The Top Five Clothing Mistakes

I've been watching the "Dancing with the Stars" show on TV, and as a dancer myself (and a long-time admirer of handsome men who dance), I'm finding these last few weeks particularly exciting technique-wise. What I'm not as thrilled about are some of the clothes. Weird cuts, shiny fabrics, unflattering styles and shapes - some of these dancers should definitely fire their costumers. For when we're distracted by the clothes, we don't watch the dancing.

When your ensembles "miss the mark" by a little or a lot, it draws attention away from you. So how can you get things back on track? Today's article shows you how.

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What does it take to dress well? A lot of money? A perfect figure? An enormous closet?

Dressing well is a lot like cooking well or painting well or playing the piano well: once you learn the basics and apply them repeatedly, you become proficient. Like a botched sauce or a missed chord, you begin to recognize your clothing missteps and in time, you stop making them. All it takes is a little practice.

But as I look around at people on the streets and see how they present themselves, it's apparent that many have never learned the basics. They may know that they're supposed to wear certain types of clothes

to certain functions, but they're missing the main ingredient: how to dress THEIR body.

In a world where everyone is different, one size does NOT fit all. Thus, learning how to dress yourself becomes the essential ingredient in dressing well.

One of my sisters is a classic pear while the other has an hour glass figure. I'm an inverted triangle. When did we learn we had different shapes? Back in high school when we tried to borrow each other's

clothes. Our sizes may have been similar but our body shapes weren't. The clothes we had bought for ourselves just didn't fit each other as well.

Thus it is with every woman. Don't rely on what your best friend wears, your favorite celebrity wears, or even what your sister wears. Learn your body shape and look for clothing styles that accentuate YOU. If you do, you'll be well on your way to dressing success.

"How do I know if something fits?" a client once told me. "If I can get it zipped, it fits."

Not true.

It fits if it conforms to the contours of your body without pinching, sagging, bunching, or straining. If you don't have full range of movement, it doesn't fit. If it cuts into your skin or rides up when you move, it doesn't fit. If it drapes your body like a tent, it doesn't fit. If it causes parts of your body to bulge or get smashed, it doesn't fit. In short, if your shape is completely obscured -- or encased like a sausage -- by your clothes, get them altered or find something else to wear. It doesn't fit.

Fitted Dress
Clothes should follow the contours of your body...

Unfitted dress
... not hang on you like a tent.

Avenue.com

No one can wear every color equally well. No one. Depending on your skin tone, some colors will make your eyes sparkle and your skin glow -- while others will wash you out. Some people look better in blues and pinks. Others look better in browns and greens. If you find your best colors and build a wardrobe around them, you'll not only look great every day, you'll also be able to mix and match your clothes more easily. You know what else? With fewer colors, you'll need fewer accessories. Look great and save money? Woo-hoo!

White just isn't her color
A.B.S. Allen Schwartz
Macys.com

What you wear under your clothes can have a huge impact on how well your clothes drape and fit. Sagging bras, pinching panties, no body shaper in sight - all can ruin an otherwise flawless ensemble.

If you have never been properly fitted for a bra, go to a good department store or lingerie shop and get fitted. If you haven't been fitted in a while, or if you've had a baby or gained or lost weight since your last fitting, get fitted again. A properly fitting bra can make a world of difference to your figure.

As for underwear, look for styles with a cotton crotch that are comfortable and fit fully over your bottom. Before you leave the house, always stand in front of a full length mirror and do a "rear check" to see how you look from behind. Make sure your clothes fit smoothly over your backside with no bulges, dimples, or panty lines (briefs and boy cut styles offer the least visible panty lines.) Looking for a little smoothing and contouring? Try a body shaper for an instantly better-looking figure.

5. Not Accessorizing Correctly

Ever seen a great outfit undone by a tacky pair of shoes or an unworthy handbag? How about an overwhelming scarf or an underwhelming piece of jewelry? Me too. Often, the eye is drawn to the one wrong element, completely overlooking the rest of the ensemble. What a shame.

Remember: accessories should compliment and finish an outfit, not sabotage it. If yours don't, don't wear them.

Calvin Klein
Macys.com

Dressing well doesn't require a big budget or a fabulous figure. All you need is an understanding of your body and the clothing and accessory styles that suit it best. Start by accessing your own body, then look for the lines, fabrics, and colors that suit you best. Insist on proper fit and appropriate undergarments. Finally, finish with accessories that fit the mood of the ensemble and that are proportionally correct for your body.

It doesn't take a lot to dress well. With a little practice and some consistent effort, you'll have people admiring your fashion savvy - whatever your age, shape, size, or budget.

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