Sharon Batts Style

Misfit Profile

Client: Carolyn G., Brentwood, Tennessee

Carolyn is a lovely person inside and out and a petite 5′ 4″.

Item: Brown broomstick skirt

 

Problem: A case of “The Frumps”

The soft fullness of a long broomstick skirt can be tricky for a petite like Carolyn. So much flowing fabric can look frumpy.

Strategy: Bring a little structure to the party

SOLUTION

This skirt needs some outside help to reach its full potential. Enter the Wardrobe Superhero — a.k.a. the belt.

There is nothing like a wide belt to give definition to a woman’s waist. I’ve chosen a leather belt from Fossil that is just under 2 1/2″ wide. It’s just the right width to give Carolyn slimming definition at her waist without overwhelming her petite figure. The refined, casual look is a beautiful pause in all that flowing fabric. See the belt I’ve chosen here.

The temptation with a broomstick skirt is to mimic the same amount of volume in your choice of blouse as in the skirt, but that is a mistake for a petite. It is better to choose a blouse with a slimmer line so that the wearer won’t be lost in a sea of fabric. With that in mind,  I chose for Carolyn a sophisticated floral blouse from J.Jill with a soft drape that was balanced by a tailored pintuck detail.

 

It has enough fullness to blouse softly around the belt without bulking up the waistline. In addition, the 3/4 sleeve length exposes the lower part of the arms, which is also slimming. Even  better, this blouse comes in petite sizing which will flatter Carolyn’s figure. See the blouse I have chosen here.

 

When I was a child my mother passed on to me a bit of advice from the glamorous and diminutive actress Susan Hayward: wearing a shoe close to your own skin tone visually lengthens a petite figure. Taking Ms. Hayward’s advice, I have selected wedge sandals in a soft gold tone that speaks to the ensemble’s casual elegance. To see the shoes I have chosen, click here.

 

 

 

 

For jewelry, I added a green freshwater pearl bracelet from Kimberly at northatlanticart on etsy.com. The saturated color is pulled from the print in the blouse and is unexpected in its depth. I chose it because it’s distinctive and one of a kind, just like Carolyn. Find the bracelet here.

 

Simple gold hoops are all that is needed to finish this look off. Hoops add polish without detracting from the pearl bracelet. To see the hoops I’ve selected, click here.

Result: Wardrobe Win!

With a few carefully chosen pieces this lonely broomstick skirt becomes part of a polished, casual outfit that is anything but frumpy.

Got a Wardrobe Misfit you’d like me to style? Send it to me at batts.sharon@gmail.com. Item needs to be on a hanger in a high resolution image.

Is your closet full of Wardrobe Misfits? I can help. Contact me now to see how I can make your entire wardrobe a win.