Every woman (and those men who care about fashion) wants her own personal style--we long for it every morning as we open our closet doors. We try to listen to the advice: Don’t follow the trends, wear the things that you like. But still, pear- shaped girls sport skinny jeans and my large-chested friends and I beeline for the swing jackets and caplets every time we walk into TJ Maxx.

I say, don’t wear what you like; wear what looks good on you. Evaluate your body type and buy the staples that you need (an LBD, a neutral trench, a wrap dress, great jeans).  Every bottom-heavy girl should have a great pair of trouser jeans. Top-heavy girls should invest in tailored blouses and avoid clingy crew-neck cotton tees and button down shirts that play peekaboo. Petites? Tailor all of your skirts to hit just at the knee and grab some fabulous high heels. Play with volume!

Once the staples are in place, change up your look with inexpensive items like bright cardigans, fabulous chunky necklaces, a faux-leather bag, headbands and scarves, and bold printed flats. A white shirt and jeans can transform into a new look every day if you switch out your accessories.

Oh you hit on one of my pet peeves. I hate it when fashion mavens say all this burble about go with your heart and that other favourite lie “anything goes” this season.

What a pair of misleading statements!

People read fashion mags, and watch fashion shows in order to find stuff out. Get educated as to why some stuff works on one body and not on another. They WANT some guidance and what do they get?-- go with your heart, it’ll all work together. Um NOPE! not unless you happen to have the finely honed instincts of a stylist or fashion editor! Some are born with that, most of the rest of us learn it the hard way.

As for anything goes this season, I wish the stylists who toss this off with a cheery laugh could be forced to wear something really awful to teach them. Yep anything goes this season, let’s just pop you into a silk poet blouse with ummm oh I know, overalls from the early 80’s, top it all off with a power shoulder suit jacket from Dynasty in a pastel banana colour and finish with a purple chanel purse and some purple eyeliner and red red lips and nails. Match the nails to the shoes, but make sure they are those shiny metallic glitter shoes. Anything goes right?

I totally agree with you! Most people (especially me) needed an education and still work at it, kind of like producing wearable art.

I’ve used some truly great books to help with my own shape and size. (I’m plus size, and have some good bits and bad bits, like anyone else even a petite--we all have bits to hide, and bits that are great to show off)

Leah Feldon’s Does this make me look fat
Danica Lo’s book How not to look fat
The Pocket Stylist by sheldon farr I think.

I have the trinny and susanah books but they haven’t been as sharp and to the point for my figure problems as the ones above.

I think what the stylists and fashion editors forget about is that before you can follow your heart (which I actually agree with as long as it’s an educated heart) is that most people need to teach themselves the basics about porportion, line, symmetry and so forth.

If that came naturally to people, it wouldn’t have taken till the Renaissance to learn about depth in paintings.

One of my pet peeves is when women wear what looks good on the rack rather than what looks good on their own bodies.

Case in point: I have a friend who LOVES turtlenecks and wears them almost all the time. She loves the way they look on the rack and she loves their classic look. Truth is that turtlenecks are classic, but they don’t flatter my friend at all. Her neck is too short, and the turtleneck just eats up what’s there. Plus, she has a double chin, and the turtleneck just pushes up the extra flesh, emphasizing the extra chin and making her entire face look puffy.

About the books… I loved Leah Feldon’s book, but I didn’t like Danica Lo’s book at all. The Pocket Stylist, by Kendall Farr, isn’t bad, but I’ve seen better.