Susan Says: Stylists' Tips for Proportional Dressing

Being well dressed is more than wearing what might be in the height of fashion. The cardinal rule is finding fashion that is right for your shape and choosing the areas you wish to either highlight or detract from. 

I wanted to find the top tips for dressing to enhance your best features, so I researched advice from some of the nation's leading stylists. An especially great resource was InStyle Magazine's February 2012 issue which featured an article entitled, "Figure Flattery: Tricks for Every Body."

Here is a primer on stylists' secrets for how to dress proportionally for your body type:

• For Petites:  Keep skirts and dresses above the knee, especially if you are wearing flats.  Tim Gunn, stylist on a new television show, ABC's The Revolution, talks about the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 rule; that is no part of an outfit should exceed 1/3 of your body proportion.  Bracelet length is best for sleeves as 3/4-length sleeves give the arms a shorter appearance.  InStyle Magazine suggests long chains to lengthen the look of the torso.  Avoid, at all costs, pants with cuffs and bulky pockets; stick with straight legs! 

• For well-endowed women: Stylist Nicole Chavez, who works with Scarlett Johansson and Rachel Bilson, raved to InStyle about Panache Bras for cup sizes D or larger.  To play up a larger bustline, look for fashions with  wide straps, nipped waists and open necklines (without showing too much cleavage).  Avoid dangling necklaces and showing too much cleavage.  If you prefer making your upper body appear smaller, wide leg pants and A-line skirts bring balance, according to stylist Jen Rade who works with Cher and Angelina Jolie.  Volume is generally terrible on busty girls.  And according to stylist Anabel Tollman, avoid thick sweaters and boxy jackets.

• If you are small on top: Stylist Emily Current, who works with Mandy Moore and Emma Roberts, suggests to InStyle adding volume at the collar, such as ruffles, a loose bow or Peter Pan collar.  Avoid chest-length statement necklaces and bandeau tops.

• If you want to accentuate your rear end: Go for a tucked-in shirt with a pencil skirt or tight high-waist jeans, according to stylist Jessica Paster, who works with Emily Blunt and Angie Harmon. Avoid loose-fitting skirts and untucked blouses. 

• To draw attention away from your rear end: Look for fingertip-length tunics and jackets and straight jeans; avoid high-waisted anything and white or ivory bottoms.  Jeans should be dark and without complicated embroidery on the pockets.  Never buy jeans with high pockets as they give the appearance of a larger botom.

• To hide a tummy: The sheath dress was recently touted on The Dr. Oz Show as a way to camouflage the stomach area.  Tunics work well and so do A-line tops.  Stylist George Kotsiopoulos said in InStyle that light-colored blazers or cardigans work  when worn open over something darker to make the midsection look leaner.

• Arms: Tres Sleek De Quart arm shapers are said to reduce arm circumference by one to three inches, magically creating slimmer, sleeker arms! You can find them on lindasonline.com for $29-$31, price depending on sleeve length, either long sleeve or short sleeve.

• Finally, hips: Stylists Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi say that form-fitting clothes accentuate curves. Try a fitted pencil skirt or high-waist bottoms with a loose tucked in blouse.  High heels, fishtail hems and tapered dresses and skirts all work great.  Avoid baggy tops.
  
  No matter what your size, don't shy away from this spring's fabulous palette; monochromatic vibrant color works for all figure types!