Not every trend is for every body
Shopping for clothes can be confusing. You want to look stylish, but also remain in alignment with who you truly are, right? You see items in stores that seem to be *the* fashion this season, yet you just can’t see yourself wearing them,… leading you to wonder just what you’re doing wrong, or not “getting.”
If you wonder what you’re not getting, I want to congratulate you. While it’s easy to fall into the trap of: “I should buy this (insert “x” in-fashion item) if I want to be stylish,” the uplifting alternative is to choose to buy clothes that suit your nature and your body. (If you feel you’ll look ridiculous in a skirt made of feathers, it’s pretty likely you’ll feel ridiculous wearing it.)
A delightful client, Carol, asked recently about one particular trend of Spring 2022. She wondered how she might wear the oversized jackets she’s been seeing everywhere. You may have seen them, too.
Carol has worked with me, so she knows her body type. She knows that this garment style is not in alignment with her body, so it wouldn’t be particularly flattering or comfortable in its constructed form. Carol wondered if there’s a way to modify how she wears it in the event she wants to add something like this to her wardrobe for the sake of expanding variety.
What Carol knows:
A body is naturally more comfortable in clothes that are in harmony with the body wearing them. It means the wearer doesn’t feel constricted or contorted into something that is counter to nature. These oversized, boxy jackets relate well to a body that is rectangular in shape (I use a baguette-shaped gem to demonstrate this shape):
Carol also knows that her own body is more curvy than the baguette-shaped jacket:
Forcing her curves into a straight and angular garment like this could be uncomfortable for Carol. Yet, with a bit of creative modification, she can wear this jacket style to positive effect.
Take a look at this variation:
Voila! We can now see the waistline of a curved body beneath the rectangular jacket. With enough length (you won’t be able to achieve this with a boxy jacket that’s cropped), you can give the jacket more shape by cinching the waistline. By the way, the less rigid the fabric, the better to accomplish this technique.
And if your body is naturally the shape of the baguette and has an angular quality? Then you were made for these oversized jackets. Enjoy the trend!
Will you try this? Does the oversized jacket suit you? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below. I read them all.
Not sure of your body type and which clothing shapes suit you? Let’s work together!
Patty Bucc
ellato is an image coach and founder of Refined Images. She brings extensive knowledge and expertise to her work with men and women individually, as well as with corporate employee groups.
Patty established Refined Images in 1994, and while her studio is based in Rochester Hills, Michigan, you’ll find her serving clients throughout North America in their homes, offices (normally), and… well, now on Zoom! To get your FREE copy of Patty’s eBook “The Wardrobe Simplifier” visit Refined Images or contact Patty.
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