Clothing

Kiwi by Les Toil

Having trouble finding something to wear?

What should I wear to look stylish?

How many times do you go to your wardrobe and ask this question? For me it is every time I need to get dressed.  Sometimes the answer is just not there for me, how about you?

In an effort to lift my game, I have searched everywhere possible and come up with the following tips that I think will work for most of us apples, pears and bananas and any other body shape and size.

Starting with the basics – Fabric.

Thinner fabrics are more slimming. This statement is self explanatory, Take a look at some pictures of the stick thin models in say a poly/gabardine jacket, a padded jacket and a fur jacket. Even on a slender woman the last two will bulk her out.

Here is the same model in fur, on the left and on the right, in Gaberdine. The slender waist is gone in the left image and she appears more chunky, even though she is very slender. Imagine what this effect would do for a Queen sized woman!

Patterns

• This is one of my biggest gripes at the fashion industry making clothes for women my size. What on earth possesses them to think that large women are going to look wonderful in big, bold florals, horizontal stripes  and retro patterns?  Generally they have the effect of making us look like an overstuffed couch.

  Please stay away from these fabrics.  If we don’t buy them maybe they will get the message.

  If you want to wear a pattern try a small pattern that runs on the diagonal or vertical it is much more flattering to most women with curves. An all over print can camouflage figure problems, but prints here and there can create a fuller you.

  Thicker vertical lines in checks and tartans lengthens and slims. Knitted textures, lace, florals, prints, and tartans can assist in creating an illusion of narrowness if used in the right places

Lines.

• As an artist I have learnt that lines are a great way to draw the eye to a particular part of a painting, as in a horizon line or a water line etc.  This also works in clothing.  If you wear a white top and black pants for example the eye is immediately drawn to the end of the white and the beginning of the black.  Your question in this instance should be, is that where I want people to look first? 

  Don’t get me wrong here, I am not saying you can’t wear two colours. Just be aware of where one colour starts and other stops.  The trick here is that the line also acts to accentuate that area by making it appear wider.  So a white top with a straight bottom that finishes at the widest part of the hip over a pair of black pants, is going to make the hips look wider than they are. This is great if you are an apple shaped lady wanting to create that balance, but not so good if you are pear shaped.

  
  Vertical lines also do the same thing, so a vertical line in clothing is a great way to minimize width, accentuate height and draw the eye away from an area you do not want to stress. They are wonderful things for the petite woman also.
  

  For the bananas amongst us, curvy lines especially ones that curve inwards in the waist area are great for creating that illusion of curves where none may exist

Fit.  

• Please make sure your clothes fit. 

  It is a toss up what looks worse on us big girls, over stretched fabric showing every lump and bump, creating bulges where none should exist with too small clothing, or looking like a marquee on the move in something from rent-a-tent.

  Over sized clothing will make you look so much bigger than you actually are.  I bet there is not one of us that's not guilty of buying something huge and shapeless to try to cover up our size (I know I have), when really all we have done is accentuate it.

• Style.  Here are a few tips on style and how they work on different shapes.

• Clean lines. No matter what your shape or height, if you are a large lady a clean line will work best.  Forget all the frous frous, bows and gewgaws a little can look great as an accent, but you are aiming for clean lines. 

  Gypsy skirts are out unless you are a tall banana or apple. They look great on some people, but for the shorter ones and the hip heavy they will accentuate you worst assets.

  A - line skirts and dresses and fitted straight leg pants are where you want to head. Asymmetrical hemlines are also a great way of shifting the eye from trouble spots.  

• Tops and bottoms of one colour will make you look slimmer. Try a pants or skirt set with the same coloured top as bottom and maybe throw a colourful duster jacket or similar over the top  

• For those of us that have an extra chin or three remember that high collars shorten necks. Try a V neck or a lower cut top under your jacket or over shirt.  Crew, turtle, mandarin and polo necks are not for us.  Remember also a short necklace can shorten your neck.

• As already discussed tight tops with short or no sleeves and breast pockets are detracting from your figure.  Lose the breast pockets. You are aiming for a clean line. Ruffles can also detract rather than add to your look.  If like me you have heavy upper arms try elbow or three quarter  length loose-ish sleeves

• Your body can be shortened,lenghtened, widened and narrowed with seam lines, belts, bows, and collars. Be very careful where and how you use these things.  

• If you want to wear printed or patterned fabrics wear a larger print where you want people to look and smaller print where you do not want them to look. Prints around the neck and over the shoulder can make your shoulders appear wider. Just wear prints near your figure's assets, because they are usually more eye catching than a solid colour.