Dear Empress: How can I nurse in normal clothes?

Dear Empress:

How can I make a regular wardrobe acceptable for nursing?  I want to easily breastfeed my baby without completely undressing or buying an entire wardrobe of nursing specific tops that I can only wear for a limited period of time.

Lady Liz

(All Because Two People Fell in Love)

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Dear Milking Mom, 

I can recommend four categories of traditional clothing that will allow cinchy chic access to la leche.

button-down:
the beauty of a button-down lies in its adaptability.  Expose the serving saucers and enshroud the rest.  It need not buttondown to hip, a handful of buttons on a henley is plenty.  Zippers and hook and eyes are just as advantageous, but my favorite alternative is a tie-neck blouse, the button-front's flirtatious cousin.

criss-cross wrap:
Not only will this option leave your core under the covers, it will also allow you to unveil a single teet at a time.

drapes & cowls
The extra fabric cloaks you and your sweet suckling's business.

wide neck
The neckline may scoop, dive, or lunge but make sure it stretches.  And possibly pair it with a nursing tank like Bravado's Essential Nursing Bra Tank.

Dress Empress: Can I Wear a Maxi Dress?

Dear Empress,
 

I am dying to try the Maxi Dress trend, but am hesitant. I am 5'4" with an hourglass figure, not heavy but quite curvy. Can I pull this off? which style would suit me best?

Missus Melissa
(Recipes)

length

Make sure your diurnal gown is cut to the appropriate height.  Most maxis are designed to skim the ankles.  Therefore, if the hem trails your terrain, add some espadrilles or hem it.  Conversely if it's shin grazing, replace it on its hanger home.

prints 

Patterns need to be in proportionate to your posture.  A delicate ditsy print on a full figured amazon appears puerile.  While an electric, over sized print on a pocket person may lead others to assume a dress devouring disaster.   

shape

Upper Figures

Dorothy Perkins Blue Ikat Print Dress
A v-neck cuts into the volume of a full bust while thick straps ensure coverage of a supportive lady egg nest.  Paneled volume billows from below the ribcage, balancing the lower half, while elongating the leggers.

Middle Figures

Shop Ruche Twilight Grace Maxi Dress
Draping from an empire waistline hides any areas of insecurity while a solid monochromatic color maximizes the length of the figure.

Linear Figures

ModCloth Good To Be Tier Dress
Layers of volume add flirtatious dimension ensuring straight silhouettes are neither boxy nor waifish.

Hourglass Figure

Debenhams White Striped Rope Maxi Dress
If you don't want the eye to measure it don't stripe it. But if you intend to dramatize a differentiation, stripes are strategic.  As an hourglass you can amplify your narrows by drawing lines and cinching belts around them. 

Lower Figures

Warehouse Shield Print Maxi Dress
Clean minimal pleats create a tidy space for the hips without adding unnecessary volume, while a high halter neckline maximizes the upper half.

Don't let children go naked this Easter.  Enter the Babies Everywhere Giveaway. Do it for the babies.

Dear Empress: How Can I Style Curly Hair?

Dear Empress,

How do you style your hair? Do you curl it? Or is it natural? I live in Alabama, and please believe me when I say, the South Really needs some style!

Sarina Southern Belle


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Deep twilight infomercials, a dark and guilty pleasure that doesn't usually involve my credit card. But this televised endorsement is my tress coiling secret.

Dear Empress: How can a Mommy Tummy go Spanx Free?

Dear Empress,

"The Mommy Tummy" issue, aka muffin top, aka middle figure, aka apple. Do I really have to wear spanx every day? . . .

ps I do exercise but the skin well it just does not behave!

Mommy Julie
(Adventures with Gigi)


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Mummy Julie,

Following are a quartet of ensembles cut to flatter a middle figure, no spandex shapers required:

ensemble one. empire waist & mid rise. Tie your waist a handful of inches above the mark and achieve the same narrowing effect. Then match the rise on your denim to your widest breadth. The waistband will act as a corset ensuring your soft delicious center isn't squished above into a muffin top or below into a mommy pouch.

Items in this set:
Springing Splendour Embroidered Top, $30
Old Navy Womens Rinse B The Dreamer Boot-Cut Jeans, $19
Darling Sue Chain Jersey Tie Necklace, $23
Pink Studio Women's Gypsy Flat, $79

ensemble two. ruffles & layers. Tiered ruffles shadow fleshy folds as do a-line sweaters and structured jackets.

Items in this set:
Tutu Tank, $68
Fae Blossom Gray Sweater Cardigan, $50
Joe's Jeans 'The Muse', $70
Pearly Confection Teardrop Earrings, $13
Pink Studio Hobbs Peep Toe Wedge, $96

ensemble three. gathered hems & boyfriend. If your body narrows as it descends, a gathered hem blousing across the hips will showcase it. Pairing the look with a straight cut boyfriend will ensure your ensemble doesn't fall out of balance.

Items in this set:
Barcelona Peasant Top, $23
CJ by Cookie Johnson 'Love' Boyfriend Jeans, $130
Floral Creme Vintage Button Ring, $13
Pink Studio Women's Trinity Criss Corss Low Wedge, $58

ensemble four. tunic style hems & wide waistbands. Never, never tuck additional items into your mommy pouch. Instead of expanding the bulge, find a tunic style top with a finished hem that can lay flat against your corseting wide waistband

Items in this set:
Amethyst Geode Silk Top, $39
Paige Premium Denim 'Hidden Hills' Bootcut, $190
Hasina Orange Beaded Bracelet, $17
Pink Studio Norma Leather Sandal, $44

In summary my delicious mummy tummies, find a mid rise pant and pair it with a top that falls flat over the waistband.

Thinking pretty,
Your Empress

Dear Empress: What Can I Put with This

My Cardigan Empire Darlings,

There are forsaken singles in your closet. Solid fits and pretty details have not yet attracted their eternal ensemble: skirts without tops, sweaters without shells, trousers without blouses.

This Thursday could mean a soul mate for your loneliest garment.

Mix & Mingle
Kierland Commons Anthropologie
15210 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Thursday, Feb 25th, 6-9 pm

old + new
During the soiree, we'll help you pair your favorite closet mainstay with something fresh. Or bring a vintage item that hasn't gotten enough wear to the front of your closet with the assistance of some new accessories.

confections + camarades
Gather your friends and the garments you need matched up. Myself and the other trained professionals at Kierland will be ready with complimentary treats and fashion assistance.

Space is limited
RSVP by Wednesday, Feb 24th
by email or phone (480) 951-4230

Hope to see you, your friends, and your lonely garments there.

Dear Empress Giveaway: Can Lower Figures wear Colorful Skirts?

Dear Empress,

"...Can I still wear colorful skirts even though my bust/waist/hip measurements designate me as a lower figure?..."

Perfectly Pear (aka Edith of See the Songers)
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Response Sponsored by:

Lady Edith,

Even the juiciest of pears can tastefully wear a colorful skirt. Color is but the final consideration in the garment evaluation quartet. Thus, lower figures are certainly not destined to a life of black below the belt. Color can help to compensate for violations of higher rules, but it's not cardinal cannon unto itself.

Following is the
Garment Evaluation Tetrad

(While our example centers on lower figure and skirts, this same theory may be applied to all body types and garments)

one. Cut
The shape of the garment trumps every other determinant. Does it taper against your flare, ruffle along your round? The shape should highlight your narrowest features and balance your fullest. Imagine the garment as a minimalist ink outline, then evaluate whether the shape complements your own figure.

two. Cloth
For your area of concern, look for flat, structured fabrics that drape rather than cling. While you don't want bulky wool sweater kilts adding inches to your hipline, you also want to avoid the dimple prone vulnerabilities of a cotton jersey pull-on skirt. Look for fabrics that will hold a clean line without excessive volume or transparencies. And opt for matte over shine, our strongest curves need only to be outlined not amplified.

three. Composition
Properly applied patterns, textures, and prints are camouflage to body insecurities. In fact a bright pattern is often more effective than a neutral solid since it has a little something to offer distraction.

four. Color
Lastly we consider color. Certainly some colors are less flamboyant than others. But if the garment excels in cut, cloth, and composition you don't have to follow color minimizing rules fanatically.





Take for example the Still Life Skirt from Downeast Baics.

Cut - A-line
Ne'er hugging a single curve of the thigh
Cloth - Cotton broadcloth
Flat smooth, and able to hold its own starch
Composition - Playful
The wood block inspired floral will keep all eyes moving
Color - Light & Bright
While the color isn't a textbook ideal, it certainly follows enough more important rules to get a complimentary ruling.



Pair it with this equally bright and playful Frosted Flowers Cardigan and you'll achieve a stunning balance.

Care for your own DownEast Basics Skirt?

Either: Go to DownEast Basics, inspect their skirt offerings, and leave a comment on this post identifying your preferred skirt of choice.

And/Or: Become a Cardigan Empire Follower so you can be privy to future offers and giveaways. Leave a confirming comment on this Cardigan Empire post.

The winner of the Colorful Skirt Giveaway will be selected on Monday, February 22nd.

Dear Empress: What Looks Emphasize the Waist?

Dear Empress,

I'm a young hourglass, and I need a way to flatter my little waist with my limited budget and closet full of jeans and t's. I have fallen in love with waist high skirts but I need a quicker solution that doesn't mean buying all new bottoms!

Shan o' Seventeen
(So She Said)


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My Hourglass Lass,

Following are five different ways to emphasize the same little feature:

one. A tie or banding at the waist. You can buy inexpensive options with this feature already applied, or you can add it on to some of your existing closet inhabitants.


two. High waisted bottoms: As you mentioned a skirt or trouser that hugs high on the torso will dramatically highlight your center. Tuck your t-shirt or blouse in for ultimate impact. Don't be afraid to take the waist of a hip skirt in so that it falls at the waist. Just be sure to test the resulting length before you initiate alterations.

three. Half sleeves. Hemming the arm band at the waist will draw the eye back to your favorite feature. Try adding an elbow-skimming sleeve under or over some of your favorite cap sleeves and tanks.

four. Cropped. Layer a cropped sweater, vest, or jacket to a basic tee and you'll see immediate waist-centric results.

Five. A belt silly. An hourglass without a belt is like a sugar cookie without frosting (yours look divine by the way). Layer this accessory over dresses, extended sweaters, or whatever else needs cinching.

In summary my mythically delineated dear, do whatever you can to visually mark and outline the circumference of your mini midriff.

My ladies who care not to highlight their abdomens (there's a dear empress in draft for you my soft delicious centers) do the exact opposite, at least for the time being.

Truly,
Empress

Dear Empress: How Do I Find Boots for Wide Calves?

Dear Empress,

"My calves are 17" around. Regular boots don't fit and plus sized boots are way too big. Help!"

-Made for Boots
(aka Samurai Mom)

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Dear Made for Boots,

The standard boot has a 14 inch leg opening and plus size boots can extend up to 20 inches. Your stalwart stems deserve better than droopy enclosures or asphyxiation by vinyl. Below is a solution to your in-the-middle mire:

one. Measure your calves. While you've obtained this vital integer, many buxom gams are uncounted. The squishy definitions of wide calf or plus size are highly ambiguous, so you'll need to arm yourself with specifics.

Find the widest rim of your calf and discover how many inches surround it. Measure both legs and use the larger of the two. This will act as a generally helpful guide. However, if you're investigating an explicit boot, find the boot's shaft length and measure at this height on your own leg. This is particularly important if you're investigating an over the knee or a shortie boot, or if you're petite since the boot will most definitely enclose a completely different section of your lower limb.

two. Shop virtual. There are vastly more flexible soles online than in retail stores. Armed with the information gathered above you will be able to remotely assess fits prior to ordering. For best results search specifically for wide calf boots and explore the diversity available at both online shoe emporiums and the shoe area of plus-size merchandisers.

three. Opt for stretch. If your dream boot is just shy of your ideal, all is not lost. Following repeated wear, real leather will stretch. Other swelling options include gusset panels and lace ups which can be re-laced with longer laces.

four. Alter as needed. If they're only an inch or two shy of perfection, take your booties to your local cobbler. A moderate adjustment can be made on the boot stretcher, more extensive enlargements may require the addition of gore gussets or panels of new leather at the seams.


Suggestions

Endless.com offers an a filter specifically for wide calf boots:

Here were a few of my favorites for you:



Best to you in your boot hunt,
Empress

Dear Empress

"My thighs touch in the center, can I wear skinny jeans?"
Lower Figured in Las Vegas "Where can I find boots for wide calves?"
Sturdy Stems "Can I combine a scarlet blouse with wine hued flats?"
Chromatic Experimenter

Cardigan Empire was founded to serve fashion's sovereign subjects. So send me your fashion quandry (via comment), and the empress shall respond post haste next week.

In the meantime, I shall be conducting fashion research on this subject: