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Gail and Belinda's fashion solutions
Gail Little and Belinda Alexander help a mother of the bride to hide her 'bingo wings' and advise a reader where to find a classic straight skirt
Mother of the Bride
Q: Where can I find something dressy but not 'mumsie' for my daughters wedding? I am 61, 5ft 8 inches tall and weigh 9st 7lbs. I need a dress, ideally mid-shin length with either long sleeves, three quarter or elbow sleeves. Even a pretty dress and jacket is not ideal as I would need to take the jacket off at some point. My arms are slim but they are also crepey, wrinkled and have awful bingo wings! I look best in warmish colours.
A: This is the most requested outfit for mothers of daughters about to be married, but you have an advantage as you are tall and slim! Most dresses do not have sleeves, (though I never understand why), but they do have small jackets or shrugs to go over them instead. The following list are good for you -try Phase 8, Coast, Fenn Wright & Manson and outlets with Joseph Ribkoff outfits (always good for weddings). Country Casuals also have pretty mid shin dresses with capped sleeves and you could then wear a pashmina to cover the bits of your arms you don't like.
I don't know what your budget is but one idea is to have a dress made with chiffon sleeves; this is very 'in' at the moment and incredibly flattering and feminine too.
For the top end look at Caroline Charles (www.carolinecharles.co.uk) or Thomasz Starzewski (www.thomaszstarzewski.co.uk). I know Thomasz sometimes has some end of season samples and one might just be your size or they make to measure.
Straight skirt search
Q: I know what style skirts suit me but I can't find one! I am looking for straight skirts (not 'A' line), casual or smart in size 12 length 32 inches. I have a very old one from M & S but cannot find this style anywhere. Can you help please? Also - what ever happened to 'shark skin' slips that made a skirt look so smooth?
A: My work means I am in shops all the time and this Spring I hate to say that the skirts around are often patterned, often cotton and often full from the hip bone down. They lie flat over the tummy and then become rather full. Straight skirts are hard to find as they are not really fashionable this year! However I did see some in wool crepe at Hobbs (www.hobbs.co.uk) which might suit you and in Next (www.next.co.uk), and also in M&S suit department. These skirts are now regarded as part of suiting and can be combined with a jacket for wearing to work. There are also a lot of straight dresses around which might prove an alternative for you until next season when it will all back to straight skirts again, fashion being the cycle it is!
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