Why you should break the “traditional body shape” rules

I have so much to say on this topic and it certainly can’t all be said in one post….

So, here’s me inviting you in to a whole new way of thinking when it comes to dressing yourself

For years, you’ve probably been comparing yourself to fruits, letters, random objects, or you can’t even figure out what shape you are because you don’t fall in to any of the categories (which just leaves you even more confused!)

Well, I’d love you to be open when reading this post and know there are newer, more innovative and simpler ways to dress yourself

Remember, once upon a time everyone thought the world was flat, so using this analogy it might be a perfect way for you to let go of some old beliefs and be open to some new ones

We’re constantly breaking the “traditional rules” with our clients because we use a different styling technique to dress them. One of the most common questions we hear from clients when we’re in the fitting room is “I was told I shouldn’t wear this (eg: style, colour, fabric) for my shape, so why does it look so good now that I have it on?”

It looks so good because we’ve dressed them using a much more body positive and empowering technique called illusion dressing. We focus on highlighting the areas of their body that THEY LOVE to create the right silhouette FOR THEM as an individual, instead of trying to fit them into a mold that was created decades ago

The “traditional rules” are assuming YOU don’t like certain areas of your body and are telling you which parts you “should minimise & should maximise” without even knowing you personally

Women of all ages, shapes and sizes should be able to wear what “makes THEM feel good” without judgement, and you I promise you, there are more exceptions to the rules than there are rules. This means there is an abundance of options waiting for you if you’re ready to explore new ways of dressing

The picture attached is a perfect example:

Here are “just some” of the outfits / items in my wardrobe where I’ve broken my own body shape & colour rules, and note that some of these are my most favourite and most worn items… 

Simply put, If I was sticking to the rules, I wouldn’t own this wardrobe (which I happen to love)

My shape would be classed as an inverted triangle and the idea would be to minimise my shoulders and top half & balance out my bottom half by adding volume 

Rules I’ve heard and read for my shape

• Avoid puff sleeve – but I love them & they make me feel awesome
• No shoulder pads – surely they are referring to the 80’s here, most of my jackets have shoulder pads
• Wear dark block colours on top – boring
• Wear prints on the bottom and not on top – boring
• No skinny jeans – What the hell!
• I should wear wide leg, flare, bootcut or A-line on lower half – yes they look good, but they aren’t my everyday style… give me skinny jeans please so I can show off my legs
• You should wear navy, instead of black – but I like black better and it still looks great!
• You should wear silver and not gold – Silver doesn’t give me the same impact as gold
• You should wear soft cool tones – While these are beautiful, they certainly don’t make me feel good most of the time. They are too feminine and pretty for my own personal style… Give me warm earthy tones any day, they make me feel like me

Yes, these rules do work to create balance on my body, but they lock me in such a tiny box and don’t give me the freedom to be me. 

Please note – I’ve also broken all of those rules and still “look and most importantly feel” awesome in doing so. Well, I think I look awesome and I’m really only focused on pleasing myself when I’m dressing as that is what brings out my confidence

To make me feel like the best version of myself I need to break the rules, and not everyone who is an inverted triangle can break these exact rules, because were all individual (which is my main point here). 

We as a team work with individuals to help you better understand yourself and help you break the rules for YOU, to dress with confidence and give you so much more choice!

If you’re someone who has absolutely no clue what works for you, overwelmend by all the traditional rules or hate shopping completely, then it might be time to get in touch!