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Inverted Triangles with Light Hair

karymk

Veteran

Hi fellow ITs!!!! If you are blond or grey or white haired, listen in:

Do you have trouble with a balancing act on top and bottom? I noticed that if I wear lighter or patterned pants to make my bottom half appear larger, or hips wider, I can't really successfully wear dark tops to make my shoulders and trunk "shrink" visually, without sucking all the life out of my face. The reason I am having trouble is my light hair and complexion!

If I use "color" on the top half of my body to make my face look bright and healthy, then my top half still is the larger appearing body part. This happens with prints also, unless they are small and twee.

My body feels like it looks more in balance with the dark top/light bottom solution, but my face is just drained by the darker shades I use on the top.

I don't think this is as much as a problem for darker haired ITs as it is for the fair haired lighter skinned ITs.

Does this make sense to you? Do you have trouble achieving visual balance challenges presented by your IT figure?

Body Type

18 replies

Latest reply was from Marley

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I am not officially an IT but I share some of your concerns. In my case the problem seems most acute in winter. In summer, I can show more skin, and since my skin colour is closer to my hair colour, that automatically creates a degree of cohesion. But in winter, that's impossible. At least in my northern climate it is. I end up wearing darker colours bottom and top.. and this can be draining, as you say, and/or boring after a while.

I guess one solution is scarves or bright necklaces or wearing a shirt underneath a jacket or sweater (and it could be a lighter shirt).

Another option is aiming for mostly mid-tones altogether. So a mid blue (or whatever colour works best for you.)

Tanya

Veteran

I am not an IT (hourglass) but I do have light hair, mine is dark blonde. I do not find all dark colors on the top to be life draining. As a matter of fact, I find quite a lot of them very flattering. For example, charcoal, navy/ink blue, dark burgundies, dark plums, dark denim shirts etc. For the record, in the coloring world, I am a typical summer: icy blue eyes, very fair skin, dark blonde hair. Now I do not know what your coloring is exactly, but maybe the problem is that you have not tried/found the right dark colors?

karymk

Veteran

Good thoughts Suz. I get what you're saying about dressing to balance is easier in the summer when you can show more skin. But yes, winter can be pretty dark!

I like the idea about the mid-tones. That's what I should be wearing. On top, to be sure. You like the cool colors like I do. I love how you are so good with neutrals. I just haven't found a way with them yet....

Your new clothes all sound so divine. I can't believe you are so easy to fit via online shopping!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Tanya also raises a great point -- your best colours in their darkest shades won't be draining.

karymk

Veteran

That could be true Tanya, that I don't have enough "good" dark neutrals. In the winter I wear a deep burgundy cashmere turtleneck, a super deep navy cashmere long sleeved sweater. I have the same one in black and both those pieces feel so dark. I did manage to find a better navy though, in a merino v-neck sweater. It's much more a "marine" blue and does more for my face. I wish I could find more of my good darks Tanya.

K. Period.

Veteran

Hmmmm. I'm a light haired IT, but I wear lots of darker tops. I don't feel like they universally are bad for me. In fact, navy is one of my best colors. I think that dark alone probably isn't the problem. It may be the dark colors you are drawn to.

I generally look healthy in clearer cool colors. Navy and burgundy and charcoal. I can tolerate black okay. Darker blues look nice too. I don't look good in muddy darker colors: olive, tan, green, mustard, brown-yellows, muddy oranges, etc. Any muddiness at all is a skin color killer. And almost all greens are bad for me.

Have you tried breaking it down? Do you wear cooler or warmer colors better? And do you wear clearer, extremely clear (jewel-tone) or muddier colors better?

ETA: Looks like you all were busy while I was busy composing my response! I see that I'm not alone in my thoughts.

karymk

Veteran

I'm K. Yes, I do know my colors well. I do well with the cooler ones too. Pink vs. peach and so on...

I am drawn to the clearer colors, but if they are heathered or softened I look better since I am pretty low contrast now. (Age will do that to you!) The problem with THAT is that my personality is not muted or heathered at all! ha!

I love all those crazy JCrew colors that pop, but when I use them on top where I like them, They make my trunk and shoulders look larger in comparison to my lower half.

Here are some pics of me in neutrals. The striped sweater obviously doesn't do anything for making my shoulders appear narrower in picture one. I am even wearing boyfriend jeans here to add "weight" to my lower half.

In number 2 you can see what happens when I wear a light grey sweatshirt on top of mid-blue jeans.

This post has 2 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Not an IT, but chiming in anyway. And you've seen my pale, very Nordic complexion and blonde hair.

I do not wear black from head to toe if I can help it.

I wear black with a shade of white on top - or black with texture to create softness. Or I wear my white specs with a black top. And I always add a bit of blush and lots of lipstick so that I don't look lifeless. It's a very subjective thing though. Some people - including colour specialists - believe I look awful in black. Greg thinks I look my absolute best in a tight black turtleneck. I run between the two. I think I look alright in black in small doses, and I am aware to create a sense of softness with black when I wear it close to my face.

I wear ink blue well because it's softer than black and works with the blue rims around my green eyes, and peaches and cream skin tone (blue and orange are complementary after all). I look putrid in dark grey, olive and brown.

Karymk, I think you look great in those pics, and don't need to worry about creating more balanced proportions. Remember that the camera angle in #1 is taken top-down which increases the size of your head and upper body. You look killer in #2.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I am with Angie on thinking that you look terrific and that the camera angle may be creating some distortion. I don't think "linebacker" at all when I look at you. I think: Wow, stylish, contemporary woman looking amazingly great!

It sounds as if we suit a lot of the same colours and neutrals. I really wear only the cool colours and neutrals.

Oh - and I'm not easy to fit shopping online, by the way! I have had to make so many returns....I do very careful research now, with measurements of all kinds, even the calf. And even then, if the store or manufacturer does not provide accurate measurements...back it all goes.

K. Period.

Veteran

Sorry Karymk! I think I misunderstood your post.

catgirl

Veteran

Both these pics are at a bit of an angle - I am not seeing much IT here, or if so you are slender all over including the broader shoulders! I have the opposite problem of not being able to wear lighter colors on top or light boots, but since I don't love white and cream it's not an issue.

I think you look incredibly fantastic in both pics and I see NOTHING off.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I agree with Una - you look great in the pictures above.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Karymk you have an ideal figure with just a little IT. Mostly I see slim hourglass -- you look very nicely proportioned. This is to say, I don't think you need to dress around your broad shoulders. Show them off! There are so many styles I can't wear with the opposite tendency (narrow moderately sloping shoulders). Now whenever I see something that looks awesome on those endowed with shoulder I will post it!

As for colors, I'm still learning. And as Angie points out, it's highly subjective. I think navy and charcoal are good colors on blondes. Probably easier to wear than black. Camel is another good color on blondes. I like all shades of grey on myself, but I can wear dirty colors, they look ok in a sort of soft way on me. I have more trouble with colors like burgundy but coral works. There is a forum member named Vix who is quite expert on color, she has a blog and is also a design professional. Maybe she will weigh in. She has helped me in the past.

ETA - Oops missed the part about you knowing your colors...

Aziraphale

Veteran

I don't have blond or grey hair (it's light brown), but I do have gingery eyebrows/lashes and fair northern european colouring, complete with very pale green eyes. So I get you're saying about too much black up by your face. I've also got IT tendencies, although I don't think I'm truly IT -- more of a rectangle with bony square shoulders. Anyway, I agree with you that a dark colour on top with a light or bright colour on bottom works better as far as figure-balancing goes.

Anyway, I think this sort of thing is subjective. I think most people look good in black, never mind what all the colour experts say. (And I really don't like most bright colours, but that's a whole 'nother issue). Greg thinks Angie looks great in black, and she's as white as white can be. I wear black all the time, and blush and mascara, too. That solves the problem, lol.

Another solution is to stick something not-black close to your face. I wear a light blue or white shirt under a black sweater sometimes, which totally changes the effect. Or, I wear skin. Like, showing collarbones with a boatneck or v-neck. Showing arm skin helps too. I don't wear scarves for decoration, but if I did, that would also work.

MsMary

Veteran

I'm still puzzling over "You can see what happens when I wear a light sweatshirt in #2." Um... magic?

Parsley

Veteran

Haha! I have to agree with Mary.
Yes, you do look slim-hipped. But honestly, that's an enviable "problem" to have. I don't think your upper body looks too big at all.
Unless it really bugs you to be an IT, I don't think you need to balance or camouflage your shape. I think you look fabulous as is. Seriously!

Beth Ann

Veteran

Karymk:

I think the higher camera angle is accentuating your shoulders in #1. Mine is at hip height, which creates is own issues, of course. I'm with the others in saying that you seem nicely proportioned and slender. That said, you have to feel fab and confident. To that end, I'd try wearing mostly midtones for a week or so -- documenting each outfit with photos at the same angle, lighting, etc.

Marley

Veteran

OK - now, what are we supposed to be looking at in the photos? And, what am I supposed to see in pic #2? 'Cuz, I'm looking for IT "issues" and I don't see any - other than what the camera angle is creating. Have you tried lowering your camera so that its just about level with your diaphragm? In my experience, that gives you a much more accurate image of your body shape. Also, have you done the "What's my body-type?" thread yet? If not, I would encourage you to do that - it is soooo helpful to get feedback from non-biased people (unlike you, who already have this preconcieved notion that you have this inbalance between the top and bottom half of your body!)

The other side of the coin is this: IT is one of the body types that is many times coveted by people with other body types - so, if you are an IT, then I say embrace it!