Vertical lines move your eye from one area to the next. You can add them to any outfit through accessories.
Any opportunity to adorn oneself is human, and accessories is an easy way to do it. Marc Jacobs
In my post Vertical Lines Can Be A Foe, I said they:
- Draw your eye up and down
- Elongate your appearance
- Cut your body vertically, creating a slimmer appearance
You might think “I want to appear taller and slimmer.” The real question is “Where do I want to appear taller and slimmer?”
In this post you will learn:
- The body elements that give you clues about where you want to appear taller and slimmer
- How accessories create vertical lines
- How to evaluate your accessories to determine if vertical line placement is right for you
Vertical Lines -- Body Elements
The body elements that give you clues to vertical line placement are:
- Body Shape
- Body Proportion
Understanding your body elements will help you with vertical line placement created by accessories on your body.
Body Shape
To review or determine your body shape go to my post, What Are Your Body Shape Clues.
In this post you learned to put vertical lines in your widest area:
- “A” (pear body shape) — at the hips
- “O” (apple body shape) — at the waist
- “V” (inverted triangle body shape) — at the shoulders
By putting them in your widest area you create overall body balance because those wide areas appear slimmer.
If there is a part of your body that you want the eye to pass over, place vertical lines there.
Body Proportion
To review or determine your body proportion go to: Body Proportion — Out Of Balance.
This post taught you that you want to put vertical lines in areas where you are short. By putting them in these areas they appear longer creating balance.
Vertical Lines -- Accessories
The following accessories create vertical lines:
- Scarves
- Necklaces
- Earrings
- Handbags (shoulder straps)
Scarves are a great way to create these lines.
Notice how the vertical lines of the scarves move your eye from one area to another.
Necklaces are another way to create vertical lines.
Notice how the lines created by the necklaces move your eye up and down. If you are short between your chin and bust a lariat necklace can create length.
Earring can also create length. For example a simple hoop can create length. If you have a long skinny face and long neck like I do, long earrings need to be avoided.
Notice how the vertical lines created by the earrings move your eye to the shoulders.
Both shoulder and crossbody straps move your eye down the body and add length.
Notice how your eye goes down to the hip area. If you have an “A” Body Shape (pear body shape) and have a long handed handbag, you might want a shorter length strap. If you have a “V” Body Shape (inverted rectangle body shape) handbags with shoulder straps will visually slim your shoulders and bring attention to your hips, therefore creating balance.
Evaluate Your Accessories
It’s time to take out your favorite accessories and evaluate the vertical lines they create. Referring back to your body elements Body Shape and Body Proportion; do the vertical line placements and lengths balance out your body?
If you’re not sure, play with it. Lengthen or shorten the lines to make sure your eye stops in the right areas and lengthens in the right areas. Remember to use my trick: figure out which way makes you feel lighter or heavier (to review this trick go to: Your Body Knows).
Remember when you understand the best vertical line placement for your body as it relates to your accessories, you get an even stronger feeling of confidence and personal power.
Do you see vertical lines and your accessories in a totally new light? What do you see differently? Make a comment below and tell us what you see differently.
The next blog post will be about the color of your accessories and neutral colors. The post is called Fashion Accessory Color — Evaluate Your Accessories.
Wear Your Greatness!!
