So currently, I'm Assistant Stage Managing the show "Big River" at Sundance, and as much as I LOVE wearing black, I've pretty much worn every piece of black clothing I have the past month. In attempt to not ruin all of my black clothes, I bought a $30 blazer that I wear black t-shirts with for each show. Every night feels like a struggle balancing looking professional and being comfortable. TODAY, I was sitting back stage, in 51 degree humid weather, FREEZING COLD, wishing I had worn one of my trench coats, instead of my cute blazer!
Then I got to thinking... How often do we sacrifice style/appropriate dress for practicality/comfort, or vise versa? AND, is there ever a need for it? I don't think so. Why do we throw on sweat pants to go to work? Naturally because they are comfortable. There's no way it's because sweat pants are appropriate work attire (unless you're a personal trainer, and even THEN there are nicer workout clothes than sweat pants :) OR why do we throw on a big sweater on a cold day? To be warm, regardless of fit, it's what we have so we wear it, right?
I really think it all comes down to what we buy, and if we are buying the right clothes for our bodies in the first place. If we shop smart, we will never have to compromise style for comfort because, clothes that fit our bodies well, look good! If we are buying the right things, we shouldn't feel uncomfortable in our clothes EVER! Granted, some days we are "feeling" some outfits more than others, but choosing an outfit should never come down to a piece of clothing being too tight in some areas, or hanging off our bodies in others.
SO what is the first step in learning how to shop for our bodies? Knowing our body type/shape! Once we know what shape we are, we can buy the clothes that will compliment our bodies the best (and also provide us the most comfort!) OR at least we can know how to style our clothes better on our bodies!
There are tons of calculators online, that will accurately help you determine what your shape is! If you have access to a tape measure this site is GREAT! CALCULATE YOUR SHAPE! However, if measuring yourself is too much effort... (which i understand) this picture should help give a general idea of the four most common body shapes.
Its important to find clothes that fit the most shapely parts of our bodies comfortably, even if it means tailoring the other parts to fit us better. For example, sometimes I have to have the waistband taken in, in pants, because the pants fit my hips well but are too big for my waist. Also be aware not drawing attention to the parts of your body that aren't your favorite, and to make the focus be on the parts that you like the best! Again sometimes, like other ladies, I'd rather not draw attention to my hips, SO I'll wear a colorful shirt and darker pants. Seems like common sense doesn't it? It's actually something that takes a little while to learn... especially when dressing yourself!
BUT all in good time... lets just learn our body shape for now... even if you already know it, putting a name to the shape will help you remember in future shopping extravaganzas!
NOW, if I can just remember to wear a trench tomorrow...
Growing up in North Carolina, I was completely unaware of the fact that clothes, were not merely warn to cover our bodies. I had no real concept of how CLOTHES or the way we DRESS actually affect how we ACT, and FEEL about ourselves. Since then, I have been lucky enough to travel all around California working for Ralph Lauren and BCBG helping all types of people, regardless of demographic, body type, age, coloring, and interests, look and feel good in the styles and clothes that best match their body type for numerous events!
In my experience, I've noticed that, MOST people know when clothes aren't flattering on them. So WHY then, do we continually make poor choices in the morning when getting ready for our day? Is it just habit? Or, does it really come down to not knowing WHAT actually looks GOOD on our bodies, or how to STYLE the clothes that could look good? Luckily the SIMPLEST things make the biggest difference, and after years of people asking me for "fashion" advice, I've decided it's time to tell you all the truth... Looking "fashionable" has less to do with WHAT you specifically wear, and MORE to do with HOW you wear it (OR how it fits on your body)! Surprised?
It's not a coincidence that when someone appears to be "in Style"their clothes are actually fitting their bodies properly. Just like anything that one wants to excel in, some sort of education is needed in order to dress ones body appropriately and well! Understanding what things like pleats, darts, and stripes actually do to, or for a body, are some of the most basic and most important principles to learn in order to always be a successful shopper and stylist for ones self.
All of my favorite memories from Ralph Lauren are centered around seeing the physical and emotional changes in people; as I was able to help them find and style clothes that were the most flattering on them! Bottom line, by dressing for our body types, we will have more confidence and be able to be happier with ourselves.
If nothing else, just remember, NO ONE looks good in EVERYTHING; and EVERY body type has to WORK to find the clothes that fit them the best!
