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Conference Call

Last week our phone call with Shari Braendel didn’t work out, but this week, 5 of the 8 winners were able to make it.  We laughed a lot and got some great fashion advice from the Proverbs 31 Ministries’ resident fashion expert!

First we discussed the four major body types:

An H is someone with balanced hips and shoulders, not a very indented waist, and usually a flat derrière and nice legs.  She gains her weight in the tummy region.

An O is busty and generally a size 12 and up, also with a flat derrière and nice legs.  She gains weight in her upper midriff and bust area. 

An A has narrow shoulders, a small waist, and gains weight in the hip and thigh area.

An X has balanced shoulders and hips, a small waist, and gains weight evenly.

I’m an H.  What are you?   (If you’re an X, I’ll forgive you.)

Then we talked about the six dominant color types — light, deep, warm, cool, soft, and clear.  This gets a little more complicated, so I’ll refer you to Shari’s color swatch books for more information on that.

I’m a deep, which means I get to wear these colors:

After we got ourselves all pigeon-holed into our color and body types, we had a quick lesson on dressing our best. 

The first rule of dressing — never bring attention to your challenge area.  For me, that’s my midsection.  A few tips from Shari for disguising a tummy — no tucking and no belts.  Also, avoid a front zip pant; it adds extra bulk.  Opt instead for a side zip.  Or I find that those tab closures work really well for me.

Shari explained that the goal in dressing is to draw the eye to your face, not your body.  There are a few ways to do that.

1) Wear the right colors.  (See her color swatches for more information.)

2) This one is a bit more complicated, but I found it very interesting.  She said that you want to create a vertical line down the middle of the body.  One way to do this is to create a column with your outfit. 

If you’re an H, O, or X body type, create the column with your inside pieces.  Say you have pants, a shirt, and a jacket.  Your pants and shirt should be close to the same color, probably a neutral such as black or brown, and your jacket is a flattering color.  When you leave the jacket unbuttoned, you create a visual column of neutral color.  This draws the focus away from the chest and waist area and creates a long, lean line down the body. 

If your body type is an A, then you want to create the column with your outside pieces.  Wear the same color jacket and pants and a contrasting colored shirt.  This draws attention away from the hip and thigh area.

Interesting, huh??

3) Wear necklaces.  The trick here is to wear a size that compliments your body frame.  If you are a small person, wear smaller accessories.  If you are a larger woman, wear larger accessories.

Next week we meet again for more Q&A!

I’m eating this up because when I go to She Speaks, I’m not going to get to hear Shari’s lecture.  I had to choose between Shari’s What Not To Wear seminar and the Ultimate Blogging Q&A.  Naturally, blogging won out, but it wasn’t an easy decision.  I signed up for Shari’s other lecture, but I found out tonight that it’s for teens!  Oooops.  Guess I wouldn’t pass for a teenager these days.

Alrighty, then.  I’m off to bed with more Vicodin.  I’ve been trying to make it through the weekend so I don’t have to bother the oral surgeon during off hours, but he will be hearing from me bright and early in the morning.

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Do you have weak, fragile fingernails?  Check out my newest product review on Chic Critique.

Join The Conversation

11 Responses

  1. Oooh! I am a clear X! haha No need for forgiveness. I am a fat X, and I think I would trade in that for anything in skinny! LOL

    I loved my color swatch! And great advice about the column. I have actually noticed that before but would never in my lifetime ever be able to describe it how you just did!

  2. Luvit luvit! is it by chance that the body types spell HOAX?! hmm? ;-o I have a female friend who owns a business called HERA, you know, the goddess that ate Zeus?? or something equally heinous! ha ha

    O btw, IMHO, for 3) if you wear weight around you neck & face, in general, stick to small, delicate jewelry. even if yer 6’3″

  3. I’m also an H! (A short H, but an H nonetheless) And as far as the color swatches go, I think I’m a Soft, but it’s kind of difficult to determine.

  4. Hmm, I’m not sure. I think I might be an X. I certainly do not have a flat booty, I gain some weight in the tummy, some on top, but I have that hourglass thing going on. Wide hips and big boobs.

    This was a great post.

  5. I think I’m an O, except I don’t have great legs. I have huge calfs (calves?) from too many years of marching band. Oh, and Polish thunder thighs. But I fit that “busty” to a T. Although when I am not carrying as much weight (nice way of saying I’m fat right now), I am pretty proportional.

  6. I think I’m an x. My hips and shoulders are about even, bu a little bigger than I’d like them to be.

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