Beauty

Shoes, shoes, everywhere shoes. So many choices, where do you settle if your budget isn’t as big as your heart? Piperlime, a subsidiary of The Gap, is one of my all-time favorite shoe stores. Here you are going to find all of the latest looks at a fraction of the cost and with some very chic designer labels as well. This Fall, pumps are very big for some reason. Hm, maybe cuz they’re just so PRETTY! Let’s have a look at what Piperlime is offering this season that is right in line with some of Fall’s yummylicious trends…click on the picture to purchase!

Animal prints are super big right now for both bags and shoes for the Fall. Check out one of our old standby favorites, Steve Madden. Here he merges both the animal side and the peep-toe in the cutest shoe ever. This shoe features a 4 inch heel, hidden platform, and a cute buckle accent. And believe it or not, but this print is giraffe, in fact that’s what this shoe is called, Giraffe. The upper on this one is 100% pony hair. So unique, and so affordable. Love it! Pair these with some tapered jeans or wide-legged pants, or for a night out, a pencil skirt.

By Guess footwear, you have this lovely Zebra pump featuring a Square toe and contrast piping. The slimmest 2 inch heel is all you need for these bold shoes, and the upper here is also 100% pony hair.

Snakeskin is something else you are going to be seeing a lot of in handbags and shoes. Here you have the snake-embossed Oh Deer pump by Rinna. This sexy number features an almond shaped toe, piping detail, and 4 inch leather wrapped heel with unique inside color blocking. This one is all leather baby. And they’re going fast, so don’t waste your time girls! I can see these with some skinny jeans and a glitzy top for a night out with the girls.

If you’ve been wondering what colors to go with this season, wonder no more. This fall designers have gone much more contemporary in their looks and streamlined basics in basic neutral colors. This year, the staple color is gray, and that ranges from anything like a gunmetal gray or soft heather colors. Everyone is talking about how gray is the new black, which basically means that you can pair gray with just about any color, or another gray, and have a very polished contemporary look. I am not a big fan of the gray as during the winter months I prefer a little more color in my wardrobe to fend off those nasty blahs. But you can use gray on wardrobe basics and add your color elsewhere and still look very chic.

Here is an example of two big season movements in the same style. You have here the smoky gun metal gray in pinstripe wide legged pants from The Gap. The color here is the color of the season and the pants here are offered in the new cut that is the average figured girls request in response to the skinny jean. These pants are a great cut with the flat front panel you minimize tummy issues and yet they offer enough room and comfort literally from hip to toe. Expect to see the wide-legged look everywhere, it is coming out by a storm right now. What I love about the Gap — available in Regular, Petite, AND Tall!

Here’s another look in a soft heather gray color that is appealing on any skin tone. This cable knit crew neck sweater is very similar to Ralph Lauren’s cabled crew in the Blue Label Collection that we mentioned in this post, and at a fraction of the cost. Pair a lighter top like this with darker bottoms for a very pretty contrast. This sweater is great, you can dress it up with a collar underneath for the office, or you can wear as is with a pretty camisole underneath for the weekend.

For those of you that think you can’t wear dresses in lower temps, can I change your mind with this one from Old Navy? At $32.00 I think this one will go on my shopping list for sure this Fall. This is a pretty rib-knit dress with an empire waist, a large open almost cowl-like turtleneck, and a very pretty pattern along the hemline Dress this one up with a little bit of patent like black patent pumps and a matching clutch. Gray and black patent are a very striking and sleek combination. Or you can easily use this for weekend wear and throw on some tights and ballet flats and look pretty and so comfortable at the same time.

If you are in a bit of a budget crunch, and well, who isn’t, then you will like what The Gap has done for you this Fall. They have narrowed down your wardrobe staples to four essential items that are this Fall’s top picks. Take these items and play with them with what you already have in your closet and you will have endless possibilities for this Fall’s looks. These come in nice neutral colors as well, so you can do just about anything with them. Let’s see what they have here.

The Knit Dress

We have been talking a lot about dresses lately, and there is a reason for that. They are big big big this year, so stock up, or grab onto one essential staple like this cute knit dress. This dress is a soft cotton/wool blend meaning it won’t wrinkle and has crew neck and cap sleeves. This one will hit about mid-thigh and would look great with a pair of tights and a cinched belt. Do something a little different and throw a long sleeved underneath to add a contrasting color when the temps drop a bit.

The Crisp White Shirt

Amazing how this shirt never goes out of style. From The Gap it will come in high-quality stretch cotton with long sleeves and front buttoned as well as button cuffs. This will machine wash easily, and can you say versatility with this number? You can do this over, under, as is, whatever you want and pair it with any of Fall’s trendy bottoms. So fresh, this shirt is timeless from season to season.

The Wide Legged Pant

I have mentioned a few times that boot cut is on the way out. The wide legged pant is taking its place to offer a wider leg from waist to toe for both comfort and a more refined and polished look. This will look great with your boots or heels and again, the colors are neutral enough you can do a lot with this one as well. These sit below the waist and are fitted through the hip and thigh. The front slant pockets will streamline the tummy area a little bit and these offer a little bit of spandex as well for easier movement.

The Wrap Coat

Again, we have talked a lot about selecting the right coat for the Fall, and The Gap is offering a style called the Wrap Coat that is super feminine with just the right retro feel to it. This is a high-quality wool blend with a tie belt closure that will sit right below your waist. If you are a ’spiller’ (aka, MOI) then you want to go with the darker tone on this as it is dry clean only.

If you missed part one, you can catch yourself up here at

Daily Fashion Tip — Use Fashion to Flatter Your Figure.

I am just going to go over a few more do’s you can add to your list as far as pieces you can use to flatter your figure — accent those areas that deserve it, and skim over the areas you want to forget about.

The Tunic. You have likely seen these everywhere. These have to be the best invention since the two-toned pump. These tops are a classic must have for every wardrobe as they will hide your midsection beautifully. The top will drape right over your tummy, and if long enough, over your hips as well. These are generally made of sweet flowy fabrics that move with you, so that you don?t look like your mid-line is fuller. Best things to pair these with is a tapered or straight-legged bottom. Here is a pretty one from shopbop. A very soft jersey fabric that won’t wrinkle from LaRok. On sale for $56.00.

Lengthen your legs by matching your shoes to your legwear. Have a look at this cutie oxford booties from the Gucci Fall Collection. You would for example pair these with black tights or opaque hose, and a black skirt or straight legged black pants. This creates the illusion of longer, leaner legs. Heels will also have the same effect, so if you are concerned about shorter legs, heel up and you not only have physical length, but the appearance of long legs as well.

Small on top and large below is a very common body concern. For this situation you want to go with an empire dress or top. This will accent your pretty neckline without drawing attention to your bust concerns. The drape from the empire will skim over your hips and midsection and not draw attention to those areas. If hips are the issue, you can get away with a tight skirt and an empire top as the top will drape right over your hip bones. Very cute. Here is a very pretty one from Avenue that is neutral colored, and extremely versatile for $29.95. Remember, tapered or tighter bottoms are ok here.

A great staple for Fall is an excellent jacket. Why not check this one out from The Gap for $64.50.. The color is fantastic, and a coat in a bright color is a fabulous cover-up and hides a lot of those flaws. I see this with a black turtleneck and narrow black pants. This kind of coat was made for every figure.

That’s it for our Fall Fashion Figure Flatterers, if you have any questions or a specific concern I didn’t mention, I always love hearing from ya!