Oh, dear. Proportions were not what I thought. - YouLookFab Forum

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Oh, dear. Proportions were not what I thought.

Mochi

Veteran

I want to send my pics to Imogen for a blog post she mentioned doing on proportions. So I had my husband take front, side and back pics.

2-D gives an entirely different perspective. Measuring that way, with my gigantic head, I'm not even seven heads tall! It's barely over six heads!!!!

I thought I'd seemed way too balanced with the results from measuring with the string.

I'm just a huge, walking bobblehead and I doubt anyone else at YLF can come close (if you do, let's start a Big Head contingent). Sigh. Which I already knew. Probably with my head more in proportion, I'd actually be around 5'0" (or even less), rather than the 5'3".

Well, I'll let you know what Imogen says!

Body Type

19 replies

Latest reply was from Hopsie

Anonymous

Mochi, it's NOT that bad! It's not like you're a freak of nature or anything, lol. I can't wait to hear about your "consult" with Imogen. Chin up! (.....no pun intended!)

Parsley

Veteran

You know, Mochi, I've read that many TV and movie celebrities have heads that are relatively large for their bodies, and that makes them more photogenic! (More like a Barbie doll!) Vanna White is one example often given.

So you can just tell yourself that you are made like a movie star! Lucky you!
Signed,
Pin-head Parsley

Makrame

Veteran

You are not a walking bobblehead! Just take a look at your recent picture in Gap skinny jeans - you look so perfectly proportioned there. But hopefully this exercise will be helpful in finding more clothes that work for you.

For what it's worth, my DH sometimes teases me about my "big freaky head" (I think it's a quote from an old Seinfeld episode.)

Oh, here it is: "Elaine: A bird ran into my giant freak-head. Jerry: What giant freak-head? Elaine: The one that sits atop my disproportionately puny body. I'm a walking candy apple! "

I have learned to live with it, for example by selecting XL size in hats.

Mochi

Veteran

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/456865.....5%20AM.jpg

Vix

Veteran

First, I prefer the term "leonine" to describe my big ole head, ha!

[True story: a relative's pediatrician had her freaking out about her child's head circumference due to the correlation of larger heads with neuro issues, and I said, "Have you showed the guy a family photo?!" Child went on to be diagnosed with nothing more serious than Family Big Head Syndrome. ]

Second, I looked at the photo you linked and while I *can* see what you're talking about with your head now that you are pointing it out, it doesn't look drastically larger than your body or anything. Proportional enough for all but da Vinci.

I like your slant that you'd be a few inches shorter with a smaller head...ditto for me, and I don't want to give up any height so I'll take it!

Will be interested to hear what Imogen has to say about your proportions; keep us posted!

ETA Inspiration pic below

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lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Oh dear, I have the same problem - I had to special order a bike helmet because nothing at the store fit my huge arse melon.

Mochi

Veteran

Thanks.

I know I should be grateful I'm healthy, have food and shelter and can even buy myself nice things. It's just this fundamental feeling of being in a kind of outlier body. I kind of think that if my proportions were any more skewed, it would have to be from a medical condition!

It's like I have this huge head and bust perched on top of these little legs. So so bizarre.

ETA: In the scheme of things, it's what my other online community calls "a tiny little First-World problem."

Vix

Veteran

Aw, I'm sorry you're feeling that way. I had a friend who had beautifully delicate arms and legs but felt her torso was out-of-scale...she called it her "olive on a stick" body but trust me, none of us did.

I do think some people are just very kinesthetically oriented, and get really bothered by stuff like disproportionate limbs or slight muscle tension/soreness.

Do you have any regular exercise/movement thing you enjoy? I am really aware of my low center of gravity (short legs, long torso here) and I find exercise helps me connect with my body in different (positive) ways.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

FWIW I would not see 'large head' firstly upon meeting you. I think we all zero in a little bit on our own 'things'.
Did you get to email Imogen? I tried but couldn't get the code to enter yesterday.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Two things!

- I happen to adore bobble-heads so I hope that you can feel the love, Mochi.

- Dressing and style is art, not science. While, we might not all be blessed with the ability to do algebra, we can ALL have a great sense of style. That means working with our proportions no matter how regular, or how skewed. That in itself is liberating.

We are ALL walking works of art

rae

(website)

Veteran

Mochi, I was just about six heads tall, too! Team Bobblehead unite! Hm, and we both have bangs, yes? I am very interested in how my hair visually shrinks my head these days, lol. FWIW, when I LOOK at either of us - and Suz, she said she had a large head, too! - I don't see giant heads. It's just one of those weird things!

soobee

Veteran

I haven't done my proportions yet, but I suspect I will be on team big head. For what it's worth, when I looked at your photo I didn't see a big head but I did see a gorgeous, enviable, waistline. It seems we all tend to zero on something we don't like on ourselves.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Just wanted to echo what Makrame said - you look great in your new skinny jeans! Just fabulous

In the meantime, I know what it's like to feel like one's body isn't quite right, but the thing is - if I start analyzing the size of my head, or the distance between various body parts, it's not going to be a good thing for my self-esteem. I think it's enough to have a general idea of one's overall body shape and take it from there. I don't think it's a good idea to start nit-picking or being overly detailed.

I have no idea about the size of my head, and frankly - I don't think I want to know. I don't know if I'm short waisted or long waisted either - maybe one of these days, I'll take the time to try and figure it out.

You know what? You look beautiful and stylish in those new skinny jeans, and I don't think you should worry too much about "the math". I hope you can have fun and let yourself enjoy what is, before getting into carving yourself up into a set of numbers. In fact, I don't think I'd recommend carving oneself into a set of numbers at all.

Signed,

Round and squishy curvy person with too-long legs for her size.

Mochi

Veteran

I know all these things rationally...thank you, everyone. I just don't know why I am unable to let go of it completely at this point in my life. Oh well, I'm a work in progress.

Thank you. Your kindness means a lot to me.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Mochi, if you're a bobble, I'm a bobble. I'm okay with that. Everybody has some body part or other that doesn't fit some ideal or other. But as Angie said, we can all work with what we have and find ways to look great. Our larger than average heads may make it tough to find hats...but I notice when we find them, we look pretty darn sensational in them. (I've seen you sporting a cap and a spunky grin!)

I hope this exercise ends up being helpful to you. I don't think any of this stuff is worth it if it makes you feel badly about yourself. I think the goal is to help us look at ourselves dispassionately and yet with immense love. Which is what each and every one of us deserves.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

It's not so easy to just 'let go' of these things - and it seems to take a long time. My Mom is in her early 60's and still feels funny about her size 10 feet and tall stature (she's about six feet tall).

I like what Suz said - it may very well turn out that these sorts of analyses end up helping a great deal, and you could end up with all sorts of useful 'aha' moments as a result. I was just writing from my own 'worry' , in that as soon as I start looking too closely at these sorts of things, I end up feeling even more critical - that's just me though, and perhaps I maybe jumped in too quickly carrying my own body-image baggage. Sorry about that!

Carry on...

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Your head doesn't look big to me. And you have nice legs.

I have seen WIWs of yours before and your head size did not stand out to me.

Maga

I am in the same position, Mochi - just about 6 heads long. Measured myself yersterday.

Funny, until now, and I'm in my fourties, I i would NEVER have thougt that my head is different than average head... Although I always bought my winter caps in men's departmet. Never connected it with the size of my head - I thought they look better on me because of their shape, bigger caps do not make hair flat and so on. Now I do understand WHY they are more flattering. Not sure what I should do with this new wisdom. I also have smaller bust than average, different eyes colour tan average, lighter skin than average and some more things. I'm just dressing for the body I have...
Funny, now I remember, years ago, I participated in a makeup course. I got so beautiful makeup - georgous - and the women who did it said something like: "You do have a lot of place for putting make up so it is easy to make you beautiful..."

If I would catch a goldfish and coud wish one change in my body I think I would leave my head as it is and wish for longer legs... Although it would make my head smaller automatically?

Hopsie

A newbie giving her two cents on the topic:

Every time our class has a drawing session with a model, people keep drawing her/his head bigger than it actually is. When it comes to head size, most people have a hard time picturing how small the "average" head is. Not to mention wide heads, narrow, long, etc. Heads too come in several different sizes and shapes, just like any other body part. Mine is pretty narrow and tiny, and my bf has to shop online for hats that are big enough.

I understand how hard it is to break out the habit of staring one's body and comparing it to other people's bodies. I've managed to become fixated on my wide shoulders, but when I mention about them to my friends they don't understand what my "problem" is. Same way I can't really see how your head is a bobble, as you put it.

Sometimes people try to find external reasons for anxiety or uncomfortable feelings they can't explain otherwise. "I feel unattractive, so it must be because I look unattractive". Has anyone important, like a family member, called you a bobble head or criticized your looks unfairly?