Bring on the Curves: a Musing

Naturally, I have to follow "Those Extra 5 lbs." with a little musing about our weight obsessed culture.  Even if you think you're counter-culture, from a different culture, above it, below it, you're still part of it.  Even if you ban t.v., magazines, internet, newspapers, walks on the beach, you're likely not going to completely avoid going to the grocery store or taking a stroll or a drive every now and then.  And so you'll see images of some beautiful, some not so beautiful models.  Beautiful or not, they're likely to be very thin, very airbrushed.  Blah blah blah.  BORING.  Yeah, I'm boring myself.  Look, most of us have seen the Dove videos  http://www.dove.us/#/features/videos/default.aspx[cp-documentid=7049579]/.  If you haven't check out 'Onslaught' during your next moment of procrastination.  (Note: reading this blog is not procrastination.)  We get it.  Or do we?  Well, let's speed this thing up a little.  Merle Ginsberg from fashionrules.com wrote: "V Magazine out of New York’s spread on large sized models in issue #63: “The Size Issue,” featuring five plus-size models. The spread is titled “Curves Ahead.” V63 does not hit newsstands until January 14, 2010 (http://fashionrules.com/tag/v-magazine/)".  Warning: link contains graphic images of less than thin models.  (And I'd like to bring attention to the phrasing "...spread on large...", love it!)  But V is really not that special.  Glamour, Vogue, Marie Claire, they've all done their 'special' spreads.   Just check out February's Glamour with model Crystal Renn of 'Hungry' fame. Oh, would you look at that!  I just contributed again to the 486 commercial messages you see everyday.  There's no getting away from it now. And if so, bring on the voluptuous, full, curved image.  Bring it on.  Go ahead, onslaught it.  It makes the fantasy created by planet fashion so much more tangible, that much more attainable.  But what's to attain? Won't those images make thin little girls everywhere feel bad about their bodies?  Eat gobs of peanut butter to attain unnatural levels of voluptuosity?  Force Dove to make another video? All facetiousness aside, I'm a big believer in encouraging women to embrace their bodies.  Curvy or not so curvy.  Thin or not so thin.  Embrace it, never disgrace it.

 (Image from models.com and V Magazine)

And so, at last, something practical.

Top 5 elements in dressing your voluptuous body!

1. Proportion - Wear garments and details that are proportioned in both scale and weight with your body. E.g. Narrower heels will emphasize a fuller calf, a narrow collar will make a plumper neck look even plumper, delicate jewelry will make a sturdier hand look hefty, etc. But a thicker heel will compliment an ample leg, a chunkier bracelet will look just right on a larger wrist. This also means - don't think that the excessively large sweatshirt is complimenting your body. Nope, it's not, not at all.

2. Line - let your curvy bits lead the line of your garments. Curved lines focus attention in a good way on a curved body part. Straight lines on a curved area will make it appear bigger and boxier. I.e. If you are busty, avoid overly starched looking shirts, wear ones with a little stretch. Tops that skim right over and around your bust will work best. If your hips are more generous, wear bottoms that glides over your hips (such as an a-line skirt) or softly drape around them.

3. Print - wear rounded, higher density patterns that are scaled to your body. If you are taller you can pull off a larger print and if you are petite, stick with smaller prints. Rounded patterns will compliment your curves, whereas angular prints will make those bits look wider. There goes those lines, and there goes your curves.

4. Fabric - wear silky, draping and soft fabrics on your softer areas. Avoid anything that has excessive bulk - it'll just make you look bulkier, but do wear fabric with some weight. That airy fairy chiffon? Just leave it for your airier sister.

5. Color - learn to manipulate color. Brighter, lighter hues will bring attention to your good bits and deeper hues will make those less than desirable areas appear to recede. And yeah, it's true, monochromatic hues do give you a leaner look (if that's your goal). But remember that monochromatic does NOT mean achromatic. I.e. enough with the excessive use of all black garments. This is life people, live a little!