I was thinking about a style question that hits home for so many women: What is your biggest challenge when it comes to shopping?
And the women mostly have the same concerns. “I don’t know what the proper fit for my body is, so I hate shopping and can never find anything that works.”
When that happens, don’t we all feel like giving up?
But lucky for you, I’ve learned so much about how to make it all work – and that’s the gift I get to share.
So here are some easy-to-try tips to help you understand what fit is best for you.
* Take note of your body shape.
Do you have an even hourglass, a little more up top, a little more on the bottom, a little more around the middle, or feel straight down the middle? Those are five categories. Choose one that you most identify with and let’s start there.
* The instant fit trick for all body types is to make sure your clothes follow the natural curves of your frame and then define your waist.
For any garment, you need to fit the widest point of your body and, if need be, tailor-in the slimmer areas. For example, if you have a little more around the bottom, make sure your pants and skirts fit the widest point of your hip and go straight down from there.
Then add a belt to define your waist, or go get the waist tailored so that your fit is comfortable to your skin.
An overall tip for all body types is to define your waist with a belt over tops, skirts, dresses and even cardigans. It will show off your shape. A style tip is to make sure it’s the high waist—about two inches above your belly button, where your waist is the slimmest.
* Don’t look at numbers. Grab different sizes to try. Just make sure that the item, whether a dress, top or pants, fits slim to your frame and that the fabric isn’t pulling. Also make sure there isn’t too much fabric. If you can pinch more than a centimetre on either side of your shirt or your pants at the hip (unless it’s oversized trousers), the item is too big. If you can see your bra between the buttons of a shirt, it’s too small.
* A slimmer wardrobe means a slimmer you. We all want to hide behind fabric. However, the baggier your clothes are, the bigger you actually look.
That’s why fit is so important – you can look instantly slimmer and look like you’ve lost five kilograms by wearing a properly fit- ted outfit tailored to your body shape.
Everyone experiences this fit stress when shopping so remember that you’re not alone. This is the same issue most women have.
Got any questions about how clothing should fit?
Email fashionfundi@inl.co.za and I’ll get back to you with my advice. We’re all in this together. Visit www.ronelda.com or follow me on Facebook: Ronelda Rhode Personal Styling/ Bridal Wear or Instagram: @StylebyRonelda and Twitter: @RoneldaRhode
* This column will appear once a month.
