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?
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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?
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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.
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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.)
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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!
