question on top length

Rose

Hi all..
I have read Angie's guidelines for proper top length many times.. she say that “the length of your tops should either catch you just below your hipbone (a few inches above crotch point), or past the thigh area” I'd really like to understand why shorter tops work really well on some people- like Jennifer Aniston- she seems to wear her tops much shorter than the guidelines (?), why does this work, or am I unclear about what hipbone length is? See examples here:
http://www.polyvore.com/sap/set?id=10441880
http://www.people.com/people/j.....n/photos/0,,,00.html#20695031

Thanks !!

15 years ago

General

12 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Queen Mum

Veteran

hmmm, maybe because in the first picture she's wearing blue on blue (or is that black?) and in the second she's going for the tucked belted look. She is also quite slender and more rectangularish so she probably gets away with more that curvy gals can.

15 years ago

Beth

Veteran

I think Kim's right. She has the kind of body that can pull that look off.

15 years ago

Alecia

Veteran

I'm with the other ladies. It's her body type. As Angie says, her guidelines are just a starting point. People can play with them a little and still look good, but how to do that depends on the person.

As for Jennifer specifically, I think she looks good in most of the posted pictures, but not the middle picture on the People page.

15 years ago

Scarlet

Veteran

Maybe it has to do with the belt? It seems to be important in defining her shape and polishing off the look in each of these pictures.

15 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

I don't know why the first picture with the shirt is ok. I assume the belt is what makes it work for the second set of pictures.

15 years ago

Inge

(website)

Moderator

Bumping this for Angie. I think the lasses are on to something: other factors come into play when you are wearing a belt, and the darker colours in the first picture make it work for me, I guess.

15 years ago

Rose

Active Member

Thanks for the answers.. I was going to try to prove you all wrong about the belt but in every photo that I have seen she has a belt if her top length is short..
hmm, I asked because I am noticing that I often think my tops are too long on me, I think that I prefer shorter than the guideline length, so I was looking to my style icon who happens to wear shorter length tops to figure out what the exception was here... I am sure I just need to play around with top length and maybe try a belt too..

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

Short tops look ridiculous on me because they just make my torso look even more squat than it is (and since my bust takes up half my upper half, it makes it look even larger).

She is also very slim, possibly longwaisted? Hard to tell.

http://youlookfab.com/2008/04/.....ver-pants/

15 years ago

Frances

Active Member

I find the top length issue a bit puzzling too, but I think I also have a longer length torso in relation to my petite lower half and short legs, so that could be some of it. I know this is bad, wrong and awful, but I am also a life-long top tucker--I just do not like the look of untucked tops on myself. Maya, thanks for posting that link again as a reference. What I like about the shorter length tops in those photos is that they appear more slimming (to my eyes anyway) than the longer length tops. However, I can see how this might not be the case on someone who is more of an apple or pear shape. Angie, can you shed some light on this issue? Are there some instances or body types for which shorter length tops and even (horrors!) tucking might be more flattering?

15 years ago

Vix

Veteran

I could be wrong, but I assumed the top length guidelines were for untucked tops/jackets.

Since she's rectangular, JA is big on using the belted-but-semi-untucked technique to create shape in the hip zone; I think that's what's going on with the black shirt in the first link. Two other variations here...the Ts hit at ~ hipbone:

http://www.polyvore.com/dress_.....d=12191858
http://www.polyvore.com/jennif.....d=11243679

She does the untucked hipbone-length shirt here:
http://www.polyvore.com/dress_.....id=9401753

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

Frances, I think you might be distracted by the fact that the shorter tops are more form fitting (which is exactly what makes them good for skirts), while the longer ones are more voluminous or relaxed.

Those models are all slim rectangles, slim-hipped inverted triangles, or rectangular hourglasses, so they don't have to think as much about top length as the vast majority of women who have curvier hips. In fact shorter tops might look better on them since they *create* curves.

I think tucking looks great on a long-waisted body. Those with long torsos have the waist definition and the length needed to pull it off. When I tuck into pants, the results are comical. My torso is squat and short as can be, and my legs look about 5 miles long...which sounds good but it makes me look like a freak!

Skirts are fine because they are much shorter than pants are, so I don't look as off-balance and skirt tops need to be shorter anyway. On my ultra petite upper half, it's impossible to find skirt tops that are short enough...even in the petites department. I suspect if I were a few inches taller it might be easier.

15 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

What Vix and Maya said. My top guidelines are for un-tucked tops. Jennifer is tucking her top into low rise jeans. On top of that Jen is long bodied even though she's only 5ft 3. She looks taller doesn't she!

Have to say that I'd like to see Jennifer stop sporting tank tops and straggly whiteT's. Love her in her jeans, boots and blazers though :0)

15 years ago

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