Look no further because you have excellent and affordable options. Wide Widths boasts the largest selection of wide calf boot styles on the Internet. The knee-high and calf-high boots on this site are especially good for women whose calf measurements are from 16 to 18 inches. They ship internationally, stock up to a size 13 and carry extra-wide foot sizes. They don’t offer a Zappos-like breadth of styles, but their focused choices are timeless, tasteful and current. Thank you Moviegirlerica for sharing this information. It’s nice to know that you were happy with their helpful and efficient service. I’ve popped a few of my favourite styles below.

Cube, Grant. Kiersten and Jerry - wide styles from Wide Widths.

Stylists and image consultants often swear by the fact that you’ll lengthen your legs by wearing the same colour shoes and legwear. While I agree with this style tip, as a strict rule it can get boring, especially if your daily dress is business casual. Contrasting the colour of your footwear with your pants or jeans is striking and makes an outfit pop.

I believe that lengthening your legs has more to do with the fit and length of your pants, and the style of your shoes. If your pants are bootcut, flared or wide (not skinny), and they skim the surface of the ground when you wear heels, you’ll achieve that long lean vertical line despite the colour of your shoes. And pointy toed peds will elongate this line even further .

By all means sport an alternative colour shoe to your legwear if you fancy that idea. You don’t need to have long slim gams to pull off the look if you adhere to other important leg-lengthening rules. Adding contrasting and eye-catching shoes to a classic ensemble is a perfect way to keep your look hip when current trends aren’t your cup of tea.

The pear shape is the most represented female body type, so it’s no surprise that “The pretty pear” is still one of the most popular posts on youlookfab. Originally posted more than a year ago, however, the guidelines are due for an update. The key is still balancing the difference between the top and bottom part of your body. We can achieve this by drawing attention upward, de-emphasizing the bottom part of your body and elongating your legs.

Drawing attention upwards:

• Wear the best possible bra. Giving your bust line the shape and support it needs will define your waist and create curves in all the right places.
• Strive to create an “A-line” silhouette with your clothing. You look exceptional in dresses and should take advantage of this ultra-feminine look all year round.
• Always wear slim fitting tops, sweaters, cardigans and button down shirts. Choose styles that define your waist and show off your torso. Boxy trapeze jackets continue to be all the rage and you can absolutely wear them (despite the fact that this goes against the rules) if you keep them cropped, fitted snugly at the shoulders and matched with a longer and slim layer underneath.
• Wear V-neck tops and create V-neck shapes with your layers. V-shapes elongate your neck and draw attention to your slim midsection giving definition where you want it.
• Keep your shoulder line strong and refrain from wearing items with “a sloppy shoulder line”. It’s imperative that your clothing fits you properly on your shoulders because the eye is drawn to definition.
• Select tops, knitwear, jackets and coats with interest. Tops with wide cuffs, bell sleeves, ruffles, embellishment, rushing, vertical seaming detail, large collar/lapels, wraps and princess lines are good choices. These design features naturally deflect the eye upwards. The voluminous sleeve trend was made for you.
• The length of your tops should either catch you just below your hipbone or around the knee. Avoid lengths that finish straight over your bottom or straight across your thighs. You can sport the leggings look with the right A-line dress because this look is about the dress and not the leggings.
• Layer your garments. Pop longer length camisoles underneath your knitted tops and shirts. They should finish just above your crotch point. Pop a fitted shorter jacket or sweater as a third layer over these layers for the most flattering effect. The layers automatically create a visual balance between the top and bottom half of your body.
• Accessorize the top part of your body well, with necklaces, specs, earrings, hair clips (but not all together). Sport one statement accessory at a time.
• Consider wearing a waist belt over your tops for extra definition. Wear your belt a little lower if you’re short-waisted.

“De-emphasizing” the bottom and elongating your legs:

• Keep your bottom choices simple and structured, thereby saving all the visual interest for your tops. No cargo pockets, waistband details, side entry pockets, pleats, drawstrings, elastication or hip embellishments. Curvy women can wear skinnies, if you match them with A-line tunics, dresses and heels. Trust me, it’s a fab look!
• Keep the front part of your pants free of detail and your rise mid in length (not too high or low). Make sure that there is enough ease through the hip and thigh. Fabrics with stretch are your best bet.
• Keep the hems of your pants wide (boot cut or flared) if you’re not sporting “the skinnies and tunics” silhouette. Pants that skim along the contour of your thighs always work best.
• Keep walk shorts straight from the thigh down and knee-length (like a cullotte) and avoid lengths shorter than this.
• Don’t force yourself to wear pants and jeans if you look and feel fabulous in skirts and dresses. Knee length A-line skirts with vertical panel seaming are best. Stay clear of bias-cut skirts and pencil skirts. Ankle length A-line styles work particularly well for tall pear-shaped gals.
• Wear pointy-toed shoes (if you can) with pants that are wide at the hem to elongate the leg.
• Wearing some sort of heel (even if it’s just an inch) whenever you can will give you the height that automatically slims down curves. Simple rule: the curvier your bottom, the longer and wider you’ll need to wear your pants and the higher you’ll need to wear your heel to balance out your silhouette. This is especially effective if you sport the correct pants length (hems should skim the surface of the ground).
• Be mindful of shoes with ankle straps. They might break the long vertical line that you are trying to create.
• Wearing heeled knee high boots that are slim at the ankle with skirts or dresses in cooler weather is a great leg-flattering look.

There’s lots of glorious fashion ahead of us for Autumn and I’m looking forward to talking about how you can adopt each new look for your body type.

Yesterday’s post on leggings started a great discussion in the comments, so I thought I’d follow up with more information on how to apply this trend. I have seen all body types and ages pull off this look with style. From sizes 0 to 28 and petites to tall, it can be done. Here are some guidelines that might help:

• Dress or tunic style. You’ll want a dress that doesn’t cling and show through the detail of the leggings underneath. Thicker jersey knits, spandex knit blends and mesh work best. Fancier silk sack dresses will also work when paired with a heel. A-line patterned styles with empire cuts and front-knots work particularly well because they’re forgiving on the hip, tummy and thigh area. Straighter shift styles work well for those with apple and rectangular body types.
• Dress or tunic length. If you have slim thighs, wear your dress/tunic as short as mid-thigh length and no shorter. If you’re leg-shy or carry a little extra on your thighs, wear your dress around the knee (either just above, on, or just below). Do not wear leggings without wearing an extra long top, or as a substitute for pants. Those nightmarish ‘80’s fashion days are over.
• Leggings length. I like leggings best when they stop on the widest part of your calf because accentuating a shapely calf muscle is flattering. Somehow, this length seems to work whether you have small or big calves. Wearing leggings that stop below your knees but above your calf muscle will also work. Wearing them ankle length looks best paired with a high heel. Most leggings are ankle length which means that you’ll need to scrunch them up to your best length. This automatically makes them more opaque, which gives you extra coverage.
• Legging types. There are plenty of options to choose from. Footless tights are cheap and made of nylon. Brands like Hue, DKNY and Frenchi in plain colours will cost you between $6-$12 and you’ll find those in the hosiery section of any department store. Cotton lycra leggings will cost a little more ($22-$40) and you’ll find them scattered amongst the clothing. Once you get the dress right, you’ll get way with spending $6 on leggings.
• Shoe options. The look works with both flats and heels and will depend on your preference. If you feel a little flat-footed and short, opt for a heel. Ballet flats, wedges, fancy thong sandals and shoes with chunky heels are my favourite footwear combination for this look.

It’s fun to try a different look, especially if you feel in a bit of a rut with the clothes in your wardrobe, so give leggings a bash. If you still feel that the look is not quite “you”, you’ll at least have had a bash at something new.

A-line front-knot and empire cut dresses (left) are a “default” option for the leggings look. Sack dresses (right) also work magically with leggings (I personally prefer this combination with a small heel).

When the distance between your shoulders and your natural waist is shorter than average, you are short-waisted. You’re long-waisted when the opposite holds true. Being short-waisted is not to be confused with being short in the rise. When the measurement from your natural waist to crotch point is short, your rise measurement is usually referred to as “petite” or short (even if you’re regular height which is 5′ 4″ and above). To complicate matters even more, you are not necessarily short-waisted if your rise measurement is petite. It’s a miracle that that we find pants and skirts to fit us at all (which is why it’s essential to get your mind around having clothing altered if it doesn’t fit). 

When you’re short-waisted, you’ll want to wear clothing that elongates your torso. Here are a few guidelines:

• Wear a supportive bra. This empathizes your waistline and pulls everything into proportion.
• Wear pants with lower rises if you intend tucking your top into your bottoms.
• Choose paneled skirts with low slung waistlines and strong vertical seaming.
• Longer length tops and knee length A-line dresses are ideal. 
• Keep tops and tunics fitted on the shoulders and  torso to accentuate your shape. Refrain from wearing broad waist cinching belts over tunics and opt for loosely slung narrower belts instead.

My point is clearly demonstrated in the pictures below. The model on the left has effectively shortened her torso with the wide, cinched waist belt. The model on the right wearing the loosely slung narrower belt looks like she has a long torso because of the shape of the belt and the way that it’s slung.

By answering a few simple questions, Zafu.com will “find the perfect jeans for you”. I had read about this site in InStyle magazine and decided to give them a bash. I was skeptical, but to my surprise their recommendations for my body type were rather accurate. Their comprehensive recommendations covered 3 brands and cuts of denim that I actually have hanging in my cupboard. If you are at a complete loss when it comes to buying the best jeans for your body type, try this completely free site. It’s frustrating to try on jeans for hours and feel like you’re never going to get a pair that fit. Zafu narrows down the search before you’ve stepped into a store and that’s fab.

It isn’t always easy finding a pair of jeans when you are a pretty pear. Here are three important style features that will help to narrow your search:

• A contoured waistband which starts higher on your bottom and dips down lower in front is essential. This feature will mould your curvy bottom and prevent baggy fabric buildup at crotch point.
• Just enough ease on the thigh area for a flattering “skimming effect”. Too much ease on the thighs will make you look bigger than you are so keep your fit fairly snug.
• Boot cut or flared leg openings automatically balance out your larger bottom with your smaller top. Straight and tapered leg openings will have the opposite effect, so stay clear of them.

If the back waistband of your jeans still stands away from the small of your back, invest in having them altered. This can cost anything from $13 to $30. It’s worth the expense because when they fit you perfectly you’ll feel fabulous every time you put them on.

After dressing many pretty pears, below are my recommendations for the best American jeans brands and fits for this body type. Bear in mind that pretty pear-shapes are not created equally. Some woman carry their curves on their thighs, others on their bottom, and some in both areas. You might find that you’ll need to try on a few of these brands before you find that perfect pair:

• Lucky “Easy Riders”
• Lucky “Sweet ‘n Low”
• AG “Club”
• Paige Premium  “Robertson”
• DKNY “Soho”
• Calvin Klein “classic boot cuts”
• Joes “ the honey”

If you have a brand and cut that you would recommend for pretty pears, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Enjoy your deliciously feminine physique!

Lucky “Easy Riders”, AG “Clubs” and Paige Premium “Robertsons”, all available at department stores.

I’m writing about pant lengths again (my pet peeve). Unless you’re a skinny teenager, in your twenties or Kate Moss, refrain from wearing short shorts. Do not believe what fashion magazines tell you about this item being the hottest look for Summer. No matter how firm and fabulous your legs are, you need youth on your side to pull off this look.

Walk shorts that finish at the knee (either just above, on, or just below) remains the most flattering length for any woman because your legs look their longest and slimmest at this point. Raise that hemline to reveal a significant portion of your bare thighs and you’re dressing inappropriately for your age. You’ll get away with wearing short shorts for running and cycling when you’re older because it’s important to wear the correct gear when engaging in a sporting activity. But this is where I draw the line. Mutton dressed like lamb is unstylish. Keep it chic, classy and knee-length.

Walk shorts at the perfect length and short shorts for younger ladies with slim, shapely legs.

The height of the average American women is about 5 feet and 4 inches. This leaves her with ample shopping opportunity for pants in  petite and regular departments where inseam measurements range from 29 to 32 inches. But what are the options for the tall girl who stands at 5 feet 8 inches and taller? It’s even harder for her to shop for pants when she wears heels and wants to sport the correct pant length.

European chain stores are an option because they generally manufacture regular pants with longer inseams from 33 to 34 inches (the average European women is taller), but there are bottom options for tall girls in the US too:

• David Kahn jeans have inseams of 35 to 36 inches
• Other denim brands like DKNY Soho, Diesel, Citizens of Humanity, Mavi, Joes,  Fidelity,  Seven for all Mankind, Silver and Paige come in longer lengths with inseams of up to 36 inches
• Gap, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer and Ann Taylor Loft stock items in longer lengths (34 to 36 inch inseams)
• Victoria Secret’s regular pant lengths finish at 34 to 39 inches
• Express has on-line purchasing options for pants with inseam measurements of 35 inches
• Brands like Womyn, Jones NY,  Marc Jacobs and  Goldsign make pants with seam lengths that vary from 34 to 37 inches

If these inseams are still too short, try the Tall Girl shop and Long Legs where the inseams are as long as 38 inches. Stand tall and embrace your height!

Goldsign wide legged pants with 37 inch inseams (Nordstrom), Joe jeans with 35 inch inseams (Nordstrom) and Gap khakis with 36 inch inseams.

Cap sleeves on tops and dresses are one of the hardest styles of sleeve to wear. They either cut straight across the least flattering part of your arm, or look like little wings. Unless you have lusciously toned arms, avoid cap sleeves altogether. It’s a popular misconception to think that you’ll look better with some coverage over the top part of your arm, rather than none at all. This is simply not true.

The right type of sleeveless top is often more flattering than a cap sleeved option. The secret lies in showing your shoulder bone. Everyone has alluring shoulders, but fewer people have toned upper arms. The best type of sleeveless top is one that is cut more closely to the neck than it is to the shoulder.

Less flattering cap sleeve (left) and more flattering sleeveless (right) tops from Banana Republic.