What’s the best way to know what to wear for your body element? Analyze outfits on mannequins for design lines and colors.
This post is the second in a series. In this post you will learn how to analyze the design lines and colors of the outfit on this mannequin, wearing a Charter Club cashmere turtleneck and cardigan with pants, belt and necklace. (Macys.com: Charter Club cashmere turtleneck – Web ID 9003763; Charter Club cashmere cardigan – Web ID 11204781; Riley & Mae slim-leg pant – Web ID 11363617; Ralph Laruen belt – Web ID 10420774; Lucky Brand necklace – Web ID 7747908)
I divided the section into the five different Body Elements plus Scale Strategy:
- Body Shape
- Face Shape
- Color Skin Hair and Eyes
- Body Proportion
- Body Frame Size
- Scale Strategy
What To Wear For Body Shape
Body Shape gives you clues to the silhouette of the clothes and placement of horizontal and vertical lines. To review the different Body Shapes and the clues they give go to What Are Your Body Shape Clues.
The silhouette of the cardigan, turtleneck and pants is angular. Therefore this outfit is great for the angular Body Shapes of “H,” “O” and “V.” However if you’re a curved Body Shape: “A,” “S” or “X”, add a belt to transform the silhouette into a curved one.
Horizontal lines are created by this outfit and are important to Body Shape. They are:
- At the elbow, caused by the sleeve hem
- At the waist, caused by the belt and
- Between the waist and hips, caused by the turtleneck hem
The horizontal lines at the elbow and waist emphasize the waist area. “H,” “V,” “A,” “S” and “X” Body Shapes can handle this line. However if you have a big belly it will emphasize it so a belt is not a good idea. If this is you, don’t put your sleeves up to your elbows either. Consider leaving the sleeves at the wrists or between your elbows and wrists.
The horizontal lines between the waist and hips and just below the hip can be worn by most Body Shapes depending on how you carry your weight.
Vertical line created by the cardigan front is great for all Body Shapes.
The necklace stops the eye just above the bust and below it. If you have a bigger bust, this will bring attention to it. In my opinion there are times you don’t want to do this, for example at work. Long necklaces aren’t great for “O” Body Shapes because they bring attention to your widest area. A necklace between your chin and bust would be better for you.
What To Wear For Face Shape
Face Shape gives you clues as to the shape of:
- Inside design line details
- Prints
- Accessories
To review the different Face Shapes and the clues they give go to How To Keep Your Feet From Resembling Olive Oyl’s Feet.
The shape of the necklace is curved while the belt and pant print are angular. However, the fashion industry doesn’t consider this body element. In styling mannequins and models they are always mixing the shapes of design lines, prints and accessories.
Also it can be difficult to find all the elements with your desired shape. The key is to make sure they all match as much as possible on those important days when you need to tap into your confidence and personal power. Find the right combination for you.
For me, I make sure the design lines are always angular. When it comes to prints and accessories, if one is curved, I make sure everything else is angular. For example, when I wear pearls (they just make me happy), I make sure the belt, handbag, shoes and print (if I’m wearing one) are all angular.
If you’re angular like me, go to the fashion jewelry department and look for long necklaces with angular shapes. But if you have a curved Face Shape go look for pants with curved prints or solid colored ones. Also go to the belt department to look for curved belt buckles.
What To Wear For Color Skin, Hair And Eyes
The color of your skin hair and eyes give you clues to:
- Colors
- Color combinations
- The first clue to scale of prints and accessories
There are four posts explaining this Body Element and the clues it gives you. To review them go to:
The turtleneck has the only color in this outfit which is paired with black. The color is a yellow color found on the Intensity Color Wheel.
Is this color one of your favorite colors? When you wear it do you feel like you can conquer the world? This sweater comes in a lot of different colors if the yellow is not right for you.
Is this color one of your favorite colors? When you wear it do you feel like you can conquer the world? This sweater comes in a lot of different colors if the yellow is not right for you.
Next consider your Color Contrast profile which helps you determine the relative lightness and darkness of the color combinations.
This color of yellow and black is medium to high contrast. If this contrast is too much for you find a cardigan in lighter tones, for example greys and tans.
The belt is black so if black isn’t your best accessory neutral, find a color that best suits your coloring.
The necklace is gold colored which goes well with this turtleneck. If silver is better for you, look for necklaces with that metal color.
For scale of pant print, belt and necklace go to the Scale Strategy section.
What To Wear For Body Proportion
The clues Body Proportion gives you are:
- Placement of horizontal and vertical lines
- The second clue to scale of prints and accessories
To review Body Proportion and the clues it gives you go to Body Proportions — Out Of Balance?
Horizontal lines are created by this outfit. They are important to Body Proportion and are at the following locations:
- Neck
- Elbow
- Waist
- Between the waist and hips
- Just below the hips
- Ankles
If you have a short neck, don’t wear turtleneck sweaters. This sweater also comes in crew and V neck.
The belt wouldn’t be optimal for you if you’re short between your bust and waist or if your torso is shorter than your legs. The same thing goes for pushing your sleeves up to your elbows. Wear them full length or between your elbow and wrists.
If you’re short between your waist and crotch or your torso is shorter than your legs, the hem of the turtleneck sweater is not optimal. A sweater that is tunic length would create better balance.
For the horizontal line created by the ankle pant, make sure the placement is right for your legs. If your legs are shorter than your torso, make sure the placement is below your ankle to create a longer looking leg. By placing the hem above the ankle, the pants will shorten your legs.
The vertical lines created by the cardigan front and necklace create length. This is great when you have a short torso compared to your legs.
The necklace stops your eye and moves it vertically. Your eye stops just above the bust and below the bust. This type of necklace works best on well-proportioned bodies.
For scale of the pant print, belt and necklace go to the Scale Strategy section below.
What To Wear For Body Frame Size
Body Frame Size gives you the third clue for scale of prints and accessories. To review this Body Element and the clues it gives you go to Body Frame Size — Bone Size Clue.
To determine if the pant print, belt and necklace scale are right for you go to the section below.
What To Wear For Scale Strategy
Scale Strategy is determined by bringing together the scale clues from:
- Color Skin, Hair and Eyes
- Body Proportion
- Body Frame Size
To review or determine your Scale Strategy go to Scale Strategy — Bringing It Together
The pant print is small scale. If your overall Scale Strategy is small, this print is perfect for you. However, if your overall Scale Strategy is larger than that look for larger prints. But, tf you can’t find any opt for a solid color.
The belt is large scale. When your overall Scale Strategy plus Body Proportion clue between the bust and waist is large, this belt would be perfect for you. If this belt is too big for your Body Elements but a horizontal line in this area is perfect for you, then look for smaller scale belts.
The necklace has a medium to medium/small scale. To determine if this scale is right for you look at your overall Scale Strategy plus your Body Proportion between your chin and waist.
Summary
Turtleneck Sweater
The Charter Club turtleneck sweater has an angular silhouette. However, it can be modified to a curved silhouette by wearing a belt. The color of it is on the Intensity Color Wheel in the yellow mid-range. The horizontal lines created by the turtleneck are not great for women with short necks. The hem placement is great for most women except those who are short between their waists and crotch areas.
Cardigan
The Charter Club cardigan sweater has an angular silhouette and also can be modified with a belt. The color is black and paired with the turtleneck sweater it creates a medium color contrast. The hem is great for most women except those whose torsos are longer than their legs. The vertical line of the front creates length for those who have short torsos compared to their legs.
Pant
The Riley & Mae slim-leg pant has an angular silhouette. The print is angular and small scale. With the pant legs being slim, it’s an ankle pant. The hem might not be right for those with legs shorter than their torsos. Also slim-legs don’t always work for those with an “A” or “O” Body Shape causing the widest area to be visually even wider. However the long cardigan can balance that out with the horizontal line created by the hem.
Belt
The Ralph Lauren belt is black. If black isn’t a good neutral for you, look for a better neutral. The belt has a medium/large to large scale. It’s great for bodies with the same overall Scale Strategy including the appropriate Body Proportion between the bust and waist.
Necklace
This lasso necklace has a curved shape which is great for curved shaped faces. With this style of necklace the eye stops just before and after the bust. Large busted women need to consider if it works for the occasion. With the eye stopping in these places, it’s best suited for well-proportioned women between the chin and waist. The color is gold, that is great for women who can wear this metal color. Finally the scale is medium to medium/small.
Remember you can take clues from the mannequin to determine what works for you and what doesn’t. If you have the time, take these clues and create an outfit that matches your body clues.
What did you learn today? Is this Charter Club cashmere outfit right for you? Did you start seeing the horizontal and vertical line placements? Do you have any questions about the analysis? Please write in the comments below.
In next week’s post I will analyze an outfit which is made by Style & Co. The post is called What To Wear — Style & Co Boyfriend Jeans.
Wear Your Greatness!!
