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I have a "uniform" or more accurately themes. I have a set of colors thst 90% of my wardrobe falls into that all coordinate. I wear a lot of dresses. And cardigans. Mostly patterned dresses. I don't seem to like solid colors. If I am not wearing a patterned dress, I tend to wear striped or polka dotted tops and skinny jeans. I do not seen to like patterned bottoms either.
I think starting with a color palette is a good starting point. Even as I have mixed in new shapes and styles, they match in my color palette. I am on about 8 years and counting with these limited colors I recently added a couple of colors. But they all work together. My palette is black, grey in all shades, dark pink or fuschia, cobalt blue, dark purple and oxblood or burgundy. I also like black and white graphic prints. Just about anything that falls out of that never gets worn. Makes shopping simpler.
YES we all differ in what makes us feel good. My colors are purples turquoise fuchsia and greens all in the jewel tones and very few patterns.Black for all pants. Only a couple of pair of the blue jeans color pants. Left overs that are too good to toss. Going to yard pants. LOL I only have a few T-shirts that have designs on them. If I can get my yard work done today and cleaned up again I will do a before and after on one fun T-shirt I have had for years but never wore. I loved it but it never fit right and I had no idea how to fix it. The difference to me is amazing and I bet it took less than 10 minutes to lay it out stitch it and trim off the excess.
I thought to be considered an hourglass you had to have equal hip and bust (and shoulders?).
Unfortunately, with the weight loss came clothes spending sprees :/ So I'm going in the opposite direction of you, Shades. Trying to find my staple style, though. I do have way too much black though. And even though I posted a muscle photo I don't wear many things that show off my shoulders, maybe because I've been lead to believe that women shouldn't emphasize broad shoulders
I thought to be considered an hourglass you had to have equal hip and bust (and shoulders?).
Unfortunately, with the weight loss came clothes spending sprees :/ So I'm going in the opposite direction of you, Shades. Trying to find my staple style, though. I do have way too much black though. And even though I posted a muscle photo I don't wear many things that show off my shoulders, maybe because I've been lead to believe that women shouldn't emphasize broad shoulders
OH man the old body image thinking rears its' ugly head again. If I had your gorgeous strong shoulders I would be showing them off at every opportunity and being sad winter is on the way cause it will be too cold to do so. Today I am sporting a long sleeve T-shirt scoped neck in purple. Black leggings and black velvet like vest. But the vest has pretty stitched designs on it. Thing is with me is my upper arms are sagging so bad some times when I turn over in bed in the middle of the night I slap myself in the face with them. I do get it though.
When we were heavier we mentally became used to noticing what we disliked about our bodies and even though this has now been corrected it is hard to get our brains wrapped around the New Me/You. I think finding the staple style is the hardest part. We lose ourselves in the weight we carried and for me I was buying desperate for just anything that would fit. Looking good was not going to happen no matter what tent I put on.
I like black and also have a lot of it in T-s and pants even sweaters shoes. If I am wearing an all black day I try to put some color some where in a bright necklace or??? I would say scarf but I only have a coupe of them worn for warmth in winter not as a fashion statement. I maybe need to work on that. Black looks good with my light hair. I was a red head before I went very light silver and I seem to always be able to do black when some other colors just scream at my pale red head skin. Even though my hair color changed my skin tones did not.
I can not really afford to buy to many clothes at one time but would splurge if I found the perfect T in the right colors. Once you find some thing you feel wonderful in I buy in multi-pals. When I was losing I was too cheep to keep buying new clothes. My size was changing monthly or at least every two months. When I could I would haunt the thrift stores for as many replacements as I could find always taking back the clothes that were too big and too hard to alter. I was not keeping the too big clothes and even passed a pile of really good jeans over to my neighbor.
I just keep trying to make it better in my closet. Was going to be painting today and woke to glorious RAIN!!! WWWEEE So happy about this. Now I get to clean house instead. :/
I thought to be considered an hourglass you had to have equal hip and bust (and shoulders?).
Unfortunately, with the weight loss came clothes spending sprees :/ So I'm going in the opposite direction of you, Shades. Trying to find my staple style, though. I do have way too much black though. And even though I posted a muscle photo I don't wear many things that show off my shoulders, maybe because I've been lead to believe that women shouldn't emphasize broad shoulders
I think those "body type" specs are too rigid. My husband considers me "hourglass" even though my measurements don't fit those exact specs. But if people look at me, I am sure I look mostly like an "elongated hourglass" - I am tall, (not as tall as you, Riaelise) with long limbs, broad shoulders, large bust (but no butt) but I have a defined waist, it is NOT the exact ratio to hip, my hips are slimmer. I think we need to focus on what we like to feature - I personally LOVE good shoulders on anyone - I have good shoulders and like to show them off. If you have good shoulders - ROCK THEM! Personally, I love, love love to see tall women who are really cut and toned like a warrior queen. I kind of have that look. But YOU, OP, really have it and I think you should flaunt it. I think you would look great in bright, vivid colors. Try some on and see what you think. And PLAY UP THOSE SHOULDERS AND ARMS!
I really do not think we have to be exactly as the numbers say. Give or take an inch here and there no biggie in my way of thinking. No need to punish yourself. I was the perfect X for years. Now hips are smaller. Oh well. I do not think people will go around with a tape measure and if they do I will smack them with my arm flap.
Steiconi it is a good way to remember the bod shapes though. Thanks.
Measurements may not always tell the full story either. You may not look the way your measurements may seem. A perfect example is Serena Williams. She probably has "hourglass" measurements. But she doesn't have a lot of waist/hip definition. As opposed to having wide hips, her volume is in her butt. So she looks a little straighter than her measurements would suggest. Other women have wider hips and flat butts so they look more hourglass-y in dimensions.
I think you are somewhere between and inverted triangle and an hourglass.
Obviously there are some "rules" about trying to look balanced, that may or may not be helpful. But if you have aspirations of having your lower body and upper body look more "even" then a good thing to do would be to wear solids or dark colors on top and lighter colors and patterns on the bottom.
You've worked hard on your upper body, show it off! I think halter tops, cap sleeves, asymmetrical tops and boat necks are great for showing off shoulders like yours. Get some tailoring to make sure your clothing shows off your waist, on the days you want to do that. I also think that loose tops (with no waist definition and loose arms) paired with tight bottoms aren't an ideal proportion for you. So I'd look to different proportions. Either fitted all the way down, or tight on top and loose on the bottom. And as for the leggings/tunic sort of look - make sure the top has waist definition or you wear a belt so it doesn't swallow your lower body.
Measurements may not always tell the full story either. You may not look the way your measurements may seem. A perfect example is Serena Williams. She probably has "hourglass" measurements. But she doesn't have a lot of waist/hip definition. As opposed to having wide hips, her volume is in her butt. So she looks a little straighter than her measurements would suggest. Other women have wider hips and flat butts so they look more hourglass-y in dimensions.
I think you are somewhere between and inverted triangle and an hourglass.
Obviously there are some "rules" about trying to look balanced, that may or may not be helpful. But if you have aspirations of having your lower body and upper body look more "even" then a good thing to do would be to wear solids or dark colors on top and lighter colors and patterns on the bottom.
You've worked hard on your upper body, show it off! I think halter tops, cap sleeves, asymmetrical tops and boat necks are great for showing off shoulders like yours. Get some tailoring to make sure your clothing shows off your waist, on the days you want to do that. I also think that loose tops (with no waist definition and loose arms) paired with tight bottoms aren't an ideal proportion for you. So I'd look to different proportions. Either fitted all the way down, or tight on top and loose on the bottom. And as for the leggings/tunic sort of look - make sure the top has waist definition or you wear a belt so it doesn't swallow your lower body.
That is an interesting chart - according to that, I would be a "vase" (stretched hourglass) and that describes me perfectly. I guess I pretty much already dress close to the advice they give for my shape. I always liked Trinny and Susannah!
I am broad shouldered and usually described as "athletic". I don't down play them at all, probably because what shows my cleavage shows my shoulders too, at least living in tropical climate.
I'd be showing off your arms / shoulders ALL the time!
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