LiveWorld Transcripts

Talk City presents

Kim Bonnell
Author of “A Style Handbook: What to Wear”

January 25, 2000

Kim Bonnell, author of “A Style Handbook: What to Wear,” share her fashion knowledge.

Page 1 of 6

Lucy.com: Welcome to Lucy.com! We're chatting with Kim Bonnell style pro and author of "A Style Handbook What to Wear." As a fashion editor for 13 years, including a stint as Fashion Director at Glamour magazine, Kim knows what to wear when - from your knock-'em-dead job interview to your twice-a-week yoga class. Even with all the body types bopping around out there, this fashion maven has the experience and product knowledge to help us all look good, and therefore feel great. The key is finding comfortable, flattering clothes for your body type to take you through a range of activities. Bonnell believes having a few key basics -- choosing the right bottoms, and knowing the true do's and don't's -- can really make a difference in your everyday life. (Translation -- You'll spend less time tearing your hair out over what to wear!) Welcome, Kim!

Kim Bonnell: Hi, everybody. Thanks for coming. How is everybody today?

Colorblind: I am a plus size and find it hard to find stylish clothes. Are there any advances in larger styles coming up?

Kim Bonnell: The large size market is growing by the day, no pun intended. Magazines like Mode have made large women much more visible in the culture and more manufacturers are starting to extend the range of their sizes.

Kimberly: My high-school aged daughter is very busty and also has very long legs (short-waisted). We have to buy men's clothes for the length in pants. Any suggestions as to where we can pick up tall-for-women sports clothes? Also, what style is best for busty short-waisted women? We've tried so many different things -- maybe you can steer us in a productive direction. Thanks!

Kim Bonnell: A mistake that a lot of large busted women make is to wear real ly baggy tops, when in fact a closer fit and also a tucked-in top is more flattering. In longer tops, keep the fit narrow to about fingertip length and that will help to even out proportions. As for resources, I'd say stick with active wear specialty stores for the biggest in size, long, extra long, etc.

Colourblind: I have a problem coordinating colors that match. Any tips or ideas to help with this?

Kim Bonnell: The most straightforward answer I can give to that is to wear a neutral when you're not sure. Or tones of a single color, like a light shade of red with a deeper shade of red. Or forest green with grass green. The matter of texture in fabric is also important in the matter of putting colors together, so it's hard for me to answer this in virtual reality.

Center Mass: I am a 6-foot tall female and find it extremely hard to find pants of any type to fit -- even the ones marked 'tall'. Any suggestions on where I may be able to find pants?

Kim Bonnell: If conventional tall sizes aren't working for you, try looking at manufacturers who tend to cut large. For example I know that DKNY tends to run big. If you find a pair of pants that work for you, take them to a tailor and use them as a model to create different versions of those pants.

Page 1 of 6