How to pick a perfect SPRING PRINT
WEARING prints can be daunting. What appears good on the rail can often make you look like a kaleidoscope. Here, KIM CARILLO, 55, tries out this season’s most flattering designs, while fashion editor ELIZA SCARBOROUGH suggests how best to wear them.
BOLD FLORALS
ELIZA SAYS: This giant floral design is more abstract than your standard flowery dress and would be great for a summer garden party.
KIM SAYS: I have a high waist, so kimono-style sleeves are something I don’t go for. But these unusual sleeves make it edgy, which is appealing. Dress, £120, phase-eight.com. Sandals, £39.99, zara.com
BUSY BIRD PRINT
ELIZA SAYS: Because this is quite a busy print, it’s worth keeping your accessories simple. A nipped-in waist makes this dress flattering.
KIM SAYS: I’m a big fan of this. It’s great because you can’t see that it’s a repetitive pattern until you’re up close, so you don’t look as if you belong in a birdcage! Dress, £78, peopletree.co.uk Courts, £145, reiss.com
JOLLY GEOMETRIC
ELIZA SAYS: This large, fun Aztecinspired print, plus the traditional cut of the dress, means it’s just the right side of formal for work.
KIM SAYS: This makes a nice change to the traditional business dress. Dress, £79, marksand spencer.com. Shoes, £40, debenhams.com
SIZZLING STRIPES
ELIZA SAYS: Update classic stripes and use optical illusions to create a slimmer silhouette. Stripes at different angles draw attention to the areas you want to highlight and distract it from the parts you don’t — on this dress, they enhance the bust and slim the hips.
KIM SAYS: In this dress the eye is drawn to the decolletage. Perfect for a date night. Dress, £45.99, zara.com Courts, £160, lkbennett.com
GINGHAM TWIST
ELIZA SAYS: When it comes to gingham, to avoid looking too Little House On The Prairie you should wear it only on your bottom half and keep things simple up top.
KIM SAYS: This is definitely my favourite of all of the outfits. It’s modern, minimalist and elegant. Blouse, £110, reiss.com Trousers, £35.99, zara.com Sandals, £225, lkbennett.com