Q & A: Mix And Match

A reader recently said:

I adore this blog. I’m here everyday!

I’m short (5’1″) but have long legs. I guess they call that “short waisted”. But, I’m not what fashion calls “petite” aka – tiny. I’m a size 6-8. And I’m broke. And I don’t know what to wear with what.

I love the daily outfit section. I can copy outfits (and love doing it), but am really challenged in putting outfits together on my own.

I like the idea of having, say, five items, then putting together as many outfits as possible from those five items. Kind of like a mix-and-match sort of thing.

Don’t worry, 5’1″ is not that short! (I’m 5’3″ and have long arms and legs, but a short torso.) You can buy petite sizes, because you are short. Petite doesn’t mean skinny, it mostly refers to the length of the clothing. A normal size shirt may be too long for you. However if you have long legs, you can probably get away with regular sized jeans. Measure your inseam on a pair of pants that fit you perfect. If the inseam is 30″ or shorter, than you should buy petite sizes. If your inseam is 31″ or above, you can wear regular sizes.

If you want 5 or 6 items that you can mix and match together, here is what I would personally recommend for summer/fall.

1. A staple item for you should be a great fitting pair of jeans. Either boot cut jeans or trouser jeans are going to look best on you. You want jeans the fit your hips and thighs and make a straight line down to your feet. Jeans that are baggy up top and skinny at the ankles will make you look shorter than you really are. Remember that dark washes are slimming.

2. Next you want either an a-line skirt, a pencil skirt, or a nice pair of dress pants. Whichever you think you will get the most wear out of. If you want all of these clothes to go together, work with neutral tones like beige, tan, cream, olive, brown, gray, burgundy, rust, slate blue, and other like colors. I recommend wearing darker colors on bottom, and lighter colors on top. Buy skirts and pants in black, burgundy, gray, slate blue, or olive. Solid colors work best. A pattern can weigh you down and make you look short.

3. A very important item for you would be a slim fitting blazer. Either get one to match your skirt or pants, or go for a lighter tone like beige, tan, cream, or white. You can wear absolutely any shirt under a blazer. From a simple t shirt for day right up to a glittery tank top for evening. A blazer is great for work, cool summer nights, and as a jacket over cashmere turtlenecks during the fall.

4. For summer, pick out light neutral tone tank tops, camisoles, and blouses. Wal Mart has some very affordable tops in great colors. For fall and winter, choose medium to dark neutral tones. Once you have a great fitting par of jeans and pants, you can mix and match almost any top with it. The same goes with skirts. And with all of those combos, you can wear the blazer jacket on top.

5. Shoes are going to be important for you. Pointy toe shoes with jeans or pants will make your legs look longer, which will make you look taller, even if the shoes don’t have much for a heel. If you are comfortable in heels, I would recommend a black or brown pair of pumps and a neutral colored wedge or espadrille. If you are not comfortable in heels, check out Aerosoles.com for comfortable heels or flats. Once you know what you want, go buy them on eBay.

6. Get a small selection of earrings and necklaces from Wal Mart, a yard sale, or a thrift store. Mix and match these pieces with your outfits. If you wear a chunky necklace, wear small earrings. If you wear long dangle earrings, don’t wear a necklace. If your shirt is plain, add a necklace or 2 or 3. Don’t be afraid to layer them. If your shirt has a lot of embellishment, wear cute earrings and no necklace.

Hope this helped! Let me know if you have any questions. I’m always here to help. :-D