how to wear

How to Wear It Week! What to wear with an off-the-shoulder dress

Marc Jacobs Off-The-Shoulder Satin Dress
This week’s summer spotlight is How to Wear It Week. Let's look at a classic way to wear a summer standby.I recently bought a black short, off-the-shoulder dress. It is body-hugging until the hips and then has a balloon skirt until the knees. I later realized on that I am not very comfortable wearing an off-shoulder style. Can you suggest a jacket type or coverup that I can wear with this dress and in what color or pattern?  (via Fashion Advice) >> MORE: How to wear a LBD postsHumm, what makes you uncomfortable wearing an off the shoulder dress now that you liked so much when you bought the dress? It's always best to try to fall out of love with something when you still have the

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How to wear anything: Top 5 style maxims to tweak your chic

This week's 15th anniversary post looks at timeless ways to wear anything... including the lead photo of the late great fashion raconteur Anna Piaggi.  Discover your inner Carrie, if you must. How to wear anything with aplomb? Follow the Top 5 Style Maxims. Did you ever notice how some women can barely pull off wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt without looking like they are about to clean out the garage? While there are others who are the masters of the craziest, most way out combination that always seems to work on them? From Sarah Jessica Parker's the character Carrie in “Sex and the City,” pictured below,  to the late fashion impresario Anna Piaggi, pictured above, the Italian

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Ageless Style Week- How to look older? I’m a young mom and my sons are being mistaken for my little brothers

This week's Summer Spotlight is Ageless Style... Let's help this reader with stylist tips on how to look older  Help, I need style advice fast! I am 27 years old, 5ft 1 and a size 4/6. I have a decent figure considering I have had two children but have a major issue... and I know in 10 years time if I still have this issue I will be laughing, but at the moment, I find myself at a complete loss. >>RELATED: Tired of being mistaken for a kid? Here's how to dress to look older My issue is I look roughly between 18/20 depending on what I am wearing but have been told I sometimes look near 15. I know I should be happy I look young for

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Ageless Style Week- Can a senior wear a short skirt?

This week's Summer Spotlight is Ageless Style... Just because you could doesn't always mean you should when it comes to senior style. But, then again…  Can a 70-year-old fit woman wear a skirt above her knees? I'm never sure what is right for me. (L. via Fashion Advice)   [box]>> RELATED: Did you read my essay on How To Master Your Look from the book Senior Style: 65 Things to Do When You Retire?[/box] When you ask if a senior can wear a short skirt, well, there really isn't a solid answer. It's a tricky question. I am all for feeling and looking young at heart. Appearing sophisticated, worldy, and wise isn't bad either.  And looking hot at a certain age, that's  pretty

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Didn’t get a pedicure? Try a pair of closed toe shoes for summer

Not so happy with your toes this week? No problem, there are plenty of stylish closed toe shoes for summer that keep your lack of pedicure under wraps.   Dear Sharon:   I don't want to seem like Captina Obvious here, but what kind of  closed toes shoes for summer look both stylish and not weird? The thing is that I don't have enough time to get a semi monthly pedicure at a nail salon. When I try to paint my toes myself, I'm like a little girl with swished polish everywhere on my toe except my nail.  I'm looking for some fall-back shoes that don't seem so heavy but still cover my chipped nails. (M.E via Fashion Advice)  >> RELATED: The Ultimate Summer Sandals Guide

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Business Chic: What to wear in a freezing office when it’s hot outside!

We all know that there can be some crazy tempreture fluctuations especially in the sweltering summer when the A.C. gets turned up. Let's help this reader get her Business Chic in gear & figure out what to wear in a freezing office when it's hot outside with some smart & stylish layering tips.  Dear Sharon: I've taken your advice and transitioned my wardrobe for summer as I've just relocated to the dreadfully humid environs of Houston for work but now my big dilemma is that both the bus on my commute and my office are absolutely freezing. What are quick fixes I can try to avoid shivering at my desk or pulling a space heater next to me? (M.F. via Fashion Advice)  >> RELATED: What to

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What to Wear: A Dress Redo from casual to corporate, from student to professional

Dress redo to master what to wear to transition your style when your lifestyle changes. Dear Sharon: I'm a 36 year old mom who has spent the last decade of my life somewhere between completing school and mommyhood. I'm about to graduate and need some ideas to build a professional looking wardrobe to wear for my new part-time job that's a bit corporate. I'm thrilled to enter the business world with my degree under my belt but my student wardrobe of raggy playground clothes or jeans and T-shirts won't cut it for the real world. Luckily, my husband has a good job but I still don't want to start spending too much on business clothes right out of the gate.

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Stylist Advice- How to make your shoes fit when your feet are different sizes

Let's help this reader with his shoe question to find narrow width shoes for his wife who has two different foot sizes.  Dear Sharon:  My wife has narrow feet. To add to this, they are also two different sizes. We are traveling frequently and I would like to gift her some fine high fashion shoes ($800 to $1500) but I do not know what brands are available in narrow widths. And, if any designer brand will allow to have two differing sizes at time of purchase? She deals with poor fit that does not permit her to walk confidently and I would like to help. Many thanks in advance for your professional insight. (DS via Fashion Advice) [signupboxtwo]Hop on my newsletter list  for stylist advice right in your

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Stylist Advice- Too Big Swing Dress Redo

I'm trying something new by adding my styling tips to a photo provided by you, the reader. If you like this new dress redo feature, please tell be in the comments below.  Dear Sharon: Many of my friends and I have been having problems making our swing dresses fit or style them into an outfit. I personally recently bought a lovely black swing dress but the size just doesn't work. I've sent you a link to the dress to see its style for yourself. The size below was too short and my normal size is the perfect length but too baggy in the underarms. Instead of hiding my sins and making me feel good it just looks like I'm wearing a nightie. And I know

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Pleasingly Pleated

I'm not always a fan of "big" dresses, and glittery shoes typically look a few seasons back for me. But put it altogether on Marion Cotillard and the result is sublime. Styled by the wrong hands, a plisse pleated dress like this can be overwhelming. But the simplicity and ease of Cotillard's hair, makeup, and confidence make this Dior Haute Couture look stellar. Another lesson learned in that it's not what you wear but how you wear it.  More from the best of Cannes Do Chic series to help you get it together with ease. Click for more that's pretty and plisse: [raw] More Aviu... [/raw] Required Reading for Instant French Chic: Join my FREE newsletter and download "Passport to French Chic," now!

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Cannes Do Chic: Who needs heels? A shoe alternative you should try for summer evenings out

I'll Have What She's Having: A smart evening shoe alternative for when you want to dress up? They're out there... You'll never guess what kind of shoes Ines De La Fressange (above) is wearing under that sensational dress, but you'll want to wear them... No, not heels. Flats! Today’s installment of our series of the best of Cannes Do Chic see's two utterly glamorous actresses walking the red carpet in something many of you may not consider for evenings out. But with inspiration from the red carpets of the Cannes Film Festival, which have become a stable of inspiration, are styling tricks that will help you dress for your world. How can something so everyday work when trying to pile on the glamour? When done right,

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Cannes Do Chic: The one item every woman should own

I'll Have What She's Having: Take it from the chic set at Cannes, a classic white blouse will easily anchor your bold pieces or create an instant shirt dress Today's installment of our series of the best of Cannes Do Chic has a wardrobe stable making a stellar appearance at the photocalls and red carpets of the Cannes Film Festival, the celebrity event where we see things that WE can actually wear! Hooray! How can something so simple look so great? Well, isn't that really what chic is about? I've said it before at Cannes in our French Chic Shirt Lesson 101, nothing beats a crisp white shirt as a go-to piece in your wardrobe. Wear it to counterbalance something that's totally out of

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Cannes Do Chic: How to modernize a full skirt flare dress a la Chiara Mastroianni

I'll Have What She's Having:  A classic flare dress that looks fresh and modern From our series of the  best of Cannes Do Chic to help you get it together with ease... I love a flare dress. Chiara Mastroianni's (daughter of Catherine Deneauve and Marcello Mastroianni) nonchalent edge modernizes her 50's silhouette flare dress from Dior. The cut boasts a certain timeless grown-up sophistication that works so well with both a curvy figure and for those looking to create a curvy figure. But, it can look old if not styled with the right modern sensibilites. [box] Non sequitor little girl trivia time: Truth be told, I had a big childhood crush on Marcello Mastroianni and old Italian movies.  If I was a blonde, I wanted

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