The Clothing Chronicles February 23, 2006, #216 FashionForRealWomen.com ================================================ In This Issue: Message From Diana Feature Article: Is Your Apparel Properly Scaled? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> MESSAGE FROM DIANA The response to last week's article, "How to Look Good Consistently," http://www.theclothingchronicles.com/archives/215-02162006.htm kept me busy responding for days. Wow! Several people also wrote to offer their tips for getting out the door on busy mornings, two of which I'll pass along here: Lay out all your clothes the night before. This allows you time to check for stains, coordinate accessories, etc. (Regina Jones) Come up with different outfits on the weekends, including accessories, lay them out on the bed and take a digital picture. File the pictures in a notebook for easy reference. (Marie Mustelier) Thanks Regina and Marie! ACCESSORY MAGIC will be available Tuesday, February 28th. Yay! Watch for the special email, because I'll be making a special, limited-time offer ONLY to Clothing Chronicle subscribers. So what's on tap for today's article? An encore, "by request" presentation of an article I wrote last year regarding the importance of proper scale. Enjoy! Diana diana@fashionforrealwomen.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Could you be an image consultant? With an eye for clothing and the information in this guide, you'll be floored by what's possible in the image industry. It's simply THE best resource I've seen on the subject, hands down. Discover how to turn your interest in fashion into a lucrative career in this red-hot industry. Become an image consultant today! Discover How to Become an Image Consultant ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> FEATURE ARTICLE Is Your Apparel Properly Scaled? One of the neat things about clothes is that you can use them to create illusions. Whether you want to look taller, shorter, younger, older, thinner, heavier, or whatever, you can choose clothing styles and details to help you accomplish this goal. But if you're not careful, you can find yourself creating an undesirable effect by overlooking the importance of scale in creating a pleasing aesthetic. What am I talking about? Let's say that you walk into a room filled with children. Everyone there is five, except for one ten-year-old. Where are your eyes drawn? To the oldest child, because he's bigger than everyone else and looks out of place. Or let's say it's a room full of ten-year-olds, with one five-year-old. Where does your attention go? To the littlest one in the room, of course. It's simply human nature. Our attention is drawn to the one thing that's different from everything else. Now let's apply this same concept to your clothes. Let's say you're a small-size petite and you fall for a dress with a big, splashy print. Should you buy it? Probably not - because that big print is going to overpower you, and make you seem even tinier than you are.   Both Dresses From ColdwaterCreek.com How about a small print on a large body? Nope. That small pattern will make the backdrop (your body) seem bigger, which is probably not what you're after. The rules here are simple: small goes with small, large goes with large, medium can go with small, medium, or large, so long as the scale is appropriate. Now whether this seems fair or not is beside the point. The "fairness" judge wasn't around when the rules for optical illusion were drawn up, so you need to figure out where you stand on the size range and work with what you have. Were you given a small face? Avoid "big" hair, big earrings, and bulky things (necklaces, scarves, collars) around your face. Have annoyingly large hips? Skip the small prints, piping on the trim, and small pockets that pull attention to this area. Hate that expanse of skin known as your upper arms? Then forgo the small sleeves, tiny prints, or any clothing details that put them in the spotlight. It's pretty easy, all in all. Think about your goals, think about the different elements you're wearing, and make sure they mesh with each other. So what are some of the apparel and accessory items that can easily be out of scale with your proportions? Clothing Details Prints Stripes Trims Collars Buttons Pockets Zippers Accessories Hats Hair Glasses Earrings Necklaces Bracelets Rings Fingernails Bags Belts Boots Shoes Heels Is there a person under that bag? Pompous Pleasures In the 1980's, hair, glasses, earrings, and belts were often worn so large that they dwarfed the wearer. Today, bags and heels are frequent culprits. So be mindful of the impact of different styles and don't allow yourself to be lead astray by trends that create havoc with your image goals. Instead, to quote Shakespeare, "To thine own self be true." Once you learn what works on you and what doesn't, you won't have to stand in front of the mirror any more, wondering, "What's wrong with this picture?" because you'll know what it is in an instant. And that's the very essence of dressing well. So consider scale when you pick your prints, trims, and accessories, to make sure they fit your body. Your image will thank you for it. Want some other clever ways to create illusions with clothes? Download a copy of WARDROBE MAGIC http://www.wardrobemagic.com To see how easy dressing well can be. ************** Until next time, Diana Pemberton-Sikes diana@fashionforrealwomen.com http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com http://www.FashionSavvy.com http://www.WardrobeMagic.com http://www.FashionJobReview.com ------------------------ Published by: Top Drawer Publications, LLC 256 S. College Ave. Newark, DE 19711 USA Copyright © 2006 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. Want to get your wardrobe together in a flash? Try our best-selling ebook,  Wardrobe Magic Archives index   Terms of Use | Privacy Policy © 2006 Top Drawer Publications, LLC All rights reserved. 256 S. College Avenue • Newark, DE 19711 Phone/Fax 302-266-0156 • Email: sales@topdrawerpublications.com