Understanding Your Body Shape: The Key to a Wardrobe That Enhances You
1: The difference between morphology and silhouette
To create a wardrobe that flatters you, it's essential to understand the distinction between body shape and figure. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings in the fashion world.
Morphology vs. Silhouette: What's the Difference?
Morphology primarily refers to the observation of a person's bone structure, particularly the shoulders, waist and pelvis. It's the underlying structure of your body that largely determines how clothes fit and fall on you.
The silhouette, on the other hand, encompasses the entire body envelope, including muscles, body fat and everything covering the bone structure. It reflects how your body appears from the outside, including its overall shape.
The Importance of Recognizing the Primacy of One Over the Other
When we look at a person and discuss their style needs, it quickly becomes clear what is most important about them. For example, if a person has a very thin body shape with narrow shoulders and narrow hips, body shape plays a central role. On the other hand, if a person has more generous shapes, the silhouette is the key factor to take into account.
It is important not to make a mistake in this assessment, because advising a client based on her body shape when she has a figure with significant curves can lead to unsuitable clothing choices. Understanding this distinction is therefore fundamental to guiding our style recommendations.
2: What is the point of knowing your body shape?
Now that we have clarified the difference between body shape and figure, it is time to understand why it is essential to know your body shape and figure.
The Power of Knowledge
Knowing your body shape and silhouette is key to choosing clothes that flatter you. This allows you to select clothing cuts, collars, prints and colors that accentuate your natural assets and minimize areas you may prefer to conceal.
It's like having a personalized dressing manual. You know which clothing shapes best suit your body shape and how to take advantage of your figure to create looks that flatter you.
Optical Effects: A Major Asset
Optical effects are visual phenomena that our eye perceives without always understanding why. They are at the heart of how clothing influences our perception of body shape.
Lines, in particular, play a crucial role in creating these optical effects. The vertical and horizontal lines created by clothing can have a significant impact on how your body is perceived visually. Striped prints are a classic example, but it's not just about that.
Let's take a simple example: two items of clothing, a top and a bottom, worn together create a horizontal line where they meet. Depending on where this line is positioned on the body, it can give the illusion of widening or slimming the silhouette.
3: Construction details
In addition to lines, clothing construction details play a crucial role in highlighting your body.
Understanding Construction Details
Construction details refer to the specific elements present on a garment, such as pockets, ruffles, shoulder pads, hems, sleeves, etc. These elements are not just decorative, they have a real impact on how a garment fits and flatters your figure.
Adapt the Details to Your Morphology
The key to using construction details effectively is to tailor them to your body shape. For example, if you have wide hips, avoiding front patch pockets can avoid drawing attention to that area. Likewise, if you want to highlight your shoulders, well-placed shoulder pads can help create the illusion of more width.
It is important to note that construction details can vary significantly from garment to garment. Therefore, it is essential to know what to look for and how to incorporate them into your wardrobe to make the most of your body shape.
Conclusion
Understanding your body shape, silhouette, optical effects and construction details is a fundamental step in creating a wardrobe that flatters you. This allows you to make informed clothing choices, accentuate your natural assets and feel confident in your appearance.
In future articles, we will explore in detail the different body shapes and how to adapt clothing choices accordingly. We'll also guide you in choosing the cuts and styles that best suit your unique body shape. Stay tuned to learn more about how you can reveal your true beauty through your clothing style.
Read the previous article:
MAKEOVER VS. IMAGE ADVICE: THE REAL CHOICE FOR YOU
Read the following article:
