As I was reviewing Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body
If what looks good on your body type is your question, try this personalized style rule generator (which really isn’t about style, but about adapting styles to your body shape and particulars) at BBC-Lifestyle TV
Now here’s a question: in terms of style personality, are you Clinton or Stacy? Or neither?
I’m both to a degree, but it’s really Clinton’s style that makes my heart go pitter-pat.
Thanks Rebecca for the link to the style generator! Some things I already do as well as some no-nos!
Hmmm If only I had the $ to go shopping now! I guess I will have to re-budget! Just wrote on that this morning.
I didn’t realize just how average I am. Average, average, average. Kind of boring, although I guess in body type it’s probably a good thing. But maybe that’s why I hate boring clothes.
Kristine ~ you also might enjoy the Zafu jeans-finder.
Your Majesty ~ I think you are right, that average is probably synonymous with easy to dress.
Do you like lots of bright colors and fun prints? You are an imaginative personality and I’m guessing that’s why you hate boring clothes.
Definitely Clinton.
The style generator is interesting, but I don’t think it hit some of the high points for me. Fitted blazers, v-necks or scoop necks for example. But pretty much bang on when it comes to pants (although I believe I can wear certain kinds of capris).
I think part of the formula to WNTW has to be put into perspective. The participants on the programs are truly going from a place where they aren’t presenting themselves well to a basic wardrobe that suits their profession (and I consider SAHM to be a profession).
In art classes I learned there are rules. And once you truly understand them, that’s when they can be successfully broken.
Wendy, that’s the coolest thing ever. I figured I’d be the only one who said Clinton. (I am really happy I kept that vertical striped shirt, btw.)
I didn’t look around the style generator too much, but I had someone in mind that I thought might be interested in it.
You are right, of course, in your perspective to WNTW. Once a person begins to see themselves looking good, they may gain the confidence then to make adjustments to more accurately reflect their own style. They are not likely to ever go back to being scruffy again (although sometimes I fear they may end up wearing those clothes for the rest of their life). I just don’t want anyone to think that “contemporary classic” is the only way to look good.
The idea expressed in your last paragraph is foundational to this blog. I always wondered how to quantify all these things, until I took the Triumph of Individual Style class. (It’s basically a college level art curriculum, relating each principle to how to dress.) It’s amazing how many people who have studied art (my hero works with architects) never think to relate those principles to what they wear. Dressing is art.
I have several of the Susannah/Trinny books and they are pretty redundant, but are fun reminders of the basic rules I should have long ago accepted.
Good thing I did the style rule generator – it reminded me that, while belted jackets are SO cute on some (Ann Curry on Today this morning – big, brown belt over RED trench – so great!), they are not (sniff) for me… I knew this, and yet I was about to ignore that knowledge.
I would like to be Stacy. And I can’t do Clinton’s 3 prints at a time…
I was watching a WNTW marathon on Friday eve and started to wonder how dated this was going to look in a couple of years… I *do* think they listen to the people’s wardrobe needs and I like the results, almost always – tho I have to say that I still think they fit pants poorly on women who are thick in the thigh. I wouldn’t want dress pants to show my lack of tone that way…
I do like bright colors~green, red, orange, yellow. I have a hard time bringing myself to wear an outfit without one. I like stripes very much and wild scarves, but other than that don’t find many prints I like.
I’m glad that were friends IRL and also blog friends too-that way you can write blogs like this that help me get less confused! I know I’m not Clinton (I could NEVER pull off patterns like that!) but I don’t think I’m a Stacy either-not all the way at least. I guess that means I’d have to figure it out on my own if it weren’t for you! Thanks for always being willing to stare my fashion crisises in the face.
I watch the TLC “What Not to Wear”, and get a few good ideas from it. The BBC series inspired “What Not to Wear” book did much more for me than either show has. I was able to pick & choose my trouble spots very easily, and work out solutions by piecing together a mental paper doll from Trinny & Suzanne. It became very useful last year as I was replacing and/or cutting down my wardrobe from a 12 bottom/14 top to a 6 bottom/10-12 top.
I have a long body, and slender hips (no butt), so I follow Trinny rules for pants/skirts/shoes. I have a 3-baby tummy that no amount of exercise has been able to whittle back to a waist, broad shoulders and a slightly larger than average chest. Suzanne guides my top and dress choices.
Both shows leave out the women like me who fall between shapes/sizes. And I think there are a lot more women like me than the “you’re such an oddball” voice in my head tells me.
Thankfully, there are blogs like Rebecca’s out here where we can read about ALL shapes, sizes and styles.
i am a little bit of an obsessive what not to wear watcher. haha.
i love clinton’s style. my husband says he’s too short to pull it off.
As a “vertically challenged” (okay, really short) person, I do have to be careful of patterns. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by them.
One thing I think the WNTW folks do tremendously well is colour. They really show that accent colours can be quite different from those in the main outfit.
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Another thing about color, Wendy, and I agree with you, is that they do a good job breaking down some of the mythology about mixing neutrals, showing brown with black and with charcoal grey.
Their use of color is quite refreshing!
I was on WTNW. My show aired on for the first time yesterday. I had an amazing time. Stacey and Clinton aren’t so bad off camera. It’s been really werid since I got back. I’m now a promotional model for AT&T and AJ Allure Promotions. It’s been a huge change but the a good one that I’m still getting comfortable with.
I got to go to New York and the Giants won the Superbowl the first night I was there. It was snowing the next morning and was nonstop filming after that. I didn’t get much time to sight but I got some cool pictures. It’s been a month and a half since I’ve been home and I’m still running into people I haven’t seen in a while. No one can belive I cut my hair. A few days ago a guy I’ve know for a long time reintroduced himself because he didn’t recognise me.
~Anyway~
Just ran across this and wanted to say hey. There’s so much that they don’t even end up using… The show captures the entire memroy though….