Learning what to wear for her body type has helped Veronica feel more balanced and confident. She learned it wasn’t her Body Shape but her Body Proportions that made her feel out of balance. Her torso is significantly shorter than her legs. Understanding how to strategically place design lines to create overall balance made all the difference. As a result she’s stepping outside her comfort zone to pursue things she only dreamt of doing.
Veronica wanted to add a few key pieces she can wear out spending time with family and friends. Also she can wear them on those days when she doesn’t feel 100% and has a lot to get done. Now she knows the feeling of conquering her day, she wants to feel that way all the time.
Keep reading to learn how she strategically places design lines.
Veronica’s Body Elements
As a review, these are Veronica’s Body Element clues:
- Body Shape — X (Body Shape — The Girls)
- Curved clothes silhouette
- Can place horizontal and vertical lines almost anywhere when considering Body Shape
- Face Shape — Heart (Face Shape — The Girls)
- Curved design lines, prints and accessories
- Color Skin, Hair, Eyes — Low Color Contrast (Color Skin, Hair & Eyes — The Girls)
- Favorite Colors — Yellow, Violet, Red
- Color Combinations (other colors) — Analogous
- Color Combinations (relative lightness and darkness) — Low contrast
- First Scale Clue — Small
- Body Proportions — Short between bust/waist and waist/crotch, long between crotch/knees and knees/floor (Body Proportions — The Girls)
- Horizontal lines — Place them between her crotch/knees and knees/floor; don’t place them between her bust/waist and waist/crotch
- Vertical lines — Place them between her bust/waist and waist/crotch; don’t place them between her crotch/knees and knees/floor
- Second Scale Clue — Decrease overall scale between bust/waist and waist/crotch; increase it between crotch/knees and knees/floor
- Body Frame Size — Medium (Body Frame Size — The Girls)
- Third scale clue — Medium
- Scale Strategy — Small/Medium (Scale Strategy — The Girls)
- Decrease scale to small between her bust/waist and waist/crotch
- Increase to medium between her crotch/knees and knees/floor
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Top
Veronica spent a lot of time finding the perfect top. When she saw this one she knew it was the one. For her Body Proportions she needed it to be long. The problem was that so many looked very dated and she didn’t feel old. This one has classic design lines with modern twists. It looked like it was getting low in inventory so she bought it right then and there.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Silhouette
The first design line Veronica looks at is the silhouette which is the outside line of the outfit. It’s the difference between the shoulders/waist, waist/hips and hips/shoulders. It comes in two categories: angular and curved. A silhouette is angular when the shoulders, waist and hips appear to be the same width. On the other hand a silhouette is curved when the waist is significantly smaller than both the shoulders and hips. Her Body Shape gives her clues as to which category works for her.
Veronica has an X Body Shape where her waist is significantly smaller than both her shoulders and hips. Her shoulders and hips appear to be the same width. Her Body Shape falls into the curved category which means she should wear outfits with a curved silhouette.
Veronica looked at all the pictures of this top to determine which category it falls in. She determined its curved shape is perfect for her Body Shape.
Horizontal Lines
Veronica looked at the placement of horizontal design lines next. Horizontal lines stop the eye, emphasize the area and make it appear wider and shorter. Her Body Shape and Body Proportions give her clues as to the placement of these design lines.
Veronica learned she didn’t need to consider the placement of horizontal lines for her Body Shape because one area doesn’t appear wider than another. She can place them anywhere on her X Body Shape.
Body Proportions
When it comes to Body Proportions she needs to be strategic in placing horizontal lines. She doesn’t want to place them between her bust/waist and waist/hips because they will make these short areas appear even shorter. However, she wants to place horizontal lines between her crotch/knees and knees/floor because they will make these long areas appear shorter creating better balance.
Veronica learned that hems of tops create horizontal lines; therefore she looked for tops where the hems land below her crotch. Placing the hem here will make her torso appear longer and her legs appear shorter.
Veronica considered this top because the hem would land below her crotch making her torso appear longer perfect for her Body Proportions. She looked closer and discovered horizontal lines at the bust that looked like a bust dart, but it doesn’t go across the front so it won’t make the area appear shorter.
Vertical Lines
Veronica next looked for vertical design lines. They move the eye up and down along with making the area appear longer and thinner. Her Body Shape and Body Proportions give her clues as to their placement.
Like horizontal lines Veronica can place vertical lines anywhere because she doesn’t have one area wider than another. But she needs to strategically place them for her Body Proportions. She wants them in her torso area to make it appear longer. However she wants to avoid them in her leg area.
Veronica looked for vertical design lines in the Donna Karen top by looking at the pictures. She saw two: the center front opening and a diagonal line which goes from her bust to her waist. Both of these vertical lines work perfectly to give length to her torso area.
Shape Of Design Lines
The final design line Veronica looked for was design line shape. Design lines can have two different shapes: angular and curved. Angular design lines have angles and curved ones have curves. She looks for necklines, collars, pockets, and sewn in seams. Her Face Shape gives her clues as to which shape works best for her body.
Veronica has a heart Face Shape which falls into the curved category. This means the best design line shape for her is curved. She found three design lines with shapes: collar, neckline, hem and sewn-in seam from under the armhole to bust to waist. The collar, neckline and sewn-in seam have an angular shape, while the hem has a curved shape.
Veronica knows the angular design lines aren’t the best for her, but she’s willing to try it on because the silhouette, horizontal line created by the hem and vertical lines are great for her. She also learned that when she can make sure the accessory design shape works for her, they will help create better balance.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Pants
Veronica loves wearing jeans out and about, and especially cropped ones. Unlike her friends her Body Proportions are perfect for them. Here in northern California she can wear them April through October and sometimes between November and March.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Silhouette
Veronica learned she should look for pants with a “curvy” label. This means the silhouette is curvy. If it doesn’t have “curvy” on the label the silhouette is most likely angular. This pair has that curvy label and is perfect for her.
Horizontal Lines
Veronica is always on the lookout for pants with horizontal lines in the legs because they will help her legs appear shorter and create better overall balance. The holes at the knees create horizontal lines along with the hem above the ankle. For a different look she might cuff her pants which would create another horizontal line.
Veronica knows the waist also creates a horizontal line, but for her, it will never be seen because it would make her torso appear even shorter. Her tops will alway cover it.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Sandals
Veronica looked for flat white sandals. She found several with heels. These worked perfectly for her body type.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Horizontal Lines
The top of the sandals make a horizontal line around Veronica’s ankle. These horizontal lines make her legs appear shorter, perfect to create balance with her torso.
Shape Of Design Lines
Veronica looked for white sandals with a round toe because it matched her Face Shape clue. These sandals have that round toe and are perfect for her.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Necklace
Veronica looked to see if Lucy Brand had any new necklaces. She has several of them and wears them all the time. Her favorite length is 30 inches because it helps bring length to her short torso. She loved the two tones and the shape of this pendant.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Vertical Lines
Veronica always liked wearing long necklaces but never knew why. She learned it created a vertical line which helped her torso appear longer. This 30 inch chain creates that vertical line helping her torso appear longer. The pendant also creates length.
Shape Of Design Lines
Veronica looked for pendants with a curved shape to match her Face Shape clues.
What To Wear For My Body Type -- Earrings
The last item Veronica wants to find to bring the outfit together is earrings. She likes wearing them because it brings balance to the whole outfit; especially when the earrings are similar but not matchy matchy. The necklace and earrings do just that.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Shape Of Design Lines
Like the necklace, Veronica looked for earrings which have an overall curved feel. These earrings have that curved overall feel.
Final Thoughts
Before Veronica learned how to strategically place horizontal and vertical lines she felt off balance which affected many parts of her life including not feeling like she can conquer her world. Just by understanding these two design lines was a game changer; but including all the other clues her body gives her, she feels like a new woman. She’s doing things she only dreamt of before.
Next week a new series of posts starts for the friends Sam, Monica, Alice, Grace and Veronica. They haven’t spent a lot of time together this summer, so they planned a shopping trip to get clothes for a wine tasting trip. They plan to go to Amador county with their husbands. Next week you’ll learn about the outfit Sam picked. The post is: Dressing For Your Body Type — Sam.
Wear Your Greatness!!
