week 1: dress to flatter your shape - style makeover hq 1: dress to flatter your shape ......

Week 1: Dress to Flatter your Shape

OVERVIEW For most of us developing and creating our own unique, flattering and pleasing style is not

an innate skill. However, as with any skill, it is something that can be learned.

What’s needed to help you on your style journey is to:

Learn more about you: your proportions, your colouring, your personality, and

Learn more about clothes: where to find them, what’s contemporary, how to style

clothes into outfits. It’s also good to get into the habit of editing your wardrobe

regularly to keep your style in great shape.

To make this an easier process I’ve identified what I call the six steps to savvy style. These

are:

1. Understanding your shape and how to dress to flatter your shape (Weeks 1 & 2)

2. Expressing your personality and personal values in what you wear (we won’t

explicitly be looking at personality in this program, although I ask you to notice and

note when your personal preferences come to your attention)

3. Understanding and wearing your best colours (although you won’t be learning your

specific colouring in this program, you will be learning about aspects of colouring

from a shape perspective that will help you wear colour better)

4. Assessing your grooming (Week 3)

5. Editing and planning your wardrobe (Weeks 3 & 4)

6. Strategic shopping (Week 4)

Grooming is a fundamental and ongoing aspect of style and the easiest to fix.

Understanding your style criteria (1. shape, 2. colours, and 4. personality) are essential to

consistently creating great style. Your style criteria can change over time, but will usually

remain constant (when you’ve worked it out) for years at a time, at least until a significant

change occurs.

(Changes that might trigger a re-assessment of a style criteria could include:

a major lifestyle change which may mean you want to change how you reflect your

personality eg moving from a city to the country, changing jobs, retiring from paid work

a change in your hair colour;

a change in your shape such as after child birth, with significant weight changes, or after

illness)

Style steps 5 and 6 are where you apply your style criteria and create the inspirational

wardrobe that takes you everywhere you need and want to go! Depending on your lifestyle,

you should aim to work on these steps at least twice every year (ie at the major change of

fashion seasons, when temperatures are about to change from cool to warm and vice

Week 1: Dress to Flatter Your Shape

© Style Makeover HQ Pilot Online Style Makeover Program 2

versa). If you are retired and have a minimalist approach to your wardrobe you may only

need to do this twice every two years.

It may be helpful for you to see an example of a mix-and-match wardrobe,

also called a capsule wardrobe, at this stage. Take a look at this article on

my website where I share my summer travel wardrobe from a trip in 2015.

So, let’s get started! This week you’ll start to learn about one of the three main style criteria,

that is dressing to flatter your shape. Firstly, we’re going to make sure you have an objective

view of your shape.

Part 1: Assess Your Body Shape Why is understanding your body shape so important to creating personal style?

It’s all about creating flattering silhouettes and proportions in your outfits. So it’s a great

place to start!

We’re super-critical of our own bodies, so it can be challenging to assess our shape

objectively. And sometimes you may feel you fit into more than one category on a particular

dimension. However, I would like you to try to assess yourself. Then send your assessment

to me to validate (this part is optional, but highly recommended).

Instructions Follow the steps below to assess your proportions…

Wear good-fitting underwear and close fitting clothing, such as leggings and a slim fitting

tee-shirt that allows you to see your silhouette. Do make sure that your underwear and

clothing aren’t creating any additional lumps and bumps, especially at your waist!

If you’d like a printed form to record your assessment DOWNLOAD & PRINT: Your body

assessment worksheet (otherwise just enter it into the online form provided in the

homework below)

Step 1: Assess your horizontal shape

This is the body proportion that you’ll be most familiar with. The ‘ideal’ horizontal shape is

the hourglass figure. Horizontal shape is important for understanding your best clothing

silhouettes and placement of garment design lines.

http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/travel-wardrobe.html

http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/support-files/bodyassessmentworksheet.pdf

http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/support-files/bodyassessmentworksheet.pdf



Find a weighted string that’s at least as

long as your torso, for example, a beaded

necklace (see picture to left) that undoes to

hang straight, or a plumb line, or a string with a

small weight tied to the end

Wearing your form fitting clothes (see

description above) stand in front of a full length

mirror

Locate the edge of your shoulder joint (it

may be easiest to use the crease under your

armpit to locate this point). If your bust is wider

than your shoulder point, use the edge of your

bust instead of your shoulder joint.

Place the unweighted end of the

weighted string at the outer edge of your

shoulder joint and note where the string falls in

relation to your hips…

If your shoulders and hips are about the same

width

Your horizontal shape is hourglass,

rectangle, or one of the apple shapes (oval or diamond)

o You have an hourglass shape if you have a well-defined waist ie your waist is

at least 47cm (18.5”) less than your full bust and low hip circumferences

o If your waist is not well defined (as in the picture on the left), or is the same

width as your bust and hips then you have a rectangle shape

o If your stomach protrudes beyond your bust, and/or is wider than your bust

or hips, and hangs as an apron at your hips, then you have an oval shape

o If your stomach protrudes beyond your bust, and/or is wider than your bust

or hips, and you have a full high stomach that starts just under your bust-line,

then you have a diamond shape

If your shoulders are wider than your hips

Your horizontal shape is inverted-triangle

If your shoulders are narrower than your hips

Your horizontal shape is triangle (also referred to as a pear shape)

Step 2: Assess your vertical shape

This is where the fullest part of your bottom falls relative to the top of your head and the

bottom of your toes. Vertical shape is important for working out your best lengths for tops

and bottoms.

Use a weighted string to compare shoulder and hip width -- here they are the same width



The easiest way to assess this is by bending your arm at the elbow, and seeing where your

elbow is relative to your waist. Your waist is often higher than you’d think! Your waist is at

the bottom of your ribcage – bend to the side and see where you bend to locate it. (See

pictures below.)

Use waist position to identify your vertical shape

Step 3: Assess your face shape

Your face shape is important for identifying your best shapes for hairstyles, glasses, hats,

earrings and (to a lesser extent) makeup.

Use this article on my website to try and identify your face shape. However, don’t spend too

long on this. The main things to identify are how long your face is relative to its width,

where its widest, and whether your jawline is more rounded or more square.

Halle Berry's face shape is oval; my face is oblong; Kirsten Dunst has a round face shape

The shapes are:

http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/face-shape.html



Oblong (the most common face shape) – obviously longer than wide + rounded

jawline

Rectangle – obviously longer than wide + square jawline

Oval (the ‘ideal’ face shape – the shape to balance to) – a little longer than wide,

inverted egg-shape

Triangle – a little longer than wide, wider at jawline

Pear (a rounder version of Triangle)

Inverted Triangle – a little longer than wide, wider at forehead

Heart (Inverted Triangle with a widow’s peak)

Diamond – a little longer than wide, narrow forehead, wide cheekbones, narrow

pointed chin

Round – almost as long as wide, with full cheeks

Square – almost as long as wide, with a square jawline

Step 4: Assess your other proportions

Height Short Medium Short Medium Medium Tall Tall

162.4cm and under 162.5cm to 167cm 167.1cm to 174.5cm 174.6cm to 179.95cm 180cm and taller

5’3¾” and under 5’4”to 5’5¾” 5’5” to 5’8¾” 5’8” to 5’10¾” 5’11” and taller

Weight Moderately Underweight Slightly Underweight Normal Slightly Overweight Moderately Overweight Substantially Overweight

This is not based on the BMI. It’s a subjective measure of how you look

Bra Cup Size A, B, C, D, E+, DD

Neck Length Short Medium Short Medium Medium Long Long

Select what you think and I’ll verify.

Neck Thickness

Very Thin Average Thick or Double Chin

If your neck is much narrower than your head If in doubt select ‘average’ Neck width similar to width of head or you have a double chin, or no defined chin

Bone Structure

Small Medium Large

Gently wrap your thumb and middle finger around the wrist of the hand you write with: Your thumb and middle finger easily pass each other Your thumb and middle finger just touch There is a gap between your thumb and middle finger



Shoulders Sloped Tapered Square

Very sloped from base of neck to edge of shoulder Slightly sloped from base of neck to edge of shoulder Square with little or no slope (swimmers shoulders)

Step 5: Identify any figure challenges

Only select the prominent features that truly apply to you. For every feature you select you

will lose clothing options.

Very Thin Arms Usually associated with very thin body (prefer to keep covered)

Heavy Arms Full fleshy upper arms (usually prefer to keep covered)

Aged Arms Your upper arms have lost their tone and are ‘crepey’ (usually prefer to keep covered)

Sway Back A definite curve in the lower spine causing straight skirts to have a roll of excess fabric below the waistband in the back.

Large Bottom A bottom that is out of proportion to the rest of your body. Straight skirts can be difficult to fit. Your hemlines often rise up at the back. Tops get caught up on your bottom

Flat Bottom You have the appearance of being almost bottomless. Your pants and skirts are often baggy in the back around your bottom and down the back of the leg. The Hem of your skirts and dresses may hang lower in the back.

Bowed Legs Your legs bow outwards anywhere from ankles to thighs and there’s a rounded gap between your legs where they bow.

Thin Legs Legs that are very thin, especially at the ankles

Heavy Lower Legs Legs that are very heavy or thick in the region of the calves and/or ankles. Also select this if your legs are severely marked eg varicose veins, and you prefer to keep them covered.

Saddle Bags Thighs that are very full and wide, dimpled at the top and have the appearance of jodhpurs.

Thick Outer Thighs Thighs that are very full and at the outside edges are substantially wider than the widest part of your hip line.

Thick Inner Thighs Your thighs rub together when you walk.

Large Midriff A large roll at the midriff that makes tucked-in tops and fitted tight garments unflattering.

Large Stomach A full stomach that protrudes in front and causes the hemline of dresses and shirts to rise up in the front.

Dowager’s Hump Select this if you have a head-forward position, with a very rounded shoulder line.



Part 1 Homework: 1. If you haven’t already done so, join our private Facebook group.

2. Enter your self assessment in this form

3. (Optional, but recommended) Send photos to me so I can review your assessment.

DOWNLOAD instructions for taking body shape photos. Either:

a. Post your photos on our Facebook group, or

b. Email your photos and measurements to me at [email protected]

(please note I can only accept emails that are less than about 2M, so if the

photos are large send them in separate emails. If I don’t respond to you

within 1 day it’s most likely because your email was too large so I didn’t

receive it).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/stylemakeover/

http://goo.gl/forms/MrNj0ObNmcEuS3Jw2

http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/support-files/onlinebodyshapephotoinstructions.pdf


mailto:[email protected]



PART 2: Assess your clothes & accessories Having completed Part 1 you have now objectively identified your body proportions and

(ideally) had them confirmed by me (please do wait for my confirmation, if you requested

it).

Now you’re going to discover the style elements that work for all of your body proportions

(your style ‘rules’), by creating your own personalized online style portfolio (using the My

Private Stylist program).

In this lesson you’ll explore your style recommendations (in your MPS program), learn how

to use them, and start using them to assess clothes and accessories in your wardrobe.

We’re not talking about complete outfits just yet, but rather individual

clothing items and accessories.

Part 2a: Get familiar with your style ‘rules’

Step 1: Create your MPS profile

When you’ve received your license key (I’ll email it to you when you when I’ve confirmed

your assessment, or when you’ve told me you’ve completed your assessment) you can get

started with this module.

Use the login details in the email I send you to create your MPS account. Remember

to enter your license key number. The cost of this program is included in this style

makeover program DO NOT PAY FOR IT AGAIN!



You can change your contact details and password whenever you need to

Enter your body proportions (identified in Part 1) to complete your MPS profile

The MPS program will now contain style element guidelines that take account of all

your body proportions.

Over time if you need to change your profile eg if your weight changes, or

you move from one age bracket to another, you can update your profile

twice for no extra charge. After that there is a small charge to make

changes.



Step 2: Explore your MPS

Spend 15 minutes or so familiarising yourself with your MPS program:

For a quick tour of MPS click ‘Tutorials’ and watch the short MPS video on this page

titled ‘Program Features and Functionality’

Explore your style recommendations within the garment menus of your MPS

program (make sure you’re logged in so you see your recommendations). Click on

the various menus and become familiar with the areas of the program.

NOTE: if you’d like a printed version of the pictures you can purchase a

printed Style Guide in the MPS store. You can take this Style Guide with you

when you shop.

Simply mark the Style Guide with your style recommendations (from your

MPS). This is also an excellent way to learn your style ‘rules’.

http://style-makeover-hq.myprivatestylist.com/video-tutorials/



Part 2b: Start assessing items in your wardrobe

Step 1: Select garment

Select a clothing item from your wardrobe, for example, something you love and

wear all the time

Step 2: Assess garment

Start at the top of the garment and work down using your MPS to check:

External design lines

The silhouette DESIGN & COLOUR > Garment Silhouette For SKIRTS and DRESSES > Basic Shapes For PANTS > Pant Width For all other items look at each of the outer style elements in the drop down menu for the item

The length [Garment Type] eg Tops > Length

Internal design lines

Patterns: scale, type, placement

DESIGN & COLOUR > Pattern Scale, Pattern Type, Pattern Placement Also check where the pattern falls on your body. Is it drawing attention to an area you don’t want to draw attention to? Is there a light colour in the pattern over an area you don’t want to draw attention to, or to appear larger? It’s surprising how many women forget to check this detail!

Pocket placement [Garment Type] > Pockets

Borders and other embellishments

Do they form a horizontal line across your widest point? Do they form a horizontal line across your narrowest point? What do embellishments draw attention to? Make sure borders and embellishments are flattering and balancing, rather than emphasising an area you don’t want to emphasise!

Colour changes Where ever there is a change of colour within a garment or an outfit it draws attention, so make sure it falls in over an area you want to draw attention to.

Seams Seams within the silhouette of a garment can also form distracting or enhancing design lines. Seams where the thread is in a contrasting colour to the garment are particularly obvious. So check the orientation and placement of seams and where they fall on your body.



Initially this step may seem like a lot of work. However, eventually (as you

understand what to look for) it will become second nature.

We’ll go over an example in the Week 1 Video.

EXAMPLE OF A STYLE MISTAKE:

You may notice that you’ve fallen into the habit of buying one or two types of designs that

aren’t the most flattering on your shape.

For instance, I find that many of my clients who have a triangle body shape buy

skirts with a border pattern, like the one pictured to the left. This design element

will emphasize her hips, making her look shorter and wider.

We’ll look at strategies for creating balance in the next lesson. There may also be a

way to style this skirt to make it work (so don’t get rid of it yet!). However, this

particular design element will always be more challenging for the woman with a triangle

shape.

What if an item doesn’t pass your assessment for all its style elements?

DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY JUST YET! Unless it’s worn out (baggy,

saggy, holey, or pilled all over), or too small.

When you buy clothes' off-the-rack' it is unlikely that you will find garments that are perfect

for you from head to toe. This is to be expected and will cause you to make compromises.

There are two areas that you should not compromise on:

1. The area that falls within the Vital 'V' (the tip of your shoulders to the midpoint

between your breasts), this area is commonly within an onlooker’s line of vision

2. The 'length' of your garments. Where garments end is often an area of colour

contrast which attracts attention.

Ensure these two areas are perfect for you (or that they can be altered to be perfect, either

with an alteration, or with how you style it), and then decide if you can compromise on any

style elements that fall in the ‘Avoid’ category.

DO ASK questions (with photos) in our Facebook group.

PART 2 HOMEWORK: Assess garments and share Now select a few more garments and/or accessories and assess each of them. For example,

select:

An item you’re not sure of

An item you don’t like

An item you’ve never worn (it may still have the swing tag on it), or rarely wear




Go to our private Facebook group and share photos (preferably of you wearing each item, a

selfie of you in your full length mirror is fine) along with your assessments and whether or

not you like the item (regardless of whether the style suits you). Include the item you love

and wear all the time.

NOTE: Just because something suits your shape it doesn’t mean the

colouring is good for you, or that you actually like the item. However, at

the moment we’re just assessing whether items flatter your shape. We’ll

look at other factors later in this program.

NEXT WEEK… Next week we’ll continue dressing to flatter your shape:

You’ll learn some simple tricks of illusion borrowed, from art, to help you create

flattering proportions within your outfits.

I’ll introduce you to some simple outfit strategies that make use of colour to

create flattering shapes.

You’ll start creating flattering outfits using clothes and accessories already in

your wardrobe


week 1: dress to flatter your shape - style makeover hq 1: dress to flatter your shape ......

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