You’re not a Rectangle! You are a Lady of Movement!!

 

To continue with our exploration of empowering body shapes, let’s select another body shape and discover new and empowering ways to see and dress it

You’ve checked your measurements and they are less than 8” difference between your waist and bust and your waist and hips. (Want an assist in figuring out that shape then try my BodyShape Finder.) In the old paradigm you would be a rectangle. Talk about BORING!!! You don’t even merit a fruit taste! Not so fast!! You look gorgeous in clothes that flow and move around your body. You are a Lady of Movement!

You are part of largest groups of body shapes. Ladies of Movement make up about 46% of the American population. You have the look that marketers create when they are displaying garments for sale on decorative hangers where everything looks great. But…don’t give in so easily to what you “should” wear. You have a unique body shape. Because you are an elegant column of a woman nothing distracts from garments that flow and move around your body, creating shapes of their own. Those billows create hips and busts and bring oodles of life to your form. You don’t run the danger of your body shape being exaggerated by the forms created by your clothes

 

What to Do?

Look for garments that have a flow and movement of their own. Let your clothes put the visual curves in your body.

 

On Top

Look for jackets that draw the eyes to the waist. It could be a single button closure at the waist of a belted jacket. Draw the eyes to your bust with short fitted jackets. You are one of the few shapes that can wear soft drapey tops that accentuate your bust. Stay away from the boxy jackets. You look best in flowing and curving lines. Stay away from the boxes – this includes the boxy look created by double breasted and unstructured jackets and tops.

Draw attention to your shoulders with shoulder or yoke details. Use contrasting fabric and drapey fabric. You can get away and actually look great in styles that draw the eyes across the shoulders and widens them. Accompany that with a waist cinching detail and you rival the Lady Divas (aka Hourglasses).

 

On the Bottom

The same suggestions apply to your waist and hips. Flowing and billowing and curving around your body.Flared and mermaid skirts are great! Add flowing pleats and gores. Hem your skirts with pointed handkerchief or asymmetrical hems to add to the movement.

Your legs are probably one of your greatest assets. The go on and on in proportion to your shape. But they are straight and you want the eye to go round and round and not up and down. So avoid mini skirts in favor of 3/4 length hems

But those same legs make pants one of your best choices. Have fun. Sport baggy hip pockets. Wear crop pants or capris. Go super wide and floppy. Skinny jeans – not so good – unless you want to emphasize the skinny and long and lose all that movement that makes you so interesting.

 

Generally

Some general rules to follow are:

Use strong blocks of color to set up movement in your ensemble

Add curves and stripes (just not the narrow vertical jailhouse stripe) to give curves to your shape.

Define your shoulders and hips

Use dramatic angles

 

For More Info

If you want more detailed info on your particular body shape, get our free e-book Know Your Body Shape

 

Final Note

Above all, don’t be so bound by the ‘rules’ that you select clothes that you don’t like. Enjoy the clothes you wear – that will generate the best impression

Check out your body shape at Find Your Body Shape. Then download your specific shopping guide from my Shop.

 

 

 

 

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