(the following column appeared in the Napa Valley Register newspaper on Monday, March 20)
By ANTHEA TOLOMEI
Monday, March 20, 2006 1:10 AM PST
The weight issue appears to be perpetual among women as fashion continues to celebrate the slender silhouette. Fashion models are taller than ever and wear a size 4 to 6. That's not reality, however; the average silhouette on my client list is 5 foot 5 inches and somewhere between a size 10 and 14.
Women are going to great lengths to slenderize their bodies -- yet "weight loss" can happen instantly with the right ensemble. Wouldn't you love to lose weight with your next outfit?
I have found close to 30 iron-clad concepts for the ultimate in low fat dressing. They are tried and true and can change the way you see, chose and wear fashion. Here are the main six concepts to keep in mind.
Count horizontal lines going across your outfit.
If you have more than four major breaks in an outfit, you have visually dropped an inch in height and gained 10 pounds. And I guarantee the outfit is wearing you. I refer to it as "the busy outfit." With so much going on did anyone notice your bright eyes?
Separates in varied textures transformed with many breaks are at the height of fashion right now. The trendiest of looks are very broken up -- just ask any 18-year-old.
So count those breaks (lines) going across your outfit. And be aware of other forms of lines: The safari jacket with four pockets, the flaps on your jacket, the pocket posted on each thigh on your most comfortable cargo pant.
Don't forget those linen pants you sat in all day. By noon you had a multitude of wrinkles (also lines) going across your hips and upper thighs.
Never place a line across the widest part of your body.
A line at critical areas like hips and thighs can make them appear wider. A shoulder pad (moderate to minor, please) can enlarge the shoulder, allowing a jacket to end at the widest part of the hip or thigh without doing too much visual damage. Tunics are not the best choice for women struggling with large thighs. Capris are misunderstood for this reason alone. Your calf just got wider with the wrong capri.
Summer is 90 days away. Want to shrink those hips and thighs? Go for the widest rimmed hat you can find. The wider the rim the smaller the hips and thighs will look and the less sun damage your complexion will endure. Oh -- let's take that one step further. Now that you know about vertical dressing, over your one-piece swim suit wear a cover-up that opens center front and ends below the widest part of your hip or thigh. Don't forget the V or square neckline.
Opt for vertical dressing.
Fear not, a dose of classic, elegant influence still reigns. Shoe to shoulder, all one color is not dated. It is not at the top of fashion's trend list, yet it works. Top designers like Georgio Armani and Calvin Klein showcase it season after season. Fashion's ready to wear makers like Ann Taylor and Eileen Fischer epitomize these concepts and have made millions. Women flock to these looks.
Shoe to shoulder is all one color or a "backdrop" of a top and bottom in all one color layered with a contrasting jacket left open. Tops and bottoms that match perfectly (a column of all one color) allow room for so much potential. Think of an artist's blank canvas. With this clean canvas not only can you visually lose weight and gain height, but you can change the mood of the ensemble over and over and over again by changing your accessories and shoes. Changing a jacket (left open) and shoes can dress it up or down. Life is at it's easiest, and you are at your thinnest with this concept. It's also a useful format for the travel wardrobe.
Round plus round equals round. Points plus points/corners slenderize. Round plus points/corners equals balance.
This concept offers slenderizing special effects like no other. Here is what my travels have taught me: Women with round features are automatically attracted to round. Women with chiseled features are attracted to points and corners. This concept reflects style preference too. Round edges have softening affects -- great for the second-grade teacher or the psychologist.
Points and corners represent a more dramatic and sometimes powerful style. Some corporate profiles thrive on this. Fashion, with all its drama, certainly does. Example: Round-toed shoe, round edge to jacket, round neckline, round jewelry, round handbag can create the illusion of roundness. All of those pieces selected with points and corners can give a slenderizing illusion.
Darkness recedes, lightness advances.
What part of your figure would you like to shrink? What part would you like to enlarge? Do you have a wide hipline? Place darker colors low and lighter colors up high. Broad shoulder or bustline? Wear the darker colors high and lighter colors low.
The column silhouette is a woman's best friend.
Here we're talking about fabric worn close to your figure to create a straight column. This shape slenderizes.
The perils of a column are when it's not straight. Tapered capris or pants hug the leg. The more your pant hugs your leg, the more prominent your strongest horizontal line becomes. Thighs, hips, tummies, bustlines and shoulders increase in proportion as this lower part of your body shrinks. Be careful! The distorting cigarette pant of the late '70s and before that, the '40s and '50s is back! It's not meant for real figures.
The opposite direction takes us to the skirt that ends at mid-calf or ankle length. We are seeing these right now with the western influence. It's a new take on the broomstick skirt, which loomed in closets forever. The A shape of this skirt puts the widest horizontal line going across the lowest part of your silhouette. The further away the fabric sits from your body the shorter you visually become.
E-mail me at anthea@tolomeiandasssoictes.com for a copy spring/summer trend items that could do wonders to update your wardrobe. I welcome your questions as well.
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