Ask Hilary Reader Makeover: Too tall to be stylish? For 6ft 1in Victoria Boynton, finding stylish clothes was a tall order - Hilary Alexander to the rescue. Victoria Boynton's letter was a cry from the heart: "Am I too tall and too big to be stylish?" A 27-year-old who works as a project coordinator for a real estate development company in the City, Victoria had reached an impasse. Finding trouser suits and skirt-jacket ensembles that suited her corporate working environment and which also fitted her size 14 waist and size 16 hips was a recurring nightmare. Plus, there was her height; she stands an impressive 6ft 1in - hardly standard high-street sizing. She'd also become fed up with not being able to find fun, youthful, casual clothes for her busy weekends and off-duty hours. An accomplished musician, she plays flute and piccolo, and is a clarinetist with the Bromley Concert Band, which means appearances all over Kent. She also makes and designs her own jewellery. I feel stuck in a rut. If skirts or trousers fit my hips, they are enormous around my waist. A-line skirts make me look wide, and I can't attempt pencils," she wrote. Please can you help me? I need ideas to overhaul my entire wardrobe from smart, comfortable working looks to casual clothes that fit me and are reasonably priced. Hilary's verdict "I could understand Victoria's frustration over trousers. The size 16s we tried from Marks & Spencer were, although long enough, understandably too big for her size 14 waist. We did not have much more luck with jeans. I suggested dresses, instead, and we struck gold with a black/olive-print, straight-cut style with a hint of stretch from M&S's Autograph range. Equally successful was a chestnut, long-sleeved dress, from the J by Jasper Conran collection at Debenhams; we simply swapped its black belt for a lighter one in beige, to match the courts. Elastic-waisted palazzos solved the casual trouser problem. I'd found many pairs in all the main high-street chains, but Simply Be came up trumps with a floral-print pair, with a flattering, chevron-shape waist basque. And Toast's stretch midi-to-maxi skirt, with fold-down waist, was an ideal halfway-house between A-line and pencil. Left: Dress, £150, Topshop Boutique; 0845 121 4519. Sandals, £75, Dune; 020 7258 3605. Bag, £32, Accessorize; 08448 110068. Bracelet, £4.99, and earrings, £4.99, New Look; 0844 499 6690. Right: 4 Flower-print maxi-dress, £57.50, Simply Be; 0871 231 5000. Sandals, £35, Long Tall Sally; 0844 573 6885. Necklace, £27.99, Mango; 0845 082 2448. Hammered metal bangles, £9.99 each, Mango at John Lewis; 0845 604 9049. Marion bag, £55, Coast; 0845 899 1119. The make-up "I wanted a young, natural look that emphasised Victoria's eyes. The foundation was Chantecaille's Future Skin, with Ivory Bio-Lift and New Stick Concealers, sealed with Light, Loose Powder. I applied Lasting Eye Colour in Sesame as a base, then blended in Coriander and Malachite, with a wisp of Black Stylo Liquid Liner, and Faux Cils Black Mascara. I emphasised her cheekbones with Poudre de Perle in the shades South Seas Pearl and Delight. The lipstick was Lip Chic's Bourbon Rose, a deep pink. Left: Jumper, £59, Boden; 0845 677 5000. Palazzo trousers, £38, Simply Be; 0871 231 5000. Brogues, £32, Topshop; 0845 121 4519. Glass necklace, £32, Toast; 0844 557 5200. Right: Top, £25, Autograph at Marks & Spencer, as before. Nami skirt, £89, Toast; 0844 557 5200. Sandals, £55, Office; office.co.uk. Bag, £35, Marks & Spencer, as before. Bracelet, £59, Jigsaw, as before. Crystal topaz necklace, £147, Martine Wester; 020 7384 6288. The hair "Victoria needed a change. Her length was fighting with her layers, and the flick-up on the ends was ageing. She agreed to a neat, A-line cut, just above the shoulder. I removed some of the weight below the crown, and tidied the fringe, to create a softer, younger silhouette. I prepped with label.m Protein Spray, applied label.m Volume Mousse while the hair was damp, and blow-dried with a medium-round brush, lifting the roots and stretching the hair smooth. Once dry, I finished with Toni & Guy Session Pro-Straighteners, and label.m ShineSpray to maintain lift and add texture, with a final blast of cold air, and label.m ShineMist. Victoria's verdict "I was thrilled with the selection of clothes and accessories. I loved the M&S Autograph and the J by Jasper Conran dresses; great for work, and a refreshing change to my normal corporate look of black, grey, navy. I would never have picked the girly Topshop dress myself, but it was a revelation to find something floaty and pretty that fitted, even if you are 6ft 1in. The Simply Be trousers were ideal in every way, and the long dress was a perfect fit, very flattering. I loved the roll-down waist Toast skirt, too. Dress, £65, J by Jasper Conran at Debenhams; 08445 616161. Shoes, £120, Jones Bootmaker; 0800 163519. Ostrich-print belt, £39, Jigsaw; 020 8392 5603. Necklace, £16, Marks & Spencer; 0845 302 1234. Earrings, £8.50, Freedom at Topshop; 01277 844476. All pictures by Andrew Crowley Make-up by Katya Pilucka at Chantecaille Beauté Hair by Silje Vincent, International Artistic Director at Toni & Guy using label.m Professional Haircare Stylist: Hilary Alexander Fashion assistants: Sophie Warburton, Ellie Pithers and Anna Masters