Work Your Wardrobe: Gok's Gorgeous Guide to Style that Lasts. Gok Wan
If your shirt is even half an inch too short, it will look and feel awkward, unless you’re in a hammock in Hawaii.
3 Pay close attention to shirt necklines, girls, because the collar shape will dictate your look. Choose a round collar for a playful style. Or draw attention to your neckline with a ruffle—it will softly frame your face.
“So now you know why a white shirt is always top of the ‘classic fashion’ lists, ladies. I can’t wait to show you how much more fashion potential this brilliant basic has in my Timeless Style section on page 194.”
NOW, GIRLS, IF I ASKED YOU TO NAME THE TOP THREE GARMENTS that you were happy to pull out of your wardrobe every day, your jeans would be right up there at number one.
WE’VE ALL GOT A FAVOURITE PAIR THAT WE LIVE IN AND CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT; they are as comfortable as a second skin. But then jeans have always been the benchmark garment when it comes to how we feel about our bodies. On good days, your best jeans can make you feel like the sexiest person alive. On those not-so-hot days, they can make you feel anything but. And that, girls, is why we shouldn’t be so quick to keep our denims in the comfy bracket—they may be the easiest thing in the world to pull on and forget about, but to get a whole lot more wear out of them, jeans need a little fashion fix, too.
Now, let’s work THREE CLASSIC JEANS STYLES as I show you some great ways to wear them.
Gok’s FIT TIPS
BOOTCUT JEANS
1. Don’t confuse bootcuts with flares, girls. Flares come in tight at the top of the leg and then flare out really wide at the bottom, so if you are curvy, all that fabric flapping around your ankles could make you look dumpy.
2. While a bootcut hem can perform a brilliant balancing act on pear-shaped figures, go too wide at the leg, girls, and it can make you look wide all over. (And why would you want to conceal that tiny waist!)
3. A chic, seventies-style front crease will draw the eye away from your hips and lengthen the legs.
1 bootcut jeans
WITH A SEXY SEVENTIES FLAVOUR, BOOTCUTS—JEANS WITH A STRAIGHT LEG THAT FLARES OUT SLIGHTLY AT THE BOTTOM—ARE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR STYLES IN STORES NOW. They were originally designed to sit comfortably over cowboy boots, and whether down on the ranch or out on the town, bootcuts are a brilliantly versatile option for most shapes. The look? Everyday elegance is the starting point with this style, ladies. So let’s make them the elegant option for you.
· SIMPLY SEXY
Jeans and T-shirts go together like summer and ice cream, and nothing says ‘classic cool’ more than this traditional combo. If you’re tall and leggy, or perfectly petite, a plain white vest tucked into your bootcuts and finished off with a brown leather belt and some thong sandals is a uniform that you’ll want to wear every day, as it will hug your bust and curve around your shape. Other figure-flatterers include opting for a longer-length V-neck T-shirt with feminine detail, such as ruffles or puff sleeves. Choose a looser style if you are not so keen on the cling factor.
· CUTTING EDGE
I love the idea of smartening up jeans with sharp tailoring, and a neatly cut black jacket does the trick nicely. So if you are popping out for a midweek dinner date, pull out any black jacket that nips in at the waist and skims across your bottom. Styles longer than this are a no-go with bootcuts—they will turn your frame into a box, and that is certainly not hot, ladies. Roll the sleeves up and simply add heels and a slim patent belt (or any of your trusted big, sexy waist-cinchers) for added shape.
Gok’s FIT TIPS
SKINNY JEANS
1. You don’t have to be super-skinny to wear them, but if you feel at all uncomfortable in skinnies, be honest and go for another style.
2. I know how tempting it is to squeeze into a pair of jeans that fit you at the hips and make your legs feel like Elle Macpherson’s (we’ve all been there, my darlings), but if they nip so tightly at the waist that your midriff hangs over them, say no to these doubtful denims.
3. Mid—to high-rise are the most flattering skinny cuts: those LA-style low-rise ones can reveal way too much. Can you hear me, Pussycat Dolls?
2 skinny jeans
EVERY JEANS STYLE HAS ITS OWN PERSONALITY AND SKINNIES ARE THE FUNKY ROCK CHICK OF THE GROUP. Many of the curvier girls I meet feel that skinnies are hard to pull off, but it’s all about getting the balance right. If you wear a top with lots of fabric and movement, where the fabric fits under the bust and flows over your stomach and bottom, then it will even out your proportions and shape you up in no time.
· READY TO ROCK
This casual look could be known as ‘THE MOSS’, for model Kate has made that iconic rock-‘n’-roll style her fashion calling card. But then Kate always gets the proportions right, and that’s all you have to do to make the rock-chick look hit the right note for you. The brilliant thing about skinnies is that because your bottom half has such a neatly defined shape, you can get creative with the top. For the real rock deal, wear a big vintage print T-shirt underneath any of your jackets and loop a scarf loosely round your neck. If the colours clash, all the better, gorgeous girl.
· BEATNIK BEAUTY
This timeless look is perfect for spring or autumn days. The fact that it suits all ages, too, makes it one of my all-time favourites. If you don’t like the idea of full-length super-skinnies, choose a pair that sit just above the ankle, or that have zips up the side. Pair with a stripy top, a pair of ballet flats and a classic trench coat for perfect Parisian chic. Tie a vintage silk scarf round your neck for a dash of sixties charm. Or play the casual card with a big, loose scarf. And don’t forget those giant sunnies.
Gok’s FIT TIPS
STRAIGHT JEANS
1. Straight legs are the classic jeans shape and will suit most figures and all ages.
2. Traditional jeans brands, such as Lee, Wrangler and Levi’s, design great-quality classic straights for around £60, and because you will probably wear them for years, that’s a brilliant bargain in my book.
3. If you have a beautifully boyish or petite frame, straights will give you a more defined outline.
3 straight jeans
THE STORY THAT YOUR STRAIGHT JEANS TELL, LADIES, IS COOL AND CLASSIC. More than most styles, straight legs never really date and are a good all-rounder. For my curvy girls who like the idea of skinny but don’t want to look top-heavy, the straight is perfect for you: this style of jeans will give a leaner look and, with more depth at the crotch, a dynamic derriere, too. This classic shape is also a great bet for my older girls,