Discover the different body shapes and how best to dress your body shape to flatter
Nancy K put in a request (and yes I’m doing all the body shapes) for an 8 shape – so here are some guidelines. If you are an 8 Shape (high hip and bootylicious) you are best to avoid trying on garments that: Flare from the waist – such as dirndl or circle, or any…
Reader’s question: “Which tops and jackets to make a busty H-shape body with high hips and short, waist, long legs look good?” Flattering tops and jackets for H shape body What are the features that an H Shape should avoid taking to the change room to stop depression setting in when on a shopping trip?…
I always find that I want to make shopping a pleasant experience. So with a little knowledge you can be prepared to assess a garment before you try it to see if it has a chance of flattering your figure. If you have an A (pear) shaped body, which many women do, it’s that lovely…
Blogger Metscan asks: One more suggestion for you Imogen. Could you do a post telling what rules you won´t break ever? It would be so much fun. Thanks ! It was interesting thinking about this topic – what rules would I never break? I know there are definitely rules that I wouldn’t break when dressing…
Australian Marie Claire magazine did a survey of men and women, polling which Australian clothing size from 6 to 16 was sexiest. (For those in North America/Canada, an Australian 12 is a US size 8, and for those in the UK and Australian 12 is a UK size 14). Interestingly, the results said that an…
Here again is my gorgeous friend Jan Fisher, Image Coach, from New Zealand – who is heading fast to 60! Red is one of her favourite colours and she wears it well! Her style is either a skirt with a knit top and often a jacket, or pants and a knit top with a…
I’ve had quite a few requests from my lovely readers to do some posts on 50+ dressing, so rather than me do up another polyvore, I thought I’d bring some ‘real life’ 50+ into my blog. Let me introduce you to my gorgeous friend and colleague Jan Fisher – who is an image…
Did you know that we have a lateral body shape, as well as the regular “horizontal” body shape (what we call “body shape“) and also a vertical body shape (also called body proportions). Your lateral body shape is your body in profile or the side view. Along with our front view/body shape, we also tend…
How do you know if your back view is as attractive as your front? It’s much harder to see our back view in the mirror, without a series of mirrors. So when choosing jeans, which are the best pockets for your butt? Quick Tips for Choosing Jeans Pockets Size and placement is really important…
How to Choose an Empire Waist to Suit Your Body Shape An Empire Waist garment has a high cut waist seam that sits directly under the breasts (above your natural waistline). It’s flattering on so many body shapes because it doesn’t require a defined natural waist to work. For petites it works because it raises…
Is it me or the clothes? Women, notoriously blame their bodies when it doesn’t flatter them or fit them, but in fact, if you look closely at the design of the garment, you will soon realise that it is not your body (which is perfect) that is wrong, instead, it’s a badly designed garment. How…
Karen asked me to give some advice on tucking – who should and who shouldn’t. Basically, if you are short through the waist (and especially if you have a medium to large bust), don’t tuck, it will make you look even shorter through the waist. This applies to H shapes, O shapes and…
Not only do we have body shapes (which can also be called our Horizontal Body Shape) we also have to take into consideration our Body Proportions (or Vertical Body Shape). Proportions are important as they tell us where to end our clothes, such as hems on skirts, hems on tops and jackets. Should you end…
Many of you have asked me to share with you some celebrities who have similar body shapes to yours (so you can get some style inspiration). Now in Hollywood ‘very thin’ is common due to the pressures put on celebrities so there is less variety in body shapes. But here are some celebrities who…
What is the difference between an 8 shape and an X shape? Well they both have defined waists, and their hips and shoulders are both fairly proportioned, (though sometimes you can have an 8 shape that has narrower shoulders, more like the A shape, but their hips are a different shape to a traditional A/pear).…
If I had to describe my personal style in 3 words it would be creative, dramatic, feminine. When I discovered my personal style preferences when I was undertaking my image consultant training (though it has developed and morphed some in the past few years), I finally understood why I can’t wear sneakers if I’m not…
I know that many of my readers are in the northern hemisphere where it’s currently winter, but here in Melbourne, we’re sweltering – or in the words of Cole Porter “It’s too darn hot!”. The heat from my laptop feels extreme, something I normally don’t notice. My hands are sweating on the keyboard as I…
Wear sunscreen – every day of the year – no matter where you live –even if you don’t think you’re going to go outside. 80% of wrinkles come from environmental damage. Just look of pictures of Brigitte Bardot today and compare her to her 20 year old self … not a good advertisement for baking…
Do you like to wear a patterned skirt but are unsure what colour you should choose for your top? If you are an X, A, 8 or H shape, choose a lighter or brigher colour from the top to draw attention away from the hips/thighs and up to your face. If you’re an H, O,…
The lovely Karen asked me to write a post about Collar Flipping, Cuff Rolling and Shirt Tying – so here are my thoughts. To Flip or Not to Flip – that is the question! Collar flipping (that is standing up the collar of your shirt), can make your neck look longer (provided that the…
The O or apple shape fairly common. To be an O shape your mid section needs to be wider than hips and shoulders. It tends to appear in the post-menopausal woman, when oestroegen is no longer produced in the same quantitites, and many women thicken around their waists. An O is most likely to…
