Although we don’t think about it, balance is key to our life. We hear about work/life balance, boundaries in relationships, balance in science (earth revolves around the sun), etc. Balance is also key to understanding how to dress our shape – in men and women. I will just touch on this subject in this blog. It’s so immense as an Indianapolis Personal Stylist, I can’t even begin to describe everything.
For starters, we all have a scale to us. We are all different sizes: petite, in the middle, tall, extra tall; very slim; slim, and not so slim, and of course more full size. When you consider this, it’s obvious the one-size-fits-all” philosophy does not work. As a personal shopper for clients, it is quite frustrating to see that many stores do not carry sizing for a large number of people that fall outside the “in the middle” sizing. This includes the petite to extremely petite to the larger and taller shapes. I have learned the few stores that accommodate this sizing as well as the rich resources online and in the custom clothing area. By the way, custom clothing is not as extremely expensive as it used to be. I think this industry realizes the vast amount of people who fall outside department sizing and those who want a more eclectic style or perfect fit.
This blog about balance will center on “scale” in prints, textures, and jacket details. As you can imagine, most people fall into the scales of small, medium, and large. For instance, the size of the print should be in scale or proportion with the person. For instance, a very petite woman wearing extremely large prints looks out of proportion, while a curvier woman wearing a very small print looks like something is wrong (like a fine Liberty print). I often discuss this in one of my appointments, and it’s interesting most people have never thought about it; yet they know it when they see it. We’ve all seen someone wearing a huge print – and the person is not tall or robust – and all you can do is see the print. The “garment” wears you.
Details such as jacket collars, belts, buttons, glasses, and jewelry are other places where the scale is key. Have you ever seen someone with a small, petite face wear extremely large glasses (this does not include designer, oversized sunglasses.) All you can do is look at the glasses. Also, a smaller person wearing extremely large jewelry such as earrings and beads – just doesn’t work. On the flip side, a woman who’s tall, robust, etc., wearing extremely tiny jewelry does not look quite right as well.
This bold print would look great on an average to tall woman, but not on a smaller, shorter woman.
This season oversized clothing is going to be popular again. I even mentioned it in a previous blog. My advice: proceed with caution. Don’t let a trend “wear” you. Consider your height, build, and of course your coloring in every outfit selection. If you want to try the trend, just pick one oversized item, maybe a slouchy boot. Then you can feel on trend but not look off-scale.
Do you need to revamp your style or just build a new style in your wardrobe, reach out to get in contact with an Indianapolis Personal Stylist.
Keep it sassy, Indy.
Beth Divine, MA, AICI-CIC,
Indianapolis Personal Stylist and Image Consultant
