Proportions

The ladies over at academichic.com (http://www.academichic.com) have started their next ' lesson'. The art of dressing for your proportions. They've really got me thinking lately about how I perceive my body vs. how everyone else sees it. For years, people have always addressed me as ' tiny'. I've never complained, but it always surprises me. Why would you call me tiny? I am tall, and have long legs, but they don't look so long in comparison to my long torso. My hips are getting rounder by the day! Every a salesgirl brings me a pair of pants to try on, I have to return the size 2's to her and inform her that I am a size 8. " You must be wrong" is always, always they response I get. But trust me, I've been wearing pants for a very long time now and I wear size 6-8. I never understood why everyone was always so confused about my true size. Up until recently, I assumed it was my height that made me so deceiving and have always just chalked it up to good genes. As the academic ladies got me thinking however, I realize that it is much less genes ( sorry mom) and much more of how I dress myself. My first job was retail. I worked in a girls clothing store for 4 years, and a store that always carried tall girl options. My co-workers and I were forever trying on all of the items and putting together outfits for each other. The store was full of mirrors and I was always able to see myself from all angles many times in an hour. It was an annoyance back then, but now I see it for it for it's advantages. I unknowingly picked up a lot of clothing habits that have never left me, and have aided me for years.

Cami's have always been a life saver for me. You can get them in so many colors, and having a longer torso, I discovered pretty early that shirts just simply weren't always made to fit my length. With a Cami underneath, I can instantly lengthen any shirt. No matter the length,pattern, or color of a shirt, I add a Cami underneath. There are some shirts in which the extra layer isn't needed as much. It may be a longer shirt already, but when I bend over to pick up my purse my long pants and long shirt will inevitably appear much shorter. In comes the tank top. I've often heard, that adding a different color shirt underneath will draw attention to that area. For that reason, many hippy women would tend to stray away from bright colors at their waist. I heard Stacey and Clinton scold a women this past weekend saying that a peaking undershirt gave her the appearance of wearing a wide belt, at the widest part of her body. I however, find that breaking this rule is the best choice for me.

By adding the extra fabric, and color, it is almost as if my hips become covered up. Without the tank top underneath, my torso appears shorter, making my legs appear awkwardly long. The average length shirt also hits my waist at the top of my hips drawing attention to a much unwanted place. The colored Cami helps to give the illusion of a skinner elongated torso. The added pop of color, always helps to add another element to an otherwise simple outfit. Instead of resembling a bumblebee in a yellow top and black pants, a purple peaking Cami adds a third element, tricks the eye into not only thinking that my top is longer but that it is skinnier too!

Stacey and Clinton and all of those 'rule makers' aren't wrong. Women's bodies are all different. Each of us come in different shapes and sizes and most of us are ever changing. For that simple reason, there are a lot of great tips to follow and to try, but just because an 'expert' says it's a no doesn't mean that you shouldn't try it! The best rule for you may become a broken one, just like me. If years of getting paid to try on clothes taught me anything, it is that until the fabric is on your body, you will have no idea how it will fit, look or what image it gives off, so try it on, than try it again with something else. Break the rules and enjoy giving everyone the impression your body looks much different than what you may see in the shower. That's what clothes are for! Showing off your sense of style, and your greater sense of self.