One of the biggest fashion myths is that there are people who look good in anything. It is simply not true. What is true however, is that “those people” who seem to never have a fashion fail and always kill it when it comes to looking their best simply know how to dress their body type. Our Ageless Style theme this month is all about dressing your body type, I think you are gonna love it and I am thrilled our Jennie chose this topic!
I thought it would be fun to see some things that work on me and one that doesn’t! It’s amazing to me to see how clothes can really transform a body.
So, indulge me for a moment and let me share with you that I honestly thought (at one time not too long ago) that if I had lost enough weight that I could wear anything. That probably came from years of my mom telling me I had to wear black and stand sideways in photos #truth. I remember being asked one of the times I joined Weight Watchers how much I wanted to lose and I said, “Enough weight so I don’t have to wear black and stand sideways in photos.” I wasn’t even kidding and the leader looked at me like she was waiting for me to bust out laughing. I did not. Neither did she.
Fast forward to my early days of blog reading and Pinterest. I was enamored (and still am) that regular people like me were sharing their outfits and I could buy the actual pieces with a click of the mouse. The frustrating part here was that what looked cute on some of my favorite bloggers didn’t quite have the same effect on me. I was familiar with the pear shaped body and the apple shaped body but I didn’t fit neatly into those categories.
What I realized through the help of this book, The Science of Sexy by Bradley Bayou, is that there are more than just a few body types. Bayou theorizes there are 48! I highly recommend this, not only will you know beyond the shadow of a doubt what your body type is (regardless of weight) but you’ll know what looks best and what to avoid. It’s a change in mindset – where I once thought I had to change my body to look better in clothes I now realize it’s the other way around.
My body type? An Average Medium Rectangle. My shoulders and my hips are nearly the same size. I have a tummy and no real waist – straight up and down. I am short waisted with a large chest. For me, a v-neck is always going to be more flattering than a crew neck. Also? No matter how much I admire someone else’s outfit or style if their body type is not like mine I know I have to make changes that will work for me.
For my body type here’s what works:
- v-neck
- tunic tops that cover the tummy
- peasant tops
- tops with a drop waist
- a-line skirts with a wide waistband
- boot cut pants
I love that in the book, Bayou tells you the positives as well as the challenges when it comes to your body type. Each type is broken down by height and weight and includes a full list of the types of clothes that will look best on you. Jackets, pants, jeans, dresses, skirts, jewelry and accessories, and even shoes. It is comprehensive and I promise you will never look at clothing the same way again. But the real win is finding things that deserve to be worn by your beautiful body as is – not when you lose 10 pounds, tone up, hit the gym, or weigh whatever you think that magic number is – give all that negative self talk up.
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest
Bettye ~ Fashion Schlub Blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust Bloglovin, Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Bloglovin
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter
Julia ~ When the Girls Rule Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram
Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Twitter
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Pinterest, Facebook
Shugunna ~ Nzuri N* Simplicity Blog, Pinterest, Instagram
