By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate
The holidays may be over, but this holiday fashion clip from the Today Show on December 12, 2012 keeps coming back to mind. The segment is titled, Holiday Fashion for full-figured women. I truly believe that women everywhere can look and feel terrific, regardless of size. But I would not be taking advise from this segment’s “expert”, who is not a good example herself. Our well-meaning “expert”, seen on the far left, is wearing a small scale spotty black and white print dress, that emphasizes her size by extreme contrast. She is also wearing black stockings stuffed into nude colored pumps. Just because nude shoes are in style right now, doesn’t mean that they work with weighty black stockings. In fact, nude colored shoes don’t really work well with any dark colored skirts or dresses. Instead of elongating the look, we appear to have no shoes on at all. I continue to be amazed by what passes for an expert these days! And her sitting position? NOT PROFESSIONAL. Somebody, please teach her how to sit. Our experts really need to be more refined.
Add to that…the models are stuffed into their clothes. A little ease, please. Horizontal stress lines, crossing this model’s thighs, are just screaming for a better fit. The rolled up pants add visual weight and provide another horizontal line making her look both shorter and wider. The short little boot shoes add more weight yet.
In this new year, consider what you read and see before buying into it. Instead of buying every trend the next “expert” says is a great look, think about it. Consider whether the look fits you….your figure type, your personal coloring, your values, your personality and your roles. Learn to recognize when that hot new style just doesn’t work.
To view the entire segment for yourself about Holiday Fashion for full-figured women, click on this link: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50198973#50198973
I have never understood why the so called experts do not dress the overweight women in garments that create a vertical visual look, that disguise the weight by skimming, one -piece garments, that do not cling to every pound or emphasize all the weight. Surely they have more sense. And the girls look like they feel uncomfortable showing all that extra weight. One lie that has been told to overweight girls is that they should wear skirts. Short skirts just make them look wider, unless they are paired with tops and stockings and shoes in the exact same color. The longer and looser garments give a visual look of being taller and thinner.
Thanks for your input, it’s pretty much right on. On larger figures, short skirts look quite squarish–as wide as they are long, and yes, it makes the woman look even wider, choppy. Stockings the same color can actually cause the body to look more solid, blocky, so be careful. A longer (barely below the full calf of the leg), beautifully flared skirt cut on the bias tends to be a winner. Rely on natural or sheer stockings and shoes with some heel, matching or closely coordinated in color to further elongate the look. It works.
Hi Judith! Cheers and Greetings for 2013!
I totally agree with your comment.
Kind regards,
flavia@flaviastylesource.com