Gift of Shape
I sat that day transfixed, as only a good teacher will have that effect on a student. London College of Fashion taught me about shape and how to dress it.
Body shape silhouettes were shown and explained how to maximise the lines of a woman. The hourglass proportions were the illusive holy grail, we learnt how to dress the feminine shape.
The teacher was clever. She asked us firstly about fabric. What fabric were we attracted to? We all self consciously looked down that day at what we were wearing and had to describe our choice of attire. It was fascinating. The curvier girls were all wearing fabric with stretch and the slimmer girls were wearing fabric which had less give. Some of the girls were wearing fabric that didn’t suit their shape.
“Proportions were key for shape, proportions are bone structure.”
Proportions were key for shape, proportions are bone structure. To create the favoured hourglass shape, shoulder pads could be added, setting off the waist. Belts could be added, drawing in the waist. A-line skirts could be worn to cover a multitude of sins, but to draw attention to the waist. The waist was key. Heels elongated the legs, to set off the proportions.
It’s All In The Proportions
From the beginning of time, the waist was a sign of a woman’s fertility, as
it lended shape, therefore it needed to be shown off to its best advantage. We learnt how to create shape: if the top half needed building (uplift padded bra and shoulder pads) or if the bottom half need slimming (a darker colour and flattering shape).
Flairs, bootlegs, straight cut, skinny all encased the legs giving a different look and shape, depending on height and stretch fabrics brought a myriad of different looks depending on the style you chose.
We learnt the rules, they made sense, it was like an architect understanding a drawing.
It was common sense but an important lesson learnt and one that stays with me to this very day. I learnt that regardless of what the latest fashion was, I would dress for my shape. A woman’s power is in her shape and power should never be underestimated.
