Beautiful for a gift-exchange brunch
Start with your own pencil skirt…
For a fun afternoon filled with girlfriends, food and presents, celebrity stylist Ali Levine advises tossing on an understated pencil skirt. “This timeless style gives any outfit posh polish.” What’s more, the skirt’s sleek structure and fit hugs hips and thighs, showcasing curves while also containing any bulges. And the added length from a high-waist design and a below-the-knee hem directs the eye up and down for a more streamlined silhouette. Levine suggests pairing the skirt with a top that enhances shoulders and nips in at the waist. This accentuates any volume on top to help balance out the straighter form on bottom. The result? A beautiful hourglass appearance.
Update the look with…
PEPLUM BLAZER: A black jacket with a subtly fluted hem adds a curve-accentuating feminine feel.
FIRST pick: DKNY, $129 (Macys.com, Peplum Blazer)
DAINTY GOLD BRACELET: A knotted bangle highlights a slim wrist.
FIRST pick: LC Lauren Conrad, $14
(Kohls.com,
Knot Cuff
Bracelet)
PRINTED HEELS: Plaid print adds whimsy.
FIRST pick: Carolbar, $29 (Amazon.com. Women’s Pointed Toe Sexy Plaid
Stilettos High Heels Pumps Shoes)
To look slimmer in skirts...
Flatten the belly, shrink hips and thighs and keep skirts cling-free with a high-waisted shaper slip like Spanx Two-Timing Half
Slip ($54, Spanx.com). Bonus: This slip is reversible—one side is nude, the other is black—so it blends in with any skirt color.