Eudon Choi A/W13: Let's Get Waisted

I was really impressed by Eudon Choi's Autumn/Winter 2013 collection - it had a nice blend of quirky accessories and really wearable pieces, from structured jackets to chunky knitwear in pink and turquoise - but the main draw for me was the waist detail. Say hello to next season's focal point - waist belt not necessary.

 [All images via Vogue.co.uk]

Dresses were gathered at the waist or drop-waist and sat beautifully.

It was all about femininity here, but with a touch of toughness on top of the sugar coating. Dainty shoes with pom-poms sat below long-sleeved dresses in several different styles, meaning there was something for every body shape. 

The leather version on the left flatters boyish figures and gives the illusion of wider hips, whilst the v-neck in the centre has a higher flaring and means that women who have 'child-bearing' hips would be able to emphasise their waist. Lastly, the version on the right suits top-heavy women who can't get away with the deep v in the centre but still need a mid-waist cinch.

 Skirts aside, there was still plenty drawing attention to the mid-section.

These coats (left and right) show how effective a simple coloured panel can be. As before, the panel that sits lower is perfect for those of you who want to emphasise your hips, whereas the higher cut disguises the hips and focuses on balancing the top half out. The top and trousers in the centre add height because of the continual pattern and the slimming vertical stripes, so it's a perfect combination if you're petite.

No more skirting the issue... here are the easy pieces you need.

Stand-out skirts were paired with effortless basics like these billowing white shirts and this navy coat with what looks like a shearling trim. There was a nice symmetry between the floral headpieces and the pom-poms on the shoes as well.

This felt like a collection that wasn't just designed for the typical fashion industry silhouette; it would work on anyone with curves, too - whether they come from the hips or the chest, or indeed both. Eudon Choi added a great blend of sugar and spice to next season, accessible to all.

Charity shop purchase of the month: Age UK does the pleated maxi

This is my new skirt in all its glory. I have been hunting high and low for a new maxi, without spending too much due to financial constraints, for quite some time. My inspiration was my sister's translucent American Apparel number and the bohemian edge of Rodarte's most recent collction (think wooden knarls and the great outdoors). Luckily the local branch of Age UK, the merged charities of Age Concern and Help the Aged, came up trumps, with this peach number at just £3.99.

Here's the kind of colour clash I'm aiming for, using my beloved Barry M nail polish. The skirt is almost verging on salmon in its tone, so I'm aiming to put it with plenty of aqua and turquoise accessories and a fitted grey t-shirt. I've had a lot of problems finding a maxi that doesn't make my hips look matronly, but this one is a lot more relaxed than the straight sheath cuts at Primark and the fussiness of the pink pleated version that caught my eye in Zara (it was a horrific fabric overload that made me look about 12 stone).

Three tips for moving the maxi skirt into Autumn/Winter:

1. You can wear as many pairs of tights and socks as you need, because nobody will see them. Add a long-sleeved plain t-shirt from H&M or American Apparel and go heavy on the jewellery for interest, mixing gold and silver.
2. Slip a lace bodysuit underneath if you're feeling too sensible, then add a deconstructed jumper (you can pick up a cheap one and add a few rips, studs or holes to cotton or knitted versions).
3. Add a Fair Isle knit, as seen at Junya Watanabe. Basic high street knits like this can often be found in vintage or charity shops in the menswear sections. Don't be afraid of a naff pattern - just chuck on some wedges or biker boots and you're ready to go.

Thrifty Antics - The Customised Skirt

[Images my own].

Dusting off my Textiles GCSE from many years ago (where I made a wall hanging based on Queen - the rock band, not the monarch - involving a very sequinned Freddie Mercury portrait), I managed to transform a pair of charity shop trousers into a skirt. This simple bit of sewing also allowed me to create the sort of maxi that the high street doesn't make for my shape, because until now I was finding that anything remotely capable of fitting my hips managed to give me the distinct impression of a fishwife or a chubby school mistress. However, by unpicking the inside leg of the trousers and hand-sewing the remaining material into a tube, my very own maxi was born. It hasn't fallen apart so far (yep, I just checked as I typed that) and I'm pleasantly surprised with the results, especially as the trousers only cost £2 in the first place.

I don't think you'll make a seamstress of me just yet, but it's a start, and my wallet will thank me for it.

Slowly Converting to Granny Chic - Send Help

[Image credits: All image composition and collaging by me. Original photos: American Apparel sheer chiffon skirts; Topshop midi skirt; Jil Sander SS/11 catwalk shot from coolspotters.com; original brick wall photograph taken from somethingyoushouldread.com].

When I heard last year that longer skirt lengths were going to be everywhere, I will freely admit that I was worried. Maxi skirts conjour up horrendous mental images of 'boho chic', 'hippy weirdo', 'Victorian schoolmarm' or 'hiding shit legs and potential varicose veins'. I also like to go against the grain a bit and deliberately avoid the things that others are opting for, so I was pretty convinced that my ever-growing stash of mini-skirts would be as well used as in previous seasons.

Then came the bombshell: Jil Sander's catwalk display of brightly coloured fabric with a slash at the thigh, teamed not with a frumpy ribbed vest top or beads that purport to be from a Thai beach resort, but with a simple white t-shirt. There was peony or a sort of sickly faded lime that somehow worked, and I was gripped. When Tilda Swinton took the ensemble to the red carpet, critics and fashionistas had one of those Marmite moments, either proclaiming Tilda to be a genius dresser or a raving loon. I prefer the former. It takes guts to wear something like this. Unable to find anything resembling a Sander skirt on the high street, I moved into a sheer black petticoat sourced from the Traid shop in Camden for £3. It looks like something you'd find at a Goth wedding, and I am completely in love, teaming it with leggings, a dress or another underskirt and some chunky black boots. But somehow I still yearn for that screaming blast of colour, which is a craving that black just cannot satisfy.

The alternatives are seen above:

American Apparel's sheer skirts are available in both single or double layers, though they will set you back an extortionate £46-£52. To its advantage, the colour palette is varied, and you can strut around in bottle green, mustard, navy or wine, amongst other hues. If you're a crafty person, I'd advise making your own from some cheap chiffon or sarong fabric, elastic and thread (I might have a go, if I can brave a sewing machine again). I paired two different shades in the image above, and it would look pretty cool to do this in real life, though it would be quite fiddly.

Topshop has released a fantastic pink and blue skirt, but sadly in only a mid-knee length, which is out of bounds to anyone who is petite or in possession of thick calves. I'm 5'7 and skirts of this stature make me look about 3'4, so I tend to avoid them. This beauty will cost you £32, so it isn't exactly an ideal price for such a tricky overall silhouette, and it wouldn't look as edgy if it was converted to sit on the knees. Despite the drawbacks, it would be a great look to pull off with a baggy t-shirt or a Fred Perry-esque polo.

So am I converted? I'm getting there. I didn't want to like the longer length and I didn't expect to, but Jil Sander showed that there's certainly more than one way to wear a garment. And no hippies in sight...