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If you’re a woman with lots of curves and an hourglass shape…
I highly recommend doing everything in your power to emphasize your waistline. Look for wrap dresses, faux-wrap tops, anything with a belt or a seam to bring attention to your narrowest part. You’ve got the ideal shape, so show it off.
If you’re a woman with lots of curves and a tummy…
I’ll be honest with you: Your body type is one of the most challenging to dress. I don’t say that to make you feel bad about yourself; it’s just that, for whatever reason, most designers aren’t creating clothes with you in mind. I’d like to see that change. In the meantime, I want you to look for clothes with STRUCTURE. The average T-shirt has two seams, one under each arm. That is not enough. Look for blouses that have darts under the bust and seams that create a waist. Instead of covering yourself in an oversized button-front shirt, wear a lightweight jacket. And when it comes to dresses, go for deep V-necks, defined waistlines, and skirts that float away from the body.
If you’ve got thick thighs…
The best way to camouflage them is with an A-line skirt. Second best: wide-leg trousers.
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This one’s a toughie. First of all, never, ever wear an ankle-strap shoe. While a high heel will narrow the ankle’s appearance a bit, a super-sexy shoe will draw the eye down to your cankles. So, look for a dress that brings attention upward and a shoe that blends. If you have cocoa skin, wear a brown pointy-toe. If you’re beige, try a nude patent shoe. If you are still not comfortable with the way you look in a dress, a pair of tuxedo pants and a sparkly top can be very chic for evening.
If you’ve got thick calves…
Look for a dress with a skirt that floats away from the body and hits just below the knee. Avoid embellished hems. Instead, wear solid colors on the bottom and use embellished necklines to draw attention upward. As for cropped pants, have them hemmed to about an inch or so below the widest part of the calf.
If you’ve got Bingo Wings (a.k.a. plump arms)…
When you carry your weight in your upper arms, you may find the sleeves of many garments to be too narrow. Generally, I tell clients with this issue to look for lightweight knits, preferably a spandex blend, which will stretch slightly to accommodate larger arms. If it’s too warm to wear a knit, look for lightweight tunics that have kimono-style sleeves; they’ll provide nonbinding coverage. Many short-sleeve shirts can also be altered to fit a larger arm. I have often asked tailors to cut a banded sleeve and add either a button-and-loop closure on the outside of the sleeve or some hidden elastic on the underside.
If you’ve got narrow shoulders and a large bust…
It’s pretty rare that I’ll recommend a shoulder pad, but in this instance they can be incredibly helpful. A larger chest looks more at home on a larger shoulder, or at least a straight shoulder. If your shoulders have a natural slope, you can appear as though the weight of your bust is pulling you down. Ask your tailor to reinforce the shoulders of your jacket with quarter-inch pads — not with Linda Evans-style pads — and your body will look more balanced.
Where the boobs are
When I’m speaking to a large audience about style, I will occasionally get bored of listening to myself yammer on about structured jackets and medium-rise, dark-wash, straight-leg jeans. So, I will abruptly change the subject by declaring, “Do you know what time it is? It’s time to talk about your boobies!” Nervous giggles inevitably erupt.
I’ll say, “The most significant thing a woman can do to change her silhouette is to be professionally fitted for a bra. It’s true! Nine times out of ten, a woman’s narrowest part is under the best — if her boobs are sitting in the ideal spot. Would you like to know where the ideal spot is?”
Eyes widen and heads nod. Some women will even plead, “Please, Clinton, tell us!”
And I continue, “For the ideal silhouette, your breasts should hit halfway between your shoulder and your elbow.”
This next part amuses the crap out of me. Inevitably, I will see the tops of many heads as women gaze down at their chests, and I make a mental note about the collective IQ of the group because I like to judge people. It makes me feel smarter.
“No, no, no,” I say. “You can’t see where your own boobs hit by looking down at them! You have to go home, strip down to your bra, and look in the mirror! Or better yet, you can invite a friend over and have her draw a line on your arm with a Sharpie and write, ‘YOUR BOOBS HIT HERE.’ If your line is in the crease of your elbow, you need to hoist those babies up. If your line is on your shoulder, you need a new plastic surgeon.”
Then we all just tip our heads back and laugh and laugh … But seriously, when shopping for a bra, you need to be fitted by someone who has been professionally trained, not a 16-year-old who’s got a part-time job at the mall. When fitting themselves, most women make the mistake of buying a bra that’s too small in the cup and too big in the band. With a good bra, most of the work is done by the band, not the straps. That band should be snug but comfortable, and it shouldn’t pinch. If you can fit one finger between the band and your body, you’re probably on the right track. If the straps are digging into your shoulders, that’s a sign that the band isn’t doing enough of the work and you might have to go down one band size.
Excerpted from "Freakin' Fabulous" by Clinton Kelly. Copyright (c) 2008 by Clinton Kelly. Reprinted with permission from Simon and Schuster.
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