Meet fashion columnist Felicity Wright

BY FELICITY WRIGHT, PERSONAL STYLIST AND STYLE FASHION COLUMNIST

The holiday season has come to a close.

We have all done our fair share of gift giving, carol singing, ridiculously tasty food devouring and unattainable resolution making.

Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a chilled out Australia Day.

But for us women, no matter the holiday, the age old question still arises – “what am I going to wear?”

You really can’t go past the simple, easy breezy summer dress.

It can provide colour, pattern, instant style and be thrown on at the last minute.

Unfortunately, we all have areas of our body we aren’t overly happy about — arms, knees, bust too big, bust too small, tummy, and the list goes on.

So here are a few tips to help you find the perfect casual dress, keeping a few of ‘problem’ areas in mind:

ARMS

Off-the-shoulder is huge this season. Look for styles where the fabric is one piece that floats around the bust and arms as opposed to the fitted sleeves.

KNEES

It’s all about the midi length.

The midi typically hits at a flattering point of the calf and still allows you to show off your cute summer shoes.

SMALL BUST

Ruffles, lace, panelling — anything that creates volume and interest around the bust area always works well.

LARGE BUST

Keep it clean and simple, with nothing too voluminous around the bust.

Scoop or v-necklines, vertical patterns all help to draw the eye down and give the appearance of a smaller bust.

STOMACH

It is almost human nature for anyone who doesn’t want to draw attention to a body part to swamp it with fabric. This is not always the answer. In this case you need to look for clean lines around the torso, anything with darts, a fine drawstring to help give the illusion of a well defined waist.

Big and baggy will only make things appear more unflattering.

Sit back on Australia Day celebrating our beautiful country, knowing you look a million dollars.