Proportions experiment - YouLookFab Forum

Hello fellow fabbers!
I wanted to try another of Angie's ensembles today: so I picked this one. At first, I tried it with the closest thing I have to black skinnies: and I was not pleased. (Photo 1) Then I tried it with my black shorts. (2). BUT then I added the jean jacket and now all bets are off. I actually prefer the ankle pants with the jacket (3)--but not the shorts (4).

Can anyone explain to me why?

And honestly, I'm not really sure what I think of #3. Should I leave "slim pants" and skinnies off the fall/winter shopping list? (I think the slim leg jeans I bought for summer work because I wear them rolled--showing a lot of skin which somehow works. but again, why?)

I am trying to get a handle on proportons for me and my body so I will know what I'm looking for when I start building my fall wardrobe. Thanks for your input.

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9 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I suspect that the stripes on the top are the 'culprit' - the top looks to be crotch length, but the last white stripe is at high hip so the eye naturally sees that as a cut-off point. I don't think it looks *bad*, just not the absolute most flattering. I think that with the top alone, the shorts or full-length pants would look better than ankle crops - or shorter capris, higher on the calf, if you wear those. With the jacket, it adds some visual bulk on the top half and ameliorates the stripes, so it looks better with the longer pants than with the shorts. Just IMO.

Re skinnies for fall/winter, I have found that for those of us with bulk in the midsection, skinnies need to be either cropped/rolled a little and worn with low shoes/sandals, so you get some skin as you say, or for cooler weather worn with boots/shoes that have a bit of visual weight to them, so one doesn't look too ice-cream-cone, if you will.

ElleH

I'm not sure if this is what you need but if the top was tucked or the jacket was cropped at waist it would lengthen the leg line. You may need a long pant in cooler weather so perhaps try a different style that gives more balanced proportions like a flare with low heel or straight leg rather than skinny or tuck skinnies into a slouchy or chunky boot.

Traci

I think the top w/o the jacket looks better because there's a balance between the light part of the shirt and your light legs on the bottom. The jacket covers the stripes and makes the whole top half darker, so the longer darkness balances more.

Sharon

One of the things Angie has said is that showing skin gives structure to an outfit. I like both the shorts outfits, and I suspect this is why.

Alana in Canada

Laura--spot on about the stripes! I noticed in the picture that the last stripe was rather high--so that is where one "reads" the top as ending.
ice cream cone--too funny--but that is it exactly!

Elle--I am considering some rather chunky high calf boots for winter--and I will definitely want to tuck my pants in (or why bother with expensive calf high boots?) so I will be on the alert for the ice cream cone effect, lol!

Traci--oh so clever --the skin balances the white. The white is obliterated by the jacket, so all we "see" is the bulk. I got it!

Thank you so much, you three! I've got it now. That was a learning experience!

I went to the mall and wound up wearing #4 and when I felt warm, I took the jacket off and just bopped around a la #2.

Shannon--I find the word "structure" to be a bit odd--to me, all it means is "showing a bit of skin," lol!

I think it's about showing the right bit of skin. If you're wearing a flowy long dress, but we can see your wrists or ankles, it hints to the structure beneath the dress. This is why with volume, hem lengths become so important. The bottom of the garment needs to hit at just the right spot for the shape of the body to prove its not shaped like a sack. The same way a nipped in waist or strong shoulder can give structure, a hint of shapely skin can also show structure.
Thanks for asking these questions! I'm having fun trying to see if I know the answers to things I've seen work in practice, but never thought about why. I've always been particular about this stuff, even hacking off the wrists of my shirts and pinning up the edges of skirts when I was a young teen, but until YLF I hadn't been able to figure out why that stuff matters to my eye.

Aquamarine

Not much help here but I love these posts because I learn so much from wise forum members who distill Angie's advice. I may not be able to articulate why, but like Traci I have always adjusted outfits (I am a sleeve-scruncher from way back LOL) to achieve a pleasing-to-me aesthetic. Thanks for sharing your pics Alana.

You are both quite welcome. so good to know you were wondering too.

Suz

Another sleeve scruncher!

I was so glad to see Angie validate that practice! It's one my mother used to shake her head about.

For me, partly it was just that my arms are shorter and I hate super long sleeves. But it is also because I could see the proportions changed, and it allows me to wear looser or more oversized looks more easily (and those were popular when I was a young girl.)

Getting proportions right is tricky for sure. I think it's the toughest part of dressing well, because while there are some guidelines you can adopt, there are so many variable that affect the overall look -- from hair and neck length to rise to whether you are wearing high contrast, a striped pattern, etc. And how the fabric drapes or clings.

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