What to wear with what
Do these shoes go with these trousers? Oh... Well, it's lucky we have an extract from Anna Harvey's new book Timeless Style to give us a fighting chance then. If you're never sure what to team with your cropped trousers, or you'd never go for a full skirt for lack of ideas about a top to pair with it, we have the answers...or rather, Anna does.
"Of course, it is something we all think about, when looking at our wardrobes – will this go with this? Can I put these pieces together? Will they work? It is not that easy to give specific guidance as it does take a very confident dresser to successfully mix wildly differing styles. Although I have always admired women who do the unexpected with a measure of success, it is quite easy to get it wrong, so my basic advice is start with what you know you wear well, and then push the look a bit further."
Jeans
The perennial staple, jeans can be worn both informally and semi-formally – dressed-up jeans are quite French-chic. If you are dressing them up, it goes without saying, they must be freshly washed (but ironed without creases!).
Wear them with a T-shirt, blazer and sneakers at the weekend, a heavy winter cashmere and boots, or – at a lunch – with a beautiful shirt or blouse, high heels or sandals.
Since jeans are essentially sporty, any jewellery that you wear should be bold and uncomplicated – a man's watch, a cuff or wide bangle, simple earrings, or an easy, modern necklace – not all at once, though.
Some jeans look great belted, although the skinnier they are, the less the belt is necessary. Like jewellery for jeans, the best belts to choose are those which veer towards the simple rather than the fancy.
I prefer high-rise jeans as they hide a multitude of bulgy sins. Hipsters never seem to work very well unless you are reed-thin. Nothing ever stays tucked in with low-rise styles and belts only accentuate all the bad points. But if you have a great figure then a belt on waisted jeans looks good.
Skirts
Straight, pencil skirts look good with tunic tops and with tight knits (if you have the figure). The straight tunic top in varying lengths is very forgiving and I wear it all the time. No-one can tell what
is going on underneath.
Twin sets too look good with most skirts. They should not be too fitted – à la the 1950s, which looks very dated. Almost all twin sets benefit from a great necklace – preferably not pearls, the combination now being a bit frumpy. Having said that, Chanel gets away with that look every season and it looks wonderful!
Flared or full skirts should be worn with fitted tops to balance the silhouette – try a peplum jacket or a short jacket that stops at the waist. As with everything check your look from the back before striding out.
Trousers
Although for most of us trousers are such a staple that we think we probably know how to wear them in a way to suit ourselves, it is important to remember, as I have said before, that they must be the right length for the style. Cropped trousers, for example, can look great, but they must be narrow or straight and you must have the confidence to wear them just above the ankle – not higher, or lower.
The classic trouser with a longer jacket or blazer (trouser suit) is still a favourite, comfortable look, particularly for women who work in a man's world. But rather than wearing a shirt, the jacket/trouser
combination looks much better won with something softer, such as a crepe or satin blouse.
It is quite usual to dress up a jacket and trousers for an after-office event with jewellery and a change of shoes, but please don't make the mistake of changing flat work shoes for shoes with heels; the trousers will be too short – a change of heel heights needs a change of trousers.
Extract taken from Timeless Style: Dressing well for the rest of your life by Anna Harvey published by Double-Barrelled Books, price £18.95.
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