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Next Step in Style Journey

Anonymous

I have spent several years developing capsules. I am satisfied with what I have developed and, although I will be fine tuning in the future, no more real work needs to be done at this time.

So I am turning my attention to the study of proportion. Proportions are hard for me. I know immediately when they work. I have a harder time understanding when and why they don't work.

I am going to consciously sit down and examine every singe outfit in terms of proportions. I am going to struggle to understand why one outfit worked better than another one. If I have to break out the ruler, I will.

Dressing

14 replies

Latest reply was from

Staysfit

Veteran

I'm looking forward to hearing more about what you learn. I think I also struggle with proportions. You are a step ahead of me because you can recognize what works. I have a blind eye and need to ask for an outside opinion.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I hope you'll share what you learn - I know I could benefit from musings like this! Have you been taking photos of your outfits? I find a photo tells me so much more than looking in the mirror. And you can measure them too

Anonymous

I do take pictures. I find that what I cannot see in a mirror, I can clearly see in a picture. I don't know why that is.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And do chime in when you feel like an explanation that you're struggling to come up with on you own. That's why this forum was created.

abc

Veteran

Yes. I will follow along too. I am the same as you. I know when it works but it's that grey area when maybe it does and maybe it doesn't that I struggle with. I've seen so many posts where someone asks why and Angie pinpoints exactly the cause. So take advantage of the expert

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

A great style journey. I noticed upon taking photos when I first began blogging that I was so messing up proportions. I am better these days! Looking forward to following and reading your insights.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Proportions are so tricky. I agree with you and Elizabeth -- pictures tell me more than the mirror does about whether they're working for me. It's strange.

Looking forward to finding out what you learn!

Ledonna N.

Veteran

I can't wait to read and comment and help solve puzzles on the next step in your style journey.

kkards

Veteran

yes, proportions.....so often I think about an outfit and it seems so perfect. then i put the pieces on, and something is off....I wish I was better at understanding what works and what doesn't....

Sal

Veteran

Let me know your conclusions!! It is hard to get right sometimes, I ferl more confident with colour than proportions!

J.J.

It JUST hit me that I'm short-waisted (36 years into this body), so tons of the styles I thought looked terrible on me were really just not-right proportion-wise. I've now bought a couple of petite-sized tops (in medium or large) and it has changed everything. My new shirts fall in SUCH a better place on me- not the widest part of my hips, which is usually where they were hanging. Now that I understand how my proportions are weird (or, at least, not the way clothes are cut), I can move towards 'matching' proportions better (for example, flow-y shirts with skinny/slim pants look decent on me, once the shirt is the right length).

Gigi

Veteran

Proportions are really tricky things. I remember reading about them in Triumph of Individual Style, and I was quite surprised that things like your skin color and your hair color can affect proportions. For instance, if you have dark hair, that can add to the amount of dark color in an outfit (say you are dressing in black and white that day) and affect the proportions. And if I remember right, that book said that a given color does not have to be all in one swath. If you are wearing, for example, red and white, you can divide the red up into two parts, say your top and your shoes, and if those two parts add up to a good proportion relative to the white parts of your outfit, you are good. So it can get terribly tricky! But I suppose the good side to that is that you have many ways to tweak the proportions to get them just right.

Deborah

Veteran

This is exciting! I think proportions can make or break an outfit so they are so important:). I also find the right proportions can make me look slender and the wrong ones make me look dumpy lol:). Please share what you learn.

Anonymous

I truly hope I can articulate what I learn. This may be a long process for me. I expect to do a lot of reading, measuring, and studying of pictures. I will share every single thing I learn.