https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:44:19 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-60106 Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:21:22 +0000 ImogenL 60106@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>None of us with 'systems' want anyone to feel bad about their bodies. I'm alway telling my clients that body shape is just a small part of a big picture, and not the most important part. It just tells you a bit about shapes of clothes that might work, and where to put detail. There are so many other factors to take into account.</p> <p>I don't believe in flaws - there is no such thing. You are all perfect, and what makes us different from each other is what makes us interesting.</p> <p>Love your body, it's the only one you'll ever have, and if you love it and treat it well it will be grateful and allow you to do so many things in your life.</p> <p>Celebrate your body, whatever it's shape! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59986 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:55:58 +0000 Maya 59986@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well now I feel pretty terrible. I'm sorry Kari for ruining your thread, and anyone else I brought down with me in the process. This will be my last post here. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59961 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:16:01 +0000 shana 59961@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oops, Angie, I must have been writing at the same time as you. Sorry, I didn't mean to continue an uncomfortable conversation...Yes, accentuate the positive! That's my mantra! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59960 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:13:04 +0000 shana 59960@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, I wanted to comment at the start of this thread and I have not been able to keep up! I have been avidly following the academichic's body proportions exercise. I too did not realize that S. was an apple until I saw her silhouette. This just goes to show you that choosing the right clothing items can disguise body"flaws" and accentuate the positives! I agree that these body type categories are just jumping off points for most people and we each need to interpret them for the subtleties of our own bodies, lifestyles etc. I can see how it can be a useful frame of reference for someone who is starting out and doesn't want to go through an exhausting trial &#38; error method to figure out what works and what doesn't or who needs to cull a wardrobe of items that are not flattering. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59959 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:08:30 +0000 Angie 59959@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This thread has made me sad. </p> <p>It is not a credit to anyone’s efforts on YLF that it has gotten to the point where our fabulous, chipper, upbeat and positive Tam felt a little down too. (I’m sorry Tam). Not so fab. I’m going to say enough, ladies. Stop beating yourselves up about the body type and proportions exercise. It’s not helping you or others on this forum. I’d love us to move on and concentrate on ways in which we accentuate the positive. Thats going to make you and everyone else feel better. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59948 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:35:22 +0000 Ana 59948@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anne and Maya, from your posts I get the impression that the whole body typing thing is not helping you and just making you feel bad about yourselves. I'm sure that is not the point of the Angie's, Imogen's or the Academichic girls' systems. If this is the case, you should find something else that does work for you without creating a lot of angst. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59919 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:41:12 +0000 anne 59919@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I had a few more comments to make.<br /> I just had a good look at a shadow of myself and this is what surprised me<br /> * Just how very curvy my hips/thighs are<br /> * how much my bottom sticks out<br /> *the inbalance in my waist - one side is much more indented than the other<br /> * how * sigh* I still look a bit pregnant from the side</p> <p>I have an old book from 1993, "Presenting yourself". It has only 4 figure types; angular, curvy, straight/soft and round (similar to apple). Under this analysis I am a straight/soft ie "very straight shoulders but a definite waist and a curvy bottom. The advice is pretty brief and is basically to wear structured things on top and softer fabrics on the bottom.</p> <p>Also someone said I had a slim waist - it isn't that slim. My 28" measurement was taken in the morning before breakfast! In addition I am a lot less thin looking from the side than the front. Finally in all my belted pics I have been wearing an elasticated belt that is pulling me in. And Maya -I haven't worn it past mid afternoon and have sometimes taken it off mid-morning!</p> <p>Kari - I was pleased that you were generally positive about your body after doing the exercise. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59869 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:13:40 +0000 Maya 59869@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh Tam, I meant the use of the word "apple" is unfortunate to me because it does not conjure up a flattering image. It's like calling the rectangle a beanpole or something. It's just not very nice. If anything, you and that girl from Academichic prove that apples can look fab. I don't know if I said this on this thread or another thread, but any issues I have with body types are issues I have with MY body, not with anyone else's. I don't even see you (or S from Academichic) as apples when I see your pictures. You look more rectangular and she looks hourglassy to me because you dress yourselves that way. </p> <p>I don't even think apple is accurate now that I think of it. Just because we carry weight in the midsection, it does not make us "round" or cause our waistlines to be bigger than our hips or chest. I just had a negative impression of what apples looked like and I can't get it out of my head even after seeing the light.</p> <p>Bottom line: don't listen to what I say. I obviously have image issues. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59863 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:45:51 +0000 yublocka 59863@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This has been a very interesting discussion to catch-up on. I agree that labelling doesn't help make "black and white" something that can't be due to the wide variety of body shapes and sizes out there. However knowing what type you are does help validate why some things do and just don't work on you that is different for other body shapes.</p> <p>As a ylf-confirmed apple myself I have to admit it does make me a bit sad to read about my shape being described as "unfortunate". I guess it reinforces the lack of femininity in my shape, not something that always bothers me, but it is always at the back of mind. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/3#post-59783 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:36:29 +0000 Anonymous 59783@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>True merry77, and posting pictures here also helps me to see myself the way others do rather than what ever may be stuck in my head from past experiences about the way I look. We also change over time so need to keep that in mind. I'll take all the guidlines and use what I can out of them. None of them, that I have seen are wrong, all are helpful. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59748 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:28:21 +0000 merry77 59748@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This has been a very interesting discussion, and I have learned so much from it. </p> <p>I still need to take a good head-on shot in close-fitting clothing and do actual measurements, but as I pay attention to my clothes and the way they fit I'm realizing my body shape is different than I've imagined it. </p> <p>I think it's interesting how differently the members of the forum think of themselves than how others see them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59702 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:24:29 +0000 Laura 59702@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Am I the only one here who doesn't really love labels? That's why I like Angie's body type identifiers, and the fact that they are loose and simple, and only a starting point. </p> <p>Thanks to labels, I was stuck in so many preconceptions about my body, and who knows, they probably dated from the time I was 13! For example, I had labeled myself as a "petite." Since joining the forum, I've discovered that while I do wear petite sizing in tops (because I am short-waisted with shorter arms than most), I should not have been wearing petite pants, because at 5'4", most petite pants were not PPL. Why did I buy petite pants all those years? Because I had labeled myself. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59695 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:29:15 +0000 Angie 59695@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you Inge, Antje and Ana. Your words resonate greatly with the way I feel about the subject. It’s like I mentioned in Jewelry Girls thread when she asked me to help her identify her body type earlier this week: </p> <p> “I’d like to take this opportunity to suggest to you, and to everyone else, that there is little good in obsessing with body type categories. Over analysis is not always a good thing. Finding a body type category that comes closest to your own body and following those guidelines is merely a starting point. I can’t stress that enough. Body type categories are always a problematic frame of reference because our bodies are an art and not a science. You can never fully categorize an art form! I have thought about body type classifications for years and years, and still do - after all this is my line of work and I have daily hands on experience. I have purposely kept my body type categories “loose and simple” and avoided rigid rules. That way it keeps you confident about your body type and encourages you to keep on trying new things ”. </p> <p>I hope that makes sense. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59693 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:59:31 +0000 Ana 59693@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think Antje's point is great. Maybe knowing your body type is kind of helpful in that it gives you a place to start. It can also give you reasons why a particular style doesn't work for you. But is it really so essential? Personally, I can't even remember all the rules for my body type (Maya's post reminded me that there were so many!). A few things, I knew before YLF (puffy sleeves are generally not a great look on me, etc). Does that mean I will never try on something with puffy sleeves ever again? Because it's a "rule"? No way. When I shop, I pick up what looks interesting to me, and sometimes I try on things that at first I think, "not in a million years". Does it end up looking ridiculous 99% of the time? Yeah. So I just laugh and put it back. That other one percent, I'm pleasantly surprised. </p> <p>I guess my point is along that of Antje's. If you try to reduce style down to a rigid formula, or set of rules, not only does that seem to me to take all the fun and entertainment out of shopping, but you also close yourself off to things that might actually work for you. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59652 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:16:42 +0000 Maya 59652@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I understand Shiny. I wrote this in Angie's blog: It seems like finding the right banded top is something of a task. I'm sure you could find one that works on you though, but you have to be willing to try a great many on without any expectation of instant gratification. Not my style :)</p> <p>I also can't figure out where they would end on me. If I pulled them around my hips, which would probably not be a very flattering look, they would definitely ride up (all my tops do this). For some reason the YLF gang seems to think I have very skinny hips and small bum but I do not. Maybe it's just because compared to my waist they don't seem that curvy? I'm not sure, but I definitely do NOT have a flat bum or straight hips. That's why I'm not so clear on how to wear this. I think it's just trial and error. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59646 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:57:57 +0000 shiny 59646@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Maya, I look like a fudgsicle in banded tops that are blousey. It really does nothing for me. Those that aren't blousy, if I get one that fits well in the shoulders (an absolute must), then the band is too tight and pulls over my tummy making weird shapes. This is even worse if it's a wide band. I hate bands on tops AND sweaters. Especially ribbed bands. </p> <p>I did try on ONE such top many months ago - I think it may have been INC brand. It had a funky pattern which appealed, so I tried it on. The band was not too tight, which was great! And not made out of ribbing - another plus! However, I just couldn't figure out where the band should land. If I pulled it all the way down, my legs looked short and squat - fudgsicle effect!. Okay if I added heels that might've been okay. But it wouldn't stay put! It kept wanting to riding up to my waist. Which just looked goofy. Too much fabric bunching all around. And, I couldn't see how I could tame such a top with a cardi or blazer. This part, I am open to being surprised. At the time, I wasn't sure it would work. </p> <p>Honestly? I'd MUCH rather wear the right empire top, the kind everyone hates and couldn't wait to see go out of style. Yes, the one that everyone says makes them look maternity. I love that style, and I'm sad to see it becoming an endangered species. Because I am always wanting to elongate my bottom half, I like to draw the eye up to just under my rib cage/around my waist. Up high. Gives me better proportions. </p> <p>The banded blouse does the exact opposite - but for *you* I think it could work, since you have long legs. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59639 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:30:41 +0000 Maya 59639@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm not on a strict budget anymore: I have no budget. Any money that I would have spent on clothes is all directed to my loans, which have oh so fortuitously entered repayment at the precise moment I lost my job. </p> <p>If I can be perfectly blunt, I don't think it matters one bit if I don't know what works right now, because I do not have the money to make it work. To some extent, I don't even have the desire, which sounds sad and negative but is actually a good thing. Nothing is worse than wanting stuff you can't have, right? Being on this shopping ban has made me realize that there is nothing out there that I "need" (other than shoes) to look and feel good. I have more than enough clothes for my lifestyle, and it might just be a matter of refreshing them and finding new ways to wear them. Anything I would plan on getting now would fall under the category of "want," and that is not something I can justify.</p> <p>As curious as I am about banded tops, it occurred to me recently that they are hardly an enduring fashion. I would not be surprised if they are gone by next season. Volume is not a popular silhouette to begin with amongst a waist-crazed public, and the fact that it's a recession means this style will fare even more poorly than usual. I hope I'm wrong because I would like to have it in my wardrobe eventually, but that's the impression I'm getting from peoples' reactions. Shiny, I think you were made for this style. I love how a wide banded hem looks around slim hips and the blousey effect would hide anything you might be uncomfortable about in your midsection. That's the part I haven't quite figured out myself. I know the blousing would be good around my midsection, but I can't figure out how these tops should fit around my hips. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59637 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:57:57 +0000 shiny 59637@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great post, Antje!!</p> <p>I think one of the real "ah-ha" moments for me with YLF was learning to accentuate my waist, rather than cover it up. Hearing I was an hourglass definetly went a long way (emotionally) to that end. </p> <p>I had spent a lifetime hating my midsection and lack of a waist. It's easy to do when jeans are too tight in the waist and too loose in the hips. You wind up with this situation where you stand there in the dressing room, hyperfocusing on just one part of your body, ignoring the rest (anyone relate?)</p> <p>So my waist-to-hip difference really isn't all that much. Who cares? There is a difference, and my waist isn't larger than my hips. And when I remember that and try certain tricks like a cropped cardi hitting right at the waist, or the X buttoning style, or even a belt (and I'm not all that keen on them either), miracles happen and my waist looks smaller. </p> <p>As for the squishy parts below the waist - the part that looks a lot like Angie's Apple illustration - Angie's tips like layering a cami with stretch and choosing blouses that skim over these areas instead of clinging, or a top with strategic ruching, tops with patterns to fool the eye - all these make a huge difference. I don't really notice my squishy mid-section anymore. It's definetly still there! I just don't dwell on it because I don't think anyone notices. I've got it successfully hidden. </p> <p>As for the tendency I have toward inverted triangle shape, I simply learned not to wear epaulets or puff sleeves. Actually, I already knew that before YLF. What I realized here - by measuring myself - is that my invertedness may be mostly in my head. So I have taken some risks and purchased some items with just these things. </p> <p>At the end of the day, it really is about trying on a lot of clothes and experimenting. Maya, I know this is difficult for you to do, since you need to stick to a fairly strict budget and I imagine that trying on clothes but not buying any would be tough to do. But, you really don't know what works, until you try it. Even then, you may have to try on several of the same item because for example not all banded tops are going to be created equal. (Yes, banded tops are one of the items on my "I look HORRIBLE in those" lists. Just you wait, I'll probably try some on and find one that I don't look so horrible in.... ) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59631 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:20:15 +0000 Antje 59631@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I’ve missed this thread initially but finally caught up and find it very interesting but also a bit puzzling. </p> <p>It seems like there is a really strong desire for some women to have a more rigid, scientific and prescriptive process for determining body type and optimally dressing for that body type. I certainly understand the desire; one of the cornerstones of YLF and of good stylists and style communities in general is the emphasis on knowing yourself (your body, your personality, your preferences etc.) and then dressing to your type – both physically and personality and temperament-wise. </p> <p>However, I don’t think any style professional would claim that there is one quick and easy formula for solving all your style issues. Angie, Imogen, Academichic and other style professionals or affinadas offer great tools that gals like us can apply to improve our “style quotient”. None of these tools are 100% predictive and applicable to every individual, and all are just part of a tool set. E.g., Angie uses a small set of body types to make the style journey simple especially for novices, plus modifiers that together with the body types give you an approximation of what your body is like and what you should watch out for when dressing yourself. She doesn’t claim that every hourglass is the same and thus fits into an “uniform for hourglasses” (just look at the difference between Tanya and me – both hourglasses, but with such different bodies.) </p> <p>Tools are helpful and provide great guidance, but in the end, finding your style is also about experimenting, embracing something new, taking risks. E.g., no matter how many style schools would tell Maya that she’d look great with a waist cinching belt, she’ll probably still not wear one because it’s not her preference. Or look at Shiny – she already looked so fab when she first posted pictures, and she had such a scientific approach to dressing (I always read in amazement about her analysis of cuts and details, and how she measured every part of her body and pieces of clothing), so you’d think she was “done” in terms of finding her style. But alas, Shiny has recently expressed multiple times how much her own style has evolved through YLF, and I have a hunch that it’s not because of one specific tool set like body shapes, but because of all the different tools Angie and we as a community provide, from feedback on pictures to encouragement and nudging to try new styles. We’ve seen Shiny in colors, styles (skinnies, short sleeved jackets over long sleeve tops, etc.) and outfits she wouldn’t have tried on her own and she is looking and feeling even more fab now!<br /> And to give an example outside YLF, the Academichic gals (whom I’m a fan of myself) aren’t just looking so fab because they measured their body part proportions, but also because they have a great eye for color, put together interesting combinations of clothing, have stellar shoes, and are obviously very happy with the bodies they have and the appearances they portray. The best style still comes from within.</p> <p>Sorry for the long post. I guess my main point is that I think it’s reductionary to look at one individual tool and pick it apart; rather, it’s the overall depth and breadth of tools and insights that provide the best “style school”. And for that I thank Angie and all of you at YLF </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59465 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:13:37 +0000 Maya 59465@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Imogen, that is was I thought. Thanks for confirming!</p> <p>San, I can't even wrap my head around non-stretch bras. That sounds like a violation of my human rights. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59453 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:14:07 +0000 Anonymous 59453@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I read on another blog the other day a question asking why in the world do some people post pictures of what they wear. Well I think it is just a part of this evolution into making style easier on ourselves.<br /> I was born in 1954 so in the 60's I began to notice style and how uncomfortable June Cleaver looked in her tight waisted dress, high heel shoes, and pearl necklace for everyday wear. Almost all bras on the market then were shaped like bullits. We were wearing those monstrosities in jr high school because that's what was found at the store. As far as I know spandex was not common and clothing did not stretch.<br /> Ofcourse we all know if we look back 100 years how unfortunate those women were to have to wear corsets to skinny down the waist.<br /> All of this discussion is a healthy part of the evolution to knowing our own bodies and being able to dress ourselves in this retail fashion world that treats us like we are all built exactly the same. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59357 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:51:21 +0000 ImogenL 59357@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Maya - just found a pic of you in what you wore to the opera and you look H shaped to me - not a clearly defined waist, but otherwise balanced. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59343 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:12:56 +0000 Maya 59343@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That post is interesting Kari. She would NEVER strike me as an apple in a million years. I am anti-belt mostly for comfort reasons. There are some outfits that I love with belts (like my bf cardigan), but by the end of the day, the belt always ends up in my purse. </p> <p>Shiny, it seems like so many people want to be something other than what we are. I'd love to be scrawny and gangly. </p> <p>I didn't think I was an apple myself, but I did borrow some apple dressing tips anyway because it just seemed to work. No one on the forum believed me until Angie confirmed it a few weeks ago. If Angie says it, it must be true! Perhaps I am just masterful at disguising it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59310 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:20:00 +0000 Kari 59310@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, this thread exploded today while I was at work! </p> <p>My take on the various body classification systems - our bodies are so different that *any* body type system (whether there are 3 or 12 or 20+ types) is still a generalization that requires modifiers and adjustments. I find both Angie and Imogen's systems useful despite the fact that I'm not a perfect fit into any category. I'm still trying to figure out how to dress this body of mine *and* how I can push the boundaries so I'm not just wearing safe basics all day. I'm trying to develop a more holistic view of how to dress my body (like Inge mentioned in her comment above) rather than trying to accentuate/hide one part at a time. However, when I'm stumped it's wonderful to have access to multiple well-informed, descriptive suggestions about how to address certain features.</p> <p>Maya, you might be interested to check out S's post today on academichic. She identifies herself as an apple and has posted pictures and rationales for how she uses skinny belts to define and slim her waist. I actually had no idea she had apple tendencies and was convinced she was just naturally slim-waisted - it goes to show how well she dresses her body. I know you're anti-belt and this isn't meant to convince you to wear something you don't like, but it might be some good food-for-thought. </p> <p>(And by the way, you DO look very small-waisted when I see pictures of you, whether it's short or no! Cricket has a great point that we are much harder on ourselves than we are towards others. Cricket, thank you for so sweetly pointing that out!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59263 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:58:50 +0000 shiny 59263@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Maya, I do think you may have a skewed vision of your real body shape. You look FANTASTIC in that yellow dress - and by far, it is more flattering than any shapeless A-line. You have a lovely, beautiful figure. You do not look at all to me like an apple. And! I even bet that dress would work with a ... yes... say it... a BELT. :-)</p> <p>Maya, I think you should do this proportion exercise! Did you know that the vast majority of women view themselves as 10-20 lbs heavier than they really are? And that this tracing exercise is what they use with women who have anorexia or other body dysmorphic issues? I think it would be healthy for you to do this exercise. </p> <p>And, perhaps you should get rid of your full-length mirrors for awhile? (Angie may have a bird with that one, LOL). In my mid-20s I gave up full-length mirrors, t.v., and fashion magazines for several years, because I realized they were playing tricks with my head. Wow, it made a huge difference. But I still struggle now and then with the brain playing mental tricks on me. </p> <p>Anyway... </p> <p>Personally, I *loved* hearing I was an hourglass when I first came to YLF. It was different than being a pear... which to me has always been the most desirable female shape (my mom and sister are pears). But it was cool to think I was curvy, because within me is still that gangly scrawny 13 year old who had no curves. So, Angie's guidlelines set my mind in a more loving direction, and it showed in how I began to dress myself. I think there's huge value in that. </p> <p>But, I have to hand it to Imogen - her recommendations for an H shape are spot on, and are the hourglass modifications I've come to use for my "hourglass with thickish waist/wobbly tummy, veering on inverted triangle" figure. So I like both methods - Angie's and Imogen's. I get something from both. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59257 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:41:11 +0000 ChristineB 59257@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is a really interesting discussion. I have yet to find a category that fits me really well. None of Trinny &#38; Susannah's categories even come close! I've found I need to consider the rules of 2 types when choosing styles to flatter me. WHen I first delved into this whole fashion/style world I found this really depressing - that I didn't fit. Then I realized that there are so many different sizes &#38; shapes of women that there would need to be dozens of categories to fit everyone.</p> <p>I really need to do the head measurement thing because I suspect I may be long waisted, but I'm not sure, and I'd like to check it out. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59256 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:35:30 +0000 Christie 59256@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Maya, I don't see you as a troublemaker, just someone who is thoughtfully trying to figure it out personally. :)</p> <p>For me, its also not "easy or intuitive" to dress for my body shape, so I understand where you are coming from. I didn't fit into ANY of Trinny and Susannah's types, and they had many! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59245 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:57:11 +0000 Maya 59245@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Inge, I don't believe I said that Angie's guidelines are wrong at all. If I did then I misspoke. No categorization method is ever going to be "wrong". But given that there is so much variation among body types, it only makes sense that some methods are more helpful and tailored to individuals than others. As I said in my previous post, Angie's set is obviously very helpful to a lot of women and serves the purpose well.</p> <p>As far as blending the hourglass and apple--well, that's the problem. There is no "blending" as far as I'm concerned. Hourglass rules almost NEVER work for me, yet I do not feel it's entirely fair to peg me as an apple. My waist is still a good 9" smaller than my hips and bust. Even so, how do I know which apple rules and which hourglass rules to follow? It's not easy or intuitive for me. It might be obvious to everyone else here, but I'm the one that has to dress my own body so whatever rules I use as a starting point must make sense to me.</p> <p>That is why I like Imogen's "H" more for myself. It describes me very well without having to do any guesswork or blending, and confirms a lot of things I already suspected about my body type. </p> <p>Like I said, it's also less unfortunate than the "apple" descriptor to me. There are some psychological issues I have with that. This is also a personal issue.</p> <p>I feel like I have really started up a storm here and I did not intend to. I am not making a broad statement about Angie's methodology, or pitting hers against anyone else's. I am simply stating what I find makes the most sense and works best for me. Some people prefer fewer body types to choose from--I prefer more. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59238 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:05:27 +0000 Inge 59238@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've been following this thread with interest and really like the experiment the ladies at academichic are carrying out.</p> <p>I think all the comments prove that it's very helpful to have some general guidelines, and that we should all pick the 'system' that makes the most sense to us.<br /> But for me, that's just the starting point. It's all about dressing your own unique body, not a 'generic' body type. No two bodies are exactly the same, and yes, then all sorts of variables come into play. That's were the fun (and admittedly, sometimes frustrating) part starts: experimenting with different styles and cuts, and discovering through trial and error what works for you and what doesn't.</p> <p>I for one relate more to Angie's body type 'categorization' - and I hesitate to use the word here, because I don't like putting people into boxes, and I know Angie doesn't either - because I feel it offers exactly enough specific info. I tend to get confused when all sorts of body ratio measurements come into play;-)</p> <p>And yes, of course it's handy when you happen to be a 'perfect fit' for one of the body types, but most of us probably have a few features from a different body shape than our predominant body type. I don't mind 'mixing and matching', and actually love the idea that there is probably something to be found for all of us in every category. Crossover style here we come;-)</p> <p>Maya, that's also why I believe it's not quite fair to say that Angie's guidelines for hourglasses are 'wrong'. You've mentioned that you are an hourglass with some apple tendencies, and I noticed that wherever you point out that the hourglass rules don't seem to work for you, these can almost always be substituted with the corresponding apple alternative. So ideally you personally would have to blend the hourglass and apple guidelines, but other hourglasses could find everything works for them as described. Does that make sense? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/proportions-038-body-type-exercise/page/2#post-59225 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:31:48 +0000 ImogenL 59225@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Cricket - brilliant - yes we tend to put on weight where we are proportionally short.</p> <p>There is also the measurement from head to leg break, then that to the ground - which gives you the longer or shorter body, long or short leg.</p> <p>I've met long waisted and short waisted rectangles, but more commonly my H shape (not Angie's rectangle) are short between rib cage and hip bone, which is why they lack a waist. </p>