Last night, I met a beautiful lady who follows my Personal Style blog. I asked her: What would you like to read about on my style blog? After all, I want to give useful information. She told me: I am older, but I want to look chic. I just don’t know how to style my personal shape anymore. So, for her and any of you out there with this shape, I bring to you my tips for how to style your personal shape.
Personal Style Tips For the Bigger in the Middle Shape
As you age, yes, you have to consider your personal age, but it is not the 100 percent factor when selecting your style or wardrobe—it’s your shape that dictates what will work in your wardrobe. I also think your best personal colors dictate your best clothing, too. If you know your shape and best colors, you are already halfway there to finding a wardrobe that makes you look amazing. (If you need help, of course, consider my consult and Personal Style services!)- This lady I spoke with was a Muted Autumn and a Bigger in the Middle shape. Autumns can style and wear all sorts of warm colors, popular this time of year such as rust, warm red, warm plum, greens, blues, and camel. Their personal best neutrals are camel, brown and cream. Stay clear of white and grey. Magenta and Turquoise are beautiful colors for you to style with as well as mustard yellow.
- When you dress your shape, try these Personal Style tips: Our goal is an hourglass figure. To mimic that, style and slim the more insecure part of your body (your stomach), and fill out the top and the bottom. Remember dark colors slim and light colors make you look larger than you are.
- Avoid large gathers right in the personal stomach area in tops or dresses. Love the neckline on this top.
- Don’t be afraid to wear skirts or dresses to your knees since your shape nearly always has great legs.
- Bigger in the Middle shapes should avoid leggings or very skinny jeans since their legs are slim and most likely shapely. You can wear the wide-leg, print pants, flare jeans in all colors. Lucky you!
- Avoid the low-rise jean Personal Style: High-rise and Mid-rise jeans will flatter you. Wider leg pants are your personal friend! Like the ones here.
- Find some shape-wear that you like and wear it, particularly around your middle.
- Wrap tops and dresses are great. Like this one here.
- Avoid a jewel neckline so you don’t create a box.
- Wear V-neck and Scoop necklines to draw the eye up to your top instead of your middle.
- Try to elongate your middle with a dark top, V-neck, long necklace and even style with a long vest or jacket.
- Princess seaming in the middle with a peplum jacket or vest slims and creates waist (great Personal Style tip). Wear this jacket with a black V-neck top and wider leg pants or this jacket here.
Emphasize your empire waist –smallest part of your waist to create curves—in a top or dress. Something like this.- Make sure your top never stops at the widest part of your middle, and likewise, avoid a style with tunics that completely cover your hips and leggings. This is a very unflattering style for you personally.
- Wear a heel to give you a little height. This is an overall Personal Style go-to for this body shape.
- Also a button-down in a small print, open at the neck is very slimming to the middle. I love Boden’s silk blouses to style with a jean. When you wear this, you can tuck a little of the shirt in the side, but do not tuck the entire shirt into the top of your pants.
- Also avoid capri pants. They hardly ever style well with ladies with your shape.
- Another excellent resource is my former teacher, Lauren Messiah from School of Style.
Keep it sassy, Indy
Beth Divine | AICI Certified Image Consultant and Personal Style
