I was asked the other day by a reader where are the defining points to figure out body shape. How to Define Your Body Shape Is it bust, waist and hips, shoulders waist and hips and where are the hips defined from – the thigh or up on the buttock area? For me (and I’m sure there…
Imogen, Do you have any advice on styling a man-tailored shirt with jeans? Especially for us short waisted types, even shaped shirts can look sloppy and boxy. I’ve tried belting them but I don’t really know how to do it so that it looks good. I don’t want to give up , because I love…
By Ms MakeItOver Bernadette Lis How many times have you stared into a store dressing room mirror and said to yourself, “This fits pretty well. The shirt is a little boxy, but that’s the fashion right now.” Alternatively, you’ve also thought, “This dress fits well. I don’t really like the short sleeves that long and…
There is no one route to style. You cannot become instantly stylish just from understanding your body shape (sorry Trinny and Susannah, it’s just not that simple). There is, what I call, the Style Puzzle, a group of elements when they all go together define your personal style. These puzzle pieces are just the start…
I’ve finally got into the Mad Men rage, it’s not big here in Australia but as Deja Pseu and others have all talked about it being a great show, I decided to get it on DVD and watch – I’m now up to Series 3 and loving it! Recently I was emailed by a reader…
When I wrote about wearing larger scale necklaces to distract from a big bust, I had some comments asking how did I choose the necklace to wear. So to start with today – I will show you a few choices I make and why I do so. There is a concept called Relate Shapes…
Hello Imogen. I very love your blog articles, great thanks for them! I have too long neck, so I am looking for advice on what to wear accessory wise with a long neck. I know, that higher necklines are great, but I am not sure about earrings design. Please, would you so kindly, can you…
So finally to our Real Life O body shape. When I was looking at these photos I got out my Trinny and Susannah The Body Shape Bibleto see how they had photographed, and I noticed that their models didn’t have bras on! As I’ve repeatedly said, a well fitting bra can give you the illusion…
I love a statement necklace. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you’ll generally see me wearing a statement necklace of some kind. Why do I love them so much? Well our love affair started when I learned that a large scale (statement) necklace will make your bust appear smaller. And…
I was lucky enough to spend the day yesterday with Jan Fisher, AICI FLC a New Zealand based image consultant who you have met before here and here with her ideas for dressing women of a certain age. We went out for lunch and dropped into a local boutique and discovered this great necklace, which…
Today I am answering a question about how to incorporate feminine elements to a classy outfit. When we think about classic style, we’re talking about conservative and traditional items of clothing. Classic style comes from traditional men’s businesswear. It’s all about the Yang – smooth, crisp, straight and structured elements. A straight vertical line, opaque fabrics…
Active wear design is something that you may not have thought a lot about whether or not it’s something that is going to create harmony with your body or not. So what should you consider when choosing your active wear tops? There are some fairly common colour blocking options that you’ll find on a lot…
Here we have one version of a V body shape (inverted triangle) body. You will notice that her shoulders are broader than hips, but there is not a lot of curve through the body either. Some Vs are significantly wider than their hips, others are just a bit wider (like this example). How to dress…
This is the shape of models, very slim, which many would call boyish. Here are some ways to flatter your I shape body 1.For many, you may wish to add some curve to your body, to make it look more feminine. To do this, think about adding detail where the feminine normally curves – so…
Welcome to my weekly round-up of my Style Q&A videos that I publish each weekday on my Inside Out Style Facebook page (please join me there and leave me questions to answer in upcoming videos. In this Video: Is there a typical transition path to one’s style as you age through the decades? How do…
One of the big trends I’ve noticed both in fashion shows and online is the belted blazer. When I was at a Melbourne Fashion Week show, many of the ‘hot young things’ were wearing belted blazers, most commonly in a check pattern tweed fabric. So, should you invest in a belted blazer? Is The Belted…
Recently (well in Australia anyway, they could have been out for years in the rest of the world for all I know), new shapewear tanks have come onto the market and I am in LOVE! I often layer a tank underneath a V or a deep U neck so that I don’t scare the world…
How the sleeve is cut and fits into a top or jacket can change the way a garment appears on your body. If you have a deeper, lower cut armhole, this will add some bulk to your chest region, so is great for women with narrower shoulders (A shapes) or smaller busts who would like…
Deja Pseu of Une Femme d’un Certain Age asked for help. She is petite, and in her words: “I think the biggest issue is dressing my 5’1″ body, especially finding petite (short) styles that work for my shape and are flattering. I have broad shoulders, big bust (34DD) short-waisted. Currently size 10 US/14UK. I’ve settled…
Balance is the concept of visual equilibrium. When we talk about dressing for your body shape and body proportions, what we are trying to do create visual balance. There are 4 main principles of co-ordination that influences how you achieve balance with your outfits. These are: Levels of Refinement Principle of Volume Related Shapes Related Lines When…
Reader Kanerou asks: Do you have any plans to do an entry on dressing for plus-sized Xs? I have a couple pairs of black cargo pants which I dearly like, but I’m not sure how to dress up top, now that my waist isn’t so slim and my bust is even more of a bother…
