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Wardrobe dilemma? Need some Image or style advice? Ask Sarah, The Wardrobe Shrink™Recent style-related questions people have already asked me: "How do I look like an adult with youthful looks?" "Do Brown and Black go together?" "Long legs - how do I find clothes to fit?" "Uggs - are they in or out?" "What can I wear when I am insecure about my feet?" "I don't have a very long neck ... what jewellery should I wear?" "Is my skirt too short? I like it, but don't feel comfortable in it" Ask Sarah a question! How do I wear a Cropped Jacket?"Help! I love the short cropped jackets that are in at the moment and have bought one to wear with a pair of trousers as a suit. The trouble is I am 5ft 10 with long legs and wonder if tall long legged people should be wearing them or if I should wear a longer jacket. I think it looks great - my ex-husband thinks I look like I am in fancy dress. Should I care?"Tracey Integrating the latest fads into your wardrobe can be difficult. If you don't remember that the main element is you, and not the clothing, then you can easily look like a fashion victim or simply out of place. Before you run out and buy the latest styles consider your personality and your body shape. The item of clothing will then fit into your existing wardrobe and work for you. I have chosen four main cropped jacket styles to help you shop! Read the rest of the article... How do I look like an adult with youthful looks?"I'm a mother and I'm 21 years old. I'm happy with my job and most things in my daily life. But one thing keeps giving me problems. I'm not happy with my looks and wardrobe. Some people think I'm 18 years old because of my looks and I have a child so it makes me insecure about myself. People notice and respond to this too. Can I look like a mother as well as a girl, myself? That would open a whole new world for me and I think more people will have confidence in me!"Marjolijn Being young and looking young are two separate things. And some of us just always have a young look no matter how old we actually are. However, this is one of your greatest assets. But how do you dress your youthfulness while at the same time feel like you are an adult? It all comes down to your authority. The biggest problem youthful types i.e. the maidens have, is getting others to take them seriously. They look young so people immediately associate them with a child in terms of behaviour and capability. It can be a real dilemma. But it is also easily be fixed. All you have to do is up the stakes and bring out your 'armour'. The origins of the wardrobe came from the battlefield. Battle dress was worn to convey status and authority. The higher the rank, the more elaborate and detailed your dress would become. So bring out the details and authority items in your wardrobe. Tip: when choosing your outfit for the day, lay it out on your bed and then add 'authority' items - a belt, a neck scarf - 'beatnik' style would be fun, a heel, a pattern in your top, a touch of make-up (without it you could easily look like a teenager). The most authoritative item you have in your wardrobe is your jacket. Without the armour, you would be very exposed on the field and so it is no surprise you are feeling 'open' to attack from others. Short cropped jackets are in this season and they are very youthful and fun. Designers like Zara, Mango or Mexx will have one that is inexpensive but practical for a mother. Finally, your youth is a great asset and in thirty years while others are aging, you will be the envy of them all! Do brown and black go together?"Can I wear brown shoes with black pants. The pants are black cords and the shoes are brown suede with beige stitching and beige wedge heel. Help me please!"Joanne Brown, black and navy – I always get questions about how they work together. They all (of course black) are considered ‘shades’ which means they have black as part of the colour. They are also all neutrals and can be worn to achieve the most authority in business or formal situations. When mixing ‘coloured shades’ – e.g. pine green, indigo and burgundy or olive, bronze and kingfisher, it is easier to combine with black as they are not neutrals. If you mix the neutrals together, it can often look like several similar blocks that don’t complement each other. So – my best advice is to separate them. Wear a denim with your brown wedge shoes, they will make the gorgeous chocolate suede a feature. Or wear a chocolate trouser with your wedges; this will also bring out the beige and make the stitching a feature, rather than an annoying detail that you can’t quite match. If your shoes are a brown black, this means a black with a yellow tinge which makes it look almost black, them wearing them with the cords will be ok. But it is springtime now – how about wearing the ‘tints’ colours with white in them? Lighten up the wardrobe! Long legs - how do I find clothes to fit?"I was hoping you could give some advice. I am 5'9", 118 lbs and have aninseam of 34". I usually wear a size 4 or 27" pants, but I have the hardest time finding pants long enough. Most pants consider 34" as long, but then that means I cannot wear a shoe with pants!!! I need to find any kind of pants (jeans, cords, dress, anything) that come in longer than a 34" inseam. Can you suggest some? Also, if you know any designers that design with longer arms. I wear a size small, but have long arms and I always look like I'm wearning 3/4 length sleeve because nothing in a size small goes to my wrist." - Always Flooding Now what a nice problem to have! A 'Siren' always has beautiful long legs and a waif body shape to match. The average clothes (which may I remind everyone don’t fit most people as no-one is average) can make you feel bigger and lankier than you really are. It is the same when someone wears a size too small, they will just feel bigger! So, here are a few links to some sites that will fit with your divine body shape and make you feel more yourself. Also, if you ever happen across the boutiques in London - 'Joseph' always makes extra long pants/jeans, and would be a store I suggest. He is a classy French designer with very fashionable pieces. Some of the NY stores stock them. But note that a lot of the brand jeans come up long these days. I bought a pair of 'Paige' jeans on Saturday from Azalea in San Francisco (also available at ElisaWen) and they come up very long. Shops: For long legged women and Tall women Joseph: Stores: 106 Greene Street New York, NY 10012 Tel: 212 343 7071 816 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10012 Tel: 212 570 0077 Department Stores: Saks 5th Avenue New York, NY 10012 Tel: 212 940 4034 Good luck! Uggs - are they in or out?"Are Uggs in or out? I keep seeing new colors and even a new Spring line, but I just can’t decide if they are still “in.” Thanks." - A gift-giving husband I think I was put off by Uggs when I saw a guy in Amsterdam wearing a pair last March! I thought – this has gone too far! The trick with any ‘fad’ i.e. a short-term trend is to watch the celebrities. If they are still wearing them, then they are still in. If they are not, then they are on the way out or passé. I certainly think they have been around long enough that your girlfriend might feel she is catching the last wave. Anyway, the sun is out here in San Francisco and there are some exciting summer shoes starting to hit the shops. Maybe a new pair of summer sandals at the beginning of the season would be more stylish and give her something to look forward to. I suggest a wedge, as like an Ugg it is comfortable, but also feminine as it gives height. You have the option of straw wedges or cork wedges; leather or canvas straps. I think this would give her a kick to her step! Check out the wedges on http://www.stylemaven.com/styleguide_feature_wedgesandals.htm The clog is another easy to wear shoe that is more appropriate to this spring weather but can keep your toes warm in the cooler evenings. Best Clog shop - check out this seasons metallics Hope this helps! What can I wear when I am insecure with my feet?"My name is Laurie and I am 25 years old, and you are my only hope. I am insecure about my feet, they're not ugly. Do you know of any websites on varieties of sandals that show only 2.5 toes? I saw some peep toe sandals but they look so old fashioned. Can you please help me?"I have thought a lot about what your dilemma, and firstly I am sorry to hear that you feel so insecure about your feet. Of course you don’t think they are ugly really, but you have become obviously self-conscious about them. Lets try to change that! That is the approach I want to take. It is very common for us to develop beliefs about ourselves from what people say to us and from experiences we have. There are a whole host of insecurities, little to large, that we start to have as a result. The reason we develop these insecurities however, is because we start to believe these thoughts ourselves. A belief is essentially a thought that we tell ourselves over and over again, until it becomes instilled in our minds and then we start to ‘believe’ it ourselves. The aim here would be to backtrack and change the way you think about your feet. How? Well why not start by creating a new belief. I mean, the only reason you are having these thoughts is because you started to believe it in the first place. So how about creating a new thought! Sounds easy but if you ask neurologists and scientists, this is exactly how the brain functions. Our emotions are attached to these thoughts, and that is why we get all emotional from them. So, start by changing the thought. How? Why not start by having a pedicure – if you are in San Francisco I recommend The Nail Shop in Walnut Creek (Locust Street with Mt Diablo Boulevard) or Final Touch in San Francisco (Greenwich and Fillmore) – choose a colour and finish that reflects you then go home and start to adore your feet. Rub them with oils, or whatever you can to treat them well. Another way to change your thinking is to draw an image of beautiful feet. Concentrate on this image every day and hold it in your mind. You will be amazed to see that you will hold a whole different view of your feet. Anyhow, know that feet come in all shapes and sizes. And that every part of you exists for a reason and reflects who you are. If you are looking for a sandal that only reveals a small part of your toes, then how about some Jellies, or some clogs. But please, you are only 25 – you have a whole lifetime of fantastic sandals ahead of you. If you change the way you see your feet, then you will be able to enjoy them all. I don't have a very long neck ... what jewellery should I wear?"I don't have a particular long neck but neither a really short one. I am quite large boned and quite big. I find that I should wear big / bold jewellery, also in necklaces, and other accessories like scarves, shoes and bags. (Small things just seem to disappear). Can you please elaborate? Thank you!"- Loes Blokker, Amsterdam Yes - you are right. For your structure and frame, complementing with medium to large scale items is best. All items, details, patterns need to reflect you and if you are someone that has a stronger bone structure and frame, then you need to mirror this in your clothing choices. Two reasons to help you understand why:1) We all have our own feminine energy type. If you are more a - the adult female archetype then you will require more adult clothing. The small items that you refer to are more suited to the - the girl archetype (the Kylie Minogues of this world), so that is why these items are disappearing on you as they are more suited to a childlike type than the adult/mother archetype which you are. 2) Your body architecture is also a consideration. If you are a 'mesomorph' then you will have a stronger muscle base to your body composition. If you have some mesomorph, then you will have a stronger frame, a broader shoulder line and larger bones. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a large person - it just means that if you weighed yourself you may weigh more than someone of your same dress size and height as your muscle base adds weight. In terms of neck length, I recommend your necklace isn't too tight around the neck. If you had longer neckline you could do this, but for you - if you aim to have your necklace land on your shoulder blades or lower then that would suit you best. If you wear smaller accessories that will only emphasize your size and exaggerate your scale. Is my skirt too short? I like it, but don't feel comfortable in it"I bought a skirt. It is classic, tweed-like, but a bit short. My legs are all right, I have brown suede boots, but I don't feel comfortable in it, although I like the skirt very much. I feel like everybody is watching and measuring my legs. How can I make this skirt wearable for me. I am 43 years old and slim."- Monique Tights can be a great accessory and help you bridge the skirt and boot and bring the outfit together. Knits can evoke images of heavy unsexy woollens worn by your aunt, but these days you have many colours and mixed knit styles that you can wear to the office with a suit even as well as your tweed skirt. Tweed is 'in' this autumn/winter but that doesn't mean you suit the tweed look. Tweed works well on people with a natural element to their character, like the youthful feminine Gwyneth Paltrow or the country noble woman like Princess Anne. The other important factor is the length of the skirt. What can often bring discomfort is if the length of skirt doesn’t work for you. If you are drawn to a longer skirt, then honour that desire as that suits your character and presence. A shorter skirt even to mid knee can be too ‘revealing’ for some image types; you feel exposed and (feel you) need to have more coverage. Some types have a lot of authority and will look almost undressed with low cut tops, shorter skirts, bare arms for example. They are drawn to higher neck lines, longer skirts or trousers more likely and longer sleeves. The other issue is self-esteem. We can feel self-conscious about ourselves if we wear something different. The bottom line is you should feel good in what you wear. If you don’t feel good, then take note of your intuition as it could be the outfit does not meet with your image type or I should say ‘you’. Your intuition is one of your biggest assets in choosing what to wear. Watch out for the Skirts article coming up on the website soon. Ask SarahFashion dilemma? Need some quick image advice? Write your question in the form below. I try to answer all brief questions sent in. If you give your permission I'll publish selected questions and their answers here and in The Wardrobe Shrink Newsletter. 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