Body Shapes and What to Wear | Proportions

I love getting a chance to reconnect with a young friend. (I’ve stopped using the expression “old” friend because none of my friends are old). Stephanie and I have known each other since middle school, went to the same college, and later ended up back home, reconnecting through a nonprofit where we both served as president.

Oh, and we both have amazing husbands and two beautiful daughters.

Stephanie has also been a client for years, and I’ve loved helping her revamp her wardrobe and flatter her shape for her busy life, with a career in medical sales, two teen daughters, and weekends filled with running and social events.

Stephanie is a Style Dial Orange with a beautiful, defined waist and a Deep Color Code. She is 5’3″.

Today, we decided to take Stephanie’s vertical measurements for her Fashion Fit Formula.

The Fashion Fit Formula is the only tool that uses an exact mathematical algorithm to give you your best fit in clothing. And those numbers never change.

Learn more in today’s video!

There are 9 balance points (specific to each woman) in the Fashion Fit Formula. They include:

1. Best necklace/neckline point: This is adjusted to find the best spot for you. Mine, for example, is 1.5″ above my breastbone.
2. Short sleeve length point: This is critical not just to flattering your arms, but to your bustline as well, and to an overall slimming effect. Mine is 2: above the elbow.
3. 3/4 sleeve length point: This sleeve length is important for overall slimming as well as highlighting or downplaying your waist and hip area.
4. Waist point: The waist point is where items like waist-length or cropped tops and jackets should end. This is the only measurement that you might want to tweak or adjust based on the amount of space your bust takes up on the front of your body. (If you don’t have a full bust, you can use the measurement as it is).
5. Hip point: This is the best length for your hip length jackets, tunics, and longer shirts. This usually ends somewhere above or below the leg torso point.
6. Middle Knuckle point: Using the middle knuckle of your middle finger, we give you the best point for long tunics, boyfriend blazers, and shorter shorts and skirts.
7. Mid-Knee point: This measurement determines the best length for 3/4 length coats and jackets, Bermuda shorts, and shorter skirts.
8. Mid-Knee to floor point: This provides the best length for classic (street) length dresses, skirts, and coats.
9. Ankle to Floor point: This gives us the best lengths for midi dresses and skirts, long coats, and cropped pants.

Each of these numbers is specific to you, and accurate to an 1/8″. And like I said, they never change.

General Flattery Principles Illustrated in This Video:

Here are some strategies that I illustrated on Stephanie that can help you work with your own wardrobe to make it more flattering.

• The most flattering sleeve is a slanted one, with the outside of the sleeve being shorter than the inside of the sleeve. This creates a diagonal line that flatters the bust and torso.
• As a Style Dial Orange, sometimes referred to as a pear, you might find that white bottoms are not your friend. The best way to wear white pants/jeans/shorts as a Style Dial Orange is to pair them with a white top. Then the outfit is monochromatic and much more flattering, because the emphasis isn’t on the hips.
• Clothes that are too big make you look bigger.
• Pattern placement and size are important keys to flattery. Keep the scale of the pattern in proportion to your body’s scale. You can see this principle at work HERE.
• Building out the shoulder and adding shape and dimension there will help the hips look more proportional.

What did you think of this video with Stephanie? Did you find the illustrations helpful, and which will you use in your own wardrobe? Let me know in the comments! Click here to get your own Fashion Fit Formula.