Style Buzz: How to Conceal Your Least-Favorite Body Part
Ideas to Inspire Your Style This Week!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life."
-Bill Cunningham
Our day-to-day life can be so many things: exciting, mundane, stressful, joyful, busy - you name it and we'll go through those phases pretty regularly. So finding your style and the clothing that gives you the strength and fortitude to get through both the boring and the tough days? Well that's a pretty powerful tool. Even better when the clothes you choose push your confidence through the roof and sweep aside any doubts about yourself.
xxx rachel
CONCEALING YOUR LEAST-FAVORITE BITS
Last week I talked about the style assessment I have clients complete before their appointment. Many admit to having trouble checking off the parts they like to show but no problem at all marking the parts they want to conceal. They've spent years trying to hide their arms, thighs, or midsection, but they've never quite figured it out and still get frustrated when getting dressed. To everyone else, it's not a big deal. What they remember are your sparkling eyes, your wonderful hugs, your sense of humor. They don't care about the packaging.
But I get it - you do.
Once I guide clients to the cuts and styles that will do that heavy lifting of highlighting and concealing for them, they suddenly see the difference. Their confidence goes through the roof and they stop focusing on it.
Remember what I said last week: A fun by-product of drawing attention toward what you want people to notice is that you draw the attention away from the bits you don't want them to focus on. As I pointed out, I wear shorts because I like my legs and bonus! By doing that, you don't notice my tummy. Yay!
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to use volumes of fabric to conceal something. Sometimes, drawing the eye to the areas right next to it can do the hard work for you. I'm conscious of my tummy, so by wearing a belt, my waist is visually smaller than what's above and below it, drawing the eye to my narrowest point and away from what I don't want you to look at. The flowy fabric skims over my midsection, which makes it look like any volume comes from the material, not from my shape underneath, and the print further confuses the eye. |  |
So if there's a feature you really prefer to conceal but aren't quite sure how, here are some styles to look for that will help you forget all about it.
NECK Scarves Long necklaces Eyecatching belts Deep V necklines | SHOULDERS Full skirts Detailed sleeves Belts Deep V necklines | ARMS 3/4 sleeves Dolman sleeves Shawls Single-strand bracelets |
BUST Scoop necklines Square necklines Cap sleeves Large, busy prints Large necklaces | MIDSECTION Tunics with slim pants Large necklaces Busy prints Empire waist Bright shoes | HIPS A-line skirts & dresses Full skirts Boatnecks Empire waists Bootleg/flared pants |
BUM Bootleg/flared pants Large back pockets Dark colors on bottom Square & boatnecks A-line skirts & dresses | THIGHS Long tunics & leggings A-line & full skirts Wide-leg pants Dark bottoms/light tops Floor-length/flared skirts | CALVES Low-vamp shoes Non-skinny pants Patterned tights A-line skirts & dresses Ankle-length leggings |
There are a number of camouflage tricks that go beyond cuts of clothing and body shape really does come into play for which ones work best, but this is a good place to start on your own. But if you'd rather have someone look at your actual body shape and tell you exactly what works, that's what a Style Profile mini-session is for. Knowledge is power!
ANATOMY OF AN OUTFIT
This is a peek into my favorite outfit of the week where I break it down for you: why I've put it together and why it works, what elements could be swapped out, things to consider, etc.
What's your go-to outfit when you want to look nice but not fancy, be comfortable (obviously!), and have some subtle-but-interesting elements to your outfit? This is one of mine: a pattern-with-pattern top and skirt that I've worn everywhere from networking events to drinks with friends. The useful thing about the base pieces are that they serve as a lovely backdrop for anything dramatic, like this woven bronze belt. I could have chosen matching bronze shoes but by wearing a simple sandal, the belt gets more attention and the eye isn't bouncing all over the place trying to figure out where the focus should be. I'm also in love with the black mesh bracelet from Shirley Kay's new boutique. It's lightweight, goes with everything, and was well under $50. Because it's got gold in it, it works well with the gold necklace and earrings, which also complement the bronze belt.
Blouse: Calvin Klein
Skirt: J Crew
Shoes: Marc Fisher from Miss Meers
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