How to look your best this spring by knowing your body type (Part 1)

We are exactly six days away from the official start of spring and that means we don’t have much time to get you ready.  NO, I am not going to give you the top trends again (or maybe a will but not as a part of this series of posts).  Over the next six days, I am going to give you the information you need to select the right pieces for your body.  

Believe me you can never look great in your clothes if you don’t chose pieces that are flattering for your body.  It doesn’t matter if you are wearing couture or Kmart; great fit is key to looking stylish!  

So how do you figure out your body type?  Listen to the people who comment on how they see you – “oh, you have no hips”?  Now that could be an indication that you are an inverted triangle but it could also be an indication that you are dressing your body WRONG and creating a shape that you don’t want to have.  

So here are five steps to figuring out your body type: 

1. Get a full length mirror.  You should have one in your home somewhere, right?  How else do you make sure your entire outfit – from head to toe – looks great?
2. Get a measuring tape.  And I don’t mean an industrial measuring tape that you would use to measure the area of a room.  So if you don’t have one of these already, go buy one quickly.  Try a fabric store or the Duane Reade down the street.  (I think I will add it t the Style Arsenal too.)
3. GET NAKED!  If you can’t look at your own body naked, you are in big trouble.
4. Stand in front of the mirror, yes NAKED.
5. Now take 3 measurements:
   1. Shoulders (not your breasts, your shoulders and measure all the way around the back)
   2. Waist (the smallest part of your waist)  As you look in the mirror, you should be able to determine this by the indention.
   3. Hips (the widest part of your hips)  Try to make sure you get the measuring tape even as it goes around the butt.

Now here are the results:

• Triangle – your hips are at least 3 inches larger than your shoulders and you have a defined waist
• Rectangle – your hips, shoulders and waist are all approximately the same measurement
• Oval – your waist is larger than your shoulders and hips.
• Hourglass – your shoulders and hips are about the same width and your waist is at least 5 inches smaller
• Inverted Triangle – your shoulders are at least 3 inches larger than your hips and you have a defined waist

None of these seem to fit your measurements?  Drop me a note and I will let you know where you shape out, literally.

Now that you know your body type, visit fashioncents.tv this week to find out how to flatteringly dress your body type.

Need more help with How to Style? Visit the page for other How to Style posts.

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