The Style and Beauty Doctor reader Cassandra recently asked on Talk Amongst Yourselves or Ask Me a Question, “Hey Danielle could you possibly do an article similar to Jeans for Every Body but focusing on dress pants? I think that having examples as you have in Jeans for Everybody would be helpful especially for people shopping at different price points.”

Sure! Here goes…

If you have a big tummy, you’ll want a pant with a little bit of stretch and very little to no embellishments at the waist. Look for plain flat front pants that fit slightly off the waist. Anything too tight or that gathers near the tummy will only make your it appear wider. Also try to avoid large side pockets as they’ll make your waist look wider and your stomach bigger as a result.

More Alberto Biani…

If you have a short torso, you’ll want to create balance with a lower waist. This helps to visually cut off the legs and add more length at the torso.

More Ann Taylor…

If you have a long torso, do the opposite as above—go for pants with a higher waist to help visually cut off the length of your torso and help your legs appear longer for a balanced look.

More Malloni…

If you have thick thighs/hips look for smooth, plain front pants with a wider leg opening. Avoid side pockets or horizontal patterns near the thighs like the plague as they’ll only make you look wider. Look for pants that either fit at the natural waist or are a little on the low waist side. Also look for some stretch in the material.

More Banana Republic…

If you have a boyish frame, add visual curves with volume in your fabric particularly in the hip and thigh area. Many pants in this style are on trend right now so be sure to check them out.

More Asos…

If you have a big booty, go for pants with a little bit of stretch to them and that have few embellishments on the back. Avoid horizontal stripes, busy patterns, and pockets on the sides (your derrière can caused them to pull back) and on the back.

More Express…

If you’re petite, understand that it’s a size and not a shape. You’ll still need to follow the tips for your body type but look for shorter inseams to properly fit your frame. A petite inseam is normally 32″ or shorter. You’ll want to give the illusion of a long, lean body so avoid things that can shorten you like cuffs (the horizontal line they make visually cuts you off).

More Banana Republic…

If you’re plus size, like petite, understand that plus size is a size not a shape. Still follow the tips for your body type. Remember to keep things in scale, so if you go for a pattern, make sure the print is on the larger size–but be conscious of how the patterns look on your body (like other bodies, avoid them in areas that are larger). Horizontal lines or stripes can be tricky as they shorten and widen a frame.

More Elie Tahari…

Stuck? Leave a comment or contact me.

If you find yourself constantly being late for work or social outings with your crew because you’re always fighting with the contents of your closet—this post’s for you! It is absolutely possible to go to your closet, pull something fashionable out to wear, and be done in less than 15 minutes, but it takes some pre-work. Check it out:

1. First things first, clean out your closet. If you haven’t seen the floor of your wardrobe since the Clinton Administration, you’ve got some work to do. Go here for info on how to sort things out. Remember that fashion is not about how many pieces of clothing you own–it’s about putting together great outfits. And the less you have in your closet, the easier it will be to plan out your outfits.

2. Limit the amount of clothing you buy that has to be ironed to look good. This means button-down shirts, anything made of linen and certain items made out of cotton (unless you pull them out of the dryer and immediately hang them). I am a lazy girl through and through and do not own a single item that needs to be ironed—why? Because I hate to iron…lol. Call it a side effect of wearing a uniform from kindergarten through my senior year in high school and having to iron my uniform daily, but I will not miss ironing my clothes. For my day job I wear a lot of suits. The jackets get dry cleaned while the dress pants are washed in cold water and hung to dry and never need ironing. For the weekends I wear a lot of denim and sweaters in the winter—both of which can be pulled on quickly without ironing.

3. Adopt a uniform. Don’t get scared–after 13 years of wearing a uniform to school do you think I’d actually suggest you wear one? By uniform I mean put together a collection of no-fail outfits. If you’ve been reading this site and following the tips for your body type as well as my advice to buy things you really love and that you can wear a million times, chances are you have several items in your closet that can be worn a zillion different ways. Having a closet that has essential wardrobe basics helps.

4. Let your accessories tell a story. Say all you can muster out of your wardrobe is a pair of well-fitting jeans and a fitted tee. Let your accessories take you from Gap ad to wherever you want. Go punk rock with a spiked bracelet and killer platform boots. Or go boho with a scarf and cute flats. Your options are limitless.

5. Visualize how you want to look first and then go in for the outfit. This is best done either while you’re hitting the snooze button for the umpteenth time in the morning or the night before.

If you’ve got those 5 tips down, you’ll shave time off of getting dressed everyday.

Take a cue from the boys when it comes to fashion inspiration.

(click images to enlarge)

I just love how some menswear styles are put together—love them even more in my wardrobe…lol. If I had my way, everything my daddy wore in the 70s would be my total digs. I wouldn’t need to buy anything else save for some killer platform pumps and loads of eyeliner and bright lipsticks.

To rock the look avoid literal translations of a man’s style from head to toe. Instead take elements like sharp tailoring and structure and add feminine elements throughout.

More Asos…

Photos spotted at The Fashion Bomb and Style.com

(click images to enlarge)

So July isn’t even done yet, but the fashion industry is all about being ahead of the curve when it comes to showcasing the next season’s trends. We looked at some of the trends for Fall 2010 way back in February and one major trend at most of the New York shows was leather and fur. What’s great about this trend is that it works for every budget and every body type. You don’t have to go for the real thing—especially if you’re an animal lover or fear the wrath of PETA. Wear the trend in many ways: a luxe fur coat, a downtown leather jacket, Dynasty-style leather gloves, a fur stole, fur messenger bag–I mean the options are limitless.

I’ll post more about this trend as fall gets closer, but in the mean time if you’re a fashionista on a budget or if you love unique pieces, start checking out your local thrifts for fab finds. Need help? Check out: Recession Proof Style: How to Shop Vintage.

Here’s the shoes in question:

And while these are pretty unique, there is a lot you can do with them:

More Arden B…

For more outfit ideas, go here.

******
If you have a style or beauty question, contact me!