Discover how your body is proportioned and how to flatter your body proportions
Say “Aye!” if you are frustrated by shopping because what looks great on a hanger doesn’t look great when you get it into the change rooms and try it on your body? We are led to believe that all women LOVE shopping. That all we want to do is shop til we drop, day after…
Just like with skirts, different shoe styles suit different trouser styles. When you think about how to choose a shoe and heel style to work with your pants, you will want to take into consideration a few aspects. 1. Trouser Shape and Shoe Selection From the widest palazzo pant to your skinny leg pant, there…
Dear Imogen, Thank you so much for creating Inside Out Style. Many of the style blogs I find are designed for models or teens, at least that’s how it seems to me. Most of your articles are for more mature women, with children. And you don’t pretend to have a perfect figure, you teach us…
Hey, Imogen, I’ve got a reader question for your data banks, perhaps you’ll have a slow month over the holiday season or something. 🙂 …I’ve searched your blog and found very little joy for the long-torsos amongst us. (though the blog’s fantastic, and I’ve really learned a ton!). Here’s the sitch: I’ve got a very…
I was asked by a reader who is petite but has long legs for tips on dressing. Now more often than not, petite (5’4″/162cm or under) women are petite because their legs are proportionally short. But not all petite’s have short legs so some advice needs to be altered to dress well for the long…
Hi Imogen, Ineed some guidelines on belts as I’d like to add some to my wardrobe but not sure if belt width should somehow relate to waist size, body shape/proportion or is it dependent on the outfit?? Thanks! Jenny There are a few factors that influence your choice of belts and I’m going to be…
Do you need shorter or longer hemlines on your skirts and dress, jackets, tops and sleeves? Are you better in shorter or longer necklaces? Discover the easy way to figure out whether you’re better in shorter or longer lengths. Which is the best shoe vamp for you? Which are the best proportions to flatter your…
More Inside Out Style readers nominate their favourite blog posts here. What would you add to this list? Please share in the comments! Lucie – I would nominate the Fibonacci blog post as my favourite – it was a real aha moment as to why some things ‘felt’ wrong and I had to get changed!…
If you wonder just how long your skirt or dress (or even a pair of longer shorts) should be, then you can take some inspiration from the Golden Ratio – which is a magical number for mathematicians, is used by architects and designers and even cosmetic dentists to create the ideal proportions. Because this ratio…
Imogen would you do a post, with illustrations, for golden mean proportions on petites for casual styles and for skirts and dress ensembles? I know you have done casual capsules, but I need more guidance. Firstly, I just want to stress that you shouldn’t get obsessed with following the golden meanexactly! It’s certainly harder for…
One of the common issues with many tops is that they are too long and end on an unflattering point, or just are not proportionally great for you. I talked about ruching up the sides in this blog post where you can sew or use shirring elastic to do so. Today I want to share…
Hey Imogen! I’ve read a lot about body shapes on your site and I’m already much wiser! But something still confuses me: I am petite (5’4”), very (!!!) short waisted and also a distinct A shape. And what I’ve learned about dressing these three characteristics seem to conflict. For example, a short waisted women should…
Learning to use the illusion of lines in your outfits gives you the opportunity to change how you appear. There are a few different kinds of lines, horizontals (find out how to use them here), verticals, diagonals and curved lines. Each has its own effect on your appearance. Taking outfits photos means trying a few…
Whether you were genetically blessed in the gams department or not, most of us wouldn’t mind creating the illusion of even longer legs. You can still have legs for days with a few simple wardrobe tricks. It’s all about creating a visual illusion with your outfits…. 1. Keep your skirts shorter, to just on or above…
I’ve been asked once again to share with you how to measure your body proportions, so I made a new video to help you figure out where you are proportionally longer and shorter. Just remember, when you’re measuring. 1 head length (top of head to base of chin) – use this length to determine…
Hi Imogen, I´m a big fan of your blog, and I´ve read all of your books 🙂 I hope it´s alright if I ask you some style advice 🙂 I´m a petite (5´2´´) figure of 8 with a balanced, short mid body. I have slightly warm coloring, dark blond hair and blue green eyes, and…
I was asked by Ingrid of Norway how to choose a flattering coat length, and I know all you in the Northern Hemisphere are getting to grips with colder weather, so here is a quick guide. Longer coats work best on longer people, shorter coats on shorter people. Of course if you live somewhere that…
Over the past few years, one winter style that remains a staple is the chunky knit sweater. They are usually not only chunky but also pretty boxy too. The reality with any texture, if you’d describe it as chunky, it will make you look chunky. This is why over the years I’ve removed from many…
How can I define my short waist, which also happens to be the slimmest point of my body, along with arms/wrists, without totally screwing up my proportions? I’ve recently been watching some old Tim Gunn (Guide to Style) which I downloaded onto my iPad and have noticed that his three main ingredients to style are:…
The fastest, easiest way to make yourself look taller and legs longer is to push up your sleeves. Yes, it’s a very simple trick. If you’re wearing a jacket and like to do this for more casual occasions, but find they keep sliding down, then pop a rubber band (not too tight) around the sleeve…
Hi Imogen. I’d like to ask you about a certain style that has been around for quite awhile now. Being a tall H I’m glad I don’t have to tuck in my blouses. I’m from the tucked in generation (in my 50’s) and I keep on seeing jackets that end way above the hem of…
