How do I dress for my body shape? is one of the most Googled questions around personal style for women. In fact, I’ve got many of the answers here on Inside Out Style if you want to find out – take my free body shape calculator quiz and download your body shape bible for the…
As I’ve discussed before when deciding upon your body shape, the waist is one of the three key defining points (along with shoulders and hips being the other two defining points – not bust!). If you are looking at your body shape and deciding whether or not you have a defined waist, measurements can give…
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…
Sleeves please – I’m a H/O shape, and always wonder if I should have my sleeves shortened as a full sleeve makes me look bigger. The shape of the sleeve that you wear can make you look larger or smaller, depending on where it ends (watch this video for tips on that topic) and also…
Reader Question: I wonder if it’s possible to find a single bridesmaid dress that will work for a group of women? When it comes to selecting the perfect bridesmaid dress, the process can be both exciting and daunting. Every individual has a unique body shape, and finding a dress that flatters each bridesmaid is essential…
One of my Southern Hemisphere readers asked me to do a post on key trends for Autumn/Winter 2010, so after looking at plenty of magazines and forecasts these are the key looks I’ve noticed that I think will be an integral part of the fashions these coming months. Leather – whether it’s in an over…
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…
Today I have a couple of examples of A body shapes for you. You will notice that they can be more or less obvious, but that the low hip is where the widest point is (rather than the high hip of the 8 shape). Their shoulders are narrower than their hips (shoulders are taken from…
Your Questions Answered in this video: 0.15 Why do all my waistbands roll down? What can I do about it? 5.10 Can you chat about Uniform dressing? I’m thinking it could be useful 12.04 How can I tell if a shoulder seam needs to be right on the shoulders or dropped? Fit Issues How…
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…
A client once told me she’d been typed as a “Romantic Ingénue.” The words sounded beautiful – delicate, feminine, soft – but she didn’t recognise herself in them. She was warm, confident, decisive, and loved clean lines. The label had left her more puzzled than empowered. That conversation reminded me how easily systems like Kitchener’s…
Unleashing Your Inner Style Maven As women age, our relationship with style can evolve. While some embrace their newfound confidence and sartorial freedom, others may find themselves feeling lost or unsure of how to express themselves through their wardrobe. Do you feel that you’re stuck in a style rut and are not sure how to…
I’ve been asked recently to chat more about how to identify the undertone of colours… Look at the Colour Wheel Overtone vs Undertone The overtone is the overt colour you see – we label warm overtone colours (yellow, orange, red, pink) as warm because they remind us of things that are warm such as…
One of the comments left on a post the other day was this: jinnan-tonnyx said… Can you explain more about why trousers pull across the crotch on X shapes? I am an X and whenever I buy a new pair of pants my husband always says they don’t fit right – and I tell him,…
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…
There is not just one kind of V neck. There are narrow ones and wide ones, deep ones and shallow ones. Saying “wear a V neck” doesn’t really tell you that much about how flattering the V neck will be on you. Here is my quick guide to choosing the most flattering V neckline for…
It’s been a few years since I shared about my breast reduction surgery (in fact many who are newer to the blog won’t realise that I ever had this surgery back in 2014), and I was asked by a long-time reader who is thinking about going through the process to share an update! For me,…
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…
What are the keys to creating flattering outfits for the A body shape? The A shape has narrower shoulders than hips with a defined waist and is often described as a pear shape body. If you want all the details grab your Body Shape Bible here. The widest part of the hip is at the…
Reader Question: “Where is the best place for a V-shape body to wear brooches? I’m especially interested in areas in the portrait since the brooch can help with both value contrast and colour contrast.” Most women when getting dressed focus on the body parts they like least. This is completely the wrong way of going…
Need to find some new ways to wear a large rectangular pashmina shawl over your evening dress? When travelling if you want to add some variety and interest to your outfits pashmina style shawls are a great way of adding colour (and warmth) over your evening wear. Taking 2 or 3 scarves can make your…
