WELCOME TO THE FIRST POST IN THE LOVE YOUR BODY FASHION SERIES. This will be an ongoing project with weekly posts about different body styles and how to choose flattering garments to showcase the best you! Check back frequently!
A flattering and timeless, yet trendy wardrobe tailored to you.
Before shopping for that perfect outfit for your portrait session - the FIRST thing you need to do is determine your body shape. Why is this important? Because we tend to shop for outfits based on what looks good on "someone else", not what looks good on us! Buying a bunch of clothes because they look nice in the shop is not a good strategy for building a wardrobe. It implies that the look of your clothes is more important than your look.
Once you learn your body shape, you can then choose wardrobe items that are flattering to YOU and make you feel confident & comfortable behind the camera. Your wardrobe should have no other purpose than to bring out your natural beauty and to highlight the amazingness of you!
How do you select the right clothes for you your body shape, and how do you maintain a functional wardrobe? These are the questions that get answered when you follow this blog. Body type, shape or style should not be bad words! Once we understand the meaning behind them, we can then pair that knowledge with current or classic fashion trends to highlight the best features of your body type.
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Fashion is more than just a type of jean or blouse, its a way to celebrate you and feeling confident in your own skin . Weekly I will highlight ways for you to learn how to find your body shape, but also tips and tricks to help you understand what FASHION styles and brands that work for your body shape.
Before we get started on this journey, please understand that body shape is dependent on your bone structure and genetics, it is NOT dependent on your weight. In fact, body type is not dependent on age, height or weight. You can be any body style at and age, weight or height . Understanding your shape is just the first step in celebrating all body types.
How to Find your Body Shape
When you hire Melonie Marie Photography for your portraits, you are not just choosing someone with a passion for professionally crafted images, but also someone who's super hero power is the ability to bring out the inner model in you, even if you hate the camera.
Before heading to Destin, Miramar Beach, Fort Walton, Panama City, 30a or anywhere your portrait session might be, first take a few moments to familiarize yourself with some basic knowledge about body style.
While measuring tapes are a common way to provide an exact formula for determining your body type, the numbers you write down (or store in your head) can easily have unneeded feelings of self-criticism. Instead, let's use a quicker and practical method that requires only you, your fabulous body and a mirror - but it must be a full length mirror.
Standing with your toes pointed towards the mirror and your feet firmly planted a few inches apart from each other. Balance your weight between both feet and look at yourself in the mirror straight on and begin to look at your body proportions. Body shape is based on the relationship between three major points on your body: your shoulders/bust, waist and hips.
Now, draw an imaginary line down from your shoulders to your hips and make a mental note of where the line hits or better yet, take a quick snapshot of yourself with your phone so you can look back and answer the following questions:
What is the widest part of your body - not roundest :-) Is it the center, top, bottom, or something else?
When selecting your wardrobe, what areas do you have fit issues with?
When weight fluctuations occur, where do you immediately notice the change?
Understanding Your Body Shape
It does not matter what your body size and shape is, just remember, there are three important things to be aware of when finding styles that work for your shape.
Flattering your figure is all about finding balance for your body type. Ladies, your bust, waist and hips are something to take advantage of! Accentuating, or highlighting certain body features draws attention away from others. Let your favorite body part (and your confidence) glow!
Use silhouettes and lines to draw the eye of the viewer where you want it too. Consider where an item of clothing hits you and the placement of key details like bows, seams, straps, belts, pockets and embellishments. The right leading lines can help elongate your legs, an help create an hourglass shape and even make your rear look perky.
Be mindful with printed patters and bright or bold colors. The eye is naturally drawn to prints, patterns and bright or bold colors. It is critical to consider the size of a print on your garment. Large prints, paisleys and horizontal lines increase fullness while small prints and vertical lines decrease fullness. Use these simply wardrobe tips to your advantage to shift attention away from your least favorite parts and towards areas of your body you want to accentuate. #bodyshape
Now that you have a basic understanding of body shapes - let's dive into what wardrobe styles look best for each type of the body shapes. After you determine your body shape, continue on to STEP 2 by clicking on your body shape icon below to learn more about what to wear (and what not to wear).
Just a reminder:
hour glass shapes come in size 0 and size 20+
rectangle shapes comes in size 0 and size 20+
ALL body shapes come in all sizes
The key to looking great no matter what your body shape is to discover your body style and learn to dress for it! While you may love that "body-con" dress, if you have a rectangle body shape it will not be flattering to you.
CLICK THE BODY STYLE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THAT BODY SHAPE