What is Your Body Shape?

Do you want the knowledge to know what to do to be stylish and confident no matter where you are or who you are with? Looking good gives you great self-confidence; it changes your entire attitude towards life. Perception is everything and the visual impression that we make on others takes only a matter of seconds. Our appearance communicates if we are credible, trustworthy, likeable, intelligent and friendly.

If you think you have a less than perfect figure, you are not alone. You're in the majority. There are six horizontal body shape categoties used by professional image consultants. These categories give us a one-dimensional view of our bodies, as though they were flat paper dolls.

The basic horizontal body types are: Hourglass, Triangle, Inverted Triangle, Rectangle, Diamond and Oval. Each of these shapes have a different set of rules that are applied to bring the body into balance and create a positive visual impression.

You have an Hourglass shape if your bust and hip measurements are similar and your waist is about 10 inches smaler. Your challenge is to dress your curves while finding fashions that fit and accentuate your waistline.

Inverted Triangles are upside down triangles who are wider throught the shoulders and sometimes the bust and narrower at the waistline and hips. This body shape is likely to buy seperates and coordinates from shops which allow you to mix and match smaller skirts and pants with larger size jackets to accommodate shoulders and/or bust comfortably.

The Triangle shape is the most common shape for women. This is when the upper part of your body is smaller than the lower half. The overall guideline for Triangles to remember is to create the illusion of more width in the upper half of the body to balance the width of your lower half.

The Rectangular body has little or no waistline definition and this body type is often short waisted. Legs and arms of a rectangle are usually slender and thighs are average. The key is to provide the illusion of a defined waistline.

A Diamond shaped body has a waistline that is larger than either the bust or hips. The major concern of ladies with this shape is how to disguise the tummy area.

The Oval body shape can be literally described as an apple shape. This is the shape that tends to concentrate weight in the middle area. It differs from the diamond shape in that the bust is quite prominent.

Well dressed, well groomed, polished individuals are routinely awarded better salaries, win top jobs, are promoted and win the approval of their peers. What message are you giving others the first time they meet you? Dressing your body shape will project a sharper message of quality, respnsibility and success.

Go out and enjoy this beautiful day with confidence in how you look and who you are.

Joyfully,
Chris

Closet Capsules

Capsule dressing is a concept - not a diet pill. Capsule dressing consists of building groups of 10-20 related pieces of clothing that can be worn in a number of combinations. There isn't a specific formula for capsule dressing but there are guidelines. Here are a few:

1. Solid colors will mix easier than patterns.
2. Select classic pieces that won't look out of style next year.
3. Select year round fabrics such as lightweight wool gabardine, georgette, rayon-blend gabardine, crepe, silk, cotton blends, fine-wale corduroy and denim.
4. No two items should be of the same style.
5. Each piece should work with three other pieces in the capsule.
6. Each item should be your most flattering colors and styles.
7. If you are mixing solids, they need to be purchased at the same time from the same manufacturer.
8. The pieces need to reflect your personality wether you are classic, dramatic, sporty, elegant, creative, romantic, or alluring.

Believe it or not - your closet could contain 20 pieces (known as your foundation) and that would be all you need. How many of us only have 20 pieces of clothing in our closet? The goal with a closet capsule is to have less clothing and more to wear. Your lifestyle, the climate where you live, your body type and personality will determine the look of your foundation. Here is a basic foundation for a woman working and/or volunteering outside her home:

One three piece suit that includes a jacket, pant and skirt
One white blouse
One dress
One novelty jacket - meaning it could be worn over the dress, with the suit pants/skirt and with jeans
One novelty pair of pants - works with most tops, the novelty jacket and suit jacket
Four - Six basic tops/blouses depending on your personal preference and body type.
One pair of dressy jeans
Four pairs of shoes - depending on your personal preference - make it a variety from flats to heels. One of the shoes should be a basic pump.
Two high quality handbags - depending on your position, one could be a briefcase.

If all of this seems too overwhelming for you to do alone - call an Image Consultant. We love going into closets. My next blog will focus on clearing out your closet of all those items that should no longer be there - to make room for your foundation pieces.

Until then, enjoy your day.
Joyfully,
Chris