Now that Sam has a better understanding of her Body Elements, she’s building her dream closet. This is an idea she never thought she’d see herself dare to say; mostly because she’s never been into clothes like Monica. She never saw the point. Now she knows from experience that the right design lines and colors for her body change how she feels and help her step into her confidence. She knows what it feels like to conquer her day.
Sam and her friends: Monica, Alice, Grace and Veronica planned a day to go shopping to start filling in their closets with clothes that match their individual Body Elements so they can build their dream closets. They dream of the day when they go to their closets excited because they love wearing everything in them.
Sam has a big meeting with a new client. If she gets this job, it’ll change the course of her career. The meeting is with a community developer who has a new vision for planned communities. It’s Sam’s dream project.
Sam’s Body Elements
As a review, these are Sam’s Body Element clues:
- Body Shape — H (Body Shape — The Girls)
- Angular clothes silhouette
- Can place horizontal and vertical lines almost anywhere when considering Body Shape
- Face Shape — Oval (Face Shape — The Girls)
- Curved design lines, prints and accessories
- Color Skin, Hair, Eyes — High Color Contrast (Color Skin, Hair & Eyes — The Girls)
- Favorite Colors — Blue, Pink (red/violet), Green
- Color Combinations (other colors) —
- Triadic — Blue
- Triadic or Complementary — Pink
- Complementary — Green
- Color Combinations (relative lightness and darkness) — High contrast
- First Scale Clue — Large
- Body Proportions — Short between chin/bust, Long between waist/crotch (Body Proportions — The Girls)
- Horizontal lines — Don’t place them between her chin/bust but do place them between her waist/crotch
- Vertical lines — Limit the amount between her waist/crotch but do place them between her chin/bust
- Second Scale Clue — Decrease overall scale between chin/bust and increase it between waist/crotch
- Body Frame Size — Medium (Body Frame Size — The Girls)
- Third scale clue — Medium
- Scale Strategy — Medium/Large (Scale Strategy — The Girls)
- Decrease it to medium between her chin/bust
- Increase it to large between her waist/crotch
Building Dream Closet -- Blazer
Sam had seen this jacket in the store before and liked it. Until now, she never saw herself wearing a jacket. But for this big meeting, she decided to step up her game. What she liked about the jacket is that it’s not a traditional suit jacket. It has interesting design lines. She’s always looking for new ways to update traditional architecture and wanted to reflect that in her clothes. Sam thought this jacket was a great place to start.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Silhouette
Sam learned that the silhouette of clothes is an important design line. Silhouettes come in two categories: angular and curved. In clothes with an angular silhouette, the shoulders, waist and hips appear to be the same width. While in curved silhouette clothes, the waist is significantly smaller than both the shoulders and hips. Her Body Shape gives her clues as to which category works best for her. She has an H Body Shape which means she wears angular silhouette clothes.
When looking at the silhouette of the jacket, Sam thought there was a slight curve at the waist but it wasn’t significant. When she tried it on, it worked well for her body.
Horizontal Lines
Sam also learned that horizontal lines stop the eye, emphasize the area and make it appear wider and shorter. Her Body Shape and Body Proportions give her clues as to the placement of these design lines. Because she has an H Body Shape, she can place horizontal design lines anywhere. This is because she doesn’t have an area that’s wider than the rest. Placing horizontal design lines in any area brings emphasis to it and makes it appear wider.
Sam also considered her Body Proportions. She’s short between her chin/bust and long between her waist/crotch. As a result, she doesn’t want horizontal design lines between her chin/bust and does want them between her waist/crotch.
This jacket has three horizontal lines: jacket hem, sleeve hems and pockets at the waist. All three work well for Sam. The jacket and sleeve hems help shorten the appearance between her waist/crotch. The ones created by the pockets bring attention to her waist but because the length between her bust and waist is ideal for her height, it works for her.
Vertical Lines
Sam understands that vertical lines on an outfit can be either a friend or foe. It just depends on their placement. Her Body Shape and Body Proportions give her clues as to the placement of them. As with horizontal lines, she can place them anywhere because her H Body Shape doesn’t have a wide area. However, she needs to consider her Body Proportions.
Being short between her chin/bust, she wants vertical design lines in this area to make it appear longer and in balance with the rest of her body. On the other hand, she just doesn’t want them between her waist/crotch because the vertical lines will make this area appear even longer.
This jacket has several vertical lines: center front opening, princess lines and a two-piece sleeve. The center front opening is most prominent. It helps create length between Sam’s chin/bust, but it stops mid-hip right where the hem starts. This works in her favor because the eye follows down to the hem and stops. As a result, the area between her waist and crotch isn’t lengthened but in fact is shortened. The princess lines do the same thing.
The vertical lines on the sleeves don’t lengthen the area between her waist/crotch. But they do make her arms appear longer and thinner.
Shape Of Design Lines
Sam has an oval Face Shape and she learned that because it falls into the curved category, she should wear curved design lines. She further learned that she should look for design line shapes in design line details, accessories and prints.
The only design line that has a shape on the jacket is the center front opening. Between her bust/waist, it goes into a point. These points create angular design lines. When looking for a jacket, Sam saw most jackets had angular design lines. She’s learned that she can wear an angular design line if all the other elements of the outfit follow her Body Element clues. She feels like she has done just that.
Building Dream Closet -- Top
Sam didn’t see any tops she liked in the store when shopping with her friends, so she went to macys.com. When she saw this top she knew it was the one. First of all, it’s one of her favorite colors. She wants to wear one of these colors because she wants an added boost in confidence. It’s not a top she would’ve picked out nine months ago; but, she’s learned to look at design lines differently. She believes the design lines would work perfectly for her.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Silhouette
When looking at the area between the underarm to the hem on this top, Sam noted that they were the same width. She determined it had an angular silhouette, which is perfect for her Body Shape.
Horizontal/Vertical Lines
When looking at the picture on macys.com, Sam looked to see where her eyes stopped. They stopped at the neck and waist in the first picture. She looked at other pictures and noted the actual hem was at her hips.
Sam was concerned about the horizontal line at the neck because she’s short between her chin/bust. But because of the vertical keyhole opening and pleats created by the gathers at the neck, she thought it would create the length she needs. When she tried it on, she was right. She thinks it’s amazing how the combination of both horizontal and vertical design lines can change the appearance of a body.
Sam knows that if she wants to tuck the top in at the waist, she needs to make sure the pants have other horizontal lines between the waist/crotch or wear a jacket or cardigan that creates one in this area. Before she learned this fact, Sam always knew intuitively (her architectural eye) that she needed a horizontal line in this area, but never knew why.
Shape Of Design Lines
Sam thought the top’s design lines have the curved design line shapes she needs. The intertwine of the neckline creates curves along with the center front keyhole. When she tried on the top with the jacket, she knew she was right.
Color
The color of the top is one of her favorite colors. This is the main reason she considered the top. Over the last nine months, she’s learned that when she wears this color it gives her a little extra boost of confidence. Something she needs for this meeting.
Building Dream Closet -- Pants
In an effort to avoid looking traditional, Sam decided to wear a different color of pants. She thought the gray would go well with the top she picked. Being an architect she can visualize colors together. She also knew she wanted a mid-rise ankle pant. These are her favorite type of pants because she’s on and off construction sites, and flats and ankle pants work best.
Design Line & Color Analysis
Silhouette
Sam looked at the difference between the pants’ waist and hips and noted they had the same width, which is perfect for her H Body Shape.
Horizontal/Vertical Lines
When looking at the pants, she found horizontal lines at the waistband and hem. She knows she can wear any top tucked in to create horizontal lines between her waist and crotch because she’s long in this area. Sam knows this is important because the center front seam line creates a vertical line making this area appear even longer.
She loves wearing ankle pants because she wears flats and can easily go from the office to job sites. They make life a lot easier for her. Because her legs and torso are the same length, ankle pants work well for her.
Final Thoughts
Sam’s learned a lot in the last nine months and her confidence in picking clothes that look great on her has increased. What amazed her is that because of her architectural background, everything she’s learned makes sense. Now that Sam is able to step into her confidence through clothes, she’s pursuing new projects that she’s always wanted to do. In fact, she looks forward to shopping with her friends and even shops on her own now.
In the next blog post, Monica will share what she bought in building her dream closet. Even though she’s always loved clothes, she hasn’t always loved everything she bought. With this newfound knowledge, over time, she feels like she can make better choices so she can build her dream closet. The post is called: Building Dream Closet — Monica.
Wear Your Greatness!!
