Your Figure’s Fairy Godfather

Looking like a million bucks is all about the fit of your clothes. When your clothes fit you perfectly, you look like a smashing success. When clothes are too loose, tight, short or long, you look sloppy and unsuccessful.

Off-the-rack clothing is made from a generic pattern and doesn’t fit anyone perfectly. Almost everyone has a body part that doesn’t fit the generic mold – shoulders that are broader or narrower, a waist that is bigger or smaller, a booty that is fuller or flatter, legs that are longer or shorter. You know your part, it’s the one that frustrates you.

Almost everyone needs tailoring to make clothing fit his or her unique body. Most clothing can be made smaller or shorter. Before buying a garment that is too tight or short, check to see if there’s room in the seams to let it out/down. Or bring the piece to your tailor to see if it can be adjusted. Leave the tags on so you can return it if the garment can’t be altered to fit you.

Finding a Tailor

A great tailor understands garment construction, style and fashion. This isn’t usually the person that does alterations at the neighborhood drycleaners. Beware, an “alterationist” often alters the fashion right out of your clothes and leaves you with a boring, unfashionable, or awkward garment. They don’t adjust button holes on cuffs when changing a sleeve length or rework a waistband to hide darts when reducing the size of a waist. A skilled tailor will transform bad clothes into fashionable clothes or a good outfit into a spectacular one without leaving evidence that the garments were ever changed. The finishes and linings will be perfect, like the clothes were originally made that way.

What Can Be Fixed?

A tailor can change the fit, proportion or style of your clothes. A tailor or seamstress can make minor adjustments:
· Raise or lowering hems on blouses, t-shirts, skirts, or pants,
· Add an extra button, snap, or hook to keep a shirt, blouse or sweater closed,
· Take in/let out waist bands on pants or skirts, or
· Change out buttons.

The skilled tailor can also make major restyling renovations:
· Change a neckline from crew to scoop
· Turn a long full skirt into a knee-length pencil skirt,
· Change the width of lapels,
· Change a lightweight trench coat into a short jacket,
· Turn pants into walking shorts,
· Transform a long ruffle skirt into a sassy mini.

Here are a couple restyling examples (thank you http://thetailormaid.wordpress.com)

How much should you spend?

Some stylists recommend reserving 20% of your budget for tailoring. I think tailoring is always worth the money, no matter how much it costs, if the end result fits you perfectly and makes you look and feel fantastic. In general, add the cost of the garment to the cost of the tailoring and evaluate whether the piece is worth the total price to you. For instance, if you pay $20 for a pair of jeans on sale and spend another $35 for tailoring…are you happy to pay $55 for the resulting custom-fit jeans? It’s always okay to pay more for tailoring than you paid for the original garment, if you are happy with the total price of final garment.

So, before you truck off all the clothes you cleared out of your closet for spring cleaning, bring a few to your tailor and see if they can be restyled or reworked. Sometimes those destined-for-donation pieces become your favorite go-to clothes. If you’re stuck or want suggestions about how to fix a specific garment, post a pic below and I’ll be happy to suggest some alterations to make it work for you.

Look Thinner In The Bedroom

It’s sexy underwear season! That can bring out your inner Vixen/Fox or send you running scared down the rabbit hole. The truth is, there’s a way to feel confident and sexy in lingerie and sleepwear, no matter your size or shape. It’s all about picking the right pieces and playing up your assets. Here are some strategies for women and men to dress the body you have to look like the sexy body you want.

Choose Matte Fabrics
Shiny materials make every part – good and bad - look worse by highlighting imperfections and making your body look bigger. Matte fabrics always make you look sleeker and slimmer.

Get The Right Coverage
If you want some coverage for “flawed” areas, choose flowy fabrics that hang beautifully like light-weight knits. Translucent fabrics, like organza, lace or eyelet, work well too because they give you the feeling of being covered without making your body look bigger. Skip crisp cotton, terry cloth or velvet because they make you look bigger.


Open or Closed?
Should you wear the robe open or closed? That depends on your body.
Ladies, wear it open to minimize hips. Wear it closed to show off a narrow waist. Men, wear it open to make your shoulders appear broader. Wear it closed to disguise a tummy. Either way, choose your robe in a color that contrasts with the color of whatever wear underneath. Matching robe sets always make you look bigger.

Look Fit With The Right Fit
Lingerie and underwear should fit slimly, floating over your body without grabbing any rolls along the way. Skip moo-moos and baggy pjs. Pay special attention to elastic; thin elastic bands can dig in and create bulges that you don’t really have. Opt for wide elastic bands or stretch lace.

Play Up Your Assets
Direct your lover’s eyes to your good parts and he/she won’t even notice the rest.
• If you have great legs, wear something short with a perfect pedicure.
• Ladies, if you have a great décolleté (boobies), show it off with a revealing neckline. Play up the neckline for even more attention with beads, lace or sequins.
• Men, if you have wash-board abs, show them off by leaving them bare and wearing low-rise boxers or pajama bottoms.

With a little candle light, a hint of fragrance and careful grooming, it will be the best Valentine's Day ever!

Runway To Reality - Making Fall's Fashion Trends Work For Your Body

The fashion trends for Fall 2010 are filled with ruffles, jewel tones, animal print, gold, feathers and faux fur, mixed prints, leather jackets and chunky knits.

On The Runway, designers show you how to wear the trends if you are model thin. These options often add volume to your body and make you look bigger. You don't have to sacrifice your body for fashion. Everybody can wear every trend; however, the way you can wear it depends on your body type. Click here for a post on our TV Resources page about ways to wear them if you petite, plus size, or anything in between.

The Size Isn't The Size

Somehow a woman’s value as a human being got all confused with the size of her clothing. Women feel terrible about themselves if they wear the “wrong” size…whatever that is. The horrible practical joke is that the actual size of a size can vary dramatically by brand, fabric and style. A size 10 in one garment can fit the same as an 8 or 14 in another. A size can be bigger or smaller than you think it is…it’s all an illusion. That’s pretty shaky ground to stake your worth on.

The most important element of a great looking body is great fitting clothes. Clothing that is too big or loose makes you appear to be too small and frail. Clothing that is too small or tight makes you look like you are bursting out of your clothes actually makes you look too big (i.e. “fat”), even if you aren’t.

Clothing that fits well – skims the body without pulling or gaping – makes your body look leaner and slimmer. Great fitting clothing puts a smile on your face, spring in your step, and empowerment in your spirit.

So how do you find the “right” size? It might not be what you expect. Here’s a guide to navigating all the Missy, Junior, Women, Petite and Tall sizing to find the one that’s perfect for you.

Finding The Right Size

The first step in finding clothing that fits well is to use the size on the tag as a reference point for that particular garment. Choose a Missy or Woman size you think you might be, try it on to see how it fits and then choose another size until you find the garment that fits you the right way. When you get the right fit, you will always look smaller even if the “size” is “bigger”.

Missy Sizes – These are the most common sizes in ladies clothing stores/departments. Sizes are even numbers ranging from 0 to 18 or XS (0-2), S (4-6), M (8-10), L (10-12) or XL (12-16).

Junior Sizes – These sizes are in the most common sizes for teens and young women. Sizes are odd numbers ranging from 1 to 13. Junior sizes are cut more slimly than Missy sizes. If a Missy garment fits you too loosely, try it in a Junior size.

Woman Sizes – These sizes are the most common sizes in “Big Girls’” clothing stores/departments. Women’s sizes are larger and cut fuller than Missy sizes. Sizes are even numbers 12W to 28W and up or OX (12-14), 1X (16-18), 2X (20-22), 3X (22-28) and up. Some brands that specialize in Woman sizes use sizes 0 to 3 where 0 equates to a 0X, 1 is a 1X etc. If a Missy size fits most parts of you but is too tight in one area, try the Women’s size. For example, if the Missy size 12 is too tight in the waist/tummy, try a Women size 12W or OX to get a similar size with more room in the waist.

Petite Sizes – These sizes are designed for ladies who are 5’4” inches tall or less, so they are cut shorter in some areas than Missy sizes. Sizes range from 0P to 28P and up. Click here for a summary of the difference between Missy and Petite proportions/sizing. Petite sizes also work well for women who are more than 5’4” tall with short waists, short arms, or short legs. For example, if a Missy size 6 fits well except the waist is too low, try a Petite size 6P. Or if a Women’s size 22 fits well except the legs and rise are too long, try a 22P.

Tall Sizes (sometimes these sizes are called “Long”) – These sizes are designed for ladies who are 5’8” inches tall or more, so they are cut longer in some areas than Missy sizes. Sizes range from 0T to 28T and up. Click here for a summary of the difference between Missy and Tall proportions/sizing. Tall sizes also work well for women who are less than 5’8” tall with long waists, long arms, or long legs. For example, if a Missy size 6 fits well except the waist is too high, try a Tall size 6T. Or if a Women’s size 22 fits well except the leg and rise are too short, try a 22T.

Your Size

The moral of this story is that one woman can be many sizes. You can be a size 8, 10 and 6P all on the same day. It just depends on the particular garment. Sometimes it even takes a “bigger” size to make you look smaller. The tag has nothing to do with what you look like or who you are.

Dressing Skinny With Chloe Dao!

Project Runway Season 2 winner and Houston's home-town designer Chloe Dao presented her pre-fall collection last week and wow, wow, wow!! It's pure Chloe - fun, clean, lady-like with beautiful details - and oh-so flattering!! Here are three Dress Yourself Skinny styles that work for so many figures.

Teal dress: This dress is great if you have big breasts, wide hips, a tummy, a short waist, a long waist or wobbly upper arms. If the revealing back gives you too much exposure, Chloe suggests wearing a cami underneath. Choose a contrasting color (ie purple, burgundy, chocolate) to retain the fun of the cut-out without showing any skin. ($178)

Black Necee dress: This style is great if you have big breasts, wide hips or wobbly upper arms. The sheer shoulders and back give you sex-appeal without revealing any skin. If the sheer back is too revealing, wear a black cami underneath and you're good to go ($328).

Arnette Color-block dress: The color blocking of this dress makes your sides disappear and makes you look 2 sizer slimmer. It's great for big breasts, thick waist, short waist, long waist and tummy ($228).

The collection is available at Chloe's boutique, Lot 8, in sizes 0-10. Other sizes are available by special order for a small additional fee.

Cleavage Coverage

Plunging necklines are definitely on the Dress Yourself Skinny “Do” list. This style is flatting and makes you look thinner and taller. However, it doesn’t work for business settings or modest sensibilities.

Cleavage coverage can be added to make plunging necklines work for all occasions. The traditional solution is to wear a thin camisole as an under-layer to cover exposed lingerie and skin. The downside to the extra layer – it adds bulk to your torso, a second set of straps to manage and can be uncomfortable in summer months.

The Chickie is a new alternative that gives you the coverage without the bulk. Think of it as an updated version of the “dickie” from the 1970s. It’s a panel of fabric worn over the bra like a tube-top just to cover the décolleté area. It is secured to the bra straps to keep it in place.

Regardless of the underpinning you choose, opt for a color that contrasts with your plunging neckline to retain the dressing skinny benefits. Choose a dark color to minimize the bust area or a light color to make “the girls” more prominent.

Maximize With Crush Prints

Crush prints are garments that are printed after they are made. When the pattern is added to the clothing this way, wrinkled areas in the piece will naturally go unprinted. These variations in printing add to the fun and artsy nature of the clothing.

Crush prints make the garment look like it’s stretching. The print gives the impression that the underlying body part is so big that it’s stretching the clothing to its capacity. This style is perfect for making small body parts look bigger.

If you want to make your breasts look bigger, choose a print with wrinkles in the bust area. Wear the wrinkles across your hips if you want to make your body appear curvier below the waist. This style works well if you want to make a skinny body appear fuller and curvier all over.

The degree of size increase dependes on the degree of contrast between the color of the base fabric and the color of the printing. Dark printing on a light piece will give more maximization than dark printing on dark fabric. Beware, crush prints can make your tummy and entire body look bigger. Avoid styles with wrinkles in areas that are already the “right size” or “too big” for you. Avoid crush prints all together if you feel "too big" all over.

Due to the nature of the printing process, each and every piece is unique. If one doesn't have the wrinkling in the right place for you, another piece in the exact same style may have been printed in a more flattering way. Notice how the wrinkling on this dress makes the bust look saggy. Leave this one on the rack and look for another on in the same style with flattering printing.