Not Thinking About Your Body Shape When You Put Outfits Together As we go through life, our body undergoes some sort of change every 5 years or so. (For me, it s been exactly every 5 years!) The changes aren t always subtle; think of the dramatic difference between a 5-year-old body and a 0-year-old one. Or, think back to the difference between your own body at 0 and at 5. Another change, right? Well, now that we re in our 40 s, those changes keep on coming and may actually start to speed up. You might start to notice a difference every -4 years. That s why it s important for you to wear clothes that fit your current body. To become fashion savvy, it s necessary to do your best to highlight and take advantage of the shape you re in right now. Here are two ways to get a good idea about your body shape & how you can dress to fit it: Align your shape with either a geometric shape (triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle or hourglass) or an object (apple, pear, cello, vase, brick). As women, we want to create the silhouette of an hourglass. Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine made this concept popular in their book, What Not to Wear. The suggestion is that you create an hourglass by balancing your shape through adapting your wardrobe. So for instance, if you have a triangle shape (wider on the bottom half of your body) you want to balance the width of your hips by emphasizing the top half of your body. Use colour, pattern, shine or texture to draw attention upwards. Looking at proportions is another great way to understand your body shape. Stand in front of a mirror and look at your body vertically, then look at the break between your torso and legs. Considering your height are you tall, average or petit? identify whether you have a long or short torso, then make the same decision regarding your legs. Are they long or short? The idea is to create the illusion of a longer leg and an average length torso. When dressing to achieve the right proportion, be aware of the places you create horizontal lines on your body such as where your belt or hemline hits on your coat, jacket or dress. Unfortunately, if they don t know to check, many people end up with horizontal lines exactly where they don t want them. So, double check your outfits to make sure you re not creating visual breaks and drawing attention to places you don t want to.
Chasing the Latest Trends The fashion industry thrives on change. Every -4 months we re presented with a whole new array of colours, styles, shapes and designs to chose from. That s a big part of what makes fashion fun and interesting, but a fashion savvy woman knows it s important to be selective when it comes to following the latest trends. You want to avoid buying clothes and accessories just because they re the latest thing. And, if the latest thing is something you ve already done, in your high school/college years perhaps, you definitely want to avoid doing it again. (If you had Flock of Seagulls hair, wore neon parachute pants and used shoulder pads in everything when you were in your 0 s, you do not want to relive that style in your 40 s.) When a piece of clothing catches your eye in a store, decide whether the trend fits into your style personality. You want to remain true to yourself because deviating too far from your core style personality will come across as a mismatch. You won t seem authentic and the discord will portray a jarring, visual style error. Now, if you just really, really love neon and have been waiting since 994 for it to come back into fashion, I give you permission to adopt it into your wardrobe. However, instead of going full-force neon head-to-toe (think early Madonna, Blondie, the B-5 s, and other New Wave groups), choose a tiny piece of neon and mix it in with some of your basics. Neon colours are extremely difficult to wear because they really don t look great with most skin tones. So, try wearing a single piece of neon jewelry with a monochromatic, chic and classic pant and top. Or, carry a tote bag done in classic beige with a tiny bit of neon trim. That way your look will be updated, fresh and youthful but not overly trendy. When it comes to trends, it s best to err on the side of classy and elegant. Once we reach our 40 s, we look better in classic, structured styles. Add a touch of the trend, but skip the spiral perm and the acid-washed blazer with matching full-length denim skirt.
Wearing Too Much of a Good Thing Also known as over-coordinating or being too matchy matchy, this mistake usually occurs when we become overwhelmed by the thought of shopping for new items. You find one piece that you like, perhaps a blouse or a t-shirt, then you notice the designer or manufacturer has created a whole grouping of pieces that match. The colours are all the same, the print is repeated in several of the pieces and it all coordinates beautifully! You can t go wrong, right? Stop. Right. There. There is no faster way to look dated and frumpy than by creating a mix-and-match wardrobe from the same exact line. The goal is to be chic, and this is the opposite of chic. So, let s start again with the original piece you liked. Does this piece mix with anything you already own? Chances are, you probably have something that can be used to create a more interesting outfit on your own. You don t ever have to buy the complete collection from the designer. Another thing is that if the piece you ve chosen has a strong colour or print, it will become the focal point of your outfit. And, an outfit should only have one focal point. By using one focal piece and keeping the rest of your outfit neutral, you let the special piece really stand out. A great way to understand how to avoid being too matchy matchy is to think of Pareto s Principal or the 80/0 rule. 80% of your outfit is the chic, classic, basic portion, which could be made up of timeless pieces, clean lines, or neutral colours. 0% is the spark of your look, what makes it interesting and unique. This can come from fun colours, stand out jewelry, an over-the-top statement piece, great shoes, or an interesting pattern. A head-to-toe look just can t compete with a unique outfit that was carefully considered to highlight your personality and best features. By keeping your body shape and your style personality in mind, along with using the 80/0 rule, you can create an outfit that looks amazing on you and that you feel great wearing.
Action Tips to Create a New Look Starting Today! Now that you know the top mistakes we make with our wardrobes after 40, and great ideas for avoiding them, here are ways you can develop your new style starting right now: Go to your mirror and take a look at your outfit. Pay particular attention to the horizontal lines (the hem of your dress, where your belt lies, where your shirt ends, etc.) Are they in a good place for your body or not? If not, identify the best places for horizontal lines to occur to make you look your best. (Remember, average torso, longer legs.) Open a Pinterest account and collect images of fashions and styles that inspire you. Create an online inspiration & mood board to identify and develop your unique style personality. (You can also follow me on there at: http://www.pinterest.com/coriburchell/) Create a new outfit, using the 80/0 rule. Pick one special item to be your focal point (the 0%) and build from there. Make up the remaining 80% with simple basics or classic pieces to enhance and coordinate with your inspiration piece. Using these tips and tricks, you are going both look and feel better in your clothes. You ll have better confidence when shopping, and know exactly how to put the perfect outfit together. If you know anyone other women over 40 who might want (or need) these tips, please don t keep me a secret! Feel free to direct them to my website and help spread the word about my newsletter of fashion and style advice for women over 40 by clicking your favorite social media button below! Stay chic! Cori