Do clothes make the woman?

Why do we wear clothes?  First of all to preserve our modesty and, for those of you who aren't so modest, it is also to adhere to the law.  There are of course nudist beaches and resorts, but as the Naked Rambler knows only too well, wandering around without any clothes on in public can get you arrested and even imprisoned.

Apart from these reasons, I wear clothes to be comfortable and because I like the colour, pattern or shape of a particular outfit.  I also try to wear clothes that flatter me, which can be particularly challenging if you are  petite like me.  When I was younger and slimmer than I am now, I would often look in the children's department for clothes to fit me.  There are of course specialist brands, but that can limit your choices at times.  Even they can let you down, when you find that their perfect short trouser length has suddenly become a little longer!

As a petite whose waistline has decided to disappear, I have been looking at several style and fashion blogs for suggestions about which styles will suit my new figure.  Apparently a "column of colour" will help to slim me down and make me look taller, as will vertical lines. However no belts, no horizontal lines and no wrap dresses in future.  Oh dear!  Here are some examples of these from my current wardrobe:

Wrap around dress = No

Horizontal stripes and belt = No No

You know what?  Rules are made to be broken.  I like both these outfits and I feel comfortable in them, so maybe next time I buy a new outfit I will follow the rules for dressing as a petite.  Maybe.