Dressing for your Apple Body Type

Submitted by on February 23, 2010 - 10:20 am

BY CATHERINE CASSIDY

Apple might be one of the more frustrating body types. Especially when you gain weight, as the majority of it hits your waistline.

Your body has it’s narrowest point above the natural waist, at the ribs. You also probably have pretty rockin’ legs!

A few celebs with Apple bodies:

Catherine Zeta JonesJessica Simpson


Their keys to successful style:


Create the Illusion of a Waist
Empire waists are perfect for apple bodied women. Your rib cage is your smJennifer Hudsonallest part, so this is the best asset to accentuate (aside from your legs!) to create the hourglass illusion of a waist.

The second best for you are wrap tops and dresses. These don’t fit too tight and the way they wrap across your body creates the look of a beautiful waist and perfect curves.

Remember: No matter your size, it’s all about balancing proportions to create the look of that perfect hourglass ideal shape (which, by the way, only about 2% of women have the luxury of flaunting).

Add a belt
Here I go again! But, yes, a wide belt at the waist works to create your waist. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but trust me! If you’re not comfortable wearing a belt just yet, try a belted jacket (and if even that’s too much for you, simply a tailored jacket).

Joie Tunic

Lengthen the Torso
Wear tops that fit your figure – skimming the body. Definitely not tight, but not too loose either. Ideally, this includes a v-neck as well as a bit of tailoring to keep a shape and structure. This tunic from Joie is an excellent example.

Dark on Top
Wearing darker colors on top is an instantly slimming trick. Of course, this means you have to work your legs – so accentuate those great legs in lighter color skirts, pants, and denim. You have the luxury of wearing whatever color you want on bottom b/c you have such great stems.

A-line Dresses & Skirts
Goes back to three things I’ve highlighted – skimming your top half, empire waists, and accentuating your great legs. Need I say more?

Skinny Pants
Be careful of wearing anything too skinny as you’ll look out of proportion, but you can wear the skinny pant with boots look quite well. Or, skinny pants with great, chunky heels. But please, no skinny legs with flats. It just looks like you have chicken legs! Instead, definitely look for slim fitting or straight leg pants that, again, accentuate your great legs.

Dressing for your PEAR Body Type

Submitted by on February 17, 2010 - 12:06 pm

BY CATHERINE CASSIDY

Last week I introduced the various body types and offered some quick tips to get you started dressing your best for your body type. This week starts the series of going into more depth for each body type.

PEAR is the most appropriate to start with as it’s the most common body type for women.

Your body is fuller at the hips and rear, and smaller on top with a defined waist.

A couple of celebs FAMOUS for their PEAR shaped curves …


These women definitely know how to dress their best for their body type. And they also don’t shy away from showing off their curves!

JLo Beyonce

Some keys to their success:

Dressing in Proportions
Wearing fitted on bottom while balancing it with something that adds a bit of bulk on top (whether a print, a jacket or a sweater). This creates the sense of the hourglass shape.

(Notice how Beyonce has a shoulder detail on her dress, this is how she adds weight to the top and effectively creates an hourglass shape.)

Think pencil skirt with a feminine blouse on top that nips in at the waist – either by being tucked in, by adding a belt or having waist of its own.

Wearing Darker Colors on Bottom
This draws attention to your slimmer top half. It also naturally slims your bottom half.

Bonus tip: NOT that you want to eliminate your curves, but you might want to control

them a bit! So, try this amazing underwear from Sarah Blakely of SPANXfame: ASSETS. Perfect for streamlining your shape under a dress or skirt that’s showing off your curves!

Beyonce Aline

Go A-Line
If you’re not ready for body hugging skirts and pants, A-line skirts and dresses will skim your curves without hugging them. They also put the focus on the thinnest parts of your body – your upper body and fabulous legs!

Try Pants of ALL Kinds!
They can really streamline a look. Whether a full, straight leg to add length to your overall look or a slim/skinny leg to play up your curves, pants create a flattering lean vertical line on your shape.

Add a Wide Belt

MichelleO

Put a wide belt (as opposed to a skinny belt) over a shift dress and/or cardigan or jacket to add a little bit of bulk to your top half while playing up your curves. This is an incredibly feminine and sophisticated look!

And you’re off! I challenge you today to look into your closet to find some of these items and put them together for yourself. AND WORK IT!

Own your curves!

If you want to attract wealth, success, love, happiness, etc. into your life … you have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk! In other words, you’ve got to LOOK the part of wealth, success, love and happiness!!

To your STYLED life!

Dressing for your Body Type

Submitted by on February 9, 2010 - 9:44 am

A Guide to Loving the One You’re WITH!

BY CATHERINE CASSIDY

This fabulous picture to the right is my best friend and I inHS Lacrosse our high school lacrosse uniforms (yes, as much as I love clothes, I do love sports as well!). This is relevant because I still distinctly remember the first time I tried on my kilt and how I felt.

I literally cried.

I was SO upset because it made my butt look big.

Now, to put this into context, I was wearing a size 4-6 at that time of my life (at 5’6″), which is by no means anything to be upset about!

So, really I had nothing to be upset about. I was healthy and fit and had a great shape. Yet, all I could focus on was my butt and how it looked in the kilt.

Fast forward to more than 10 years later and I’m just now loving my body and my shape. Seriously, it’s really just in the last year that I’ve stopped obsessing over my weight, what I ate for the day and getting in a workout.

It probably didn’t help working in the corporate world of Fashion where I pretty much ignored some of the trends (try stuffing my curves into skinny jeans? ha!).

Though, it was ignoring those trends and re-working them to fit my style and my body type that ultimately led me to an acceptance of my curves.

This is a quick guide to help you identify your body type with a few overarching tips for dressing your best. Each week, I will go into further detail for each body type with examples and new ideas.

In no time, you’ll be dressing your absolute best!

Pear
Your body is fuller at the hips and rear, and smaller on top.Wear darker colors on bottom and draw attention to your slimmer top half. Try dresses with fitted open-neck or strapless tops enhance your upper body and draw the eye up, while full or A-line skirts help hide wider hips.

Apple
Your body has it’s narrowest point above the natural waist, at the ribs.Bring the focus up to your collarbone and rib cage by adding neck details. Take advantage of the fuller blouse trend to draw the eye up, taking attention away from the middle and allowing a looser fit. Full skirts and A-line styles create an hourglass illusion.

Straight
Your body has little definition between bust, waist and hip measurements.Create curves by adding a belt over a sweater or flowing top. Fitted sheath dresses play up your lines, while babydolls and A-line styles will also help create some curves. Look for jackets, sweaters and dresses that have details that create curves and interest.

Hourglass
Your body is curvaceous, with full bust, defined waist and full hips.Work the curves in clothes that fit. An advantage to this shape is that no matter your size, hourglass can work it! Wear those belts and fitted tops. Choose clothes that skim your curves rather than hug them too tight. Wraps, knits and dresses with fitted waists enhance your classically feminie form. Look for adjustible-waist styles for the best fi

Full Bust
Your bust measurement is fuller than hips and rear.Do not add bulk to try and hide it! And definitely do not wear anything high-necked. That just accentuates your bust. U-necks, V-necks and halters draw the eye dowward for a slimming effect. A-line styles, full skirts and details at the hem help balance out the bottom half.

One is Silver & the Other Gold

Submitted by on February 7, 2010 - 9:19 pm

SATCshopping

Building a Wardrobe You Love

BY CATHERINE CASSIDY

1) Asses the Situation
Go into your closet and think about what you love about it and what you never really feel comfortable in. Are there colors that you gravitate towards? Designers? Items you wear ALL the time? Others you NEVER wear?

Start mixing and matching and trying to put things together in fresh and new ways. No, I mean really new. Don’t be afraid to create new color combos, mix prints or fabrics, or play with shapes.

Are there any trends that you’ve been seeing in the magazines? Try to look at your pieces in new ways. Could you possibly create the boyfriend blazer look with an age-appropriate black cardigan? Alter an old blouse that’s now too big to create something more tailored?

While assessing your situation, consider your job and lifestyle as well as the image you want to project.

Now that you know what you have, consider what you really want from your wardrobe …

2) Look for Inspiration
Look back to old movies and movies stars for style guidance and inspiration for looks that last. Remember, fashion is cyclical. This is not the first time we’ve seen skinny jeans and mini-skirts!

Again, what works for you? How can you interpret for yourself? What is the image you want to project?

Also, look to current public figures for style guidance for what’s more current.

Start to look through fashion magazines with the intention of defining your style. You’d be surprised at how certain looks and colors speak to you. Start tearing these out to refer back to. And why not create a vision board? Or, add a style section to your current board. Style is as much a part of yourself and your vision for yourself as is your career aspirations. In fact, they tend to go hand in hand.


3) Invest in Classics
There are certain wardrobe basics that simply won’t go out of style and are worth investing in. If you can find these on sale (it does happen!), even better.

For instance, that LBD (or it could be your signature color version of an LBD) that looks amazing on you will always be appropriate. Or a great black suit. Definitely those perfect black slacks and a crisp white blouse. Oh, and amazing costume jewelry. If it’s inherited from a stylish relative, even better!

Once more, consider your lifestyle and needs. What are your Classics?

4) Update, but know when to Spend
Again, keeping it appropriate to your lifestyle but I’ve found that buying a few new pieces a season gets you reinvigorated to play with your style. Especially if you can find 5 new ways to wear it!

Also, there are some things that never go on sale and some that will always. It helps to have the help of an expert (whether a stylist or a salesperson) who can guide you.

My rule of thumb is that most contemporary (like BCBG, Nanette Lepore, Trina Turk, etc.) or chain brand items (Banana, Gap, J Crew) will go on sale, while higher end designers (price point of $600 and above) won’t. This is basically due to units produced. Higher end designers usually have much more limited production runs and their items tend to be more unique, so there isn’t a need for them to go on sale. It’s luck of the draw for these items to go on sale, but it does happen … you just have to be savvy!


5) Forget about SIZE
Seriously. It pretty much means nothing. If you buy designer you’re probably going to go up at least a size, if not two. If you buy American or Chain, you’ll probably go down a size. It’s all a mental play and I don’t want you to buy into it.

What you DO need to buy into is what looks AMAZING on you.

Seriously, I was just helping someone who was wearing a size 12, yet everyone who saw her trying on the dress was just taken aback by how stunning she looked.

Why?

Because she was rocking the body she had in a size that fit her well.
Enough said.


6) PLAY with Clothes!
Again, just make it fun. Fashion shouldn’t be so serious.

The only thing serious about it is the power that great style has to transform our inner confidence.

So, don’t be afraid to try new things. Take risks! Some may work, some might not. Either way, you’re getting closer to your TRUE style and having fun.

And please be sure to inject color. It’s such an easy mood enhancer. If you’re feeling down or tired in the morning, you need a bit of green, purple, red, or pink in your life for the day. Please! Add color! Have fun! Play!


To your STYLEd life!