As she moved to her seat before the audience, the camera was rolling and caught her from a side view. A large clothespin cinched in a bright red blazer. In a split second we saw the news station’s attempt at good fit. From the front the anchor appeared to have a jacket ready made for her curvy figure. She looked very professional, and very put together.
While we may not want to be seen with a clothespin attached to us, we do want to look good. And doing so requires good fit, which is one secret to dressing well. If you can’t get your clothing to look like it was made for you when you buy it off the rack, that’s because it was never meant to. It was mass-produced, and most likely, if it is a piece you love and think is beautiful, you will need a tailor or good seamstress to make alterations. It makes a big difference.
Actually, custom clothing was once the only kind available. Couture – the design and manufacture of fashionable clothes to a client’s specific requirements and measurements span from “Little House on the Praire” to Project Runway. When ready-to-wear clothing became the standard, the art of “high dressmaking” was given over to haute couture – clothing made my leading fashion houses. But good fit does not have to mean haute couture or high prices. By finding a good seamstress, you may be able to extend your wardrobe by simply shopping your own closet. If you find one piece of clothing for your wardrobe – a jacket for example, and the sleeves are too long, or the armholes are too large or you need a clothespin at the waist (if newsmakers somehow make it fashionable), tailor it. Chances are you will have spent a lot less on altering than you would have if you bought a new item similar. Three possible positives are:
- decreased cost per wear – making it a great buy
- you will be wearing something that makes your heart sing
- you will own a piece that looks amazing on you.
A few weeks ago, I had a client sigh as I told her that our next appointment was about fit. She reasoned she would have to appear in a leotard and tights and watch as a measuring tape was strung around her. Thankfully her exhale was much calmer when I told her that I would be measuring her – yes – but she could wear whatever she wanted, and that we would be looking at her bone structure only. AND that all the measurements would be vertical! No tape measure involved. I told her when finished we would:
- have an optimal necklace length
- have an adjusted waistline measurement for jacket lengths, set-in and empire waistlines and tunic lengths,
- have optimal capri, ankle and sleevelengths and more.
Even better news is that since we based the calculations on vertical measurements of her bone structure, the final measurements would be independent of weight gain or loss and thus last a lifetime.If you would like to find out more about this fit appointment, please email me, and I will be glad to answer any questions and fill you in on how fit and fashion go together to help you look amazing.
Kathleen@YourAuthenticImage.com.
If you are looking for bohemian chic perfection or simply a versatile top to use as a go-to piece this spring, then consider the poncho. It’s perfect for layering over any sleeve length top and can be a great accessory to pull two pieces together. Besides being extremely comfortable, a poncho is just plain fun to wear.
Allessandro Chicos
These are samples of three patterns modeled by the lovely Alice Heiman of AliceHeiman.com.
Jana Duplantis Design, photos by SueAnn Tomlinson, hair by Tres Benzley of Caliber Salon & Spa and happy face by Alice Heiman.
Beauty in the Closet
There are a lot of ideas out there for organizing your closet. My goal with clients is to go for style AND substance. This beautiful piece was made for a client by her husband, and it displays her accessories and her love of nature. Another clever client used lace from her grandmother to showcase some of her earrings. I thought you would like to see both:
Best Blazer Look!
ABC NIGHT
(Authentic Bold Confidence)
on APRIL 17, 2014
@ 6:30 at 541 West Second Street, Reno, NV
Bring 3 of your best blazers or jackets.
We will assess what to love about them (or not), how to wear them
and what could be trending for you for Spring!
April 17th 6:30-8:00pm
$20
