confession #000056

today i just want to pay tribute to the women who inspire me in terms of personal style and fashion.  most of them are what would qualify as petite, i.e. below the 1.67m mark.  and as a petite woman myself (standing at a mere 1.48m - yes, not even 1.5m!), it is quite logical that i should look at how these beauties are gracing the latest trends, and working them to make the most of their more diminutive shape.

so, without any further ado, here goes my list of personal style muses:

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confession #000048

... or, go on, vlog!

i've finally done it! i've finally dedicated some time to create my very first vlog ... and i'm so excited about it! i can't stop placing exclamation marks at the end of my sentences!!! 

i've created also a youtube channel to start hosting my vlogs on, which you may wish to check out and subscribe here.  i still need to customise the channel properly ... but more of that in the coming days. 

you can watch the full video hereunder.  you can also count how many times i say 'eeuumm' ... i guess i was really excited about it all, despite the numerous takes! so, here it goes ... enjoy and please do let me know what you think about it and what you would like me to vlog about xx

confession #000041

...or, size matters

or, to avoid any misunderstandings, let's call it 'matters of size'.  

you may remember my post from a few weeks ago about making the most of fashion when you're 5' tall or thereabouts.   i've often also complained about my rather rotund figure, which, being short, makes me feel even more corpulent.  somehow the willpower and stamina to stick to my diet or an exercise regime are nowhere to be found.  my commitment levels are somewhat taken up by what i feel are more important things such as my relationship with my loved ones, my work and having as good a life as possible.  

so it came as a very nice surprise when this morning, forgetting that it is actually a public holiday both back home in malta and here in poland, i came across this article on the dailymail (there's only so-much intense reading you can do before your first coffee) about h&m's latest swimwear campaign.  i'm not referring to h&m's campaign featuring a smouldering beyonce knowles, who herself is beautifully curvaceous.  

the ad campaign i'm referring to is actually for h&m+'s range, which caters for, well, the more endowed.  i love how beautifully healthy model jennie runk looks, as well as h&m's tact by actually playing down the fact the range is for 'the bigger girls'.

my favourite quote of the whole article is where jennie runk states:

'So much of advertising and fashion portrays only one kind of body, and that's super tall and super skinny. I think not only should there be more plus-sized models in fashion, there should also be more petite, pregnant, ethnic, etc. 'I think ever woman should be represented equally -- we're all beautiful in our own ways!'

and heck, yes, so it should be! when you're stuck in a 4'11'' body, with a pot belly that won't shift and way too much junk in the trunk for your height, you yearn for a stylish inspirational figure.  i'll admit to finding solace in images of kourtney kardashian, who's a few months older than me and actually just a couple of centimetres taller than me ... and who, after two pregnancies, is looking better than ever.  but then again, her gym routine is probably part of her public life unlike mine! 

there, i had my morning rant.  now off i go to make the most of this public holiday! toodles xx

confession #000029

...or, petite pleasures

being short has its advantages.  i'm not sure how many they are, but they are there, i promise.  

fair enough, the fact that people pick on you because of height, any extra kilogram - nay, milligram - shows up immediately as it doesn't have anywhere to spread, and the fact that practically all clothes need to be hemmed, may not make life as rosy as one would like. but still. 

after years of being the shortest in the group (whichever group i was in, i was always the shortest), i've finally learnt how to accept my lack of height and look at the positives as much as i can.  i've learnt to take note more of those who find my lack of height endearing (in maltese we use the word jiggustawni) rather than those who make fun of it.  and besides - no offense to the tall girls out there: you are the ones who can walk down a catwalk, not me - i'd much rather be my height than towering over everyone else, including my better half! maybe i'm a hopeless romantic, but i love the fact that i'm small enough to be enveloped in his hug rather than have it the other way round.  

as i mentioned earlier, clothing when you're blessed with my height, does come with a few challenges.  and i like nothing better than a challenge.  if you're in my below 5' height range, allow me to let you in on a few secrets to make the clothing issue a thing of the past: 

• shop: yes, shopping petite can be a struggle and i know that in malta there are very few shops which stock petite sizes, and most times these are limited in range.  but girl, there's online stores as well! asos usually has a good range and luckily they stock some items in both regular and petite ranges.  topshop also stock a good petite range and i'm sure there are other sites.  be wary though: check before or do a test buy to see if the online store you're shopping at understands petite in the same way as you do.  some stores may stock only sizes 4 and 6 as petite and not regular 8, 10, etc but with shorter proportions.

• cheat: regular calf-length or ankle-length trousers make for perfect full-length trousers for us shorties. and you don't have to worry about hems either, or losing out on the intended trouser leg shape.  another option is actually to look at youth and children's clothes - but steer clear of anything which is too obviously 'young'.  you do want to look youthful, but not in a 'mutton dressed as lamb' kind of way.  when taking this approach, you also have to be wary of logos or brand names which would give away the fact you're wearing kids' clothes.  scotch r'belle make some fantastic kids clothes that i sometimes like more than the maison scotch range (evidenced by this morning's online purchase). 
• trick: the french have that gorgeous sounding expression trompe l'oeil (trick of the eye) which is something that every petite lass or lad should know about and should learn how to master.  one of the main trends this season is stripes, preferably vertical.  use them to your advantage! vertical stripes create the illusion of length.  i'm not advocating head-to-toe stripes but find that area of your body which you want to 'lengthen' and wear them there.  avoid colour blocking as that will cut up your already small figure into smaller bits but opt for ton-sur-ton (oh, i love the french for these expressions) to make the silhouette appear leaner and longer.  use shoes that are of the same colour as the trousers or hosiery you are wearing and if you're going bare legged, stick to nude coloured shoes or at least to colours that do not jar with your complexion.  

• props: and by that i mean accessories. these should become your bff's, no questions asked.  keep away from ruffles, frills, peplums as these will only add bulk - and we don't want bulk on our petite shapes.  on the contrary look out for simpler cuts in dresses and tops and accessorize these with statement necklaces or earrings.  hair pulled back or in a top-knot adds the illusion of height, as does a trusty trilby hat.  go crazy with oversized bags as these will (a) help you conceal any bits you don't like in the tum-thigh-butt region and (b) allow you to create an interplay between your tiny shape and the bag's corpulence. 

and finally ...

• strut: who says that because you're short, you can't walk as though you own the runway, or the corridor at least.  square your shoulders and tilt them backwards, lift your chin and keep your back straight (gosh, i sound like my mom) and walk the walk, baby.  whether you're in flats or heels, keeping a straight posture while walking or sitting will immediately make you look taller - and, will straighten out any tummy-tires which would become so evident when you're slouching.