Step 2 in shopping for pants is to evaluate horizontal line placement. Step 1 was evaluating the pant’s silhouette.
The body elements that give you clues as to the placement of horizontal lines are:
Body Shape
Body Proportion
I believe the wrong horizontal line placement contributes to so many clothes:
Becoming the 80% that just hang in closets never to be worn
Taking away confidence and personal power
Now that you understand your body shape and body proportion you can determine the best placement of horizontal lines for your body and start creating a closet full of clothes you love to wear.
This subject is large and important, so I broke it up into two posts. In this post we will:
Horizontal lines can be our friend and foe. It all depends on where you place them. So you ask, “How are horizontal lines created on pants?”
Horizontal Line Placement On Pants
The main source of horizontal lines on pants are:
Waistbands
(Modern Skinny Ponte Pants, Alfani, Macys.com Web ID 4851367)
(Tummy Control Pull-On Skinny Pants, Alfani, Macys.com Web ID 700371)
(Curvy-Fit Slimming Bootcut Pants, Alfani, Macys.com Web ID 656431)
Pockets
(Curvy-Fit Straight-Leg Jean, INC, Macys.com Web ID 8778382
Skinny Moto Pants, INC, Macys.com Web ID 8778382
Tapered Drawstring Cargo Pants, INC, Macys.com Web ID 9532803
Solid Utility Jogger, INC, Macys.com Web ID 10348227)
Plackets and design lines
(Curvy-Fit Straight-Leg Jean, INC, Macys.com Web ID 8778382
Skinny Moto Pants, INC, Macys.com Web ID 6313897)
Hems
(Embellished Bootcut Pants, INC, Macys.com Web ID 6707101
Tapered Drawstring Cargo Pants, INC, Macys.com Web ID 9532803
D Ring Culotte Pants, Afani, Macys.com – Web ID 9912120)
Horizontal Line Placement Based On Body Shape
When considering the horizontal line placement with respect to Body Shape you need to ask yourself three questions:
Where do you want the eye to stop?
What area do you want to emphasize?
Are there areas you want to appear wider?
H Body Shape
If you have an H Body Shape, you’re in luck. A well-proportioned H Body Shape can place horizontal lines anywhere. In my opinion this is why most designers/manufactures design for this body shape.
Do well-proportioned H Body Shapes ever have to be concerned when evaluating pants? The answer is yes, in one area: large tummy.
Remember horizontal lines placed in this area will bring attention to a large tummy. If this is true for you then don’t wear tops tucked in. Wear them so the hemline hits just below the belly.
O Body Shape
If you have an O Body Shape, you need to be concerned with the placement of horizontal lines. The widest part of your body is your waist and waistbands hit at your waist. It’s best for you to create a horizontal line between your waist and hips by wearing tops out. The hem of the top will create a horizontal line.
V Body Shape
When it comes to pants a V Body Shape is a lot like the H Body Shape. If you don’t have a belly then you can put horizontal lines almost anywhere. A horizontal line at the waist can create balance for your wider shoulders.
However if you are like many V Body Shapes you have a tummy (this is where you gain weight first) and a horizontal line at the tummy isn’t a good place for all the reasons talked about above. It brings attention to this area. Like with the H Body Shape with a tummy, don’t wear tops tucked in at the waist, but out, so the hem hits between the waist and hips.
A Body Shape
The big concern for A Body Shapes and horizontal lines is the hips. Normally there are few horizontal lines at the hips. These lines can be created in this area through patch pockets on the back side and decorative embellishments down the side seam of pant legs.
Great places for horizontal lines on a well-proportioned A Body Shape are around the waist. This is through the waistband, horizontal pockets and plackets.
Like the above body shapes if the A Body Shape has a belly, shirts shouldn’t be tucked in and the hem of the top should land between the waist and hips.
S and X Body Shape
I put these together because the placement of horizontal lines is the same. These body shapes are a lot like the H Body Shape. They can place horizontal lines almost anywhere.
However, I have seen some women with this body shape with an extra small waist who do not like horizontal lines at the hips. They think it makes their hips look bigger because of the contrast between their waist and hips. This is where the placement making them feel lighter or heavier comes into play.
In the next post you will learn about the horizontal lines on pants and your body proportions.
Did you learn anything new? Or were you able to connect the dots; you instinctively knew the placement of horizontal lines on pants did or didn’t work but now you know why? Make comments below.