Danielle, I need help! I am a 50 year old woman who NEVER wears dresses or skirts because I have such skinny legs especially from the knees down. I am 5′ 8″ and weigh about 145 lbs but carry most of this weight between my bust and waistline. Can you recommend the most flattering styles and shapes that I should wear?

I would say my style is conservative, but I don’t want to look like a grandma! Help me add some youth and fun to my look. Could you also give me help with some affordable accessories to bring personality to my outfits? I have difficulty finding shoes in my size; I wear a 10 narrow which visually makes the long skiny legs look worse. Thanks!

Some inside scoop: Ms. Phyllis sent me a pic (I always ask you guys for pics when you email me style or beauty questions because it helps me to help you better, but I never will post them to the site unless you ask me to) and she claims to be 50 but looks not a day over 30! Work it out, Ms. Phyllis. *finger snap*

The key to camouflaging a part of your body is to draw the eye elsewhere. So for instance, if I have a huge pimple on my forehead, I may wear a bright lip color to keep your eyes off the tiny mountain. So the idea is to draw the eye upwards when you want to take the emphasis off skinny legs. You can achieve this with a printed dress or a dress that has an interesting design or gathering of fabric that draws the eye up. Try these:

Same thing with skirts:

You can add texture and visual “weight” to your legs with tights. Solid black tights paired with a conservative dress or skirt will not only “thicken” up your legs, but adds a bit of youthful yet conservative style to your look.

Look no further than Supermodel Iman as inspiration when it comes to adding youth and fun to your look. Iman kills the style and beauty game even for the younger ladies. She always looks stylish and age-appropriate. Even on casual days like when she was spotted in Soho last summer:

Grab some affordable wardrobe staples like a pair of dark denim jeans, a blazer, a v-neck tee that can be worn a million times and mix them with accessory staples like over-sized shades, a statement bag, and costume jewelry. You’ll have limitless wardrobe options even with very few items to work with. Especially if you mix “work week” pieces with “weekend pieces”. For example, I love the look of a dressy fitted tweed jacket with denim.

A statement bag need not cost more than your monthly mortgage payment. You can go for a bag in a lower price point as long as it has character. Let colors like bright green and purple become neutrals.

As for the shoes, I think you’ll love these:

LOL–Just kidding! Look to Nordstrom and Zappos.com for an array of shoes that come in size 10N (Stuart Weitzman also carries 10N, but his shoes are more investment pieces, but if you buy a pair it will last you forever). Unfortunately as you already, the options in 10N are slim. I found these (below) that can be worn with skirts or dresses and jeans:

Hope this all suits you well, Ms. Phyllis!

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If you have a style or beauty question, contact me. I do a lot more behind the scenes work working feverishly to answer your questions than what you see on the site. So ask away!

If you thought being with child for nine months means your destined to a closet of oversized sweats and sneakers, you are WRONG! Maternity clothing has certainly come a long way as brands are now putting together more stylish looks. Check out my picks:

When it comes to looking your best, no matter what your body type is, you always have to remember that everything must balance and be proportioned. That said, if you have a long torso (meaning your top half is quite long while your legs are much shorter in length in comparison) in order to look balanced, you need to visually cut off some of the length of your torso. Now before you break out the Harry Houdini tricks to saw yourself in half, check out these pieces of clothing designed to cut some of the length off your torso while making your legs appear longer:

Long Torso Dressing Tips

1. A cute belt is the long-torso gal’s best friend because it allows you to create a waistline at a higher point than your own naturally lies. A non-belt option is to choose a top or dress with cinching or banding high enough on the torso area.

2. High-waisted pants, jeans, and skirts also have similar balancing effects on longer torsos since they allow the legs to appear longer than they are.

3. Steer clear of drop-waist dresses as they will further elongate your torso.

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First things first when it comes to petites–it’s not a “fits all” category. Petite refers to a size, not a shape so you’ll still need to follow the tips for your body type (look for them above in the “Dressing for Your Body” tab) and then follow the petite dressing tips shown below:

1. Make BFFs with a tailor. If you find it difficult to find great pieces off the rack (many of us can’t) a tailor can easily alter those items so that they fit you perfectly.

2. High heels are a good, but not the only way, to add visual height. Platforms are great for those who wobble in heels because they offer more of a flat structure to walk on. If you want to wear a flat, go for something minimal that either matches your skin tone or the color of your bottom (skirt, pants, etc.).

3. Be mindful of how you use color: dressing in one color has a very elongating effect on your body, but isn’t the only way to get visual length. Nude pantyhose and nude shoes also have a similar elongating effect on the legs. The more of your legs you show, the longer your legs look. And the longer your legs look, the taller and slimmer you will appear. Understand that wearing monochromatic colors on your bottom half have a similar effect of “showing more leg”.

4. Vertical lines are slimming as well as elongating. Try to create a vertical line in your dressing wherever possible. Horizontal lines are widening and shortening. Try to avoid them below the waist line (i.e. never tuck your jeans into a pair of tall boots–doing so forms a horizontal line at the knees that cuts your legs off and makes you look shorter and wider). Avoid skirts that are more than about 2″ below the knee (unless they’re floor length) as they shorten the frame. Also avoid wearing capri pants with anything but a strappy sandal. Pair a capri pant with sneakers or worse ankle boots and prepare to lose nearly 4 inches of visual length.

5. Understand scale. Since your features are likely on the smaller side, your accessories should also be on the smaller side so they don’t overpower your frame. An oversized bag may be stylish, but it can swallow a petite. When choosing prints (like polka dots or stripes) go for those on a smaller scale.

6. Look your age. If you’re a petite who often feels like your frame makes you look a lot younger than you actually are, be sure your clothing is always perfectly tailored. The quickest way to look like you’re playing in mommy’s wardrobe is to wear a garment that is too big or too long for you. Also steer clear of wearing too much of soft colors like pink, yellow, and baby blue. Darker clothes exude more sophistication than their lighter counterparts. Play around with accessories like dramatic sunglasses (think Jackie O) and to-scale statement bags. Avoid “kiddie” articles like sneakers (unless you’re at the gym).

Check out some cool looks that come in petite sizes–remember, you still need to follow the rules for your body type.

A coat is definitely the winter item you want to splurge on since you can make quite a fashion statement with one (yet be totally dressed like a bum underneath it). But if you don’t choose the right coat, you’ll be giving off the statement of ‘I don’t care how I look’.

Let’s dig in….

Petite:
Please note that Petite is a special size not a body type so you will still need to pay attention to the other tips for your body type and then scale them down for your frame. The ideal coat length is anything above the knee. You want to show as much “leg” as possible to appear long and lean (you can also achieve this by wearing shoes and pants in the same color). Go for bold colored solids and avoid very large prints that will swallow your frame.

George Simonton Studio Convertible Stand Collar Jacket

Big Breasts:
Wrap coats work best on a large chest. The diagonal line created by the wrap helps to minimize the bust. Avoid jackets with big buttons or prints on the bust line.

Andrew Marc ‘Kelsey’ Double Breasted Cape Coat

Plus-Size:
Always remember plus-size is not a one size fits all category (i.e. you can be plus size and petite, plus size and have a boyish frame, etc). Follow the tips for the other body types, but since you’re plus-size, be sure to go for coats that hug your frame as opposed to trying to hide your body in an oversized coat. Be bold with color and make sure any details are to scale (i.e. small prints on a plus-size frame will make the body seem larger).

Gallery ‘Tapestry’ Walking Coat (Plus)

Long Torso:
If your torso is noticeably longer than your legs, you’ll need a coat with an empire waist to help visually shorten your torso and lengthen your gams. Wearing bottoms and shoes that are the same color will further help to elongate your legs.

Jessica Simpson Double Flap Pocket Coat

Short Torso:
If your torso is noticeably shorter than your legs, grab a coat that has detailing that sits lower on the waist to help balance out your frame.

Calvin Klein Double Breasted Walking Coat

Boyish Frame:
To visually add curves to a boyish frame, go for a form-fitting coat with extra detailing. Excess material and details like pockets on the hip area will help give the appearance of curves.

Mackage Stand Collar Jacquard Walking Coat

Maternity:
A-line and wrap coats are ideal to keep your baby bump warm and chic.

Kristen Blake A-Line Topper