Why Curvy Girls Can Wear... Prints

Firstly, apologies for the long absence! Dissertations, essays, and general final-term-of-university stress has got the better of me recently, leaving me with very little blogging time.

Lack of writing hasn't been the only consequence of third year woes-- my bank-balance has also been reeling from the sporadic bursts of retail therapy motivating me through hours in the library. A spate of summer outfits have steadily streaming my wardrobe in anticipation of mythical, post-hand in sun drenched days.

With the greyness of both the university study spaces and the current weather weighing on my mood, my reaction has been to invest in cheering, increasingly gaudy prints. Splurged with colour, my new staple outfits are a rainbow of cartoons and printed cupcakes. As a lover of stand-out pieces, the creativity of prints currently available is perfect for stamping individuality, especially with the quirky cartoon prints of spring setting a trend for stylishly brazen outfits.

However, as every curvy girl will know, prints can be a worse enemy. A veritable minefield, patterns have the unfortunate effect of distorting the figure, the effect of your curves on the design highlighting every lump and bump. With the age-old ferocious warning against stripes ringing in every curvy girl's ears, the motto 'black is slimming' has sent me scurrying for a nice plain dress on many an occasion.

However, the thinking curvy girl can be worry free with jumping on the print-painted bandwagon. The simple tip for achieving a beautiful, flattering look is to avoid all over, busy prints. Teaming a patterned skirt or leggings with a plain top is a perfect way to get in on the trend, making sure any 'worry areas' are covered my a plain item of clothing, offsetting the busy-ness of the print, and solving the problem of nightmarish stretched prints over curves.

I recently purchased these pop-art print leggings from ebay. Garish and over-the-top, they require teaming with a plain top. I chose a long, black vest top to cover up the print around my mid section.

My other great print purchase lately has been this gorgeous skirt from Cameo Rose at New Look. Having lusted after its bodycon counterpart, regretfully acknowledging that I simply can't carry off tight prints, I was delighted to discover a skater skirt version. Flared out, the effect of prints on my shape isn't a problem, and it's nipped in waist is ultimately flattering. Furthermore, the skirt is truly gorgeous, and incredibly elaborate.

So here's a few of my recommendations for carrying off a curvy print look:

1. For an all-over print, go for one that is simple, sparse and non-geometric; busy prints will show off any lumps and bumps A black background is perfect to create a more streamlined shape. This Boohoo cartoon print dress, worn with spanx, would be perfect.

April cartoon print bodycon dress, £12, Boohoo

2. Geometric prints are ultimately unflattering, but you can still get in on the monochrome trend for checks and stripes. Choose a skater skirt which will flare out over your curves, or accentuate the curves you want to show off with a crop top and plain, high waisted skirt (don't forget to check out my earlier blog for more crop-top advice! http://what-katieb-did.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/why-curvy-girls-can-wear-crop-tops.html )

Geometric Print Skater Skirt, £28, River Island

Ellin vertical stripe monochrome crop top, ASOS, £8.99

3. For the more adventurous fashionista, wide-leg trousers are a good way to get on board with the craze for global prints. Hiding a multitude of sins, these should be worn with a plain, fairly tight top to avoid looking frumpy.

Eastern Print wide-leg trousers, Topshop, £48

Why Curvy Girls Can Wear Crop Tops

Living in the depths of Yorkshire, sunshine becomes something of a rarity in the winter months. After weeks of dreary weather and having neatly packaged away my summer wardrobe (admittedly mainly the same as my winter wardrobe but without thick tights) I had given up hope of venturing out in anything less than three layers until at least after Easter.

And yet this week, good old British weather surprised us all by showing us the sun. Admittedly it barely hit 10 degrees Celsius, but this didn't stop us emerging bleary eyed from our darkened rooms, blinking in the unexpected light and dashing to find the nearest bit of grass to perch on.

I even made the rookie error of racing into my hallway in a floor length chiffon skirt and jumper before being hastily reprimanded by my housemate for my over-enthusiasm and sent back to change into a sensible jeans and hoodie combo.

However, a quick restyle later, and I was eagerly diving onto my computer to see what I needed to scour ebay for in preparation for a now surely imminent premature summer. And one trend seemed to keep coming up; a phrase that makes the curvy girls heart sink: crop top.

Now, I love crop tops. Oddly 80/90s retro, a well worn crop top is sexy, fun and on-trend. But here's the problem: well-worn requires washboard abs and a pancake-flat tummy, no exceptions. At a size 12 to 14, the stratospheric rise of the crop top had me enviously eyeing up my friends last summer as I stuck to my dip-hems and securely tucked-in blouses.

That was until an impromptu night out a few weeks ago. Raiding my fashion conscious friends wardrobe, I was more than a little dubious when a long leopard print skirt and tiny top were suggested.

As soon as I put it on, I loved it. Hoisting the skirt up much higher than my size-8 friend would, only a tiny sliver of the slimmest part of my waist was revealed, house-of-mirrors style trickery that if anything made me look much smaller than a curves-covering top would have done.

Truly high-waisted bottoms are the secret to bringing curvy-girls and crop tops together. Whilst the more daring amongst us can flash a few inches of stomach, skirts and shorts can be worn so high that all is covered whilst still getting in on a fashion-friendly trend. It's the tip how-to-wear guides featuring boob tubes with low slung trousers and barely-there skirts simply don't pick up on, unfailingly flashing reams of flesh on super skinny girls.
                                         

So here's a few of the best outfits to flatter the curvy crop.

Lace Bardot Crop Top, £18, Topshop

 Midi Skirt with Pleats, £28, ASOS

                

For a beautiful retro vibe, a 50s style lacy crop top and chiffon midi skirt is perfect. Pull the skirt up a little higher than pictured and prepare to bring vintage summer style back. Remember that fitted crop tops are fine, but always go for a larger size; too tight crops are ultimately unflattering.

Kainda Wet Look Box Pleat Skater Skirt, £15.99, Missguided

Cream Floral Bralet, £9.95, Moda Chiara

Flared and high waisted, skater skirts are a wardrobe staple of any curvy girl. Due to how flattering the flared style is, you may be able to get away with a bralet, but a tshirt style crop top will work just as well. Wet-look skater skirts are currently bang on trend, and contrast brilliantly with girly floral prints.

Maddie Midi Length Tube Skirt, £8, Boohoo

Caviar Bead Mesh Top, £26, Topshop

If you're carrying extra weight up top, a tight, midi length skirt allows for you to a hide a multitude of sins by going baggier on the top half. Overlap the crop top and the skirt for a multi-purpose fashionable yet flattering look. However, be careful when deciding if a tight midi skirt is for you, as they do tend to show up all your lumps and bumps.

Remember: fashion's not just for skinny girls, and curvy ladies deserve summer fun too! Always throw away the catwalk manual; getting away with trends is all about adjusting looks to focus on your best bits.