colour me beautiful


With so many options from the length of the skirt and trousers to the denier weight of tights, there are many things to consider. Read on to find out what you should take into account before you step out in the morning.

Although fashion often dictates what is the ‘right’ length of skirt, it does not mean that it is necessarily right for you. Being fashionable is not what we, at colour me beautiful, aim to achieve. Our aim is for you to develop your own style that is right for your colouring, body shape, lifestyle and budget. Having the hem of your skirt or dress stop at the slimmest part of your leg, will make your legs look slimmer. Often this will be just below the knee or above the ankle. Mid-calf is often the widest point and therefore not a good spot for a visual break. To make your legs appear longer than they might actually be, try wearing the same colour skirt and tights which will elongate the legs by eliminating any visual breaks. Those who are tall and all limbs, can wear their skirt of one colour, the tights of another, and a third colour for the shoes (as long as the colours work together of course).

• The shorter the skirt, the lower the heel.
• If you have thicker calves and ankles, stay away from ankle strapped shoes/sandals. They will ‘cut’ your leg at the spot where you want to draw the least attention. Opt instead for open toed shoes or wedged heels to balance thicker calves.
• When buying new shoes, consider covering the outer leather sole of your shoes with a rubber lining. It will lengthen the life of your shoes.
• If you want to dress up a casual jean outfit, go for pointy boots that make any outfit look long and lean.
• If you find that knee length boots are either too loose or too tight in the calves, visit duoboots.co.uk. They are the specialists in knee length calf fitting boots for women, however slender or shapely your calves may be.

When wearing long skirts or dresses, flat shoes should be reserved for those with longer legs. Those with shorter legs should wear higher heels with long skirts; when the shoes are covered you’ll create the illusion that it’s your legs which are giving you the extra height, not the heels.

Whatever skirt or dress you wear, make sure that you can walk in them. A fitted skirt which is too narrow will have you taking mini steps to your destination - which does not make for an elegant and relaxed walk.

When wearing tights you need to consider the weight of the skirt or dress you are wearing them with. With a lightweight chiffon dress, you wouldn’t dream of wearing knit type tights. It all comes down to balance – with light weight fabrics you’ll need to wear finer denier tights, and the heavier the fabric of the skirt, the heavier the tights.

If you think you can go bare-legged to work in a formal environment, think again. Even if the mercury hits the 30°C mark, in a formal work environment you are required to wear tights, so make these as low a denier as possible. An alternative would be hold-ups which allow air to circulate. If the heat wave goes on, you would do well to invest in a smart linen mix trouser suit – then no one is to know that you are not wearing tights!

Below-the-knee cropped trousers range from culottes and capris to Oriental style wide trousers that cut just above the ankles. As with skirts, make sure that trousers do not cut at the widest point of your leg. Wear trousers, socks and shoes in the same colour to create the illusion of a longer leg.

When trying on full length trousers make sure you do so with the type of shoes you are likely to wear with them. You need to think of the whole effect when selecting shoes to be worn with trousers. There is nothing less elegant than trousers that are too short worn with high heels.

Wide legged trousers, like pallazo pants, are best worn with high heels with the fabric falling over the shoes, just skimming the floor (anything longer will have you tripping all over the place!). It’s a great look for those with shorter legs as the trousers will cover any shoe no matter how high the heel.

The next best thing to a good
moisturiser with an SPF for protecting

your face is a good foundation. Applying it creates a second barrier to protect your skin. Try colour me beautiful morning light foundation that will give
you a natural finish whilst protecting your face (and neck) from the elements.

For more make-up tips why
not book a make-up lesson in the comfort of a colour me beautiful consultant’s studio? Go step-by-step through all
the techniques that you need to acquire that “natural”
make-up.

We’ve launched a brand new style workbook with over 170 illustrations. You will be taken through this, step-by-step, so you’ll be left feeling confident that you won’t make any fashion faux pas!