Clothing Details

So, today's post may not be as sexy as "How to Wear the Latest Trend" or "How to Dress 10 lbs Thinner", but it is VERY important info that not everyone thinks about when they are dressing. I know this for a fact, because when I talk about these things with my Personal Styling clients, they are always either surprised to learn what I am about to tell you, or reply by saying, "Oh yeah, that makes sense - I never thought about it that way."

So, what am I going on about??? Clothing lines!

You know - necklines, hemlines, sleeves, even pockets! All of these design elements create a line on the body that will do one of two things, lengthen or widen. Knowing this (and applying it) can help when you are dressing your body and want to make an area appear longer and leaner, or wider and fuller.

Here, some of the top examples...

A boat neck top will add width to your shoulders - adding horizontal lines help create more width. Turtlenecks are a horizontal detail that makes the chest appear wider and shortens your neck. Sweaters with banding around the hem also create a horizontal line, so wherever it lands (waist or hips) will make that area appear wider. Patch pockets like the one on this sweater will do the same thing.

V-Necklines always create a longer and leaner look, as do vertical stripes. As well, any other vertical detail like a ruffle going down the centre front of a garment will do the trick too.