While I certainly don't look like Elle, I can definitely see my proportions reflected in that picture of her. One of the things that is so nice about this forum is the wide diversity of body shapes that you see here; it really brings home the point that "average" is truly in the eye of the beholder.
Body proportions matter only when you are far enough away from the "ideal" that it influences your clothing choices. For example, someone with a very short neck may find turtlenecks uncomfortable and unflattering, while her counterpart with a very long neck might avoid open necklines for the same reasons. I've always realized that flat shoes and wide-legged pants didn't work as well with my proportions as did a narrower pant with a heel. That knowledge can make clothes shopping less of a hassle. But it's also interesting to learn how to push the boundaries to find how much width I can wear in a pant leg and how low I can go in a heel and still feel comfortable and happy with my outfit.
