QueenB Says...: Ask QueenB

I've been gathering some Ask QueenB questions in the fashion category. It always comes down to finding the best basics and knowing how to wear trends... is that everyone's struggle? It's certainly mine!

QueenB, what are your favorite stores to shop at and do you have certain brands that you prefer due to fit, cut/styling, comfort, etc?

For work basics I have a couple of go-to stores. Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor's younger sister, The Loft, are great for this. My wardrobe is filled with their suits, cardigan sets, skirts, & pants. Ann Taylor is great for dressier items and The Loft is great for flashier and more casual options.

Perfect example of what you can get at Ann Taylor.

This is at The Loft. More casual and fun. I actually have this jacket!

I've also found that Express, yes... that store that sells gaudy sequin crap for the most part, has a new higher end line. It's typically found in the back of the store near the register. They have a great pencil skirt line that changes regularly in color and detail. I've bough about 5 of them in different colors. They are fabulous to pair with plain or fun tops.

See? Classic. Fashionable. Attractive.

Tahari makes a great suit and I love the way they fit. Nordstrom and online is where I have found them. And I always buy them at a huge discount at the end of the season. I still have to get them tailored, but just assume you will always have to get a suit and pants tailored.

This is a Tahari suit I found at Macy's for under $200.

My casual and more fun pieces tend to come from Anthropologie. They can blend in nicely with my work wardrobe and add flair. But Anthropologie also makes great "going out" clothes.

One last piece of advice: get good jeans. Spend over $100 and get them tailored to fit you. I have to get the waist and length taken in every time. And it is worth it. Ill fitting jeans are the easiest way to look like you don't know how to dress. When you get them tailored take the heel height of shoes that you will most likely wear with that pair of jeans. The jeans that you wear with flats cannot be the same jeans you wear with heels. Sorry, that's just the way it is.

What's QueenB's take on the return of the 1977 one-piece jumpsuit? Just saw a purple one and was tempted to try it on.

I think they can be very flattering if they fit correctly. You need to have a 1 to 2 ratio in top to bottom... it may be 1 to 1.8, something like that, but you get my point. And I think the silhouette needs to be an hourglass that is equal on top and bottom. And the pants should drop straight down from the widest part of your hip. That is tough for so many body types to pull off. I'm short, so I would probably just go with the shorts version that I've been seeing around and wear with heels. If I got the pants version, I'd definitely wear them with extremely high heels to trick the eye.

The boobs are another thing to think about. With the blousy shirt and fitted waist you have a shorter torso, or perceived shorter torso. So you have to be careful that your girls don't take up too much of that "space".