Reader Question: What Tops Flatter the “Apple” Shape?
In case you missed it back here, Vildy asks:
A woman who has slender legs and small bottom but who carries all her weight in the front and has large bosoms plus a very large abdomen so, yes, it looks like the apple shape - and the bosom doesn’t protrude much beyond the upper stomach , what on earth is she to do about a top?
BTW, Vildy is pictured here on the blog, so we know she’s not asking for herself. Still, it’s a great question and we are so blessed that Imogen Lamport got wind of it and answered it for us!
Imogen’s answer:
You want to create the illusion of a waist, so empire tops (that encircle just under your bust, which is your slimmest point up top) are good, but make sure it’s not too gathered under the empire line otherwise you’ll look pregnant, keep is smooth and simple. Make sure any t-shirts are ruched down the side - I often do this myself to tops - buy one that’s way too long, then run some stitches up the side seams to gather them, go over the top to hold in place, and you’ve created your own ruched top.
Look for trousers that have a straight leg or even a wide leg, or flare, otherwise you’ll look like a lollipop.
A jacket that’s left open, but has some waist shaping (not boxy or square) is good. Wear a lighter coloured jacket over a darker coloured top and your tummy will disappear.
Make sure all skirts and trousers are pleat-free - flat fronts, and side zips can really work for you.
If you like to wear heels, make them a wedge - stilettos and kitten heels will just look too dainty on your frame.
Keep necklines lower to break up your bust. V-necks are great, as are cross-over tops (though avoid wrap dresses as they won’t suit at all).
Large pendants are great to draw attention up to the face and away from your boobs.
More to come - hopefully a fashion lab! - on the DIY ruched t-shirts, about which Imogen says:
I use my ‘home ruching’ technique for all tops that are too long (plus I love the spare tyre disguise effect it has), on not just the body of the garment, but also on the sleeves of any knit that the arms are too long.
It also adds a little detail that creates some visual interest to what otherwise might be a plain and boring top.
The trick with the ruching is to do a few stitches, then go over a couple of stitches as if you were going to tie a knot off, so that the ruching doesn’t slide round. Hope this makes sense.
Plus anyone can do it, you don’t need a sewing machine, just a needle and thread.
and
I also use my ruching technique for long-sleeved t-shirts that are too long in the arms, a few back stiches up the sleeve at the cuff mean you don’t need to take up the sleeve.I tend to stop the ruching under the bust area (so about a hands length down from under the arms).
Now. Is anybody planning on employing this technique? Say, this week? If so, please send in a before and after picture. We’d all love to see your project!
Related Posts:
Reader Question: Are Longer Floral Dresses Hopelessly Dated?
The standard Closet Clean-out for a Woman in her ‘30s, at Wardrobe Oxygen, 
promises to “improve your reputation at work, your chances at finding a mate, and will actually make you look younger and more confident.”
Aimed at the woman entering her 30s, who may even need to do her first major post-university closet purge, this is a fabulous post, and funny. But the question which has come up here is this:
Can a 40-year-old with a well-developed personal sense of style still wear the Church dress, Laura Ingalls Wilder dress, granny dress, prairie dress, or, “I give up dress” without looking hopelessly dated?
I confess, I think the pictured dress looks good.
Related Posts:
What Color Shoes Do You Wear With Grey?
Jessica writes:
Very similar to my own colours, but I have blues instead of pinks. In fact it was reading your blog that gave me “permission” to focus on a personal palette and it has been great! My question is… what colour shoes do you wear with grey? I gave up wearing navy because it is so darn hard to find shoes that go. I have a lot of brown shoes and wear mostly denim, brown, blue and some olive green accessories. I have black and grey for dressier occasions (but would like to wear grey more often) and a few pairs of black shoes. Are there other shoe choices?
Jessica, I’m so glad you feel free to limit your colors. It’s not intended to be a restricting thing, but a liberating one. Now on to your question. Basically, there are three ways I can think of to color coordinate your shoes:
- Wear shoes the color of your hair.
- Match (or blend with) your outfit. Generally, shoes would be the same tone or darker than the hem of your garment.
- Choose a “punctuating” color or neutral and repeat it as a belt. Repeating it again near the face is even better.
Actually, there is one other. Recently, Clinton and Stacy have made wearing a bright shoe with a more subtly colored outfit popular. It looks fine still, but may look dated at some time in the future.
(Incidentally, navy clothes don’t need navy shoes. Try brown or black instead.)
Without knowing the color of your hair, I can’t go too far in recommendation, but here are a couple of thoughts:
- Black shoes with gray are a no-brainer. (see #2 above)
- When wearing brown shoes with gray, be sure to wear something else that’s brown also. (see #3) In the winter, I like to wear a brown top and boots with my charcoal gray pantsuit.
- Since both of my daughters have green eyes with gray rims, I tend to like olive and other greens with gray.
- Lots of other bright colors go well with gray (but then you may be bringing complication on yourself). I have found my coral flats to be very versatile. Perhaps in your color scheme, an intense - maybe royal? - blue would be the bright shoe to have.
Hope that helps. If all else fails, maybe try silver. 
Related Posts:
My Personal Colors
A reader asks:
So… what are your personal colors? Do you narrow it down to 3 or 4? Do you add a funky trendy piece in a new color every once in a while?
A good question. I’ve talked around it, mentioning my signature color and the fact that I build my color scheme on my own personal coloring and lots of other color stuff, but I don’t know that I’ve ever just come right out and told you what colors I wear. So here it is:
- I swing wide through the coral pinks, wearing everything from peach to true pink and from an icy pale tint to an almost brown burgundy. Coral is my summer bright.
- Brown is an easy basic. I have begun to stay with shade of either rosy brown or balanced brown (now that my hair is silver, my coloring is overall a bit cooler than when I was younger). Included in this color category are the very light tints of brown, like the safari jacket pictured here.
- Gray. I LOVE a particular shade of pewter which is challenging to find, and charcoal heather is a winter staple.
- Primarily used individually as accents in my wardrobe, I’m learning to work more with black and white together.
That’s pretty much it. And jeans, of course, three quarters of the year. These colors form the back-bone of my wardrobe and are the ones I would systematically plan and shop for.
Sure, I venture into other colors from time to time, especially when thrifting. A funky, trendy piece in a new color? Hmmm, maybe not the best. How about a funky, trendy piece in a basic color? Or a funky, trendy color in a tee-shirt?
Related Posts:
Pulled Together with Minimal Layers
Jenna asks:
Here’s something I’ve always wondered that may be more appropriate to discuss closer to summer…How do you pull off a pulled together look with minimal layers? I love the look of casual jackets, cardis, etc, but they aren’t really practical for me (at least every day).
My favorite super-hot but pulled-together look, if not to wear, certainly to see on others, is what’s being called these days ‘The Frock’. In other words, a dress. Simply throw a cardigan in your purse (or diaper bag!) and you’ll be set when you get to your air-conditioned location.
Lately I’ve also been thinking about dress shapes, and how they fit with the silhouettes. For example, for me, the type 8 figure, I prefer the fitted sheath, while the fuller skirt is darling on the type X or hourglass. Type A’s, of course, are natural in A-lines. Do V-type figures tend to go for wrap styles?
What’s your favorite summer dress silhouette?
Related Posts:
How I Discovered My Need of a Better Casual Outfit
Recently my friend Lori asked:
I was just wondering if you’ve always been so intentional with your style and fashion choices. I wish that I put more thought into what I wear, but with 2 little kids I usually find myself getting dressed at the last minute, wearing whatever is clean ( and sometimes things that are mostly clean :). Is there hope that as the girls get older and more self-sufficient I’ll be able to devote some time and thought into clothes? When your girls were little were you as into fashion as you are now?
My answer: 
When my girls were the ages of yours and my boys were in elementary school, I was just coming off a fashion/retail career. I had loads of nice suits and little else. I had discovered the need for a better casual outfit, but I never had more than one. And I didn’t have near enough “gardening & dog-walking clothes”. I remember despairing that one day I would be out puttering in the yard in one of my suits because nothing else was clean. lol
Gradually I settled into a simple “what to wear” pattern: long-sleeved tee shirt and jeans in the cool months, short-sleeved tee shirt and (short-sleeved) jeans in the warm months. The weather was alot simpler there.
My girls were in mid to late elementary school when we began studying The Triumph of Individual Style
My bad (or how I discovered I needed a better casual outfit):
Showing up to an event inappropriately dressed is always dreadful, but I guess my worst episode happened when I had recently been transferred by my (former) company. In those days, I had power suits and I had grubbies but I had nothing in between. My husband and I went out looking at homes and then, without changing clothes, I went to the store to do a “competitive shop” (at Nordstrom) with the bosses — wearing jeans and pumps, with a BA TEE-SHIRT (yes, it really pictured a cartoon character flipping the BA).
Biff your message tees. Before you embarrass yourself like I did.
Related Posts:
Should You Wear Colors Close to Your Skin Tone?
Becky writes:
Rebecca, several of your posts on dressing in colors that are present in your personal coloring have puzzled me. For example, I have very fair that is somewhat yellowish (also dark blonde/light brown hair) and I look horrible in colors that contain too much yellow. It seems to me that I look best in cool colors that balance out the yellow of my skin.
Nobody looks good in yellow outside of Texas, do they?
But seriously, Becky, you bring up a good question. Your experience corresponds with the advice to Choose the Opposite Color that I blogged about awhile back. (I also notice that most of the commenters said the same thing you did, “horrible in yellow”.)
Here’s how eternalvoyageur answered:
Hmmm… I think that we have to pick what we want to highlight in our colouring (either by using these colours or contrasts) and what we prefer to conceal or balance out. read the rest of her answer …
I agree. Don’t emphasize anything you don’t want noticed (undereye circles, acne, birthmarks, etc) by matching it in color.
In one of my very first posts, on selecting jacket colors, I gave the following advice on wearing a color similar to your skin tone next to the face:
- Separate the garment from your face with a swath of contrasting fabric.
- Choose as an accent color: your eye color, white, black, or your lipstick color.
There is, of course, the danger of being washed out by not using enough contrast in your color scheme. To combat that possibility:
- use a darker or lighter version of the eye or hemoglobin color
- use the complementary color
- add a small amount of white, black, or a shiny metallic
Finally, finding flattering colors to wear next to the face can be as simple as identifying your hemoglobin and melanin colors, by-passing the overall skin tint. Hemoglobin is the oranges, reds, and purples present in, for example, the tips of your fingers. By melanin I mean the color of your freckles, that is, the browns in your skin.
In the end, I decided against the monochromatic “safari suit” for this evening’s semi-casual banquet, opting instead for a variation with greater contrast.
Related Posts:
Coffee with Cream
Eternal Voyageur writes:
BTW the camel colour made me think of requesting you to do a piece on creams, beiges and off-whites someday. I always struggle to connect name to colour, let alone decide which ones are flattering and which are not.
Here’s the problem: when I started looking up the color names (cream, ecru, beige, ivory, and so on), they all basically had the same definition - pale grayish yellow. That’s helpful! (You could hear the sarcasm in that, couldn’t you?) While I cannot promise is to give you names by which you can be certain you & others will be thinking of the same color, I do have some suggestions on how to select those which are flattering.
First, look for the undertone. While technically an off-white can be a super-light tint of any color, most of them tend to separate into those which are in essence a brown (like coffee with extra cream added) or those which are yellow.
Personally, I find the yellows hard to wear. I recommend them with yellow-blonde hair. For me, I like coffee.
There are also very light taupes, which make a good substitute for white or khaki trousers.
The other thing I would add is, even if you look okay in more than one range of off-whites, to stick to one in your wardrobe, thereby increasing your chances for serendipity. Believe it or not, the bermudas I picked up for a buck this week match the safari jacket my mom gave me for Christmas. What are the chances of that?
I hope this is helpful. Any insights or follow-up questions?
Related Posts:
Tops to Wear with Turquoise Jewelry
I own a million pieces of turquoise jewelry, I love the stone. I however never know the type of clothing especially the tops to wear. My hair is ruby midnight with purple under tones. My eyes are dark blue and my skin naturally has a yellow undertone. When I changed my hair to this dark color friends and family said it looked beautiful on me and made my eyes really stand out. I figured this is the best place to ask this question because I read such great advise to the above question. Thank You to all of you who answered (Judi)
(Ruby midnight = rich auburn black)
My best advice is to wear solid tops in deep, intense colors: black, midnight or royal blue, purple. With dark blue eyes, blues - including turquoise - are natural.
I think what I’m suggesting is that the turquoise is naturally going to harmonize with and flatter your eye color, and a top in a dark color, when combined with the dark hair, will frame the face. It’s going to be a dramatic look!
Alternatively, turquoise is appearing in lots of great prints these days. Depending on your personal style idiom, either a funky kind of ethnic look or a more simply elegant backdrop seem natural to me with turquoise jewelry.
A third option with turquoise is to use its complement, which is orange or brown. White is my favorite hot-weather black substitute. And metallics always look elegant with turquoise.
Okay, readers, Judi was asking for your advice. What tops do you suggest with turquoise jewelry?
Just for fun, here’s some pictures of looks that might work:
Incidentally, while in Italy, we saw LOTS of cute metallic sporty shoes.
Related Posts:
Maternity for the Long Torso
Her Majesty, The Queen of Carrots, asks a tough question, tough for me because it’s been so long since I’ve been in maternity clothes. I’m expecting lots of help!
Her question:
On a very old topic, I went back and tried the measuring the four zones thing and found my measurements were almost the same as yours except my Zone 2 was even longer proportionally. And I do tend to gravitate towards sharp distinctions at the waist–belts, scarves, short jackets, strong color contrasts. So what I really wonder is, what do I do with this zone when I’m pregnant? I don’t have a full-length mirror, but I rather suspect maternity tops are making my legs disappear altogether. Or should I just be grateful to have lots of room to fit a baby in?
Yes, lots of room for baby is something to be thankful for. I’ve also heard a number of people say that because of a long torso they didn’t need pregnancy clothes as soon.
A couple of thoughts, though, concerning maternity top shapes:
- I like the look of the cute maternity tops they have out now with a pretty ribbon tied just below the bust. If you had a top that was long enough, you could add your own ribbon. This breaks up the zone a bit. Tying a belt around the hip would also break up the zone.
- The other thought is to use this opportunity to wear the short dress as top look.
(Sorry- I know you’re not crazy about pink.)
Picture these dresses with shorts, pants, or leggings under.
What other suggestions do you readers have? Anybody else have this dilemma? (All illustrations via GapMaternity - Clothes.)
