Lily Allen, the amazing singer and mischievous party girl, writes the book on cut and pattern. If you're on the short side, Lily is the girl for you to emulate (fashionably, that is). She's 5'2", with a bit of meat on her bones, and cute as a damn button. She reminds us all that taking risks – and occasionally ignoring "fashion dogma" - often pays off in spades.
Let's begin with the pink dress (figure 1). The retro cut: a great choice for short women with curves. Retro dresses (in this case, '50s or early '60s) are extremely flattering to women with Lily's height and build because they were designed at a time when the Beauty Ideal was Marilyn-Monroe-voluptuous, and skinny beanpoles were scorned. You need curves to wear this dress. The full skirt minimizes her bottom half without trying to disguise it. Look at the length: a perfect proportion for her height, because it embraces her short stature without making her look squat – a tall woman standing next to her would look like Mrs. Jolly Green Giant. Now the pattern: yes, I know it's a pattern of Bambi being slaughtered, ignore that for a moment (besides, she's an artist, they live by different rules). Look at the spacing of the Bambis: it never overwhelms the dress, or her. Pattern-spacing is key for curvy women; busy patterns will only make you look bigger, and call attention to the dress instead of you. The color: pale pink is great for her skin; it brings out her honey tones. And finally, the shoes: love them! The blue actually complements the pink dress; they're a distinctive, unusual choice, and add a bit of flair to the retro dress (notice also how her nails and jewelry are the same color – that's the way to incorporate the shoes into the ensemble). She looks chic, pretty, and fun. Doesn't she look like someone you'd want to meet? Most importantly, she's wearing the clothes; they aren't wearing her.
Take a gander at the sundress (figure 2): wow, right? This is how to wear stripes if you're short and curvy. You know how everyone says you should never wear horizontal stripes? Well, this is how you can get away with it. The top of the dress is tight, but not too tight; clearly she can breathe. The straps are great too, because they make her shoulders look smaller and lengthen her arms. But it's the skirt that really seals the deal. The vertical stripes and full, flowing skirt make her look taller, and they give her lean lines. Notice the length of the skirt: it's called midi (because it falls between the knee and ankle). For the most part, only tall women can pull this off, because it makes short women look shorter than they actually are. But this is the exception: because of the vertical stripes and flowing skirt, she gets away with it. The shoes: simple white peep-toe wedges. Play the shoes simply here, because of the colorful stripes. Speaking of color, pretty much any skin tone can wear them, because they're nice and neutral, only a little bit bright. So the lesson on stripes: you can wear horizontal on top if you're wearing long and vertical on bottom. Accessory note: no necklaces with a dress like this, it will only overwhelm the neckline and subtract from the overall effect – you notice she's only wearing bracelets and rings; it's no coincidence.
Who says short, larger women can't wear short skirts? The little blue number (figure 3) looks great, and so does she. Does it matter that her legs aren't Naomi Campbell's? No, and here's why. Look at how the skirt is gathered just below her bust: it's a long short skirt, if that makes any sense. It gives her a few height inches, and a nice long waist. Look at the neckline and sleeves: flattering, because they emphasize her bust and again, give her arms some length and minimize her shoulders. The sleeves broaden her shoulders without making them big, which makes her torso seem leaner. The pretty eyelet trim around the neckline is a sweet little touch, and makes the dress a bit more special. Accessory note: again, no necklace, just a simple bracelet, earrings and watch. Peep-toe heels again, black with a little pattern, and cute as hell. With a simple, solid-color, casual dress like this, you can have a little fun with the shoes. Hair note: it's a nice upsweep, and that's important. If her hair were down, her shoulders would look bigger, and she'd look squat. Her hair is what makes the sleeves work to her advantage.
Who says short, larger women can't wear short skirts? The little blue number (figure 3) looks great, and so does she. Does it matter that her legs aren't Naomi Campbell's? No, and here's why. Look at how the skirt is gathered just below her bust: it's a long short skirt, if that makes any sense. It gives her a few height inches, and a nice long waist. Look at the neckline and sleeves: flattering, because they emphasize her bust and again, give her arms some length and minimize her shoulders. The sleeves broaden her shoulders without making them big, which makes her torso seem leaner. The pretty eyelet trim around the neckline is a sweet little touch, and makes the dress a bit more special. Accessory note: again, no necklace, just a simple bracelet, earrings and watch. Peep-toe heels again, black with a little pattern, and cute as hell. With a simple, solid-color, casual dress like this, you can have a little fun with the shoes. Hair note: it's a nice upsweep, and that's important. If her hair were down, her shoulders would look bigger, and she'd look squat. Her hair is what makes the sleeves work to her advantage.
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