And ruffles have ridges

This spring, fashion's going GIRLIE! We've had quite a few autumn/winter seasons now with grey, navy and black as the predominant colours; with strong tailoring and ladylike chic the top trends. Which, sure, chic is as chic does. Who didn't love Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's Première Madame Dior ensembles on her state visit to England last year?

But also... yawn. Just a little bit. Unless you - sans clothes and styling - are naturally chic and ladylike, ladylike chic tends to look a little, well, dull. If you have a tendency, a la me, towards ladders in your tights, holes in your jumpers, scuffs on your shoes, voomph-y hair and a bosom, yer mid-calf-length skirts, flat ballet shoes and gamine jumpers just look mousy.

I like my fashion like I like my cereal: with a little SNAP! CRACKLE! POP! And one of my favourite trends for spring/summer 2009 is the girlie trend, which encompasses ruffles, embellishments, florals, sweet detailing such as lace, ribbons and bows, and blush-colours.

First up, let's look at ruffles. For the curvy girl, ruffles can be a little tricky, as they will accentuate and enlarge wherever they adorn. We all know there's nothing wrong with looking bigger, but some bigger just isn't flattering. Think of how unflattering large boobs look with a high-neck or turtleneck jumper; all matronly and, frankly, sow-like. Whereas a fitted v-neck flatters and is actually way more demure.

Similarly, ruffles adorning a bosom that nature was already quite generous to? You will look like a big meringue cake. Or Glenda the Good Witch of the North.

Equally, ruffles on more slender areas can be counter-intuitive: if you have an hourglass shape, for instance, a ruffle diagonally across the middle as on many dresses will just hide your waist, making you look squat.

Obviously there are exceptions (check out our picks, below), and it does all depend on the size and the 'fall' of the ruffle; i.e. is it made from a stiff fabric with many layers to stick straight up, or is it just a loose, bias-cut flimsy layer (clue: you want the latter)?

If you're nervous about the sheer volume that ruffles can bring to the party, or you actually prefer a more chic, streamlined look, check out the myriad ruffled and sculptured accessories on offer and use these to give a nod to the trend instead.

The Too Fat For Fashion Edit
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TOP ROW Blue umbrella, £9.50, Marks & Spencer; turquoise bag, £79, Boden; navy blue ballet flat, £138, Lanvin
MIDDLE ROW Black dress, $29.99, Target (up to US22); Navy dress, £125, Coast (up to UK18); blue gloves, £42, Sara Berman
BOTTOM ROW Pink dress, £85, Monsoon (up to UK22); red wallet, £100, Felix Rey; red watch, £74, Betsey Johnson