Fitting Room Friday: Petite Lower Figure Body Type

With the recent close of 2011's New York Fashion Week, fellow stylist Sarah Hosman joined Cardigan Empire to refresh her spring wardrobe with some freshy fresh pretties. 

(More tips and tactics to be revealed on specific Spring 2011 trends next week.)

Diagnosis: Petite (4 ft 10 inches) Lower Figured, Romantic Traditional, Cool & Brilliant

What Failed:

Lady Hosman knew her body type well and didn't fuss with many of the trends currently proliferating, knowing they would either draw a box around her top half or swallow her petite (under 5 foot) proportions. 

Below are examples of some of the items she walked promptly past (click the image to view her comments in larger dimensions):

What Sailed:

Pulling It Together Sweater: A pink puffy heart for this cardigan.  The fit closely hugs Sarah's narrow torso and ends before unnecessarily stretching across her wider bottom half.
Sing Sweetly Party Dress: Flattery from neckline to hem.  The pleated bodice adds volume to her subtle bust, the mint sash highlights her tiny waist, and the a-line skirt skims cleanly over her upper gams.

AG Angelina Petite: AG's famously soft fabric flexes beautifully into a derriere balancing bootcut.
Primula Corset Top: A proper peplum perfectly flaring from her mini midsection to her fertile southern hemisphere.

Eastpoint Garden Top: A ladylike neck tie and ruffled collar bring attention to her diminutive north.
Washi Wrap Skirt: Normally Sarah would have passed this skirt up because of the bright color, pleating, and pockets.  But the fit turned out to be quite flattering, the pleats pointed in the right direction, and the pockets didn't poke.  And we agreed color should always be a secondary consideration. (But it does fit small, so size up).

Gathering Blossoms Top: Sarah's favorite top.  The ruching draws eyes to a visually narrowed center and then flares to the perfect thigh skimming length.  Breaking up her flanks without truncating her already sparse leg inches.

Let Cardigan Empire fashion you for Spring.  Freshen up with a complete Fashion Package: combining a theoretical look book & a practical virtual shopping session

Swimwear Confidence: Lower Figure

Your swimwear phobia descends from your ankle ascensions.   Morbid fear abounds as you view bodies of water larger than a bathtub and imagine yourself exposing one or more of the following:

• squat stems
• lavishly fleshy hips
• cellulite ushering saddlebags
• a swimsuit munching bottom

Hyperventilation may be stopped by something far more attractive than a paper bag.  Below is a collection of swimwear to induce bathing bravery:

Natalie One-Piece

Boy shorts highlight the exquisitely curved shape of your hips, thighs, and end note without going into uncomfortable details.

Diapacasus Diagonal One-Piece

The strong diagonal lines draw a shorter distance across your lower levels while the one shoulder ornamentation draws attention to your statuesque collar bones.

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Color Block Halter One Piece

Higher cut leglines lengthen and lean leglets without compromising coverage in the rear.  Bright colorblocking emboldens your gentler half.

Kenneth Cole Reacation Mod Squad Halter Swimdress

This bathing skirt flirts around your powerful flanks keeping offering your super-limbs full anonymity.

Want more ideas, use your mouse to poke the link below and visit the
Cardigan Empire Recommended Lower Figure Swim Shop. 

Now all you need to worry about is your glossing up your slender arms and finding poses which accentuate the sinews running down your calves.

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Super Suit fashion look book cheat sheet.

Want a personalized refresher for Summer? Get your own Fashion Package, complete with a look book & virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely customized ensembles.

Dear Empress Giveaway: Can Lower Figures wear Colorful Skirts?

Dear Empress,

"...Can I still wear colorful skirts even though my bust/waist/hip measurements designate me as a lower figure?..."

Perfectly Pear (aka Edith of See the Songers)
-----------------------------------

Response Sponsored by:

Lady Edith,

Even the juiciest of pears can tastefully wear a colorful skirt. Color is but the final consideration in the garment evaluation quartet. Thus, lower figures are certainly not destined to a life of black below the belt. Color can help to compensate for violations of higher rules, but it's not cardinal cannon unto itself.

Following is the
Garment Evaluation Tetrad

(While our example centers on lower figure and skirts, this same theory may be applied to all body types and garments)

one. Cut
The shape of the garment trumps every other determinant. Does it taper against your flare, ruffle along your round? The shape should highlight your narrowest features and balance your fullest. Imagine the garment as a minimalist ink outline, then evaluate whether the shape complements your own figure.

two. Cloth
For your area of concern, look for flat, structured fabrics that drape rather than cling. While you don't want bulky wool sweater kilts adding inches to your hipline, you also want to avoid the dimple prone vulnerabilities of a cotton jersey pull-on skirt. Look for fabrics that will hold a clean line without excessive volume or transparencies. And opt for matte over shine, our strongest curves need only to be outlined not amplified.

three. Composition
Properly applied patterns, textures, and prints are camouflage to body insecurities. In fact a bright pattern is often more effective than a neutral solid since it has a little something to offer distraction.

four. Color
Lastly we consider color. Certainly some colors are less flamboyant than others. But if the garment excels in cut, cloth, and composition you don't have to follow color minimizing rules fanatically.





Take for example the Still Life Skirt from Downeast Baics.

Cut - A-line
Ne'er hugging a single curve of the thigh
Cloth - Cotton broadcloth
Flat smooth, and able to hold its own starch
Composition - Playful
The wood block inspired floral will keep all eyes moving
Color - Light & Bright
While the color isn't a textbook ideal, it certainly follows enough more important rules to get a complimentary ruling.



Pair it with this equally bright and playful Frosted Flowers Cardigan and you'll achieve a stunning balance.

Care for your own DownEast Basics Skirt?

Either: Go to DownEast Basics, inspect their skirt offerings, and leave a comment on this post identifying your preferred skirt of choice.

And/Or: Become a Cardigan Empire Follower so you can be privy to future offers and giveaways. Leave a confirming comment on this Cardigan Empire post.

The winner of the Colorful Skirt Giveaway will be selected on Monday, February 22nd.

Denim: Curvy Figure

Strutting down the lower figure & hourglass runway:

Angled yokes, ensure that the denim contours to your shapely seat.

Clean, dark, and sharp, no need for messy whiskering, or distressing through the thighs, your curves can speak for themselves.

Proportioned pockets, too little and you'll be making an unfair comparison.

A classic dark wash will minimize your lower assets.

Flares, bootcuts, trousers, a wide leg opening will balance your hip line.

1 hundred 98 cents = your own denim fashion look book cheat sheet.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own rules of denim conduct and much more.

Fall Shoesies: Lower Figure

On to the next garden variety bottom line of the Lower Figure. While the stems of a lower figure may not belong to the most slender division, these pedials can definitely compete in the most shapely category. And they deserve an equally shapely Fall recommendation: Conicals & Commas.


Conical and comma heels accomplish two tasks for a lower figure. First, they have the visual clout to match a lower figure's strong stems. Second, they have the contours to compare to the curves of a lower figure's thighs, knees, and calves. As our Lower Figure selects a proper shoe, she should pause before strapping anything around her ankle, or in any way reducing the line of her leg-line by even a fraction of an inch. The stereotypically shorter stems of a lower figure must strive for uninterrupted streaks from calf to ankle.

1 hundred 98 cents = your own lower figured fashion look book cheat sheet.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book includes your own lower figure rules of conduct and much more.

One Style Fits All: Bootcut Jeans

(Marilyn Monroe in "Clash by Night", photo courtesy of Corbis)

Cowboys and coal miners strutted the "everyman's fashion" down the American West runway in the forth quarter of the nineteenth century. Jean, the fabric named after the Italian sailors in Genoa who wore them, was selected for its durability, and it soon became Mr. Manual's must-have item, circa 1870.

In the 1950s, jeans were just as likely to find company with white-collars as blue-collars. Jeans became the uniform of rebellion for America's middle-class youth, and the indigo flag was brandished by the likes of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlon Brando.

Whether you're looking to make a statement or just avoid ironing, the classic boot-cut, cutting in at the knee then kicking back out to the ankle to accommodate your favorite boots beneath, is an all figure flatterer,

Middle Figures benefit best from a mid-rise that corsets the broadest part of their supple center. The rise should neither fall above (creating an uninterrupted pelvis paunch)or below (squishing your love into handles) the target.

Denim for a Lower Figure requires sophisticated scrutiny to simultaneously suit the seat, hips, and thighs. In summary look for a lower mid-rise, a generously cut leg, and a flare sufficient to balance the hips.

Rather than a tightly tapered, ice-cream cone leg, Upper Figures should highlight delicate thighs with creases, whiskers, striation, and other wash embellishments. These details highlight dainty stems without throwing the figure off-kilter.

The Linear Figure is bettered by only a whisper of a widened ankle. Slimmer fits create contoured curves from straighter structures.

The bass flare of an Hourglass jean should harmonize with both the tenor timbre of the hips and the soprano strain of the bust. This chorus will allow the dramatic melody of a narrow alto waist to sing. A dark, simple wash with a cleanly flared leg will ensure that the best profile of your figure is punctuated.

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Denim fashion look book cheat sheet

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book includes your own figure rules of conduct and much more.

In recognition of Fitting Room Friday, these mothers offer an example of exactly what to avoid in denim.

One Style Fits All: A-Line Skirt

There's not a figure that the "Corolle Line" progeny does not flatter. Introduced by Christian Dior in a post-war world, the "New Look's" goal was to amplify feminine features. Initially reinforced with abundant petticoats, the A-line skirt was streamlined by Coco Chanel in the sixties, sported sublimely by Jacqueline Kennedy, and never forgotten since.

Today, this staple holds the category of skirts (and dresses) which from a narrow waist swell to a flared hem. Its obvious name is based on its physical kinship with the letter "A."

Few figures benefit more from the veil of the A-line than the Lower Figure. For best results the interpretation should be dark in hue, simple in pattern, absent in pleating, and dramatic in line from hip to hem.

At the opposite end of the figure spectrum, the Upper Figure benefits from the balancing effect of the A-line silhouette. The flared hem creates symmetry with a broader shoulder and/or bust. The ideal drape sports a bold color, pattern, and/or embellishment. Each component brings attention and proportional volume to a slim second half.

The Linear Figure's A-line skirt should mimic volume. The fabric should be fluid and the embellishments should be curvaceous. A strong high waistband and generous amount of pleating magnify feminine contours.

For optimum Middle Figure flattery focus should be given to a flexible waistband. Rather than stiff and structured, opt for zipper-less pull-on styling that secures the waist without squishing your soft delicious center. Pair with a finished-hem top and avoid tucking at all costs.

The narrowed center of an Hourglass should be tenderly embraced whenever possible. A high, structured waist will appropriately hug the core, while a full, pleated skirt will emphasize indigenous curves, resulting in an intensified silhouette. For additional dramatics, tuck your blouse into your waistline.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book includes your own lower figure rules of conduct and much more.

Swimwear: Lower Figure

Today we move south to the lower figure. And while some may not be able to leave their board shorts on the beach, these suits might at least persuade you to consider it.

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Super Suit fashion look book cheat sheet.

Points of note:

1. Equalize your own figurative civil war. Use elaborate costuming up north to compete with the greater volume down south. Ornamentation, chromatics, patterning, glints of skin will all do the trick.
   
2. We recommend two ways to outfit your kickers for aquatics: Lengthen them with a high cut leg or cloak them with a swimmers skirt.
   

Want a personalized refresher for Summer? Get your own Fashion Package, complete with a look book & virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely customized ensembles.

Easter Frockery: Lower Figure

A fitted bodice floating over an a-line skirt - appropriately shining and shadowing the lovely lower figure. Cardigan Empire recommendations ensue:

1. Bright, saturated, and full of life The Sweet-As-Pie Dress creates a perfectly modern Easter. Instead of a traditional floral, dots of graphic appliques embellish a perfectly pear silhouette, complete with strategically placed colorblocking at the waist and hem.

Enclosing the shoulders is a layer of cheerful crocheted cephalopods swimming around the edges of the Octopus Warp.



1. Normally I prohibit the use of Black at Easter, but the Wild Bush Rose Shirtdress's pairing of ebony and ivory feels fresh rather than mournful. I love how the pattern of the skirt rises above the self belt, drawing even more attention to the comparatively tiny waist.


Tomorrow we'll be frocking Linear Ladies.

If you already have your customized look book & want more outfitting ideas, book a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of wardrobe options, at excessively competitive wages.

Easter Frockery: Middle Figure

When I had not yet crowned 48 inches, my mother used to sew kindred dresses for me and my three sisters. My signature color was cherried red, and it was invariably paired with a white hat and gloves. In essence, I felt delightfully bonny. And you should feel bonny on Easter too. For if anything Easter is a celebration of fresh starts and eternal hope. Presented below are Cardigan Empire's choices for your Easter occasion.

Cardigan Empire recommends two dress silhouettes for the middle figure.

1. First, the shift dress. It cascades over soft central lines without a defined waist. Showing only its own sharp architecture, but still revealing lovely limbs.

For services, we can layer under or over the shift.





The long sleeves of the patterned top will draw attention down to your comparatively narrow hips.












Or use the jacket, tying the self belt in the back to create shape with out drawing attention to your midsection.






2. The second option is the empire waist. The empire waist highlights the narrowest part of your torso, underneath the bust, while the skirt swishes like a cloud around your soft delicious center.



To keep the look sweet and demure, we layer over and under. Raising the neckline with a lace trimmed cami feels deliberate rather than a compromise between modesty and fashion. The analogously hued Sweet Orange Cardigan will brighten the cheeks of a wide range of complexions.














We'll be back tomorrow with Easter Frocks for the lower figure.

If you already have your customized look book & want more outfitting ideas, book a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of wardrobe options, at excessively competitive wages.