The Books Vildy Mentioned

Two books which reference the angularity vs fleshiness we've been talking about, but which I have not read are:

Color and line in dress, by Laurene Hempstead

David Kibbe's Metamorphosis: Discover Your Image Identity and Dazzle As Only You Can

I'm going to try to get to the library and/or used book store today.

Mentioned in the Amazon review page for Kibbe's book were his list of style-type designations: Dramatic, Romantic, Theatrical, Classic, Natural, Flamboyant, Gamine.

Nothing to Wear?: A Five-Step Cure for the Common Closet only lists 5 style types; my sporty/FUN daughter was quite offended that her elegance didn't even rate a designation. Personally, I'm still trying to some up with a set of names I'm thoroughly comfortable with. I'm stuck at Sporty.

Which one of Kibbe's styles do you think that is?

Straight on Top, Curvy on Bottom

The book uses Georg Kolbe's Junge Frau (Young Woman), bronze, 1926 (at Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Walker Art Center, photographed by Doug Miller) to illustrate my body type.

I'm feeling sort of naked.

Fun Stuff at My Other Blogs

The question What's Your Blogging Personality? and my anwer, as well as the link to take the quiz yourself, are now appearing at Riveting Questions, thanks to Wendy who picked it up from Susie at Style Bubble.

Appearing at a titus 2 project, a US geography game courtesy of Mary at Homesteeped Hope. BTW, I got 48/48 on my third try, but it still told me that I failed the third grade!

Fun stuff!

Two Ways to Create Harmony: Repetition vs. Contrast

This post is totally unrelated to my "gingerly wading" into a sea of shower water in my basement this morning. I'm putting myself on a plumbing bleaching schedule!

Gingerly wading into the sea of confusion surrounding the "flowiness" of fabric, I'll start by calling out the idea, as requested by Jennifer, behind the rule of the thumb prescribed in The Triumph of Individual Style:

The principle is to create straight lines where your body is straight and curved lines where your body is curvy. (Remember this saddlebag solution? That was a medium taut fabric constructed into a curved shape. Hmmm ... like a fitted jacket or blouse with darts.)

In this, and most of the other artistic principles I have blogged, harmony is created between clothing and the body of the wearer by repetition. Using a color palette based on your own personal coloring is an obvious example.

Contrast is another way of achieving harmony, and emphasis. (Boy, do I feel the need for an art teacher about now!) In color, the example would be to use the complement of your natural color.

(No doubt Wendy is correct in suggesting that fabric choices are related to personal idiom, even as Vildy had noted that she has a "crisp personality".)

But what about Jennifer's other question: Doesn't that make you look more extreme? Which emphasizes the natural straightness or curviness of the body more, repetition or contrast?

More thoughts? If one learns best by discussing a subject, I suspect I'm going to be on this one for a while.

Enjoy Fall with Eddie Bauer Down

It's frosty here in the Great Northwest. Shop Eddie Bauer for the season's must haves, such as Men's Down, Women's Down, and Down Bedding.

Lucky Shops Giveaway

Homeopathic Depression Remedy

With the days getting shorter, some unnatural melancholy is beginning to surface around here. Nobody really wants to admit being depressed but, hey, I'll go first.

I have used this product in the past, with amazing results. Honestly, it worked so well I ended up giving away the last half of the bottle. It's hard to find, but ...
Yay! it's available from Amazon.

Legwarmers From Sweater Sleeves

Jenn at Frugal Upstate found a tutorial about how to make legwarmers from the sleeves of sweaters and it is posted in an article on her blog.

Thanks Jenn!

TheText on Texture

Vildy's comment hits me right in the uncertainty zone (at least we're there together:)

I'm not sure anymore how I feel about textures. I would wear this out to a casual evening but not stretch velveteen in the daytime. Not any more, anyway. I've just gotten rid of all of my flannel suit jackets, skirts, trousers. I realized I never wanted to wear them because I like smooth fabrics. I like fabrics with substance and crispness, too. This goes against the whole "there should be movement in your clothing" philosophy.

I get a lot out of reading your thinking about clothes and life. I'd love it if you'd write more about texture. Even though I'm rounded, I have a crisp personality and feel awkward in soft, draped clothes - like I'm selling a bill of goods.

The textbook answer to the taute vs drapy fabric question is this:

Skeletal (straight line) body types wear taut fabrics, muscular = semi-taut to semi-drape, molded (smooth, where the natural padding obscures the visibility of either bone or muscle) types wear drapy fabrics. Combination types wear taut on the straight parts and drapy on the smooth parts.

But that advice has never suited my personality either. And it seems to contradict Clinton and Stacy's regular practice of making chubby people look slender by putting them in structured jackets.

Lots more on this topic to come. What are your thoughts?

Freaky Blogday

This is really weird! Are you seeing double like I am? My post, A Universal Skirt Silhouette, somehow split when I published the comments. Neither commenter so far would wear the skirt. Curious why?

Wendy said:

"I'm definitely a V. But I'm also way short. Just shy of 5'. So my best bet is a pencil skirt. (I do have one with box pleats all around the bottom. But to look reasonable they begin at the knee. Very retro 50's inspired.)

I can also wear a short a-line. But if it's long, a straight skirt is much better for me."

I figured there would be some issues I had not considered and height is definitely one of them. Being (almost) 5'6", it's never been much of a consideration for me. But one of the things I love about blogging (and reader participation) is seeing things from other people's viewpoints.

Sarita Raye said:

I would have probably worn something like that when I was in college. If I lived somewhere colder, snowier, and less urban than Chicago, and had a job with a somewhat-dressed-up-but-not-too-strict dress code, I would totally wear a skirt like that one. I would choose a more closely fitted sweater, though. And a colorful scarf and imitation shearling boots, flat or low-heeled of course. And it would be pretty fabulous. But for some reason I really can't see myself wearing that outfit in Chicago; I just wouldn't feel like myself in it. Interesting how our environments can shape our clothing personalities...

Definitely a Great Northwest look, Eddie Bauer is high style around here. If I bought that skirt, I'd wear it to church. With suede boots and a fitted sweater.

A Universal Skirt Silhouette

For some reason this skirt shape has been on my mind for the last several days. Honestly, I'm having trouble conjuring up a picture of someone it wouldn't look good on.

Consider the different figure types and the silhouettes we create with our clothing:

• Type A = shoulders narrower than hips, works because of the skirt's modified A-line.
  Personally, if this were my type (and if I gain 20 lbs, it is), I would pair this skirt with a raglan-sleeve sweater.
  
  
• Type I = shoulders and hips equally wide, waist slightly or not defined.
  Even though the model clearly has a defined waist, the sweater pictured has a strong vertical. Works for I (not I, but the I silhouette ... you know what I mean!)
  
  
• Type O = shoulders sloped and equal to hips, waist filled in.
  Best: a skirt that is long enough to narrow a bit at the knee before flaring out again. Again, a soft shoulder of some type, by-passing the waist.
  
  
• Type V = shoulders wider than hips.
  With a skirt that flares at the hem, a fitted waist looks very feminine!
  
  
• Type X = shoulders straight and equal to hips.
  In order to dodge the frump factor, waist must always be at least somewhat defined.
  
  
• Type 8 = shoulders sloped and equal to, or slightly smaller than, hips; waist defined.
  The skirt should narrow before flaring. Alternative: strengthen the shoulder, define the waist, and go for a Type X silhouette.
  

I'm certain there are personality types that would not wear a skirt like this. Speak up. What would you wear it with?

A Universal Skirt Silhouette

For some reason this skirt shape has been on my mind for the last several days. Honestly, I'm having trouble conjuring up a picture of someone it wouldn't look good on.

Consider the different figure types and the silhouettes we create with our clothing:

• Type A = shoulders narrower than hips, works because of the skirt's modified A-line.
  Personally, if this were my type (and if I gain 20 lbs, it is), I would pair this skirt with a raglan-sleeve sweater.
  
  
• Type I = shoulders and hips equally wide, waist slightly or not defined.
  Even though the model clearly has a defined waist, the sweater pictured has a strong vertical. Works for I (not I, but the I silhouette ... you know what I mean!)
  
  
• Type O = shoulders sloped and equal to hips, waist filled in.
  Best: a skirt that is long enough to narrow a bit at the knee before flaring out again. Again, a soft shoulder of some type, by-passing the waist.
  
  
• Type V = shoulders wider than hips.
  With a skirt that flares at the hem, a fitted waist looks very feminine!
  
  
• Type X = shoulders straight and equal to hips.
  In order to dodge the frump factor, waist must always be at least somewhat defined.
  
  
• Type 8 = shoulders sloped and equal to, or slightly smaller than, hips; waist defined.
  The skirt should narrow before flaring. Alternative: strengthen the shoulder, define the waist, and go for a Type X silhouette.
  

I'm certain there are personality types who would not wear a skirt like this. Speak up. What would you wear it with?

EDDIE BAUER APPAREL: Free Shipping

Free shipping on all orders for two days only - October 25-26

And as long as you're there, try playing with these. Mouse over to see the back view of each pair of pants. Ask yourself, "if that's how they look on the model , how will they look on me?"

What do you think? My husband and I had all kinds of fun with that the other night. We both liked these. Definitely my idiom!

The Budget Fashionista on the Today Show

Thursday, October 26th (in the 8am or 9am hour), see the Budget Fashionista on the Today Show.

Kathryn will be showing creative Halloween costumes for UNDER $30 and dishing even more tips from her popular book How to Be a Budget Fashionista. Also check out Kathryn in Nov's Jane magazine, Dec's Quick and Simple, Black Enterprise, and First for Women magazines.

(Remember to come back and tell me how it was. I don't have a TV!)

From Style Personality to Unique Idiom

To complete this recent semi-random series on Personal Style, I want to make a couple of points about making it your own. Sure, everyone can be categorized into 6 style types, but then there are so many questions: "Well then, why don't I like this?" and "What about that?"

Truthfully, it's so much more personal than all that. My kids said, when I was blogging about the Hillary face, that it's more important to know what you're not, in terms of style personality, than what you are. There's truth in that.

idiom: A style of artistic expression characteristic of a given individual ...

I often think about the idiom in terms of what a person will wear under specific circumstances. For example, while a glamorous person might wear sequins to get a pedicure, in my particular idiom a sparkly t-shirt is evening wear. Or what do you wear to a field trip with your kids? A timeless classic mom might choose a button-up shirt; but if it's plaid or denim, in my idiom, it's more suited to raking leaves or cleaning out the garage.

Back here, in Refining the Idiom, I described steps for moving from style personality to idiom and in Contemplating Understanding Each Other I mention another example of translating a certain style into my own idiom, using sweaters instead of sweatshirts.

What are some examples of your idiom? Do you always wear a ponytail to athletic events? Lipstick when you see your mother-in-law? Navy blazer when you're in charge?

Okay, I'll be quiet now and let you answer.

Rate My New Purse

Well, what do you think?

Personally, I think it's sporty, functional, and elegant at the same time. Throw in the fact that it's so new it doesn't even appear at the Wilsons Leather website (I was the first to buy one at the store I went to), and I proclaim it a perfect fit with my idiom. Not to mention that, even at full price, it was under $100.

If you're interested, you could go back and refresh your memory when it comes to the pathetic scruffiness of the bags I have carried since I started this blog:

• Definitely not $1000 bags.
  
• My previous bag fell apart on me, leaving me scrambling, but just when I had birthday money.
  
• There was a cheap straw bucket in between, but apparently I never thought it worth picturing.

So how do you like this one? Do you care to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10? Is it respectable?

You bargain-hunters may be interested in WIlsons Leather Clearance Sale. (I was pleasantly surprised by their selection in the store.)

Legwarmer Knitting Patterns

Remember last Spring when I said I hoped legwarmers would return to the fashion scene? Well, it seems they have; it's only natural with the current knitting craze. Many thanks to Jenn for posting this link to ALOT of patterns.

Now if I only had the time and inclination to pick up the yarn and tools and actually knit some!

Found in Sitemeter

Someone found this blog by googling "does this outfit make me look fat bible study".

I wonder what they expected to find.

Frugal Friday: 2 Belts in One

Better late than never.

I bought this belt, a men's eelskin, at Salvation Army for 89 cents. That's frugal, especially when you consider that it fits both my waist and the "waistband" of my mid-rise jeans. (Previously I blogged another solution for that problem.)

To keep the tail of this belt in place, no matter in which spot I wear it, I took the keeper off altogether. (Actually it was falling apart. I was very disappointed until I figured out how this was going to work.) Then I put it back together as a separate loop, using a pair of pliers. Now I just slip it on my belt wherever I want it!

• More Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood
  
• Previous Frugal Fridays here
  
• My Festival of Frugality posts
  
• What Jenn, at Frugal Upstate, is going to say about frugality at MOPS next week
  
• The parenting tip I shared at MOPS today

Seen and Heard Around the Blogosphere

Just some random stuff I have found interesting:

• 'Style in Costume' by the famous costume historian James Laver, written in 1949, at Style Bubble
  
  
• Meg Logan on aprons
  
  
• Graphery at final fashion
  
  
• Great hair advice from the Bargain Queen

And, of course, there's always a Riveting Question to answer.

How to Wear an Intense Color When You're Not

On what appeared to be the final sunny Saturday of the Fall, I chose this outfit to wear to a women's conference. Doing so, I stumbled onto an extremely useful color combining technique.

When I bought this jacket, I wondered if I would be able to use it. Although it fits nicely, the color is much too intense for my personal coloring. But here's the trick: the top is the same color as the jacket -- only TINTED (white added) like my hair and skin.

So simple, and yet so profound!

Tummy Solutions

A reader question:

This is the first time I have heard of the figure type "8". It describes my figure exactly - or it used to. Now that I'm approaching my 70th birthday, I don't know what my figure type is -mainly because my tummy looks like I've swallowed a small watermelon. My waist is still 10 inches smaller than my hips. I cannot figure out what to wear with the tummy situation. Any advice? Pat

Just the other day I stumbled across this advice on Camouflaging a Tummy, from the CoutureCandy personal stylists. It reminded me of my previous stab at the topic, where another reader left this helpful advice:

I think it depends how tall you are- very tall women can wear long tops to camouflage a tummy but if you're vertically challenged its better to bisect your widest area ... I find fitted tops with a slight flare at the bottom which sit just above the hip elongate the body and take attention away from the tummy.

I would add one other thing, a major don't: Don't wear pants that come up high on the waist with a tucked-in top. That look just has the effect of magnifying the tummy trouble, throwing the entire proportion off. Instead, try by-passing the waist with a top that is meant to be worn untucked.

Or try this super-slimming technique: use a dark pant and top, that match, creating a monochromatic column, and top with a bright or eye-catching jacket worn open. Like in this example, from Coldwater Creek.

Beth's Blend

Back here in July, this lovely lady's what-to-wear-to-event question first appeared. It seemed, at the time, as if she would be able to get the shoes and not the dress, you can see now the opposite happened. (Her feet sure look happy, don't they?)

I say she met her goal of matching her outfit to her shape, coloring and personality:

• Working within your natural silhouette is usually the most slimming. The reason: most techniques for changing the silhouette involve adding to it; which makes sense, how hard it is to subtract from one's figure. This dress is an A.
  
  
• From looking at this picture, I would never guess Beth is over 40. The harmony between her dark hair, eyes & glasses, and dress is very flattering. This would be considered a mono-chromatic look, because it's all based on deep reds, similar to the example back here.
  
  
• Elusive as her natural personality blend (most people are a combination) has been, I'm going to take a stab at it. No contest she is a Contemporary Classic, but I'm going to suggest Timeless Classic as #2 (lipstick, pearls, perfect hair).
  
  And I wouldn't rule out Romantic Natural as #3, based on the Marilyn Monroe flavor of the dress. Marilyn, after all, was the Queen of Romantic.

Open, of course, for discussion.

Help Donate a Mammogram

This came to me today via email from a reliable source:

"The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman.

It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "donating a mammogram" for free (pink window in the middle). This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising."

The Breast Cancer Site

Shoes.com Saturday Sale October 14th

UPS Ground shipping is FREE on all purchases.

Who's Ann Coulter's Stylist?

I picked on the liberals, now I'm picking on the conservatives. Fair's fair.

Speaking of Timeless, Traditional, Classic, Preppy, Conservative, & Simple, here is a person who may well be suited to those type of clothes. But what manner of clothing is this? An old lady swimsuit? And speaking of suits, what would be wrong with being pictured in a high-authority business suit?

Since I don't actually read Ann Coulter, I couldn't tell you whether Timeless fits her personality or not; so I shall simply deal with the book cover as I have magazines in the past.

The obvious:

• The out-of-balance neckline is not only less-than-modest, it makes a pretty face look boring.
  
• The all black is also heavy and boring, not at all supported by her natural coloring.
  
• And one more thing: I don't mean this bad, but she's kinda bony looking. Allow me to re-phrase that; she has a great smooth, straight, linear thing going on. Nothing wrong with that, but it looks more natural with stiffer, crispier fabrics. Drapy fabrics contrast with a skeletal body type to create drama. Or else they just plain look wrong.

My suggestion: a pretty boat neck sheath; but rather than the ubiquitous black, how about navy? Creates a patriotic color scheme for the cover, as well.

Hey guess what? Yep, you guessed it: I picked up a dress just like that (Alfani, perfect condition, size 6), this Monday, at Value Village, for $1. Anybody interested?

I Suck, And I'm Okay With That

Now don't get all freaked out; I know I don't really suck. But the workshop I presented this last Saturday was more or less a flop. 10 ladies attended. A few of them didn't look happy when they left.

The remarkable thing is this, I have been fully expecting myself to become bitter or upset, maybe even to speculate that the reason it didn't go over well was because they just aren't interested (in reading their Bibles, that is). But it hasn't happened. That is nothing short of a miracle.

The exchanged life, it works for me.

Pulling Into Sag Harbor!

Want a laugh? Try telling your husband, brother, or significant other that "Sag Harbor" is a nice women's clothing brand.

As part of my ongoing series on personal style, I have arrived at Timeless. Scary!

As a twenty-something I developed an aversion to department stores, relating to the fear of stepping onto the Alfred Dunner piece of real estate. Am I the only one with this irrational fear?

Consider the following descriptors, which are all used to describe Timeless: Traditional, Classic, Preppy, Conservative, Simple. Different age groups each have their own specialty stores catering to this style. (Of course, these days conservative doesn't necessarily equal traditional; think Abercrombie and Fitch.)

In reality, a Timeless style type is not a scary person at all. It's just that the clothes give me the Hillary face.

Hey, are there any Timeless fashionistas around? If so, where do you like to shop?

Vocabulary Recycling Bin

Prior to publishing a list of fashion personalities, I had relegated certain commonly used terminology to the recycling bin, for ambiguity. Did you miss the terms sporty and trendy? None of the people I know who would fit into the "sporty" personality actually play sports. Confusing. And is a "trendy" a trend-chaser, trend tracker, trendsetter, or trend victim?

Now I find it necessary to ditch the term classic, as well. Not for ambiguity, but for its universal appeal. Who wouldn't want to be "classic"? Sounds like "classy", doesn't it? And Talbots' ad campaign, "What Kind of Classic Are You?", just makes it more confusing (just for fun, here's another one). Glamorous may have to go for the same reason.

I am seriously contemplating resurrecting the term romantic, though. In my recent posts, see What's Your Favorite Color?, I've kind of layering on the descriptors. Which do you prefer?

Big Cuff Bangles: In or Out?

I know I said to ask me a question, but this one I need help with:

What's hip in jewelry this season? Big cuff-type bracelets - good or bad?

Unfortunately I am not an embellishment person (translation: I don't wear many accessories), so I just don't know the answer.

Help!

Turkey From Around the Blogosphere

Fascinating stuff that has nothing to do with fashion:

• Blest with sons is doing a series on depression, which topic hits close to home, based on this book.
  
  
• Concerning a well-known Bible passage, Mrs. Meg Logan & I are enjoying "animated fellowship" over at her blog. We MOSTLY agree.
  
  
• Regarding my own Titus 2 project, the conference is this Saturday.
  
  
• But before I go, I promise to post a new Riveting Question.

BTW, it's a uniformed event. Don't expect pictures.

What Gives You The Hillary Face?

What styles and/or details make you feel as if you were wearing someone else's clothes, causing you The Hillary Face?

There's a clue in your position on The Fashion Train. Who's ahead of you?

• Glamorous is right behind the The Real Trendsetter, Alternative.
  
• Contemporary follows the fabulously dramatic Ms. Glamour.
  
• Timeless is looking at the more current style of the Contemporary Classic.
  
• Romantic, aka nostalgic or bohemian. Next after the simplicity of the Timeless Traditional Classics.
  
• FUNctional, in theory, is after the natural comfort of the outdoorsy Romantic. (In practice, she could be all over the map.)
  
• Making the train into a circle gives the Alternative style personality someone to follow as well: the sporty, natural FUNctional.

The idea here is that whatever style is just before you on the train will be the one which is most intimidating, hence the most uncomfortable. Personally, I have a very close split: primarily contemporary, but very FUNctional as well. Glamour will never get me, and I apologize sincerely for the faces I unintentionally make when that style type is mentioned. (I really do admire you!)

For me, the style that trips me up is all ruffles, lace, and flowy fabrics. You see, I like the looks of that stuff. So I try it on. But I just can't wear it. I know it, but I know alot of people like pretty feminine styles, so I plan on making more of an effort to include them here. For example, I know Romantics have trouble with very structured clothes, such as blazers. (But do you like any of these?)

Speaking of Romantic, I propose that may be Hillary's natural style. My other guess? Contemporary.

Your thoughts?

Tape Your Belt in Place

Last week I posted two different pictures of me wearing my brown suede boots and belt: one with low-rise jeans (scroll all the way down for that picture) and one with a high-waisted skirt. The same belt. Are you with me on the problem here?

See the trouble, is if I try to wear a belt high up on my waist, there's this long tail flopping around. I've tried different things, tucking the belt around, making a paper-clip keeper (--really). The textbook answer is to buy a different belt. But I could hardly bring myself to spend the money on the first one!

Enter double-stick tape. The kind you use to hold carpet down. That is what's holding the tail of my belt in place in the high-waisted picture. Removing the tape right after changing, I didn't even damage my $4 belt. That works for me.

The Hillary Face

I have referenced previously "the face", i.e. the "these-are-not-my-clothes-can-I-take-them-off" face. In our family the face has a name, the name of a young lady with roughly the same style idiom as my husband whose mother has a more "girly" style. Of course, I cannot name her here, so, on the inspiration of a friend who recently named Hillary Clinton as a "fake Traditional" (what I call Timeless) ...

"the face" shall hereafter be known as "the Hillary face".

And now, a little stroll down Hillary lane:

The dress she wore when Bill became governor. That is so cute! Not at all traditional.

How she looked when he became president. Pretty, relaxed ...

After she underwent her "image refinement". Does it appear that something's just not quite right?

Now, since I am neither a big Hillary fan nor an expert in current world affairs, I'd love to get your opinion.

• Do you think Hillary looks uncomfortable in her clothes?
  
• What do you think her natural style might be?

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Dates: 10/02/06 - 10/22/06

My One Dress

If I only owned one dress, this would be it. Wait here a minute ... okay, I do have other dresses, but this is my one "street dress".

Although it was this sunny and beautiful here today, and I did wear this dress, this picture was actually taken in early July. Twice that week I wore it: once to church and then again later in the week to a memorial service.

Today I wore it with the jacket and boots pictured in this previous post, and threw a belt on over the jacket. When the weather turns cold, I will top it with a cashmere sweater.

Other ideas?