Archive for the ‘Body Shapes’ Category

Most Flattering Length – What About Pant Length?

Have you ever put on a pair of pants with a different pair of shoes and the outfit didn’t look right?

Finding the most flattering pant length can be difficult for a number of reasons:-

There are many different styles of pants.
We might want to wear our pants with different shoes.
Different shoes usually require different lengths.
Mass produced pants do not take into consideration that we all have different leg lengths.

GOLDEN GUIDELINES:

Hem your pants according to the shoe you are going to wear most often.
If you love a pair of pants and know you want to wear them with both heels and flats then you may consider buying 2 pairs the same.
When trying on pants make sure the length is long enough because you can’t add length.
The most flattering pant length needs to follow the Goldilocks Principle and be “just right” for the style of pants and the shoes.
Taking your pants to a dress maker can make a difference.

Most Flattering Length – What About Pant Length?

The guide to pant length:-

Trousers / Straight Legs suit a hemline that sits on the top of the foot halfway between your toes and heel.
Wide Leg / Flared Pants should not cover the entire front of the foot or shoe. There needs to be some toe and heel showing. If you wear these pants too long you will risk damaging the bottom of the pants on the ground and the possibility of having your pants get caught in your shoes.
Skinny Pants will bunch over the top of your the foot if they are too long. The hem needs to sit on the top of the foot and bottom of the ankle.
Ankle Pants are usually tapered and are best with a hem that shows the entire top of the feet and the ankle.
Cropped or Cargo pants can be most unflattering if the length and width are not appropriate. These pants can make you look shorter or wider depending on where you place your hemline. If you have are short, have shorter legs or are petite then stopping your hemline under the knee will be the most flattering. For those who have are taller or have longer legs then mid calf can work well. However you need to ensure that the hemline stops above or below the widest part of your calf.

REMEMBER: Your personality style and preferences will always be a determining factor in what and how you wear your clothing. These are guidelines that can assist in determining why something is or is not working for you.

Category:

Body Proportions, Body Shapes

Tagged with:

hem lengths

How to Dress an Undefined Waist

How to Dress an Undefined Waist by misskimpurple featuring 49 Square Miles

Some people do not have a defined waist. Their body shape is straighter and this can make it difficult to wear a belt without creating a boxy look. If you have an undefined waist and want to wear a belt here are a few ideas.

Wearing a belt under a coat, jacket or vest gives some definition without making your waist look wider (not a look we want to create if we have an undefined waist).
Wearing a curved or hip belt takes the focus from your waist while providing some definition.
Wearing a contrasting belt colour will create a greater focus than wearing a belt colour that blends with your clothing.
Whether you wear a narrow or wider belt depends on how much space you have between the top of you hip bone and the bottom of you rib cage. Less space means a narrower belt will be more comfortable and flattering.

Have fun experimenting with different belts to create a look that you like.

Category:

Body Shapes

Tagged with:

style

Styling with a Rubber Band

dress pink 8

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

This is the dress that became the inspiration for using a rubber band to restyle tops and dresses to create more shaping, visual interest or change in hemlines. This method saved a number of clothing items from the recycling bag.

After loosing some weight my favourite dress looked rather shapeless and unflattering. I started playing with the dress by pulling and moving it about and had a light bulb moment – ‘What if I tied it on the inside with a rubber band?’

The dress on the right shows the result of much experimenting. I loved the result and started to try it on a number of tops.

I am a H body shape and do not have a defined waist so my aim was to create the illusion of some definition of shape. My narrowest point is at the top of of my ribcage under my bust so that is approximately where I wanted the rubber band to sit and create the ruching effect.

STEP BY STEP RUBBER BAND RESTYLING

STEP 1

Place a finger on an outside point where you think tying off might work. This is all about experimenting and redoing.

STEP 2

Keep the finger in position while bringing the bottom of the garment up towards your chest so you can expose from the reverse side where you finger is located.

STEP 3

Pinch and pull the piece of fabric where you are going to place the rubber band.

STEP 4

Wind the rubber band around the fabric. Make sure it is tight. I have found that you need to wind the rubber band at least a minimum distance of 2 – 3 mm from the end. This ensure the band will not come off. We don’t want any wardrobe malfunctions.

STEP 5

Check the end result to see if the look is right. Repeat the process if necessary. I sometimes need to do this a few times to find the right placement.

STEP 6

REMEMBER TO CARRY SPARE RUBBER BANDS IN YOUR BAG IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

SOME MORE EXAMPLES

From these examples you can see that you can have the placement point of the band in different places.

HAVE FUN EXPERIMENTING WITH THE RUBBER BAND STYLING TECHNIQUE.

CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

Category:

Body Shapes

Dressing for Your Body Shape

DRESSING FOR YOUR BODY SHAPE

Dressing for your body shape can make a difference to how you look and feel. There are many elements that come together to create a flattering and stylish outfit. This post looks at the importance of the silhouette – how the shape and fit of your clothing relates to your body.

Choosing clothing that fits and follows your body shape is important. It is not the size on the label that counts. Clothing that clings tends to emphasize any lumps and bumps you may have. I call these bits my jobbly bits because they wobble and jiggle.

Clothing that is too tight and clingy is not enhancing your look. It creates a focal point by focusing attention on the areas you would rather others not notice. The look you want is one where your clothing drapes and skims over your body but not clings to it.

Consider these points when deciding whether a piece of clothing is enhancing your shape.

Fabric impacts on the clinginess or draping effect of clothing. Just because a fabric has stretch in it doesn’t mean it is not going to cling. Ensure you look in a mirror taking in the view from front, back and sides – just like driving a car – look in all directions
What you wear under your top or dress can make a difference. A good fitting bra is essential to ensuring that you do not have overhang from the top or bottom of the back strap. This is definitely an area where you will get unsightly clinging if your bra does not fit properly.
Take notice of how any bra details such as lace and seams impact on your outfit. It is never a good look to see the seams or lacy pattern of your bra through your clothing.
Make sure your bra type suits the clothing you are wearing. There is not one bra that suits all tops or dresses. There are a variety of bras available so choose one that suits your the top or dress you are wearing. It is never flattering to see bra straps or backs exposed.
The colour of your bra also has an impact especially when wearing white. The best bra colour to wear under white or light clothing is nude – never white. Wearing a camisole or slip dress under your t-shirts or dresses can be flattering by reducing the impact of possible clinginess.
Wearing a bra that supports and uplifts will always be the most flattering. When your bra lifts and supports your waist can appear more defined.

REMEMBER THE GOLDILOCK’S PRINCIPLE – Make sure the outfit you are wearing enhances how you look and feel by being ‘JUST RIGHT.’

Category:

Body Shapes

Tagged with:

Dress the body you have

Category:

Body Shapes, Personality Style

Tagged with:

style

Image

Which Style of Coat is for You?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN DECIDING WHICH STYLE OF COAT IS FOR YOU

A coat is an essential item of clothing if you live in a cold winter climate. It is an investment piece because it is an item of clothing that needs to be durable and you will probably have it for more than one season.

It is important to invest in a coat that is going to:-

fit well
be flattering to your body shape
suit your colouring whether it is neutral or coloured
suit your style personality
have the Goldilock’s Principle – feel and look just right

Let’s look at the elements to consider when buying a coat.

1. BODY SHAPE:
Consider whether your body is curvy and has a waist or straighter with little or no waist definition. Coats with shaping, waist detailing or that are meant to be belted are best suited to body shapes with a waist.

For those of us who have little or no waist definition a coat without too much shaping and worn not belted would be more suited. If the coat has a belt it can be loosely tied at the back.

2. DETAILING:

Look at the detailing on coats.Detailing might include pockets, lapels, buttons – single or double breasted.
These elements can create a focal point and draw attention to the area. Consider where the detailing is placed and decide whether you want attention to be focussed there.

For instance horizontal detailing such as pockets and double breasted buttons create a visual horizontal line across the body thus making this part of the body look wider – do you want this?

Lapels and shoulder detailing will draw attention and make this area look wider – great if you have narrow shoulders, are slim or petite.

3. COLOURS:

The best colour to choose is one that harmonies with your personal colouring – is it warm or cool?
Choosing a colour that is similar to your hair or eye colour will always flatter and look great.

You can always choose a colour that compliments your hair or eye colour – (opposite colour on the colour wheel).

Complimentary colours for blue eyes = orange (warm), reds, pinks (cool) / brown eyes = blue (warm or cool) / green eyes = reds & burgundy (warm), reds, violets (cool).

Complimentary colours for brown hair = blues (warm or cool) / blonde hair = purples (warm or cool) / red hair = greens (warm or cool).

It is always important to consider whether the colour is warm or cool so that it harmonises with your own colouring and ensures you look healthy, vibrant and younger.

4. YOUR STYLE PERSONALITY :

Your Style personality plays an important role in whether you are likely to choose a coat that is coloured or neutral or plain or patterned and how much detailing there is.

ENSURE YOU CHOOSE A COAT THAT YOU LOVE AND IT LOVES YOU BY SUITING YOUR BODY SHAPE, FITS WELL, FEELS COMFORTABLE, FLATTERS YOUR COLOURING, SUITS YOUR LIFESTYLE AND IS WITHIN YOUR BUDGET.

Written

on July 24, 2014

Individually You

Archive for the ‘Body Shapes’ Category