Recently we were at a formal event and noticed a couple of things about the attire… 1. everyone was wearing black (I know it’s an easy fall back) but color is in! and 2. Some women did well dressing for their body type and… well, some didn’t. So here is an easy check that covers the basics!
TOP Heavy body shapes:
Don’t: A lot of women who have larger busts try to camouflage it with boxy blazers. A blazer hides a double-D bust, but it makes a waist and the rest of the body look much bigger as well.
Do: A fitted, single-breasted fitted blazer, making sure it defines the waist but is roomy enough in the bust that it doesn’t pull. The overall effect is slimming and shape-defining.
BOTTOM Heavy body shapes:
Don’t: A straight button-dress that hugs the curves at the hips, making them appear larger, not to mention the pull on the buttons in curvy areas can draw unwanted attention.
Do: A wrap dress to emphasize the smallest part of the body (the upper half), allowing the bottom to A-line over the rest, camouflaging large hips and thighs. A print, especially over a darker background is slimming and will diffuse the attention on the pattern, not on the curves.
Now that you know what to wear, a few last minute tid-bits of advice: Practice the art of camouflage. A well known fashion truth: darker colors minimize, while lighter or shiny ones highlight. To play down a large chest, avoid wearing bright metallic tops. Have a thicker waist? A dark brown belt is better than a white one. Horizontal stripes make anything look wider. To look taller and leaner wear monocromatic tops and bottoms (match shoes to trousers for a longer leg line).
Tips for Looking Great at Work When Your Budget Is Tiny
By Adam Glassman
Q: I’m an administrative assistant who needs to look presentable on a limited budget. A suit feels like overkill. Can you help?
A: I’m guessing you sit behind a desk, so think like a news anchor and focus on dressing from the waist up: cute tops, prints, scarves—anything with a little neckline detail or embellishment. Transform a simple white shirt by adding a statement necklace.
And the suit may be dead, but that doesn’t mean you can’t resuscitate one in your closet and wear the pieces as separates. A jacket will give you a sense of authority—play with it! Turn up the collar, add a pin, or roll the sleeves.
Cargo pants are indeed making a comeback, what with the military-inspired trends we’re seeing for both women and men. The good news? The more fitted versions of cargo pants that you’re seeing today are a far cry from the oversized, stuff-your-pockets versions that were popularized in the 1990s. To keep from looking like Rambo or Amazon women, pair your cargos with some very feminine pieces.
So you’ve found this fabulous vintage necklace at a thriftstore or from Gramma’s dress-up box- but it just seems to be missing something.
Add a bow. Really truly.
Do:
- pick a satin or patterned ribbon in your favorite color (maybe to match your eyes?)
-Experiment with different bow styles (square, flat, standard)
-Tie your bow onto your necklace for instant facelift and vintage kick!
-wear your new necklace with a simple blouse, it’s a statement piece drawing attention to your face. If you pair busy jewelry with a patterned or heavily textured blouse it is overwhelming to the eye.
Don’t:
-Make the bow too big- we don’t want to look like Bozo the Clown.
-choose ribbons that are too wide, they will be difficult to tie and bulk up your necklace
-put more than one bow on each necklace
P.s. – don’t you love the hair in these photos? So cute!
The key is to keep everything else sleek and simple yet lush: a cropped leather jacket that defines her waist, black slim-yet-drapey top and feminine black ballet flats.
Do:
-Pair your long petticoats with a tough contemporary bag.
Here are two prominent formal (yet not so formal) looks that Rachel McAdams and Emily Blunt featured in the past few weeks.
Relaxed, beautiful and easy enough to do yourself.
HOW TO: Emily Blunt
1. First, apply “no frizz” cream to wet hair to prevent it from frizzing.
2. Create pin curls by taking half inch pieces of hair and wrapping each piece around her finger and then pinning them to the top of your head. Alternating the twisting monition both clockwise and counter clockwise to add dimension.
3. Let hair dry naturally.
4. After the hair was completely dry, use both a medium curling iron and small barrel curling iron to accentuate the curl.
5. To add a bit of sophistication to the look, she used a flat iron on each curl, straightening the bottom inch of the hair.
Long hair is definitely the trend…you’ll notice all these trends have long or at least shoulder length hair as their base. This is a great beach look, or relaxed weekend wear- but I wouldn’t style my hair like this for any dressier events.
Do:
-Let hair air dry, or blow dry depending on the silkiness desired.
-Spritz with hair volumizing spray, or thermal hair spray.
-divide hair into small section and use curling iron to curl only the middle of each hair section, leaving the bottom and top curl free.
Every guy will tell you a mini is eye-catching- but did you know floor length beauties can have the same effect? Walk down the hall with 39″ inches between your waist and the carpet and you are beaming: romantic, polished, classy, laid-back, or even daring. Never thought long skirts could be so chic now did ya?
