Style advice for the Molly coat

Do you wear your coats as long as possible to hide your belly or buttocks? Don’t! It actually draws attention to them. Why? The coat’s hemline creates a horizontal line on your body, and horizontal lines really catch the eye. That means you don’t want the hem to end at the widest point of the body. A coat with a hem that stops under the hips/buttocks will make your legs look shorter. The result? You look shorter and heavier overall.

Do you want to emphasise the waist (e.g. neat and full hourglasses and pears)? Make sure the Molly coat’s sleeves aren’t any longer than 3/4 length.
Do you want to emphasise the hips (e.g. inverted triangles and apples)? Go for longer sleeves.

A garment’s neckline influences the aesthetic of your face, shoulders, and bust. Keep the following guidelines in mind:

  • Is your face narrow or long? Go for a shallow, broad neckline.
  • Do you have a broad or round face? Go for a deep, narrow V-neck. It will make your face look longer.
  • Do you have a small bust? Shallow necklines are flattering.
  • Are you big busted? Choose a deep neckline.
  • Are your shoulders narrow? A wide neckline will make your shoulders look wider as well.
  • Are your shoulders wide? A narrow, deep neckline will draw the focus away from your shoulders.

Retrace your coat’s neckline to achieve the desired effect. Because the contours of the coat are finished with bias tape, there’s no need to consider tricky seam allowances or additional pattern pieces. That means you’ll be done in a flash!

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The Molly coat for A-types

The A-type's objective is to draw all the focus onto the upper body and shift it away from the heavier lower body. That makes Molly a brilliant pick! The sloped shoulders provide the width you need at the top. Are you on the petite side? Make sure the coat ends just above the hips to avoid making them look heavier. To look your best, make Molly with 3/4-length sleeves.

Go for a light or striking colour in a textured fabric, and pair with trousers or an A-line skirt, such as the Bea, Dixie, or Ginny skirt or the Bertha, Benita or Miyu trousers – in a darker shade. Colour contrasts are a fantastic way to balance your figure’s proportions. Or why not wear the short, light, or brightly coloured coat with the Holly dress in a sweet print?

Complete the look with something special to catch the eye at the top of your silhouette – like the Olga earrings.

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The Molly coat for H-types

H-types have well-balanced proportions between the shoulders and hips. The only thing missing is a waist. The goal is to retain your figure’s naturally balanced proportions. Your body shape should either conceal the lack of waist or create one. You can play with colour contrasts to create the illusion of a slender waist, e.g. pair a dark Molly coat with a top in a shade or two lighter. The lighter colour draws the focus towards the centre of the body.

Make the coat long enough; that means no shorter than hip height. The shorter the coat, the more tempted the gaze will be to travel upwards. Longer tops, that make your torso look longer as well, are the secret to showing off just how gorgeous your body shape is.

 

The Molly coat for I-types

I-types could do with adding a little more volume to their typically straight body shape. Molly does that like a charm. Play with colours. Combine the Molly coat with a pair of trousers or skirt with an eye-catching (floral) print or in a bright colour.

The perfect combo for I-types? The Afra top paired with flared trousers, for example, the Bea, Bertha, Benita or Miyu – or an A-line skirt like the Claudie or Alix – in a vibrant colour or a jazzy print. Complete the look with your Molly coat.   

Play with colours, prints, and textures. Anything that contributes to making your outfit look more interesting as a whole is a good thing! Roll the coat sleeves up to show off the sleeves of your shirt or blouse (in a different colour or print), wear a bracelet, earrings, etc. Accessories FTW!

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The Molly coat for O-types

Creating vertical lines across the rounder midriff is recommended for your body shape. The Molly coat can work well for you as long as you make it long enough (i.e. hip height). Find out how to alter the length of the coat here.

Make Molly in a medium to dark shade.
Achieve the perfect lengthening effect by making the top and bottom pieces in the same colour. Pair with straight leg or flared trousers or a skirt (e.g. the Bertha or Benita trousers, or the Ginny or Dixie skirt) in the same colour.

Wear the coat with a long, straight dress, straight leg or slightly flared trousers, or a straight or subtle A-line skirt. The trousers/skirt and top should be approximately the same colour with the coat in something different for contrast. That also breaks up the surface of the upper body.

Put on a pair of eye-catching earrings, a necklace, or add a bracelet for extra bling.
Choose a fabric that adds a little structure to your torso. However, stay away from too much texture and stiff fabrics.

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The Molly coat for V-types

V-types have sturdy shoulders. That means their goal is to draw attention away from the upper body and give the lower body more volume. Make sure that the Molly’s hemline extends to the hips.

Given that your figure is more ‘top heavy’, your goal should be to highlight the lower body and keep your torso as understated as possible. That’s an excellent reason to make the Molly coat in a dark fabric (no vibrant colours please!) so that your upper body doesn’t attract attention. Pair with pale boot-cut trousers like the Bertha or Babette. You could also wear the dark coat with a (lengthened) Mira or Pola dress in a print or striking colour. This will create an illusion of balance. Lengthen the coat if it suits to (slightly) past the hips, which will lower your centre of gravity.
Avoid coats and jackets that are too short because they add volume to the torso.

 

The Molly coat for X- and 8-types

Your body shape begs for all eyes to focus on the waistline. That’s the perfect reason to make the Molly coat with a tie at the waist (the version without won’t do you any favours), paired with an A-line skirt such as the Claudie or Alix, or try the Babette trousers or Bea culottes.

You can accentuate your waistline more by rolling up the sleeves, and your bare wrists will accentuate your natural feminine curves beautifully. Your fabric shouldn’t be too busy because that will overload the overall impression of your silhouette, making it look heavy. Your body shape’s motto? Less is more!

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