Style & Fit Guide

1. Looking-Your-Best Essentials 2. Garment Fit Basics 3. Garment Color & Pattern 4. The 5 Basic Shapes 5. Measuring Guide
6.Color Analysis 7. Details and Accessories

Looking-Your-Best Essentials

Style is Not a Size!
This is so true! Every woman, no matter her age or income and regardless of her size, can look great.

Did you know that the average American woman wears a size 14, and that roughly 20%-25% of women wear a size 16 and up? So whether you’re a slender size 6, a lovely size 16 or a beautiful full-figured size 26, you can be stylish. All it takes is an understanding of what works best for your body type.

Our Style & Fit Guide gives you all the tools and information you need to get an ultra-comfortable, flattering fit. Let’s get started.

Elements to Looking Your Best

Fit
Fit is the single most important element of style. It all comes down to comfort—if a garment doesn’t fit right, it won’t feel or look good! And to be perfectly frank, what looks good on one body type doesn’t necessarily flatter a different body type. Also, it’s not unusual to have one size difference between your top and bottom, which can present a challenge. We’ve taken the guesswork out of getting a great fit. With this helpful guide, not only will you know exactly what size to order, but you’ll also know what style of garment works best on your figure.

Fabric & Texture
Gone for good are the stiff, unflattering fabrics of yesteryear. Fortunately for us, the fabrics of today are both comfortable and flattering. Now, let’s talk texture. Texture can introduce a new line, shift emphasis, and even contribute to the impression of size. Keep in mind that even if you’re full-figured, you can and occasionally should wear bulky fabrics. It’s all about how you style your outfit. Here are some basics that will help you use different fabrics:

Example 1 Stiffer fabrics, such as poplin and twill, hang straight and keep the eye moving up and down, giving a sleeker appearance. The crisp poplin fabric and strong vertical lines of this jacket keep the eye moving up and down, accentuating your face.

Example 2 Rough textures or dull colors can absorb light and may help you appear smaller. The rough texture and dull color of these pants minimize problem areas, helping you to look slimmer.

Example 3 Lighter-weight fabrics like rayon and challis are best used when they are softly draped. This softly draped dress is ultra-feminine and flattering to every figure.

Example 4 Shiny, lustrous fabrics such as satin reflect light and can sometimes make you appear a bit larger. The shimmery fabric of this satin shell and jacket reflect light, but the mono-chromatic color scheme balances the effect.

Example 5 Limit the use of bulky fabrics, such as boucles, to one garment at a time in your outfit, like a sweater. They can add the appearance of extra pounds. This boucle sweater is balanced with strong vertical lines. The front opening, collar and pocket keep the eye moving up and down, ultimately creating a slimming effect and accenting your face.

Focal Point of Your Outfit
Focal point is best described as where the eye falls first. Ideally, this should always be your face. To determine the focal point of an outfit, try the “Blink Test”. It works like this:

   Stand and face a full-length mirror.
   Close your eyes, and count to 10.
   Open your eyes. What’s the first thing you see?

If the first thing you see is your facial area, you’ve done a great job choosing the most flattering cut, color and accessories for your outfit. Let’s say your eye goes first to the garment pattern, or falls first on your waist or hips. If this is the case, maybe the garment’s detail isn’t flattering, or there is a better cut for your figure.

Harmony, Balance & Proportion
Simply stated, all the parts of your outfit work together. One element may stand out from the others, but the overall effect is flattering to your figure. Let’s define each term:

Harmony – all elements working together in a pleasing manner

Balance – equal amounts of interest in either direction from the natural center

Proportion – how all parts relate to one another in size, length and bulk

These are areas where small changes can make a big difference. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.

Here we have essentially the same outfit that's styled 3 different ways. Outfit B is the most flattering: it creates a vertical line which lengthens your silhouette and draws the eye upward toward your face.

1. Looking-Your-Best Essentials
2. Garment Fit Basics
3. Garment Color & Pattern
4. The 5 Basic Shapes
5. Measuring Guide
6. Color Analysis
7. Details and Accessories