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…
Body shapes, body proportions, body variations. These all impact on what your individual figure flattery guidelines will be as each of the body shapes and body proportion guidelines are generic and don’t take into consideration aspects of the other. What Does Body Shape Tell You? Where to put verticals to slim or elongate. Where to…
How to figure out your body type if you have a significant difference from the usual features. For example, I have very, very broad shoulders, a slight waist, medium hips from the front and a protruding bottom. If I do a body calculator, I come out as a pear or a ruler. I am neither.…
So you’ve read the body shape guidelines and thought to yourself “but my body doesn’t really fit into just one shape … I’m more of a mix of a couple of shapes”. Fortunately, you are not unusual and you don’t have to worry that nothing works for you. All you have to do is understand…
People seem to be obsessed with understanding what their body shape is, they feel that if they just knew that then they’d know exactly how to dress, unfortunately, body shape is only 1 element of dressing your body, there are also other considerations, such as body proportions, body variations (ie. big bust, petite, luscious bottom…
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…
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…
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…
Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I were asked to discuss how your body shape may change over your lifetime. We’ve discussed in the past how your colouring may change here. Considering transitions such as pregnancy, menopause and even just weight gain and loss. Will you shape stay the same or change? Body…
Dress Yourself With Kindness With many of us having put on some weight during the past 2 years due to the stress of living through a once in a 100-year pandemic I’ve been getting swathes of emails from women who are dissatisfied with their bodies and feeling “less than” or “not good enough” or somehow…
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…
Defining the X (Hourglass) Shape The X shape body has shoulders and hips relatively the same size, and a defined waist. The widest part of the body is the thighs, not the bottom, when viewed from the front. This is a defining point in distinguishing between the two hourglass body shapes (8 and X) you can…
Discover How to Flatter the Longer Torso Shorter Legs Proportional Body Further, from my general explanation of body proportions, and the other two common body proportions – Long legs, Short Body, and Balanced with a Short Mid-Body, let’s look specifically at some of the common issues for the longer body, shorter leg. You can figure out…
Have you got a high “shelf” like hip? I often think of this as the Barbie Doll body shape – it’s what I call the 8 shape and is one of the two hourglass shapes (the X shape is the other hourglass shape). What you notice with an 8 shape is that there is a…
Following on my series on Body Proportions – today we’re looking at the dressing challenges of those with a shorter body and longer legs. Not sure of your proportions? Then watch the video here on how to measure them. If you have a shorter body and longer legs, you may often have slimmer legs and…
The neckline of your top is important as it really can frame your face. When it’s in harmony the outfit will work so much more, than when it’s in discord with your features. So how to choose a neckline and which are the most flattering necklines for your body and face? Here is my guide…
“Do you think certain body types/faces look better in certain styles of clothes – and what I mean here is either casual, classic, sporty, etc.I have an X shape (hourglass) and with it being spring going into summer here in Canada, everyone wears t-shirts and capris/shorts a lot, but I find I look dumpy/matronly in…
An A shape or Pear shape body has narrower shoulders than hips. If you’re not sure if this is your body shape, why not do my body shape calculator quiz here and then download your free Body Shape Bible which is full of tips on how to dress your shape. If you’re an A (otherwise…
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…
Body image is something that can be a tricky thing to grapple with. It affects many of us, the media and photoshopping don’t help us. And now that even every movie and video clip you see can be digitally edited (bodies changed and slimmed down – I kid you not, I’ve seen a video editor…
In This Video Do different women need more simple outfits and patterns, others more complex outfits and patterns? How does someone with a medium to dark ideal value assemble a warm-weather wardrobe that doesn’t wash them out? What are some guidelines on wearing dresses over pants? Choosing Patterns and Textures T is for…
