Are you a fashion hunter or consumer? This is the approach of a fashion consumer: They enter a shop because of the cleverly-clad mannequins in the window. Like a silly teenager they think they are in fashion love. But it is only infatuation. Influenced by many factors like the price, the cute salesperson, the brand name, or their well-meaning friend, they swipe their credit card and start a relationship with a fashion that is clearly incompatible.
The problems begin. Things start to look different in the mirror. The hasty commitment makes the impulsive buyer determined to make it work. What this needs is altering! They find a tailor (another term for fashion counselor) and pay more. If money is tight, the alterations move from the dress to their bodies. Out comes the crash diets or plastic implants. Meanwhile, attempts are made to alter public opinion. “It doesn’t look that bad, right honey?” (Be careful how you answer that!) In the end, a charity or thrift store inherits the fashion statement.
Here is a totally fabricated statistic to prove our point: 100 percent of relationships between consumers of fashion and the fashions they marry end in painful divorce. It gives new meaning to the phrase “shop-till-you-drop”.
A fashion hunter, on the other hand, knows what to search for. They narrow down the dizzying maze of clothing racks and brands to a few targets that fit criteria like colors, seasons and the like. Perhaps the best place to begin your transformation from a silly consumer to a mature fashion hunter is: body shape. If you are not dressing for your body shape, you are missing out on the true secret to looking fabulous all the time – not just getting lucky now and then.
THE BODY SILHOUETTE
Time changes everything. For example, the shapes designers choose to emphasize on the catwalk are drastically different from what once was. The 1950s was clearly the decade of voluptuous hourglass figures, such as that of Marilyn Monroe (37-23-36). In the 1960s, Twiggy was the extreme opposite of the curvy woman with measurements of 32-22-32. The supermodel of 1980s and 90s averaged measurements of 32-23-34.
An individual’s body shape also changes over time. The hips get wider, waists become thicker, and busts, well, they too, adjust. Some female body shapes become more athletic, creating fewer curves but more defined muscles.
We mention this because it is a mistake to wear clothes just because you used to fit in them or because they were designed for the body shape of the decade. Remember your goal. If you can determine which of the following five most common shapes best describes your body, you can quickly focus your hunt on the 20 percent of clothes out there that will compliment you, and ignore the 80 percent that will not.
Pear
Like a pear, this body shape tends to be full and wide at the bottom and narrow and slim at the top. The top half features a small bust, defined waist, and smaller shoulders. The lower half has thicker hips, thighs, and buttocks.
If you are a pear shape, your goal is to hunt for styles that balance the shape by focusing on widening the shoulders. Minimize the middle, accentuate the top and keep legs and footwear simple. Emphasize the upper body with wide lapels, short scarves, interesting collars and semi-fitting or tailored tops. Pants should be made of flowing fabrics and drape loosely around the hips. Skirts should be tapered toward the hemline. Blouses should not end where your bottom does. Keep your heel height and style simple. Last but not least, accessories like bulky ethnic jewelry are eye-catching and very flattering to pear-shapes.
Cone
Like an ice cream cone, this shape boasts broad shoulders and bust over a narrow hip and waist. Sweet. Cone shapes carry most of their weight in their shoulders, busts, and backs. Many athletic women are cone-shaped. Jamie Lee Curtis is a good example of a cone shape.
To balance the cone shape, visually widen the hips and upper legs. Search for three-quarter or half sleeves to visually narrow the shoulders. Add fullness to the waistline with pleated skirts, wide slack belts, or loose fitting lab-style coats. For legs, go for pants with wide leg or flared bottoms. And remember the ‘wow’ factor: sexy high heels were made for this body shape. If you got it, flaunt it.
Rectangle
Like a rectangle, this body shape is straight up and down, front and back, with few to no curves. There is little to no waist. The main assets of rectangle shapes are that the bust, arms and legs are long and slender. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have rectangle shapes.
A rectangle shape should hunt for fashions that create the illusion of a smaller, shapelier waist and that elongate the neckline. Start with blouses or shirts with necklines that hang below the collarbone, like a V-neck, for example. Avoid belts and pleats that thicken the waistline. Go for jackets, tunics, and long tailored shirts. Focus the hunt on pants or skirts that break high to accentuate the legs. The rectangle shape loves any shoe that draws attention to the legs.
Apple
Another fruit, but this one is round with most of the weight at the mid-section. Apple shapes are characterized by an ample neck, generous bust, wider rib cage, round back, generous middle, with narrow hips and shapely legs. Kate Winslet is a good example of a slender apple shape.
If you are an apple shape, you should be hunting for clothing styles that create a longer and leaner torso. Your gift is your shapely legs. Go for tailored tops, V-necklines, and anything that exposes the neck. Focus on clothes that reduce bulk in the torso. Concentrate on shorter hemmed skirts and fitted pants that break high to show of those legs. Keep shoes low and simple.
Hourglass
Also known as the figure 8 and the even shape, the hourglass shape is the most balanced of all shapes, consisting of the same features from shoulder to hips with a very well defined waist in between. Halle Berry is an example of an hourglass shape.
If you are an hourglass, you should hunt for styles that accentuate the waist. Go for gentle U-necklines, fitted tops or shirts that break above the waist. Shoot for waistbands, belts, and wrap tops that tie around the waist. Go for fitted bottoms like pants and skirts that are tapered at the hem. High heels and middle heals will elongate the effect.
Knowing what to look for will quickly help you transform from a fashion consumer to a fashion hunter. Use criteria like body shape to narrow down the scope; then pull the trigger. Bang! You get a hit every time. l
