Fashion Tip #2 for Women Over 50: Play Up Assets, Cover Liabilities
Updated: May 21, 2020
Repeat after me….”I shall not force my shape into every style” “I SHALL ignore clothing size tags.” Yea…feel that freedom! As we continue our exterior decorating adventure, we have come to Tip #2, how to play-up our assets and how to camouflage our liabilities. You read our previous article Fashion Tips for the Road Part 2: Be You and learned to
embrace your body shape so now it’s time to dress it. Think of your clothes as employees. Each garment has a specific job. If it is not working, fire it. If you don’t wear it, get rid of it even if you purchased it on super sale! According to Carrie Trieschman, an image consultant, pick a style that looks good on you and then stick with it...forever. When you play-up
your assets and camouflage your liabilities, your confidence soars!
Most women are visual learners therefore let’s peek at some before and after photos to help us update our garment choices. Remember your body shape? Whether inverted triangle, rectangle, triangle or hourglass, there are tricks in creating new body lines that you will love.
Dressing well doesn’t just happen. Intentionality is key. Our garment choices either make us look 10 pounds thinner or 10 pounds heavier…you pick!
1. Inverted Triangle: Remember visual balance is our goal. Women with an inverted triangle body shape have shoulders that are out of balance with her hips. In the “before” photo, the model is wearing a sleeveless top and mock neckline that actuates the broadness of the shoulders and darker skinny jeggings which visually slim the hips even more. To camouflage, a white blouse breaks up the upper body showcasing the neck, while the longer cardigan creates a long slim body line. The cuffed stovepipe jean adds visual weight to the lower part of her body and heels create long legs. See the difference?
2. Rectangle Shape: In the before photo, a non-descript dropped-shoulder sweater just seems to hang on her figure
without any indication of a waistline. The all gray color scheme adds to this unbalanced outfit. Creating a visual waistline
is the goal of rectangles. Well done...by adding a hip length white v-neck tee and sleeveless vest, this model creates
interest and the illusion of smallness at the waist. Patterned leggings and black booties balance out the vest. Note: if you
wear leggings, it is advisable to wear a top that covers your booty!
3. Triangle Body Shape: Are you getting the hang of this? Take a look at the before and after photos. A clingy horizontal-striped top is not the best look. The boat neck is good to widen the shoulders yet not enough to visually balance the hipline. Hint: darker colors recede and lighter colors add weight. When you need to slim an area, wear darker colors, when you want to balance and need to add visually, choose lighter colors or patterns. In this example, the model chooses a draped, turquoise top that falls over her hipline to camouflage. Then, a white jacket is added to further balance out her hips. Darker jeans recede the legs creating a slimmer silhouette.
LOVE IT!
4. Hourglass Shape: Okay hourglass ladies. Even though you are the envy of all, you still have areas to address. It is easy to underdress your naturally balanced body. Over-sized tees, puffy tops and boyfriend jeans do nothing to showcase your shape and leads you to look unbalanced. Skin-tight garments are not the answer but body skimming ones are. This model wears a body contoured sheath, lace dress that shows her curves and actuates her waist with a bolero-styled lapel jacket in a contrasting color. The above knee length shows off her legs as do the pointed toes pumps, creating a slimming long line. KUDOS!
Are you feeling empowered? More confident heading to your closet? As you embrace these visual tools, you will become more self-assured in your appearance, looking the BEST version of beautiful YOU!
By Cindy Lovas
Fashion Stylist and Hello50 contributor
Cindy offers virtual style consultations