To adequately cover this topic, we will probably break it into a few more posts. Because, as many of you have noted, it is something we all have an overall awareness of, but the application can take a little more than looking in a mirror and squinting at our figures to see if the overall shape is desirable. So, this week’s post will cover the general topic of how to use clothing to get an overall correct proportion. In the following weeks, we will go into more details of how to work on the individual parts (such as bust, waist, hip, etc…) that make up this overall picture and discuss how and what to emphasize and/or minimize.

There are any number of variations you may use to make the overall mass of your figure seem proportionate. We will look at four basics and how they can be used to balance the whole: line, mass, texture, and color. This week we will focus on line.

Line – The most basic lines that break up sections of your body are created by the edges of clothing, color contrasting, texture, style lines and darts.

Let’s start with the vertical lines (up and down). If we use the golden mean or section we would want to break our body into 1/8th sections and then find 3/8ths of our body length.

If you start from the bottom of your foot and measure up 3/8ths of the body length, you should hit near the top of your knee, not usually more than 2” above the knee. This particular clothing edge is important since it is a typical break in our vertical line.

Upper East Side bright blue dress with pleated skirt by Shabby Apple – $72.00

Dresses, shorts, and the typical hem should not come far above it or we will have distorted figures.

If you take this same 3/8ths measurement and measure from your head down, you will find that it should hit right at your waist. This is another point to emphasize in your overall figure. You can use horizontal lines, clothing edges, color, or any other factor you want, to emphasize this point of the vertical line.

Especially when wearing pants or full-length dress, you want to be sure to make your waist an accent on your overall figure. The slight inward curvature of your waist also gives a nice variation to your overall figure, particularly since it falls within the golden section.

Meringue outfit (half and half Meringue tie top and high waisted linen sailor pants) by Ruche – $81.98

What if your figure is not vertically proportionate to match the golden mean? If your waist is too high or too low, here are some tricks you can use:

High Waist
If your waist is too high – you can use line to correct this in three simple ways

• Use vertical lines starting from your shoulder and carrying down to the desired point. You can add more emphasis by putting these lines on a slight diagonal, starting out from your shoulders and moving in to your waist.

Shimmering Pin-Up Cardigan by Anthropologie – $88.00

Rain Pools Cardigan by Anthropologie – $88.00

• Use a slight color or pattern break or shading at the desired point. So use monochromatic variations with the darker shades closer to the desired break. Be sure not to use bold or too contrasting of a color or it will break the upper and lower half up more, only emphasizing the problem.

Jaunty Jacket by Silk and More – $25.00

• Use pin tucks, stylelines, and texture variations at and bellow this point to draw the eye down further.

Spanish Steps Cardigan by Anthropologie – $68.00

Present Paper Cardigan by Anthropologie – $98.00

Low Waist
If your waist is too low: basically apply the above principles but in the opposite direction. For example, use strong, long vertical lines by wearing a dress that flares at the bottom and has strong vertical lines moving to the correct point on the waist.

Double Ruffle Trench by Anthropologie – $168.00

This figure variation is also helped out with a belt or some sort of texture at or above the appropriate point.

Rippling Pond Jacket by Anthropologie – $148.00

Where does your waist fall?

Don’t miss the next installment of the CreatedByChicks.com Fashion Friday study of fashion for female proportion!  Subscribe to CreatedByChicks.com and/or become our Google Friend (sidebar).

The first principle of design that we will feature is proportion, or the size relationship of parts to the whole. Note, in this jacket example that the arrangement on the figure to the right has much more balance vs. the one at left.

Raspberry Fleece Jacket by Erin Alexandra Klym – $121.00

For example: the size of your hand in relation to the size of your arm. Or a clothing piece in relation to the whole outfit or body.

This concept can apply to colors as well; do the colors complement each other? Or is one color ill-proportioned to the other by having too much of a really intense color in comparison? What we want are dimensions that relate to each other, attract our viewers, and give a pleasant or complete feeling.

Tiger Lily Moccasin Navy by Darlingtonia – $129.00

The feeling of completion and pleasantness can be done with any style preference. Funky, all-natural, feminine, girly, frilly, classy, boyish….anything – as long as you follow the basic principles of proportion.

Some people seem to have a natural ability to know what works and what doesn’t, so what about the rest of us? Are there any basic rules or ways to find out what works if you aren’t a natural? Luckily there are! Throughout civilization, artists, mathematicians, psychologists and even philosophers have studied to find out what is naturally appealing to the human eye and mind. There are a lot of theories, but one that is best known and applied is the golden mean. Discovered by Egyptians, Greeks, renaissance (Notre Dame) and many other civilizations.  It is one that is found in nature in seashells,

in ferns,

Fern Ring by honeybee, Amy Moore Designs – $68.00

and even the human body.

So, here is a basic math version of the golden mean (section): 3+5=8, 5+8=13, 8+13=21, etc… What does that mean? If you look to the right of the image above, there are lines that help you visualize the proportion. The blue line equals roughly 5/8 of the white line. This proportion not only works for men, but for women as well.

What do you do if you don’t have an ”ideal” figure? No worries, my next Fashion Friday post will teach you some tricks and optical illusions to help you give your body a well-proportioned look.

For more images and examples to train your eye, go to http://feng-shui.lovetoknow.com/The_Golden_Ratio or http://goldennumber.net/goldsect.htm

It’s getting colder & the fashion is getting hotter!!  Today we’re featuring the creativity of Manonknits.  I LOVED this gorgeous scarf as soon as I saw it!!!  (click on the pics to be redirected to the item on the original site)

Pink Panther – $65.00 - cobweb felted lace thin scarf was created by wet felting – an antique technique of manufacturing non-woven fabric. Bright pink merino wool was blended with white silk fibers and hand felted. This felt is so lightweight and so sheer that you can see right through it!  PINK PANTHER cobweb felted lace scarf is very thin but warm for all seasons. Just that bit of added warmth to make the day perfect. Scarves made in this way are very easy to wear and they drape beautifully.

But then I thought it looks so thin that would it even hold up for wearing it through the whole season (especially with my kids tugging at my neck).  Check out what Manonknits says about that:

Care: This scarf looks very delicate but it is made for everyday use, the more you wear and wash it the more beautiful and soft the felt will become.

Completely fabulous!!  Things HAVE to be durable at my house or they don’t last & I just adore when an item says it gets more beautiful each time you wash & wear it!!!  Right on!!  Here’s some other to-die-for designs from Manonknits:

First Greens – $66.00

Sunny – $66.00

So are you rushing to snag one right now?!!  They are sooooo beautiful!  It would be really interesting to watch the process of how they’re made – don’t you think?

And, yes, I did mention a jacket.. isn’t this adorable?!  It’s funky & fun with a bit of the Grecian draping kind of style that’s so popular right now.

Fuchia Coat – $449.00

Thanks for your fabulously creative creations, Manonknits!!!  Loving your designs!!!

Today I’m featuring the creative chicks behind Shade Clothing & all their hot, fall fashions.  I’ve been a fan of Shade Clothing from the beginning (have 4 of the original Shade short-sleeve t-shirts from years ago) and their fall line makes me so excited!!!  It’s been really fun to watch this company evolve.  I’m also a big fan for how they’re using social media to get the word out about their sweet clothes (I stay update via their Facebook page).

Check out some of my faves (click on pic to be redirected to original site):

V-Neck Placket Top – $32.50

Floral Scarf – $14.50

(Can use the Scoop Neck 3/4 Sleeve w/Cuff shirts also pictured here in so many ways, especially for layering.  They are a MUST for fall!)

Denim Skirt – $42.50 (Isn’t this so stinkin’ cute?!!)

Terry Peacoat – $44.50 (I am in LOVE with this jacket – be still my heart!)

The creative chicks behind Shade Clothing have such a great mission for their business & clothing: “make clothes that help women feel comfortable and happy.”  Can you have a better mission than that?  All of Shade Clothing’s fashions are made to be perfectly modest.  No more tugging on the back of your shirt when you sit down, no more pulling up your neckline when you bend over, and no more adjusting your hemline every time you sit or stand.  I love it!  They also have a nice line of maternity clothing which is fabulous for when you get towards the end of the pregnancy & have a hard time keeping that belly covered.  These creative chicks saw a need & filled it… fashionably & affordably!  Keep up the creativity Shade Clothing!  We’re diggin’ it!