I often look scruffy. What easy steps can I take to look neater?

[Ferrisbuellersdayoff]

I'm often at the school gate with unkempt hair, a down-filled walking jacket, old, bobbled top, jeans that don't fit, amusing socks from accessorize and scuffed shoes. I work from home most of the time. When I have to go to see clients, I wear dresses and try to look tidy (but still end up with ladders in my tights and looking a state) but when I'm running errands and on the school run, I feel really awkward and messy. It doesn't help that I'm about a stone heavier than I like, and my hair is greying because I can't dye it at the moment. What can I do to smarten myself up and feel less dowdy? I'm 5ft 6 and a size 12, pear shaped with a massive mummy tummy that makes me want to cry, so I have to try to hide it.

The floral jumpsuit is amazing!

You say you don't like your arms but the tops that suit you best are the ones that fit on your shoulders. No batwing or dropped sleeves. If the sleeve seam joins at the top of the top, it suits you. It gives you a neat fitted top, then you don't look so booby.

Even though the jumpsuit doesn't have sleeves, the top fits right on the tip of your shoulders which is why it looks so good.

If I was looking for tops, I'd look for ones that fit neatly on the shoulders skim your boobs and have a waist. Boxy tops can be awkward if they swamp your shoulders and hide your waist. Unfortunately fashion dictates that dropped sleeves and boxy cuts are in style at the moment and tailoring is out.

As a fellow pear-shape I look for clothes that fit on my shoulders and small waist and skim rather than cling over my lumps. So A-line, skater style skirts, fitted tops. Trousers with side pockets add unnecessary bulk to my hips. The button fronted trousers are great because they skim your widest part and draw attention towards your smaller waist.

Lol CooCoo where's that picture from?! I'm worried that's what I look like! I spent all of last summer shopping for chinos to find the perfect ones but maybe I don't suit chinos either, I never even considered that!

The first boots are nicer. The second boots veer too far into hiking boot territory.

You look AMAZING in that jumpsuit. Agree with the other posters that with a denim jacket you could definitely dress it down.

There is another Hobbs jumpsuit that looks like it could be a similar shape, but viscose so might be a more casual material and darker colours (though not such a nice print - I think the larger scale print of the first jumpsuit really suits you):

www.johnlewis.com/hobbs-laura-floral-jumpsuit-navy-multi/p4071484

I am a pear and I wonder if the boat neck is good on you because it visually widens your shoulders. I think the two tone jumper might have a similar effect.

You need three things:
Some new, dark jeans (M&S straight leg fit pears with mum tums)
A really nice looking coat
Good boots or trainers.

Then just brush your hair, add some tinted lip gloss (and mascara if you have pale lashes) then you'll look smarter and more intentional on the school run.

Totally agree with above, I never have enough money for a full overhaul but a new coat and new jeans shape an make all the difference in keeping current.

Hello, three new photos. One is a fail, the others I'm counting as wins, although the purple shoes are a little old fashioned (I like court shoes). Fail is a blouse over jeggings and long boots I can see now that the blouse is too short.

The green dress is lovely, it gives you a great waistline and skims everything else.

I like the boots and the shoes.

That dress is lovely on you - very nice shape, and that colour is nice on virtually any complexion.

You are completely right about the blouse.

I'm not sure about the dress. The long sleeves give it a rather dated and mumsy look IMO. Lovely colour though.

I really like the dress - looks rather 1940s and I like that the sleeves are properly long. You have lovely ankles.

I’m not so crazy about the coat outfit. I think you might suit a shorter coat so it finishes mid thigh rather than at the knee. The rolled up jeans and different coloured boots are breaking the line making your legs look shorter IMO.

I’m also just not sure about the sleeves on the dress, but it’s a good silhouette over your body & shows off your slender ankles.

You could try a shoe-boot as a more trendy take on the court shoe?

Good brows, hair ‘done’ (blow dried and straightened), nails and dress with heels.

Are layers really unfashionable right now? I'd add a long cardigan or blazer over than floral blouse, to skim the hips and elongate the line. But no one else has suggested anything like this and I'm not in my early thirties so could be suggesting you look like the mum on Friday Night Dinner for all I know!

I like the long cardigan look, but not over a blouse. A long cardigan in a bold colour over a neutral top and trousers or dress/skirt creates a long column down the middle which disguises the hippiness.

An asymmetric hem on a top can also do wonders for wider hips as long as it is very clearly asymmetric and not just crooked looking. Throw a long cardigan over it and you have an interesting look.

Using large, striking scarves or bulky wraps at the neck draws attention away from hips, and also frames the face. Long scarves that hang down the middle also create a column effect that disguises the width. Scarves can easily be worn with a long cardigan.

I know a lot of people like the turquoise coat, but every time I see it my heart sinks, it's not doing you any favours, if you're serious about this project (and you're doing brilliantly, I love the gradual transformation), get a new coat!

I'm not really keen on the dress. I think it looks 'mumsy' although different shoes/boots might completely alter the vibe of it.

I have to agree re the coat. I think the length and shape are not quite right for you.

The worst thing about the coat is that my mum has the same one - I didn't find out until I'd been wearing it for a week. What sort of coat would be good? I like ones with some kind of waist definition.

I really feel like a time traveller from 2001.

I’ve got this coat - belt gives the waist definition you are after. I think navy is a stylish choice for coats

I think that might be a bad length for Ferris Rachel, though navy is a good call.

Hmm, tricksy as I have lots of coats, but, if I had to choose one coat I'd got for something like this, this or this. It's a good time to buy a coat as there are still lots of sale bargains to be had.

I've avoided navy for coats in the last because all my trousers are navy.

I wear loads of navy trousers and coats, in fact about 60% of my wardrobe is navy!

I really like that LK Bennett coat @ILikeyourHairyHands but it's only available in 12 and I'm a size 13 there :(