Summer style tips for curvier ladies

STYLIST and personal shopper Marietta Doran (@marietta_doran) shares her top tips for buying clothes on the high street this summer:

• With brands like Dorothy Perkins or H&M, I find they’ll do the same styles in different fabrics and colours from season to season. If you find a high street store that suits your figure, I always say stick with that and get your basics there. Once you have your capsule wardrobe, then you can shop around for everything else.

• Lots of women overestimate their size, especially curvy ladies. When I go shopping with a client, they always say, ‘I’m a good size 16’, and then when you meet them, maybe they’re a 16 on bottom, but they could be a 14 on top, so it is important to bring a couple of different sizes into the changing room.

• It’s all about creating the right balance. If you want to go more fitted on the top, then a nice, wide leg trouser on the bottom is very, very flattering. If you’re going to go flared on the top, maybe go slightly more fitted on the bottom. For curvy ladies, stay away from mid-rise trousers and skirts — high-waisted looks better.

• Don’t always wear black or dark colours. I know we say that they are flattering, and they are, but if you wear a bright, block colour, that’s equally flattering. If you’re shopping alone, your phone is your best friend — take a photograph of a dress and send it to your friend for another opinion.