Learning what to wear for my body type has changed how Monica looks at clothes. When shopping for clothes she’s always first drawn to color. The problem has been that fashion trends don’t always work for her body. Now she knows what design lines and colors work best and she can identify them when looking at an outfit.
Monica learned to use this process when shopping online. She prefers shopping in the store first; but, there are times when she doesn’t have the time, so she goes online. She’s learned to put the odds in her favor by looking at the product details/description and looking at the picture closeup.
Recently, Monica needed to refresh her wardrobe a little but didn’t have the time to shop in the store. She found several she liked and below is one of them.
Monica’s Body Elements
As a review, these are Monica’s Body Element clues:
- Body Shape — O (Body Shape — The Girls)Body Shape — The Girls
- Angular clothes silhouette
- Avoid placing horizontal lines at the waist
- Avoid placing vertical lines at the shoulders
- Face Shape — Pear (Face Shape — The Girls)
- Curved design lines, prints and accessories
- Color Skin, Hair, Eyes — Medium Color Contrast (Color Skin, Hair & Eyes — The Girls)
- Favorite Colors — Green, Yellow and Red/Orange
- Color Combinations (other colors) — Analogous
- Color Combinations (relative lightness and darkness) — Medium contrast
- First Scale Clue — Medium
- Body Proportions — Long between bust/waist, Long between waist/crotch, Short between crotch/knees, Short between knees/floor (Body Proportions — The Girls)
- Horizontal lines — Don’t place them between her crotch/knees and knees/floor but she can place them between her bust and crotch. However, because she has an O Body Shape, she needs to avoid them at her waist
- Vertical lines — Limit them between her bust/crotch but do place them between her crotch/floor
- Second Scale Clue — Increase overall scale between bust/crotch and decrease it between crotch/floor
- Body Frame Size — Medium (Body Frame Size — The Girls)
- Third scale clue — Large
- Scale Strategy — Medium/Large (Scale Strategy — The Girls)
- Increase to large between her bust/crotch
- Decrease to medium between her crotch/floor
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Top
Yellow is one of Monica’s favorite colors and she was retiring several of them. When she went shopping online, she typed into the search bar “yellow women top.” She found several but liked this one the best. By looking at all the pictures in all the colors she was able to determine most of the design lines. She needed to put it on to make sure it worked for her.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Silhouette
The first design line Monica looked at was the silhouette of the top. The silhouette is the difference between the shoulders/waist, waist/hips and hips/shoulders. It comes in two categories: angular and curved. An angular silhouette the shoulders, waist and hips appear to be the same width. On the other hand, a curved silhouette the waist is significantly smaller than both the shoulders and hips. Her Body Shape gives her clues as to which category works for her.
Monica has an O (Apple) Body Shape. Her waist is significantly wider than both her shoulders and hips. This Body Shape falls into the angular category which gives her the clue that an angular silhouette works best for her body.
After looking at all the photos on the page Monica determined that the silhouette is angular which is perfect for her Body Shape.
Horizontal Lines
The next design lines Monica looked at were horizontal lines. She learned that horizontal lines stop the eye, emphasize the area and make it appear wider and thinner. Her Body Shape and Body Proportions give her clues as to the placement of these design lines.
For her O Body Shape, Monica learned she didn’t want horizontal lines near her waist because they will emphasize this area and make it appear even wider. However, if horizontal lines appear in her shoulder and hip areas, they will emphasize these areas and make them appear wider creating better overall balance.
For her Body Proportions, Monica is long between her bust/waist and waist/hip. She’s also short between her knees/floor. This makes her torso significantly longer than her legs. As a result, she wants horizontal lines between her bust/crotch and avoids them between her knees/floor.
The problem Monica has with placing horizontal lines is that for her Body Shape she needs to avoid them at her waist and on the other hand for her Body Proportions she needs them there. She needs to be strategic about placing them.
Monica looked for the horizontal design lines by starting at the chin and moving her eyes down. She found a horizontal line in places where her eyes stopped. She found three horizontal lines: the neckline, hem of sleeves and hem of top. All of these horizontal design lines work for both her Body Shape and Body Proportions. For her Body Shape the emphasis goes to her shoulder area and hips and makes these areas appear wider creating better balance. For her Body Proportions they make her torso appear shorter creating better balance with her shorter legs.
Vertical Lines
The next design lines Monica looks for are vertical ones. Vertical design lines move the eye up and down and make the area appear thinner and taller. Her Body Shape and Body Proportions give her clues as to the placement of these design lines.
For her Body Shape, Monica wants vertical design lines to go through her waist area because they will move the eye away from this area and make it appear thinner. She doesn’t want them just in a thin area because they will make the area appear even thinner and make the wider area appear even wider.
For her Body Proportions, Monica wants them in her short area because they will make this area appear longer, but doesn’t want to go through just long areas because they will make these areas even longer.
Monica determined the vertical design lines on this top by looking for areas where her eyes moved up and down. She found several between her chin and bust. The first is the keyhole which is a part of the neckline and the second the sleeves.
Shape Of Design Lines
Another design line Monica learned to look for are the shapes of the design lines. They come in two categories: angular and curved. Angular design lines have angles, while curves are all curves and circles. She finds them in the design detail sewn into the outfit and the print of the fabric.
Her Face Shape gives Monica the clue as to which category works for her. She has a pear Face Shape which falls into the curved category. This means the best design line shape for her is curved.
Monica determines there are two areas which have design line shapes sewn into the top: neckline which includes the keyhole and sleeve detail. The neckline and keyhole has an overall curved feel which is perfect for her Face Shape. On the other hand, the sleeve design line detail creates angles which makes the shape angular. This isn’t ideal but Monica learned that not all design lines shape detail will be perfect in the ready-to-wear world. She knows she can lessen their effects with the right design shapes with the accessories she wears.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Pants
Monica doesn’t wear a lot of pants because it’s easier to wear dresses for her Body Proportions. With dresses one can’t see wear the torso ends and the legs begin. That being said, there are times where pants are appropriate. Her pants are starting to wear out so she decided she needs to start looking for new ones. She has learned how to be strategic with the placement of various design lines which has helped her feel more comfortable in wearing them.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Silhouette
Because her Body Shape falls into the angular category, Monica looks for pants with an angular silhouette. She learned that most pants in the ready-to-wear world have this silhouette. However she has fallen into the trap of curvy pants by not looking at the product detail. Now she always looks if it mentions curvy fit. The product detail didn’t say anything. Next she looked at the pictures to make sure. The model appeared to have a slight waist. She next looked at the materials and care section to see what the fabric is made out of which is polyester, rayon and spandex. Spandex makes the fabric stretchy. Knowing that the pants are a pull-on and the fabric is stretchy, Monica knows it will fit her silhouette.
Horizontal Lines
Monica next looks for horizontal design lines. She determines that there are two: the waistband and hem. Because the waistband is near her waist she won’t ever tuck in a blouse because of her O Body Shape. Therefore this horizontal line isn’t a problem.
Monica looked at the size and fit section of product details. She was looking to see if there was an inseam length and the height of the model. The inseam is 31 inches which is a little long for her legs. The height of the model is 5’10” which makes sense as to where the hem hits her. Monica knows she’ll need to get the pants hems. She’ll gladly pay a little extra because she knows she’s worth it and feeling like she can conquer her world is also worth it.
Vertical Lines
When buying pants, the one design line she always looks for are vertical ones going up and down her legs. She looks for either a crease or ones sewn in. These vertical lines help make her legs appear longer which creates balance with her torso. Especially when there are horizontal lines in her torso area.
This pair of pants have seams going up the center front legs, perfect to create balance for Monica’s Body Proportions.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Shoes
Monica looked for yellow sandals to wear with the outfit. She loves shoes in general but loves ones that make a statement even better. She’s known for the shoes she wears. She looked at a lot of yellow sandals and purchased the ones she thought would blend best with the White Mark yellow top.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Shape Of Design Lines
Monica started out looking for yellow sandals with a round toe because her pear Face Shape falls into the curved category. She looked and looked and found very few that did. She did buy several that she thought the color would match; but, they didn’t.
Monica bought the New York & Company because she thought the color would work the best even though they had square toes. She thought that the ruched bands and heels would soften the square toe a little. When she put the whole outfit on, the angular toes were softened.
Scale
One of the reasons why Monica picked these sandals is because the rushed heel and straps increased the visual scale of the sandals. Her overall scale strategy is medium/large which is the combination of the color of her Skin, Hair and Eyes and Body Frame Size. Then the scale strategy is decreased to medium because she’s short between her knee and floor.
When Monica decided to purchase the sandal she thought they had a scale of medium. When she put them on with the whole outfit she was right.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Necklace
Monic turned her attention to looking for a black necklace. She wanted to tie the black from the pants on top. She decided on this onyx necklace because it’s versatile and the fact this necklace is 18 inches long.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Shape Of Design Lines
The round beads of this necklace match the clues of Monica’s pear Face Shape perfectly.
Scale
The size of the bead is 10mm which translates into just over 3/8 inch. This size of bead falls between medium and medium/large. Monica’s scale strategy between her chin/bust area is medium/large. She wants the necklace to play a supporting role in the outfit so this size of bead would work well.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Earrings
Monica wanted a basic black hoop earring to go with the outfit. She didn’t have any and it would be a great addition to her earring collection. This DKNY hoop would work well.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Shape Of Design Lines
Hoop earrings work perfectly for Monica’s curved Face Shape.
Scale
Even though these hoop earrings are small in size, they are thick which increases visual weight. They work perfectly with the onyx necklace.
Final Thoughts
Monica loved shopping online now that she understands what to wear for my body type. She knows everything doesn’t have to perfectly match her body’s clues. Which is good because in the ready-to-wear world it’s hard to find. But by understanding her body’s clues she knows how to strategically place and balance all the design lines. As a result, she feels like she can conquer her world. Allowing her to focus on what she truly loves to do, help women promote what they’re passionate about.
Alice needed a few clothes for this three day trip but didn’t have time to shop in the store so she went to Macys.com. To find out how she dresses for her body type go to: What To Wear For My Body Type — Alice.
Wear Your Greatness!!
