As I discussed here when I explained how lines work, body shape tells us: Where to put the verticals Where to put the horizontals to balance, broaden or highlight Where to place detail Where to keep boring/dull/plain/no detail That’s it! So let’s look at the O Shape (commonly called the apple or oval shape) I…
As I discussed here when I explained how lines work, body shape tells us: Where to put the verticals Where to put the horizontals to balance, broaden or highlight Where to place detail Where to keep boring/dull/plain/no detail That’s it! So let’s look at the A Shape (commonly called the pear shape or triangle shape)…
I was recently asked by a lovely reader if I can share my tips on scarf wearing when you have a larger bust. So I’ve made a short video to tell you my tips. Don’t forget to check out these other posts that show more ideas and tips for scarf tying. The Easy Way to…
Given the number of people who contact me asking about identifying their body shape (if you’re not sure what body shape you have, do the Body Shape Quiz to find out!), it’s obviously something that is considered to be an important factor in the whole “finding flattering clothing” issue that many women face. I’m here…
I’ve been working as an image consultant (personal stylist) for well over a decade now and I realised in my training that personality would be an important factor in dressing, but probably not the full extent to how important it is when choosing clothes to flatter a client (or for yourself). Like many of you,…
Recently I received two requests for posts on issues surrounding trouser fit and flattery asking about issues such as knock knees and thick calves. Given my post on which pants suit your body shape I’m now going to go into these body variations. Knock knees (where the knees have an inward curve and then the…
So when I’m talking pants here I’m not talking about your underpants (panties or knickers, whatever you call them). I’m talking the best shape of trousers for your body shape! Best Shape of Trousers for Your Body Shape I shape You are straight and may describe your shape as boyish, so create some curves with…
I often get asked about the best shape garments for each body shape. So I thought I’d create this infographic for you to give you a simple set of guidelines. When thinking about shapes for each body shape, we are usually wanting to create the hourglass shape or the idea of two triangles stacked on…
A short neck is one that is less than one of your own hand widths wide (check out this post). Sometimes a wider neck (we assume proportionally you are around 3 necks wide, from shoulder to shoulder) can also look shorter. If you have a shorter neck and find that you are stumped at how…
I was asked recently how to know if your arms are long, short or average – so I made this short video to show you how to tell. It’s a simple trick to find out if your arm length is long, short or average. Why does it matter? It influences how you will…
Hi. I’ve been reading your blog and found it amazingly helpful! Can you give me some tips for wearing crop shirts? Certainly, they can make your legs look longer. But I’ve seen people wearing them, and sometimes their legs looked rather short because the short tops only emphasized their bottoms. I see the difference, but…
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…
I suppose I’m “of a certain age” in some circles at least – look young 40s but I’m actually mid 50s – and the jewelry thing has me stymied. I have delicate features and small bones, so need smallish jewelry. Chunky or large things are just completely out of scale on me! I no longer…
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…
I have a question about using the column of colour to look taller (as a curvy petite H shape ) – should I only wear darker tops, avoiding white or cream tops ? There are two major ways to wear a column of colour, on the outside, or on the inside. The version on the…
Choosing Collars and Lapels O/A shape – broader collars to balance hips I, V shape or petite – narrower/smaller collars not to further broaden shoulders or overwhelm your frame H, X, 8 shape – medium collars – higher will make you look taller, lower will draw attention to bust and make larger Large bust –…
I am a sewer and some ideas about how to choose fabric to sew would be great. It can be challenging to locate good fabric and then imagine how it will look best sewn, and then find a suitable pattern. Fabric Drape How fluid or stiff is the fabric. The drape is not about how…
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…
When thinking about putting together an outfit, you want to create an outfit that is aesthetically pleasing and contains harmonious elements. To do this, you want to consider the principles of coordination or the elements contained in other parts of your outfit already that link the outfit together as a whole. The Principles of Coordination…
It’s now been 3 months since I had my breast reduction surgery and I wanted to give you a quick update on how I’m recovering. My breasts now feel pretty normal, for quite some time I could tell that there was healing going on inside, it’s only now when they get squashed that I feel…
For a long time (well most of my life) I never ran. Well I couldn’t run without pain or holding my breasts and that’s exhausting, not being able to move your arms in the regular running pattern makes you tired way more quickly. After 30 years of searching, I finally found a sports bra that…
