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How do you see your body? All out of proportion? A little too much here, not enough there, hide this, show more of that??? Let’s talk about a way of looking at our bodies that will break things down then build them back up in a more balanced way!
Style Upgrade suggests we divide our body shapes into four segments:
Upper Body: head and shoulders.
Upper Middle Body: bust and waist.
Lower Middle Body: bottom and thighs.
Lower Body: knees, calves and feet.
Next we’ll rate each of these sections on three scales:
Body Style: skeletal, muscular and rounded. Visual Style: small, average, and large. Attention: show it, it’s OK, or hide it.
Okay, now let’s apply these parameters to each segment of our model pictured here.
Style Upgrade sees this: “Her Upper Body here is looking to me like it is very nicely presented. It is not skeletal, but perhaps muscular, as it is certainly not oversized. On the visual scale, I would say it is average, and I would certainly draw attention to this part of the body, as the hair and shape looks very nicely put together.
Her Middle Body is certainly rounded, and looks like on the visual scale we will be calling this large, as it is certainly larger in proportion to the head and shoulders area. I would hide this area of the body or minimize it.
Her Lower Middle Body is also rounded and larger, and would also be a “hide it” on my scale.
The model’s Lower Body has a great asset – she has “gorgeous gams”!! They are muscular, visually average, and definitely show-worthy.”
All in all, Style Upgrade thinks our model knows herself. Her hair is upswept and carefully maintained to draw attention up. Her neckline is open to show a nice chest area. The belt gives a bit of illusion of waist (see example without the belt), and her dress is the right length to flaunt those beautiful legs and feet.”
When I apply these principles to my own long pear shaped body, I have a combination of skeletal body style in my upper body, getting more rounded as we come to the base of the pear. I would have to say the Lower half is more of a rounded muscular style, leaving me wishing I had the legs of our model!
My proportions are on an average to large visual scale, even though I am tall, my upper half is small in comparison to the bottom half. Definitely a ”hide it” to the lower levels!
This guides me to focus my accentuations to the upper half and particularly the Upper Body. Not sure about a belt – haven’t worn one in years, yet I have purchased a couple of jackets with belts that have looked flattering when matched with full legged pants.
Having been a nurse then stay at home mom, I have always been a frequent hand washer, which has led me to shed any extra jewelry over the years. No longer rasing kids, or in a hospital clinical area, I can now start looking at adding a little “bling” to my ensembles! How fun!
Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful”!
XO Candy
Are you passing through the mommy years, or perhaps entering middle age with your hormones adding some extra pounds, or is there some childhood memory that keeps you from presenting your best self to the world? We all have our own reasons why we haven’t taken care of ourselves, and my hope is that this can be a new beginning for any of you joining me on my Style Upgrade!
Let’s start with looking at some body shapes and balance, to see if we can identify ourselves with one or two. I didn’t see my exact shape in the descriptions, so I am a combination of two – not too thin and not too thick, yet definitely pear!!
Of the two pink body types, I am somewhere in the middle. Look at the sketches below and see which one or combination of shapes are you, and which combination describes you!
I have a very long neck, large bust with narrow rib cage, a semi defined waist, and full the rest of the way down. I LOVE padding for my rounded shoulders, if only they were sewn into blouses or tops. Yes, I do flare at the hips- oh, well!!
I’ve always been a healthy weight, having had an hour glass figure through my late teens and into my early thirties. A snow skiier, tennis player and aerobics addict, I’ve always enjoyed some sort of exercise, until I had a skiing accident that began to slow me down a bit.
Then some weight gain came with the mommy years in my mid thirties. I would like to look my best at the weight I am today, while trying to eat healthy and mix in some daily exercise. I’m more focused now on health and wellness, and less so on my appearance, which is why the Style Upgrade is so great for me right now! My goal is to be more of a straight down arrow, that a curved down arrow shape.
Do you see your body type in any of the sketches? Were you one type when you were younger and now have become another? How do you feel about how your shape has changed?
Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful”!
XO Candy
Beauty, grace, poise, style, elegance, and confidence describe two women who created a huge impression on my youthful memory. Interestingly they were both teachers – one, my kindergarten, and the other my Sunday School teacher. They were also both tall, full figured women, and were simply gorgeous to me.
Now, I find myself about the same age they were when I knew them, and would like to make some “adjustments” to my appearance and persona to emulate the beauty they exuded from their spirit to their fashion style. So, come along with me as I learn some things about style, and share my transformation from middle aged frump to ”seasoned” lady of elegance!
I’ve been offered the opportunity to do a trial run of a program I’ll call “Style Upgrade”, that is currently unavailable, but coming soon! I welcome your constructive comments as I go through each lesson, and “live it” for you! Once I am newly reinvented, your suggestions incorporated, the complete program will be available to you! ”No matter your age, shape, coloration or lifestyle, you deserve to look and feel fabulous everyday!”"
“Looking better gives us confidence, and confidence gives us an attractive nature”, is how the Style Upgrade book begins. Candace Keefe, CEO Apriori Beauty says ” When you look beautiful, you feel good. When you feel beautiful, you look good. And, when you can share this beauty with others, you can feel good inside and out.” This is the beginning of developing my own perfect style! I’m going to learn what I should be wearing and why I should be wearing it, and how everything fits and flows together to show the world who I am!
I hope to learn how to look good, feel great, gain self confidence, take care of myself, be a great role model for my kids, and friends, love myself and show others that because I love myself, I am worthy of being loved by others. That’s one tall order, so here we go!
My first assignment on the road to style is to start a “Style Journal”. From this, I’ll be able to pull together a wardrobe that will flatter my physical appearance, uplift my spirits, showcase my personality and make me feel great just to wear it! I’ve created several collages of things that are attractive to me; colors, textures, styles, clothes, and more. Here’s the beginning – there is so much more I would like to add! Why don’t you create your own Style Journal Collage right along with me!
What do I see in my collages? I like pastels with flounce, tailored jackets with loose cut slacks, shoes are a decorative feature- definitely not functional, hats are my whimsy, silk is my favorite fabric, pinks and taupe, flowers, and a little bling!
I like how these pieces will look, how they will feel to the touch when I’m wearing them – nothing clingy. They definitely fit my personality – I like to hide my scientific mind, heighth and full body with clothes that move and fabrics that make a statement. The whimsical touches show that I do have a sense of humor and a bit of fun lurking behind the springy pastels and vibrant deep hues. What do you see?
Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful!”
XO Candy
