Video 1

Video 2

Overall Silhouette: You know you’re a rectangle if your overall figure is straight up and down or the width of your shoulders are similar to the width of your hips with little to no definition at the waist. Think Charlize Theron or Keira Knightley and you’re on the right track.

 You Have:

• A boyish shape
• Small to medium bust
• Narrow hips and shoulders
• Slender waist

 Challenge: You tend to gain weight in your midsection. If you are a rectangle with a bit of a paunch, empire waistlines and jackets are great options to conceal. 

Goal:  To create the illusion of a more feminine shape. You can do this by creating curve and softening your edge. 

Create Curve:  The idea is to accentuate the curve you do have while creating the illusion of more. Design details such as darts and princess seams are your best friends so look for them in your jackets, tops and skirts and if they don’t have them off the rack, see at tailor. Princess seams are vertical seams that run vertically at the front or back of the garment and darts can typically be found at the bust to create a form-fitting shape. Well placed, these babies will take you from rectangle to hourglass in a snap! Your best jacket shape is a nipped in at the waist peplum so you’ll want to have at least one of these on call in your closet. When temperatures rise, a peplum shaped top (below) will also create the same effect. Another must for the rectangle is to create shape by wearing belts, they will serve up the waistline definition that you don’t have naturally. If you’re not used to wearing belts, start with one that’s skinny or a wider one with an elastic backing for comfort and ease. Wrap dresses and built-in horizontal panels at the waist are also great ways to achieve that belted effect. As for as denim is concerned, you really can rock every shape but your most flattering will be a skinny silhouette as it creates the illusion of shapely hips.

Hive & Honey, Peplum Tank, Piperlime.com

Soften Your Edge:  Because you have a naturally boxy shape, anything that you can do to inject a bit of softness and femininity will go a long way. One obvious way to do this is to embrace your inner Victoria Beckham and step up your skirt and dress game.  Whether a sultry wrap or fitted sheath, nothing quite says feminine like a beautiful, form grazing dress so give the pants a rest and show off those great legs that the rectangle is known for. Pencil skirts look great on you as long as they are well-shaped with proper seaming effects and a pegged hemline that will take your pencils to another level. Pegging is a simple alteration that your tailor can create if the skirt doesn’t come with this sultry narrowing detail off-the-rack.  Also, A-line dresses and skirts add a dose of girly while delivering shape. To bring in softness, it’s important to pay attention to the types of fabrics that you wear, so femme flowing and gauzy blouses are always a great choice paired with tailored pieces.  Particularly when wearing more masculine styles like trousers or a suit, be sure to bring in the feminine with a ruffled shirt, bowed blouse, lace camisole, ruched shoulder seams or colorful heels. It’s all about the details!

Victoria's Secret, Point Knit Pencil Skirt, Victoriassecret.com

Overall Silhouette: You know you’re a pear if your overall figure is smaller on top and wider on the bottom or the width of your shoulders and torso are smaller than the width of your hips.

You Have:

• Narrow Shoulders
• Narrow Torso
• Full Hips, Thighs and Bottom
• Slender Waist

Challenge: You tend to gain weight on your lower body, hips, thighs and bottom.

Goal:  To visually bring your upper and lower half into balance. You can do this by drawing the eye upward, elongating your legs, and keeping your bottom half simple. 

Draw the Eye Upward:  Have fun up top by playing with proportional prints like narrow horizontal stripes and bold or light colors. Design details such as shoulder epaulettes, ruffles and neckline embellishments such as the petal detail below are your best friends.  Also, create horizontal lines at your shoulders to broaden them with boat, square and sexy off the shoulder necklines.  Pears should rock accessories like chandelier earrings, bold necklaces and scarves, these will all raise the eye up while drawing attention to your lovely face all at once. 

Max Mara, Nordstrom.com

Elongate Your Legs:  Because you carry your weight on your lower half, it can visually shorten you. Wearing heels will elongate your legs and balance out your overall proportions. This doesn’t mean you have to walk around in 6 inch stilettos 24/7, a demure kitten or kicky wedge heel will give you just the lift that you need.

7 For All Mankind, Olivia Wedge, Nordstrom.com

Keep your Bottom Half Simple:  Remember, your focal point when getting dressed should always be your top half so keep your bottom half uncomplicated and streamlined.  Just think simple, dark and solid down below and you can’t go wrong. Keep in mind that dark doesn’t mean you’re limited to black, take advantage of other deep tones like charcoal, navy and brown as well. Steer clear of pleats and pockets at the hip which will only add unnecessary bulk. In terms of silhouette, A-line dresses and skirts were tailor-made for you and are your “can’t miss” go-to. Balance out your hips by adding width to your lower legs with trouser style pants or a slight flare. I love a great pair of designer denim, J Brand to be specific, but the 1969 line at GAP is a great quality option at a lower price point, as seen below.

Gap, Modern Trouser Jean

Coco Chanel said it best, “The poetry of fashion lies in the creation of illusion.”  Knowing how to dress your body type is, for the most part, all about illusion and something that everyone should have in their style arsenal. Once you know the tricks of silhouette, proportion, and manipulating certain design details in clothing, I promise, you will never shop or dress the same! Over the next few days, I will post quick tips on how to dress your shape for maximum impact giving you a beginner’s grasp on the science behind style. If you’re anything like me, this may just be the first science oriented topic that you actually enjoy! Leave it to fashion to make even the most dreaded of subjects sound fabulous… See you in class!

Whether you’re 5’2″ or 6’7″, rail thin or built like John Goodman, you can look as sharp as George Clooney without breaking the bank.  I’m so excited to announce our recent partnership with luxury men’s clothier J. Hilburn to provide our gentlemen clientele with the ultimate style experience. J. Hilburn got its start in 2009 by a couple of savvy Wall Street guys, with a clever idea to revolutionize the way men shop for clothing by providing personalized service and eliminating retail mark-ups.  J. Hilburn began with custom shirts but has since expanded into personalized suits, trousers and ready-to-wear, including a partnership with premium denim brand, AG Jeans. With an unheard of 93% re-order rate, expert craftsmanship and collaboration with the finest Italian fabric mills in the world, J. Hilburn marries custom affordable luxury menswear with the convenience of e-commerce and personalized one-on-one service.  The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Esquire and Men’s Health (see video) have certainly taken notice, will you?

If you’re in the Southern California area, contact us to get started building your style profile with a custom shirt fitting and style consultation. You pick the fabric and details (collar, cuffs, pockets, etc.), we take your measurements and 3 weeks later, you’ve got a custom shirt!  Depending on your preferences for J. Hilburn’s Blue, Brown, Burgundy or Black Label shirting, prices range from $79 to $149.

So, what do you think of yourself? Are you your biggest fan or your worst critic? Are you rallying in your own corner or booing yourself incrementally throughout the day? Many of us say things to ourselves in the mirror that we wouldn’t say to our worst enemies. Also, we can be so overly concerned with what others think of us when the truth is, they couldn’t care less. Why? Because they’re too busy worrying about what we think of them! And around and around we go.

Let yourself off the hook, release any expectations of what you think you “should” be and breathe a big sigh of relief that you are “all good”, every last inch of you! You my dear, are gorgeous, just gorgeous!

Your Wardrobe:  “Watering” your wardrobe can be anything from resoling a favorite pair of shoes, hanging a suit jacket on its proper hanger, taking a silk blouse to the dry cleaner before a stain sets in or keeping your closet neat and organized. The cumulative effect of all the little things that you do to keep your wardrobe performance ready is huge because style is really in the details. You can be styled from head to toe but if your shoes are worn down or your sweater is pilled high, it will not only kill your look but gives off the impression of carelessness or lack.  Everything that you wear has a psychological impact of some sort, and the impression of ill kept clothing is often that you are either careless about your appearance or can’t afford another option. While both impressions may not be true, your clothes can tell a different story. This is why it’s so important in the weeding process to either toss anything in bad condition or have it repaired. By only wearing clothing that’s in top-notch condition, not only will others have a better impression of you but most importantly, you will feel better about yourself.

Your Style:  Aside from the maintenance of your wardrobe, “watering” can also be taking care to grow and evolve your style by keeping your vision for it freshly inspired. One way to do this is by periodically updating the inspirational pictures gathered in the seeding process in order to keep up with your changing tastes, lifestyle, and seasonal transitions. Accept and get excited about the fact that how you dress today may not be exactly how you choose to dress 2 years from now, your inspiration wall allows you to be clear and  intentional about it.

I hope that you’ve found these tips helpful and most of all, that it inspires you into action. Either that or perhaps you’ll take up gardening!

Now that we’ve tackled the weeding process, let’s talk seeding!  Before a garden is a garden, it’s just a bed of dirt waiting to be something. A skilled gardener doesn’t just haphazardly plant seeds and hope for the best, there’s an element of creativity and planning that takes place in order to get the intended result. So I ask, in terms of style, what is your intended result? Seeding is where you get clear on what you really want style-wise and set it into motion, regardless of what you may have “planted” before.

If you are at all lost on finding your style I would advise a fun project to get your creative juices flowing. Grab some magazines, old or new, and go to town collecting tear sheets of looks that you love. Only select looks that really excite you and represent your ideal self. Once you’ve gathered a few, chose about 10 that you love the most, spread them all out and try to find a common thread or story. Now, if you had to choose words to describe what you see in these pictures, what would they be? Colorful, feminine and demure? Luxurious, chic and sexy? Simple, conservative and classic? Now, you not only have words that describe the look that you’re going for, but pictures to post on the inside of your closet door or wall that serve as a constant visual of your style direction. The key is to keep these pictures in front of you as a daily inspiration, rather than tucked away in a drawer or binder to be forgotten. You’ll be amazed how these visual seeds will grow by driving your shopping choices going forward, therefore what ends up in your closet will be much more intentional.

Up Next: Watering…

It’s a new year so there’s no better time than now to bid adieu to the same ole same ole and shake things up a bit in terms of style. Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, it’s so easy to get stuck in a style rut forgetting that our wardrobes need to evolve right along with us in life and before you know it, things take a nose dive into boring. For purposes of drawing a visual on the process of wardrobe resuscitation, keep an open mind as I guide you by way of inspiration taken from the necessities of gardening…yes, you read it right, gardening! I’m talking weeding, seeding and watering, that which makes all the difference between a garden that’s alive and vibrant or one that’s overgrown, sad and well…dead. Assuming nobody wants a lifeless wardrobe, let’s explore these actions as they pertain to your style in this 3-part post!

Weeding:

Talk to any gardener and they will tell you that weeds are the enemy of a vibrant plot so removing them is crucial. Not only do they threaten the vitality of the garden but left alone, they will eventually crowd it’s beauty. Regarding your wardrobe, it’s important to regularly appraise each item with a critical and unforgiving eye in order to weed out pieces that no longer work for you. This process can be emotionally challenging for some so it helps to first prepare yourself mentally by committing to being open to letting go and therefore ruthless in your approach. Anything that isn’t a “10” in terms of fit, styling, condition and relevance to your lifestyle quite simply needs to go. After all, why would you settle for anything less? Anything that makes you feel guilty because you never wear it, can’t fit into it, or don’t love, love, love, needs to be pulled like the weeds that they are. There’s no place for guilt or compromise in your closet! Once the weeds are gone, you will finally see the beauty that lies beneath and have space to build upon it.

Up next: Seeding…

I’m slightly aware that the title for this post may seem a bit lofty but hear me out…  As I leave behind a cherished yet not quite right Michael Kors skirt for a very necessary nip and tuck, it saddens me to know that so few people realize how much better even a t-shirt could look with just a little fine tuning. You see, off-the-rack clothing is largely created to fit the masses, not to take into consideration our very particular silhouettes and proportions.  As a stylist with a creative yet perfectionist’s eye, I can’t help but to see particular store-bought pieces as merely just the beginning, something good that’s just begging to be great! It’s the skirt that with just 3 inches off the hem goes from matronly to mondernly stunning, or the peplum blazer that with a subtle nip in the waist and slimming of the sleeves, allows a mediocre piece to masquerade as couture. It’s up to us to take our clothing to the next level!

If I had it my way, we would all have much smaller, intentional wardrobes but with key pieces perfectly crafted to our bodies for maximum effect. In fact, this is one of the major tricks to looking like a million bucks whether you shop at H & M or Neiman Marcus. As for those who might say, “I can’t afford the cost of tailoring”, trust me, you can’t afford not to because ultimately your image will pay the price! Want to look sexy instead of frumpy? Impeccable instead of sloppy? Svelte instead of several pounds heavier than you actually are? See a tailor! Aside from the visual cost benefits, how much money have you wasted on clothing that just sits in your closet unworn? Why not redeem those wasted dollars in cost-per-wear by tweaking the best of what you’ve got? You’d be surprised how, with the expertise of a qualified tailor, those unworn pieces magically become your new MVP’s. Believe me when I say, it’s that extra half an inch that can make all the difference…and have you appear 10 pounds lighter in the process!

-MC