Choosing Colors for Layering
Oops! Between fighting the plague on one side and technology on the other, I totally spaced that I have a regular feature to write on Tuesdays. And I see that I forgot last week, as well. Double oops!
Well, since I remember now, I’ll just share this fun little tip:
When choosing colors for t-shirt and tank layering, consider combining your eye color with the color of the ring around the outside of the iris.
What does this have to do with teens? A few things:
- It’s fun to examine eye color. Teens like fun.
- Layering t-shirts and tanks is ubiquitous among the young.
- If they know what colors make them look good, they will be more than happy to fill in the necklines which sometimes leave a little to be desired. And not enough to the imagination.
To take this concept one step further in modesty, consider the contrast between the colors.
- Least modest = skin color with a bright or deep shade.
- A little better = white or black with a color.
- Most modest = two colors similar in value.
(Don’t believe me? Ask a man.)
Does this give you an idea for a color scheme you want to try? Last weekend I wore a pewter v-neck tee with a longer brown scoop-neck under it and liked it so much it is folded together in my drawer now.
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Tube Tops for Modesty
No, I haven’t lost my mind. The following suggestion was sent in by new reader Amanda:
… going back (or forward?) to the “V-necks are out” post, I agree, except in the case of white V-necks. Last year, all I could find in the way of basic tops were tube tops (I bought four or five from American Eagle for a total of $20) and have started wearing them under a white V-neck. The tube top provides a little more coverage than a regular tank or cami, but it’s still a cute pop of color.
My younger daughter has worn a variation of this theme: a mid-thigh length strapless dress, topped by a belted white blouse, with leggings under. Ordinarily I would just pass by short strapless dress when thrifting, but combined with the other pieces - she’s fully dressed!
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No Peek is Chic!
Homeschooling mom Robin Lucas came up with the idea for Chic Peeks after losing her mother-in-law to cancer last year. She wore her favorite black dress to the funeral which happened to be very low cut. She used the good ‘ole “safety pin method” to close the decolletage so it wouldn’t show too much of “the girls”. When she got home after a long day, she had pin holes in the fabric and it was absolutely ruined!
Chic Peeks are adhesive blouse fronts used to conceal cleavage peek-a-boos when wearing low cut tops and dresses. My only caveat would be to choose the cotton or micro-fiber over the lace; I suppose there could be an instance where the lace would look appropriate, but generally speaking, IMO, it looks like underwear.
Here’s how Chic Peeks work:
1. Peel- Peel open the Chic Adhesive strips
2. Press- Firmly Press the Chic Adhesive strips into your favorite Chic Peek
3. Position- Carefully Position your favorite Chic Peek into the decolletage at the desired height
4. Place- Place your Chic Peek by firmly pressing your garment decolletage onto your Chic Peek and smile
Congratulations to Robin and her sisters for launching a creative solution to a common problem!
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Teen Style Tuesday: Spaghetti Straps?
Just in time for summer, an admonition concerning strap size:
Keep strappy construction details on the upper body in scale with the wearer. Even a slender woman can look burly in spaghetti straps.
This looks more proportional.
In addition, it’s my opinion that most people look uncomfortable wearing strapless.
But this last look would look good on alot of people. Would you wear it?
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More from Trieste: Castle Miremare
Mainly an excuse to share more pictures with you, I will also use this post to illustrate a basic “personal best” what-to-wear principle:
The best neckline shape to flatter your face is roughly the shape of your jaw
This seems like it should be obvious, but we miss it because most advice is from the paradigm of what flatters the figure rather than the face.
(Read more back here, where I explain the basics of how deep the neckline should be. And see dcrmom model several different t-shirt necklines, noting the lines they emphasize in her face, in this fashion lab.)
In the pictures of me at the Torri d’Europa, Karen noticed my square jaw. Which totally explains why I long for square necklines and despise v-necks. Yet I was wearing a v-neck in the picture. Ugh! I should just get rid of that top!
(Oh, and one more link, and one more thing I did wrong: combining colors in layered necklines.)
But then I found a headless pic that I had overlooked, one in which I was wearing the offending tee but cleverly combined so as to form a (rounded) square neckline.
What do you think? (Click on the pic to see it bigger.)
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Fashion Lab: Cap Sleeves
Remember I mentioned that Angie said cap sleeves often aren’t flattering (at least as flattering as sleeveless)?
Here, from a previous fashion lab, is a picture of me in cap sleeves. For some reason I thought this tee-shirt was going to work for me.
What was I thinking?
Actually it will work well this fall, as an under-layer. The neckline hits a good spot on me, it’s brown (my eye color), and long enough to wear with any pants. Presently it’s hanging in my closet underneath a soft black v-neck.
(Please overlook needed ironing and etc. in the picture. I had to hurry up and grab the shirt and get shot before someone ran off with the camera.)
Here, though, is a cap sleeve shirt I love and I can wear with or without something over it (not to mention my daughter found it for me at Value Village for $1 with the tags still on). So what is it that makes the difference?
My money is on the tautness of the fabric.
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Fashion Lab: Basic is not Boring
First off, I love what dcrmom has done with these pictures: we see enough of her face that we can determine both the second balance point and the shape. Did you know that she took modeling classes as a teen?
In order not to inhibit y’all from making your honest comments, I’m not going to say too much about these upfront.
My (few) comments:
- There was a concern about scoop necks accentuating *ahem* certain elements of the figure. While I can see that a bit in the blue, for some reason, perhaps the depth of the scoop, I don’t see it in the red.
- Speaking of the red, IMHO it is stunning!
- I still don’t understand what makes crew necks work. But they do. Both black tees look good, don’t they?
Now I want to hear from the rest of you. See you in comments!
(BTW, thank you in advance to Alyson, who is going to model for next week’s fashion lab about combining black and colors. Email me if you would like to help with a future edition.)
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What’s Your Best Neckline?
As in anything, once the rules are understood they can begin to be broken.
My #1 Rule = the face should be the focal point of every outfit. If some element in the construction of your neckline, or some accessory you add, is placed correctly in reference to your face, this is achieved.
Finding that correct placement (use either method):
- Measure from the hairline or bangs to chin. Starting at the chin, drop down that length to a point on the chest.
- Measure from the center of the widest point of the face to the chin. Beginning at the base of the neck, drop this measurement down to a point on the chest.
- Never before mentioned on this blog: adapt shorter necklines by widening them. In other words, the area of the open space inside your neckline ends up equaling the area of your face. Should I have considered teaching math as a profession?
Here we have a lovely model to demonstrate these principles for us:
And here’s something tricky: photographers know these things, as well as the fact that your best neckline shape is like the shape of your jaw, so a good one will have you turn your head in such a way as to alter the apparent line or proportion.
Look at my blog photo.
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Fashion Lab: Larger On Top
Many thanks to the fashionable Joy for sending us her uniform to use for this week’s fashion lab. (Her pictures turned out so great, even taking them by herself with the timer! Sorry, but I can’t seem to adjust the size without losing resolution.)
Trying to empathize with the circumstances of others is somewhat of a hobby of mine. Since I hang around with alot of mothers of little ones, lately my thoughts have centered around silhouette issues and specifically how to work with the uniques challenges of being at least 2 sizes bigger on top than on bottom. Like how to manage to be modest without being frumpy. And the flip side, how to be stylish without being sleazy. Does that about cover it?
A couple of principles I notice:
- She is using fitted styles and clothes that fit.
- In the first shot, the layered t-shirt necklines break up the upper area.
- There’s virtually no difference in silhouette between the skinny jeans (black) and boot-cut (with the fading).
- The fading on the jeans does add curve.
Isn’t that last dress just fun?
This is as good a time as any to refresh on the concept of balancing the face with the neckline. The lady who wishes people to look at her face should wear her neckline no lower than the length from hairline to chin. If everyone lived by this rule, the “cleavage wars” would surely die out for lack of fuel.
So if you want to wear a lower neckline, don’t wear bangs. Right?
Update: After reading everyone’s comments and questions, and re-reading what I posted here, it is obvious I neglected to explain one important thing. When measuring for this face-length neckline, the starting point is your chin. In other words, from your chin to the lowest point of the neckline should not exceed the length from hairline to chin. So sorry! Does that seem better?
Here’s a link to my post where I explain this better, with a link to an actual illustration of how it’s done.
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Lessons From Fall Fashion Week: Asymmetry
I’m telling you, the Armani thing scared me! Some of the suits were lovely, but how wearable is something with only one (long) sleeve?
Try this fun project: take a picture of your face and split it in half vertically. Mirror image each half of your face to complete the picture. In other words, make a face that is just what the left side of your face looks like, and another one that is just your right. How different do they look?
Who wears asymmetry:
a) One who is going for a high fashion, high drama look.
Yigal Azrouel
b) One with a greater than usual degree of physical asymmetry.
Twinkle
Or
c) The fashion victim. Aka foo.
For those of us with a somewhat classic style and fairly regular features, the risk of looking like we’ve been had is just too great. Other than possibly evening wear, how about we just sit this one out?
Photos via Coutorture, courtesy of ShopStyle.
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