Jump Into Spring

Jumpsuits and rompers were seen all over the Spring 2009 runways and have been spotted on various celebrities. Jumpers have been in style for the past couple of years now but show no signs of going away any time soon. Jumpsuits are a one-piece garment with pants attached at the bottom. Rompers are also a one-piece garment but with shorts attached at the bottom instead. Jumpers are sleeveless dresses which are typically worn over a shirt. I will feature some images of these items below.

Jumpers:

Printed Jumper Dress, $12.99, shown in ocean current; also available in mandarin, sizes xsmall-medium, aeropostale.com

Metallic Stripe Jumper, $19.99, available in sizes S-XXL, alloy.com

Modal Terry Jumper Dress, $46.19, shown in black; also available in carribean and rouge red, sizes X-Small-Large, bebe.com

Denim Jumper, $26.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Fair Isle Jumper, $13.49, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Fair Isle Pocket Jumper, $13.49, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.ccm

Wavy Knit Jumper, $12.49, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Eyelet Jumper, $29.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Erica Sweater Jumper, $19.99, available in sizes XS and S, delias.com

Rubbish Racerback Knit Dress, $38.00, shown in phantom; also available in heather and black, sizes X-Small-Large, nordstrom.com

Terry Jumper, $39.00, shown in candy apple; also available in white, sizes XS-XL, victoriassecret.com

To wear a jumper during the warmer weather to come, either layer it over a short-sleeved t-shirt or just wear it by itself. Then pair it with some gladiator sandals, a fabulous pair of earrings, and a necklace. To wear a jumper on a cooler day, layer it over a sweater with a pair of tights and some slouch boots. If you're going for a preppy school girl look, wear your jumper over a button-down blouse and pair it with some knee high socks, ballet flats, a headband, and a tote or messenger bag. Another cool look to try out with a jumper is pairing it with some ripped jeans (article on ripped denim coming soon!).

Jumpsuits:

Glam Jumpsuit, $48.50, available in sizes 1-11, alloy.com

Knit Tube Jumpsuit, $48.00, shown in cobalt; also available in olive and spice, sizes XS-L, ardenb.com

Seamless Ankle Jumpsuit, $32.00, shown in grey; also available in black, ardenb.com

Terry Smocked Tube Jumpsuit, $25.49, available in sizes Xsmall-Large, babyphat.com

Aqua Strapless Wide Leg Jersey Jumpsuit, $58.00, available in sizes X Small-Large, bloomingdales.com

Colorblock Knit Jumpsuit, $34.00, shown in heather grey/yellow; also available in black/green, sizes X-Small-Large, forever21.com

Origami Jumpsuit, $38.00, shown in magenta/navy; also available in bronze/black, sizes X-Small-Large, forever21.com

Sweater Knit Jumpsuit, $34.00, shown in purple; also available in black, sizes X-Small-Medium, forever21.com

BCX Tie-Waist Sleeveless Knit jumpsuit, $48.00, available in sizes S-L, macys.com

Rocawear "Back to Black" Jumpsuit, $45.99, available in sizes M and L, macys.com

Go International Jumpsuit Ebony, $34.99, available in sizes X-Small-Large, target.com

Terry Strapless Jumpsuit, $19.99, shown in java; also available in black and white, sizes XS-XL, victoriassecret.com

Necklace Halter Jumpsuit, $29.50, available in sizes XS-XL, wetseal.com

Jumpsuits, like harem pants, can be difficult to pull off. I would suggest wearing a jumpsuit with some high-heeled shoes, a pair of chandelier earrings, and some bangles. To make a jumpsuit look more sophisticated, try styling your hair in an updo. If you want a more casual look, simply wear your hair down or even add a hat for fun.

Rompers:

Convertible Gauze Short, $9.99, shown in white; also available in black, sizes S and M, alloy.com

Cricket Romper, $58.00, available in sizes SX-L, anthropologie.com

Denim Halter Romper, $48.00, available in sizes S-L, ardenb.com

Front Zip Denim Romper, $58.00, shown in white; also available in vintage, sizes 1-15, ardenb.com

Twist Strap Cover-Up Romper, $49.00, shown in fuchsia; also available in black, sizes X-Small-Large, bebe.com

Hooded Romper, $36.50, shown in new dawn; also available in spring night, sizes XS-XL, gap.com

I Heart Ronson Romper, $24.99, available in sizes X-Small-Large, jcpenney.com

ING Knotted Strap Knit Romper, $38.00, shown in sapphire; also available in black, sizes S-L, macys.com

ING Strapledd Knit Romper, $38.00, shown in fuschia; also available in black and gold, sizes S-L, macys.com

Roxy "Doin' the Jive" Linen Romper, $59.50, available in sizes XS-XL, macys.com

Insight Stripe Romper, $54.99, available in sizes x-small-large, urbanoutfitters.com

Garment-Dyed Linen Button-Front Romper, shown in coastal blue; also available in sweet plum, sizes 0-14, victoriassecret.com

Cover-Up Romper, $24.00, shown in lime; also available in white and black, sizes XS-L, victoriassecret.com

Organic Button-Front Romper, $26.00, shown in pink cupid; also available in white diamond, sizes S-L, victoriassecret.com

Terry Cover-Up Romper, $24.00, shown in coral; also availabe in black, sizes XS-L, victoriassecret.com

Terry Romper, $34.99, shown in navy; also available in white, sizes XS-XL, victoriassecret.com

Bubble Hem Tube Romper, $14.99, shown in orange; also available in yellow, sizes XS-XL, wetseal.com

Rompers look great when worn as a beach cover-up. To wear a romper on the beach or at the pool, put it on over your bathing suit and add some flip flops and sunglasses. To wear a romper for lounging around the house or to hang out with friends, pair it with either flip flops or sneakers, a necklace, and bangles.

I hope you found the styling tips I've provided for pulling off these trends helpful. If you have any more ideas on how to wear jumpers, jumpsuits, or rompers; let me know. E-mail me at Charmed42787@gmail.com or contact me through myspace.

Dressing Up

One item that every girl must have in her wardrobe is a dress. Be it for a wedding, party, date, or even just an ordinary day, you will need to find the right kind of dress that looks good on your body. How do you know what type of dress looks good on you? I found a video on Glamour magazine's website (Yes, another one!) that will teach you how. This video is called "Found! Your Body's Ultimate Dress". This time, Suze Yalof Schwartz gives tips on what kind of dress you can wear which will flatter your body and accentuate your best features. I think this advice will help the next time you go shopping for the perfect dress!

Maxi-mum Style

In contrast to the mini dresses which were all the rage last year, maxi dresses have taken over the runways this year. In case you don't know, a maxi dress is, as the name implies, the exact opposite of a mini dress. These beautiful, ankle length dresses are the perfect items to end the spring and kick off the summer with. Be warned though, these dresses aren't easy for every body type to pull off. If you are petite, like me, then you might find this trend a bit difficult to wear. However, if you are tall like Paris Hilton or Kate Moss, then you shouldn't have too many problems wearing these dresses. I found a few maxi dresses online that I think all you girls will appreciate, no matter what height you are.

Floral Maxi Dress, $28.99, available in sizes S and M, charlotterusse.com

Floral Paisley Maxi Dress, $32.99, available in sizes S-L, charlotterusse.com

Emily Maxi Dress, $29.99, available in sizes 1/2-11/12, delias.com

Gabriella Dress, $49.50, available in sizes extra small-extra large, delias.com

Raven Tube Dress, $49.50, available in sizes extra small-extra large, delias.com

Maxi Halter Dress, $36.00, shown in green; also available in purple and black, sizes X-Small-Medium (green and purple only available in Medium), forever21.com

Long Maxi Dress, $17.99, shown in fuschia; also available in black, sizes S-L, mandee.com

Olivia Knit Maxi Solid Bottom, $34.00, shown in brown; also available in black, sizes S-L, mandee.com

Selina Voile Maxi Brown Kaleidescope, $34.00, available in sizes S-L, mandee.com

Selina Voile Maxi Dress, $34.00, available in sizes S-L, mandee.com

Smock Print Tube Maxi, $34.00, available in sizes S-L, mandee.com

Smock Tube Maxi, $34.00, available in sizes S-L, mandee.com

Long Bra Tube Dress, $35.00, shown in midnight navy; also available in cherry, white, and black, sizes XS-XL, victoriassecret.com

Smocked Maxi Dress, $29.99, available in sizes XS-XL, victoriassecret.com

Maxi Dress in Organic Cotton, $21.99, available in sizes XS-L, victoriassecret.com

Maxi Halter Dress, $27.50, shown in vent teal; also available in coco, sizes XS-XL, wetseal.com

Crochet Trim Maxi Dress, $27.50, available in sizes XS-XL, wetseal.com

Tiered Maxi Dress, $21.50, shown in varsity red; also available in black, sizes XS-XL, wetseal.com

I hope you've enjoyed all of these gorgeous maxi dresses that I've posted here, even if you're vertically challenged like I am. If anyone has any suggestions on how us shorter girls can pull off the maxi dress, let me know. Email me at Charmed42787@gmail.com or send me a message on myspace and I will be sure to inform the rest of my readers. One suggestion I do have is to wear high heels with this type of dress. This will give you more height and keep the dress from dragging too much. It also might help to choose a dress that is fitted as opposed to flowing so that you don't appear to be lost in the dress. I hope these tips I've provided will help you out a little, and I hope all you girls can find a maxi dress to suit your body type no matter what it is!