Have you stopped wearing jeans? Once you start wearing them again you’ll wonder how on earth you lived without them! A pair of head turning jeans says “Young, cool and hip”.
It’s worth spending a little extra on the perfect pair and it all comes down to one thing: fit.
Most baby boomers have worn their fair share of jeans - from wide bell bottomed hipsters through a monumental assortment of embroidered, buttoned, sequined, pleated, ripped, tie-dyed, faded, stove pipes, keppers and stone washed jeans.
What were we thinking? Take a look at old photographs and there we are, grinning at the camera with every denim fad bravely wrapped around our butts!
Women today own an average of five pairs of jeans and there’s an overwhelming choice of labels. The biggest age group of jeans-wearing females is between 35 and 55. However, the fastest age-growth demographic of women purchasing jeans is fifty plus. That’s an enormous market; and with manufacturers starting to meet our quality and style demands you will have a choice and you will find a pair to fit and flatter you.
Purchasing jeans is like buying swim wear; you need great dollops of fortitude, patience and perseverance.
Be prepared to spend time looking for the perfect jeans and then be prepared to spend a reasonable number of dollars once you find them. Many designers construct jeans to be flattering, sophisticated and to fit the mature figure but these jeans usually come at extra cost. Young people with great bodies can look amazing in inexpensive jeans, but the majority of us do not. Our jeans should be made from reasonable fabric and designed with decent shape and the pockets in the right place. We need jeans to be appropriate and flattering.
Just because you manage to find a pair of cheap jeans that fit over your body, if the fabric is stiff and unbending, if the shape doesn’t enhance your curves or if your legs, thighs or butt look enormous, then the jeans are not flattering and you are wasting your money. If you do look great in them – you go girl!
Dark blue (indigo) is by far the most versatile colour; remember that dark colours recede, so if you are buying just one pair to start your jeans collection, look for dark blue. Avoid attention seeking pre-faded patches and blotches that emphasize the thighs or the butt, and stay away from jeans with faded little whiskery lines radiating around the crotch that draw attention to the nether regions or those other horrors that are currently in vogue – the baluchi jeans with the low slung crotch.
The plainer the better. Forego statement jeans with holes, rips, tears, glitter, rhinestones, studs, embroidery, inserts, patchwork (absolutely never!) or anything else that’s weird, grungy, faded or distressed.
Take lots of pairs into the dressing room with you as it’s unlikely you will find the perfect jeans immediately. Try on and try on. Shop for jeans at a quiet time when sales staff have the time to be helpful. Don’t be fobbed of with a pair of jeans in a lighter colour, or with a very low rise, or with the wrong shape for your figure.
Sales assistants may tell you that denim stretches and suggest you try on a pair of smaller jeans. Some jeans stretch and some shrink, take a pair in the suggested size and a pair in your usual size into the fitting room. Bend, straighten, sit and squat in the jeans to determine fit and comfort. If you can’t move properly don’t buy them!
The perfect pair of jeans has the power to make you look ten years younger and five kilograms lighter.
The rise
Find the jeans with the correct rise for your shape. The rise is the distance between the crotch seam and the top of the waistband. Curvy goddess and diamond body shapes may benefit from a comfortable elasticized waistband. If that’s you, ensure you wear a modern-looking top that’s long enough to cover any pleating or gathering in the waistband.
Low rise (hipster) jeans are for teenagers with flat stomachs and tiny butts. These jeans sit really low on the hips, skim the pubic area, expose your love handles (you might not have even known they were there!) and create a muffin top. No, no, no!
High rise jeans need careful selection as they have a tendency to look mumsy. These are the denim numbers with the waistband above the belly button, enclosing the tum, hips, thighs and butt in a Christmas pudding-ish sort of pouf. Perfect high rise jeans give a contemporary look, create a lean silhouette and make your legs look longer, so do try on high rise jeans, but be discerning and only select perfection!
By far the most flattering, sexy and youthful jeans are those with a mid-low rise.
Mid-low rise is 20cm to 23cm from the crotch seam (where it crosses the leg seam to the top of the waist band in the front). The mid-low rise sits just below the belly button, low enough to be current and trendy, but not so low as to let any flabby bits escape.
Take a tape measure to measure the rise, or fold the jeans in half leg to leg and establish how low the top of the front zip is (no button-up jeans puhleese!) in relation to the middle of the back of the jeans.
Some manufacturers make jeans that ride significantly higher in the back which is fantastic news!
The cut
The only cuts worth considering are bootleg and straight cut jeans.
Of the two, bootleg is the most flattering because the slight flare at the hem balances the torso. A great bootleg will have about a 24cm measurement (from side seam to the other side seam) opening at the bottom. That’s a circumference of 48cm.
Straight leg jeans have an opening of around 15cm to 16cm (from one side seam to the other side seam) at the hem line. If you have slim thighs and slim calves straight leg jeans will make your legs look long and lean.
Beware of skinny leg jeans. They are usually too tight, too young and too unflattering because they look like leggings.
Baggy jeans are old fashioned, never flattering and associated with clowns. Leave them on the shop shelf!
Fabric
Denim fabric has come a long way from the unflattering rigid workman-like jeans we wore with the confidence of youth.
Newer denim fabric is mixed with a percentage of Lycra that gives just enough stretch to hug curves and allow movement without pulling, but not so much stretch that the jeans look like leggings. The most comfortable mix is 2-3 percent Lycra with the remaining percentage of the fabric being cotton. Summer jeans are made from lighter weight fabric than winter jeans.
Pocket details
The back pockets have the ability to visibly reduce the size of your bottom, or exaggerate it. Every stitch, stud and seam placed on the pocket can maximize the design’s figure-flattering power, but sadly not every body shape is flattered. The ideal pocket occupies the area from 5cm to 6 cm below the back waistband to the edge of your bottom. If the pockets are too small your butt will look bigger because the pockets don’t cover enough space and therefore emphasize a generous area. Bigger pockets set lower in the butt and slightly angled upwards will visually lift the butt.
Another little trick some clever manufacturers employ is to stitch curves around the outer edges of pockets to draw the eye in from the hip silhouette, creating the illusion of slimmer hips.
A good length
Launder new jeans prior to making alterations. Wash, dry and iron them the way you intend to care for them from now on. Manufacturers often claim the fabric is pre-shrunk, but most jeans still shrink a little on the first wash. Try them on again after they’ve been laundered, they might shrink to the correct length – if you’re lucky!
Men have been able to buy their pants according to their height for years, it’s finally dawned on a few enlightened manufacturers that women come in different heights too and some brands are offering jeans in short, regular and tall lengths! Interestingly mass retailer stores are leading the way.
Wear the footwear you intend to wear with your jeans when the hems are being measured for alterations.
If the jeans have straight legs wear the heels you plan to wear with them when the hem is being pinned. Make sure both hems are pinned up; sometimes we’re not actually aware that we have one leg shorter than the other (especially if the difference is slight). If you wear flats with the same straight legged jeans the fabric will scrunch down around the shoes and still look youthful.
This does not apply to boot leg jeans. These really do look best when they are tailored to the exact length for the heels you intend to wear with them.
A good length for jeans to be worn with flat shoes is half a centimetre from the ground at the back of the heel. Heeled shoes or boots should show one to one and a half centimetres of the heel at the back.
If you are planning to wear boot leg jeans with flat shoes and with heeled shoes then consider purchasing two pairs and have them hemmed accordingly.
Too-short jeans look mumsy; if they’re too long and dragging on the ground they look sloppy.
Rolled up hems make the legs look squat. It really is worth the effort to ensure the hems are at the correct and most flattering length for you.
Hand stitched invisible hems are dated. The newer way is to retain the contemporary look by repeating the machine stitching in the same coloured thread with the same turn up width as the original hem.
Well grounded
Not all shoes look good with jeans. The easiest way to work out complementary footwear is to let the width of the leg opening determine the best shoes to wear.
Narrow, straight leg jeans look great with delicate, feminine footwear such as pointy toe boots, peep toe heels or leather flats that have a small rise to the heel.
Team sturdier footwear such as thicker heeled boots, open toe wedge sandals or stack-heeled peep toes with boot leg jeans.
Gym shoes and sports sneakers worn with jeans are not chic or hip. They are middle aged Matronville! Opt for ballet flats with a rise to the heel, moccasins or casual slip-ons if you wear flat shoes and jeans.
High heeled court shoes or pumps (closed heel, closed toe) never look good with jeans (but they’re okay with regular pants).
What lies beneath?
There are some things the world doesn’t need to see, female butt cleavage and exposed underwear are two of them. Unattractive at every age!
To minimize V.P.L. (visible panty line) opt for knickers or thongs with a dip in the middle of the waistline at the back. If thongs aren’t your thing go with loose boy leg knickers, or those with a high cut leg and minimal elastic or French knickers with a loose leg.
Laundering
You don’t need to be told how to wash clothes; so, just a couple of reminders:
Wash jeans inside out and check the pockets for tissues (don’t you just hate it when a tissue shreds in the wash?).
Use the cold cycle to help retain the strong denim colour. Hot water encourages colour to bleed from fabric (and infect the rest of the washing load!) Line dry jeans, the heat of a dryer can break down the stretchy elastic fibres in the fabric.
Dry cleaning (although pricey) prevents fading and may be worth considering for dressy jeans. Ask the dry cleaner to press them flat. A crease line running up the centre of jeans’ legs is not cool.
Here’s the heads up:
The most flattering jeans are made from dark blue denim fabric containing about 2% spandex or Lycra.
A great pair of boot leg jeans is a wardrobe essential.
Dress them up with a pair of high heeled open-toed shoes, sandals or boots. Stiletto court shoes (with closed heels and toes) are too ‘try hard’.
Wear a couple of strands of creamy pearls in long and short lengths, a fabulous top and a soft scarf and you’re good to go.
Dress jeans down with a pair of leather flats or boots and a white tee shirt. Throw on a loose dark coloured vee neck knit over the top and you have a versatile casual outfit.
Remember that dark colours visually recede and slim the body.
Denim is a colour that coordinates with everything. It is a universal colour that can be worn by everyone and it’s also considered a neutral colour.
Five ways with a denim jacket:
A well fitted, well cut denim jacket is a timeless garment that will take you through the seasons for several years.
Partner a denim jacket with a white shirt or a light coloured tee shirt and black pants worn over black medium heeled boots. Add a colourful scarf, or a metal necklace or pearls to polish the look.
Pin a cluster of sparkly broaches on the lapel and wear your denim jacket to add zing to a summer dress. Stylish and warm!
Never wear the same shade of denim on the top and bottom. A medium blue denim jacket worn with medium blue denim jeans won’t work unless you’re a cowboy. No-no matchy-matchy!
Mix light denim with a darker denim for cool style, for example a light denim jacket or vest with your dark denim jeans. Break up the look with a plain tee-shirt or shirt.
Twin denim in light and dark shades is okay, triple denim is not!
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