The Secret to Great Style

Personal style and image is important; learning to foster yours is as easy as ABC…

Whether or not you like fashion or put an effort into what you’re wearing everyday doesn’t make style less of a priority. Image is everything. People wear clothes to fulfill a variety of physical, psychological and social needs. When you get dressed everyday, your needs are fulfilled to different degrees based on what you place as priority in life. Most people tend to choose clothes based off of physical need (i.e. the need for comfort or practicality). However, what most people don't understand they can fulfill all their needs by simply following a few guidelines based on their body type.

Understanding your body makes dressing yourself more fun and will make you feel more confident! There are four different body types, and every woman fits in to one of these categories whether they're a size 6 or a size 16. The first step toward great style is figuring out which type you are.

The first body type is called the 'A' body, and refers to women who have small shoulders and/or small chests and carry their weight around their bottom half. The key to dressing the 'A' body is to balance the weight of your bottom half by drawing the eye up. Interesting necklines, statement necklaces, prints and patterns, all these things work wonders. It is important to wear plainer bottoms that don't draw or distract the eye. Balance, as you'll learn, is the key to flattering your body an achieving great style.

The second is the 'T' body, which is the exact opposite of the 'A' body, meaning you aren't very shapely on the bottom, and you have broad shoulders and/or a large chest. The key to dressing this body type is – again – balance! Opt for fuller skirts to give your bottom half some volume, and always be sure to highlight your waist!

The 'H' body is the third body type, and it means that your body has little to no shape to it, or you might be very athletically built. If you're an 'H', your sides have almost no curves when you look head on at yourself. The trick to dressing this body is to create curves. You can afford to add some volume to both the top and the bottom to give you that envious hourglass figure. Again, remember to highlight your waistline!

Lastly, the 'X' body is the 'ideal' body type. It is what all the 'A', 'T' and 'H's are all trying to achieve. If you are an 'X', your shoulders and hips are about the same width (when looking head on) and your waist is 15+ cm smaller than your shoulders. This is the easiest body type to dress as you naturally have balanced curves and therefore don't have to worry about counter balancing your shape.

Fashion is highly personal and very public, and your clothes say more about you than you ever could. If you’re well put together (which doesn’t have to be complicated) you are showing that you take yourself seriously. If you look like a slob, you’re visually saying that you ‘don’t care’. When it comes to your fashion choices, satisfy your needs and your wants by exercising your creativity within some guidelines. You should show off your shape by dressing for your body, wearing outfits that fit and flatter.

Having great style is all about finding harmony, achieving a sense of ‘balance’ visually. In addition to this also remember to dress for the occasion. If you’re attending an event, it is important to know what the dress code is. You don’t want to show up in jeans and a frumpy t-shirt to a party that calls for a cocktail dress. People will only take you as seriously as you take yourself, so dress for who you are and the life that you lead, as well as the person you want to be and the life you want to live.