Fruit Salad - What Shape Are You?

Not so long ago I was asked to present at a ladies evening event. It was here that it became blatantly obvious to me that there is a large interest among women to learn how to dress for their body shape. I had women of all ages and cultures sitting before me anticipating what I was about to tell them, some with pen and paper in hand!

Some may feel that clothing is just a cover to keep warm, but the truth is we should never underestimate the power of how the things we wear make us feel. When we look good, we feel good and in a lot of cases we will hold a different persona on the days we are happy with the way we look. I had a client who, once we did a complete wardrobe analysis, became so much more confident that her mum tracked me down at an event to thank me for the change in her daughter’s confidence, not just her dress sense. When we’re not well, we look for our loose fitting clothes right? Why? We want to be comfortable and left alone. When we go to a job interview, we tend to dress up. Why? We want to act and be perceived as confident, educated and the best choice for the job. Whether you want to admit it or not, the way you dress evidently holds incredible power.

By no means do I think that people should be judged by the way they are dressed and there are certainly no laws around what you must wear, but this post is aimed at the women out there who want to look their best but are not quite sure where to start.

Whilst I promote a healthy lifestyle which includes healthy eating and exercise, it is time that women start to embrace their bodies. No more "I will go on a diet so that I can fit into those jeans again" or "I wish my thighs were 2 sizes smaller". It's time to love the skin that you're in by learning how to dress for your body shape and accentuate your greatest assets.

People often ask me for advice on what they should or should not look for when shopping for clothes based on their body shape. Having a young family, I have become acquainted with many young mothers in the past 6 years. As you can appreciate, new mums not only have to learn how to deal with a precious little addition to their family but post pregnancy bodies pose a challenge as well. What you once wore may no longer look the same as it used to and so re-educating yourself on what looks best on you now can be difficult.

Over the coming weeks I am going to make it my business to address every single wardrobe staple (items which every woman should own) and what styles or cuts to look for based on your body shape. 

Until my next post, I’m setting you some homework. Identify your body shape! 

The best way to identify your shape is to stand in front of a mirror and draw the outline of your body. What shape are you creating? The following are some traits to look out for…

Apples: carry most of their weight around their upper torso

Pears: carry most of their weight around their bottoms, hips and thighs

Hourglass: Shoulder width lines up with hips and tend to come in at the waist

Rectangle: straight up and down with no distinct waistline

Now, get to work so you are well prepared for my upcoming posts!

MM

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