Try Before You Buy: Ruffle Mania!

I've spied a number of ruffles on the red carpet recently, which prompted me to get well educated on the best way to wear them. As cute, girly and frilly as they are, the sheer volume can overwhelm and take over an entire outfit, and person for that matter! The Golden Globes and recent Art of Elysium event were both frill-arama this year  ̶  Chloë Sevigny went soft and layered, Jennifer Morrison chose to wear hers all over, Anna Paquin liked them short and fluffy, while Camille Belle went for maximum impact with bold, oversized frills. All so romantic! Keep reading to see how you can add a little ruffle into your wardrobe easily (without looking like a toilet roll cover). read more

If you're going for ultra-volume, keep ruffles on one-half of your body only. Choose a full, frilly skirt and team with a plain tank, or go for a ruffled blouse and work back with something more streamlined. Ruffle on ruffle screams meringue.

Opt for a dress with cascading ruffles on the sides rather than the front, similar to Chloë's Globes gown. This is much more flattering than adding extra bulk to your bust or stomach line.

Soft fabrics such as silk, chiffon and lace may lose their frilly shape after a while. Be sure to launder and iron garments as instructed (and make sure you hang them in your cupboard with ample space so they don't get squashed!).

A ruffled skirt or top can be mixed with something more tailored such as a jacket or pants. Mix pieces into your existing wardrobe so you don't take the trend too literally (although Camille does look cute!).

Larger, longer ruffles are best for maxi-lengths, while shorter, frillier styles look best on mini-dresses. Try on a few different styles so you can work out which proportion suits you best.

Good luck!