Discover how your body is proportioned and how to flatter your body proportions
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…
Following on from last weeks video on how to measure your body proportions. Here is a short video that shows you a couple of ways to use the Golden Mean (golden ratio, Fibonacci series) to dress in a proportioned manner that is flattering. The golden mean is a ratio that appears in nature and we…
Following on from my video on how to measure your body proportions yesterday, I want to share with you more ways to flatter your proportions. Here are some posts I’ve written about some of the more common proportional issues. 8 Top Tips to Dressing a Short Waist Short Legs, Long Rise How to Define Your…
Body proportions are actually more important than body shape, they create the balance that our brain so much enjoys. I’ve made this short video to help you figure out your body proportions so that you can use this information to find how how to dress so that you look taller or shorter, slimmer or curvier…
Hello–thank you for the wonderful website. It made me think while reading your advice on Column of Color–could you address the fashion rule of thirds for everyone–research does not reveal that much and I’d like it specifically geared toward what constitutes 1/3 and 2/3 with our outfits. Thanking you in advance! So what is the…
Checking out some photos of Kate Middleton (The Duchess of Cambridge) the other day I came across this pic with her wearing an Alexander McQueen knit dress. And I realised that it looks all wrong as the proportions don’t work for her body. Kate’s waist is a few inches above where the blue knit waistband…
I just wanted to let you all know that I’m over at You Look Fab today with a guest post on how to dress a large bust, so head on over and leave a comment! Thanks Angie for asking me!
One of my readers commented on a post about common issues with fit: I’ve had problems with certain tops bunching in the back, too. What’s up with that? Most bunching comes from your body shape being not related to the shape that the garment was cut for. Too much fabric in an area that doesn’t…
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…
Yesterday’s post on using a column of colour had lots of comments and a few queries which I thought I’d answer today. Pearlaceous said… I understand the principle behind this, Imogen, and this is what I actually do when I wear black jeans or trousers, but how do I make it work with…
Image and Style Books – The Triumph of Individual Style by Carla Mathis The other day I did a review of The Little Black Book of Style – which I wan’t hugely impressed with. I was asked what books I did think were worth the money, I’ve already done a review of Christopher Hopkins Staging…
After my post on Highlighting Your Assets, some commenters seemed to have trouble working out what their assets are, they’ve spent so long being told about and focussing on their ‘flaws’ but never ‘assets’. I see everything as an asset, and don’t believe in flaws. It’s just that some assets you may want to highlight,…
One of the measurements that is commonly long is the rise measurement – that is the distance from leg break to waist. Some people have a long body, but they are short-waisted and the length is in their rise which is long. 1. If you are proportionally like this, skirts can be your best friends…
One of my lovely readers asked that I post something to help her – she has a small bust but is proportionally long through her decollete and was wondering what she should wear. What’s a long decolletage? Well, it’s a long proportion between the base of your chin and the peak of your bust –…
I love this quote – and yesterday I heard someone on the radio say Architecture is a living being – it reflects the culture and mood of the times. We are not static beings and so our buildings are renovated and change over time. The renovations and changes to buildings relate to…
Body Proportions There are body shapes (X, A, H, I, O, V, 8) which tell us where to add detail and where to use horizontals to balance or draw attention, and where to use verticals to elongate. Then there are body proportions, which tell us where to end hems of sleeves, tops, jackets, skirts and…
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…