Handy tips for deciding what to wear:
1. Only wear a dress (or shoes) that you feel comfortable in; sounds obvious but in the fitting room it is possible to be blinded by beauty and persuade yourself that you can hold your breath for twelve hours. Put it back on the rail.
2. Classic styles work well but if you want to experiment with a trend, have a flick through some magazines to get some ideas then try them on with an honest friend.
3. If you’re petite, try a shorter style as a maxi may swamp your frame.
4. Consider a second layer – after all this is Hull! Pashminas and delicate cardigans look romantic, elegant and timeless whilst denim and leather jackets can toughen up girly dresses.
5. What do you like most about your body? Find a dress that showcases this!
If your purse strings are a little too tight for you to fork out for a completely new dress, it does not mean that you also have to do without a completely new outfit. Taking an element of your favourite red-carpet look can bring a little bit of Hollywood glamour, simply by pinning something to, sewing something on, or draping something over a dress. The SS10 trends are still spilling over with textured, sparkly, lacy and sheer fabrics, which are all a DIY dressmaker’s dream. Not only are these materials easy to get hold of from fabric and craft stores, but they are versatile in how they can be used – lace trimming, ruffles over a shoulder or sewn-on plastic jewels can transform a plain bodycon dress in a few hours of tacking and stitching.
But if this haberdashery thing sounds too involved, you could buy a hair fascinator or clip to do the trick. A good quality, large flower or feather clip might cost up to £10, but works out cheaper when you compare it against the price of a brand new dress. And the (almost) guaranteed bonus to being thrifty and creative is that you are far less likely to go through one of those embarrassing moments when you find yourself standing next to a girl in the same dress. Now where did we leave that pincushion?
Charlotte Fletcher & Zofia Skrakowski
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