Suits you. (From The Argus)

Suits you.

3:28pm Tuesday 17th November 2009

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by Sarah Peel & Ellie Moss

The subject of Shape and Size has fuelled many a conversation with friends, family and street stylers alike about how real women dress to suit their individual bodies.

So this week we're tackling our own ‘difficult bits’ and sharing our top tips for making the most of them.

Sarah: “For me it depends how I feel when I wake up. There isn’t an area I particularly like or dislike, although I never show cleavage and will always choose a loose over a tight-fitting top.

I couldn't name one person who is totally happy with their figure. To work out what suits you best, be adventurous, don’t always stick to the same shops, try something different or wacky once a month. I bet by the end of the day you'll feel like a million dollars and love your new style.

You've got to be happy and comfortable in your look - remember to always wear what you want to wear, rather than what someone else says you should.

I tend to wear leggings or tight jeans with a baggy jumper or t-shirt and cardigan over the top as, unlike your stomach, your legs will never bloat during the day no matter how much food you eat!

If I do wear a tighter top, I'll wear it with jogging bottoms or baggy jeans as two tight items rarely work together. Flaunt only one area of flesh at a time and instead jazz your outfit up with a colourful scarf or statement necklace.

These denim shorts are from Watford Market - they've been sitting in my wardrobe for years so I thought I'd give them a try over leggings. I found my jacket in the Topshop sale last year, the scarf in my loft and my boots in an Eastbourne charity shop."

Ellie: “I’ve been more or less the same shape and size for a while now and I've got so used to dressing for my shape, I hardly ever think about how I dress and always go for what suits me best. I didn’t think I had any rules of thumb but on closer inspection of my wardrobe I’ve realised it's full to the brim with clothes which fulfil very specific criteria.

Like many girls, I tend to cover my stomach as it’s not quite the washboard I’d like it to be just yet - you wouldn’t catch me in a crop top for love nor money. I don’t like to show a lot of cleavage either so I steer clear of low-cut tops and dresses. Instead, I tend to wear outfits that show a bit of leg, skim over the stomach and cover up the boobs!

This Zara dress is a prime example. It shows a little bit of leg - I’d usually wear tights or go bare-legged but it was beyond freezing on this morning's commute so it had to be leggings. It skims over the tummy - comfortably loose so I don’t have to breathe in all day. And it flatters my boobs - a slight V-neck but not too low-cut.

Having said all this I'm a bit more adventurous on a night out and will brave a lower cut top or tighter dress. I'll still apply the same rules though - legs out, stomach skimmed, boobs away.

So ingrained is this mantra that it took writing this blog for me to realise that, in fact, I'm verging on pedantic about my dress code.

I’m now wondering if I should take some of Sarah’s advice and be a little more experimental - watch out for me in a cleavage baring, belly top next week..."

Remember to send your pictures to us at seerealfashion@hotmail.co.uk and let us know what ‘suits you’...