Understanding your own unique body shape | a style consultation with The Positive Image Coach

Do you dream of having the perfect body shape?  Do you think if only I could stick to a diet or do more exercise I'd have a perfect figure?  We all do it, we look at celebrities, TV stars, movie stars and models and wonder what if?!  But the reality is that they have a small army of stylists, personal trainers, make up artists and hair stylists to help them.  Not to mention the best lighting at a photo shoot and clever photoshopping! And what is perfect anyway?  Isn't it just about embracing our own confidence and working with what we have been given to make the best of ourselves?

My recent post How a colour stylist can help with your confidence was all about my colour analysis consultation with Jo Haley, The Positive Image Coach and following on from this Jo invited me back to have a style consultation which is about understanding your own unique body shape and learning how to dress it to fit and flatter and give you confidence.

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, different heights and weights and we don't get any say in what genetics have given us!  Of course proper diet and exercise can help to tone and shape us but the reality is most of us don't or can't put enough hours or effort in for a complete transformation so we need to learn to accept what nature has given us and to dress to complement and flatter our figures.  And let's remember - comparison is the thief of joy - this is a quote I tell myself over and over again.

Jo is passionate about helping women embrace what they have been given and to encourage us to all be more positive about our image!

So back in May I went back to Jo's style studio in High Wycombe to find out more, Jo asked me to wear comfortable, tight fitting clothes so she could see my figure - I chose leggings and a t-shirt and I popped a silk shirt over the top because I wasn't confident enough to go out in really tight clothes - oh the irony!

It all starts with a blank sheet of paper!  Here is Jo explaining it to me.  I needed to take my shoes off and my shirt and I stood against the wall/paper and Jo drew an outline of my figure .... and we started looking at each element of my shape to build up a blueprint of what styles and shapes would suit me best.

I probably have a pretty good grasp of what works for me but I found chatting it all over with Jo really fascinating and reassuring that I hadn't been going too far wrong.  I know not to drown my petite frame with clothes that are too baggy (but I still do sometimes), I know that I like a more fitted top but I prefer to let a blouse, dress or jumper skim over my (perceived) problem area of my tummy.  Jo offered lots of wisdom on what shapes would work well and why they would suit my figure. We discussed necklines, sleeve style, skirt length and trouser length.

Some tips I picked up:

• A lower V neck is better for me, I need to avoid high, round neck styles.  Or wear a long necklace to create an illusion of a lower v neck shape.  Or a beautifully draped scarf wants well too.
• A top, shirt or blouse that is more fitted to the chest area but with a frill hem detail to accentuate my waist but skim over the tummy and hips.  I learnt that batwing sleeves don't work for me - I wondered why I buy them and never wear them!
• I should show off my shoulders and arms and pick halter neck or sleeveless styles when the weather permits of course!
• I now understand why I don't generally like a shift dress and favour a waisted style that is fitted on the top but again skims over my lower half.
• Length is important too and I need to avoid cutting off below my knee as this can make me look much shorter.  It is why I don't like the ankle boot with a shorter / midi length skirt.  I don't like to see the gap.
• Cropped trouser styles should be a longer 'ankle skimmer' rather than mid-calf, again to help me appear taller.

Lots more but these were some of the tips that made so much sense and styles I tend to favour naturally anyway - now I know why!  For reference I am 5 ft 2 inches and usually wear a size 10.  I have a petite frame but I am definitely not skinny!  I carry my weight around my middle.

I have never been able to fit my body into the shapes we are told about in magazines - apple, pear, hourglass etc, it is all a bit confusing to me.  I am petite and I don't really quite match any of the suggestions.  But by chatting to Jo I was able to understand what styles suit me without labelling myself, by understanding my own unique shape.

It made much more sense than anything else I have seen before and I found that mostly I am making good choices.  But when I looked into my own wardrobe properly I was able to spot why some items didn't feel right on me, maybe they were slightly the wrong length or they were a high, round neck style.  It really helped with my wardrobe decluttering and I am now making much more intuitive decisions when I am shopping.

This was such a useful and enlightening couple of hours!  By having a colour analysis and a style consultation we are laying the foundations for better shopping and less mistake buys, meaning we will have less clothes in our wardrobe with labels still attached, not understanding why they remain unworn. 

Let me know what you think, do you embrace confidence and rock your look!?  I know it is a work in progress for me but I am getting better!

Love
Michelle xx

Jo Haley, The Positive Image Coach offers a range of services including colour analysis, style with body map and wardrobe weed.  

Other blogs you may have missed and find useful:

How a colour stylist can help with your confidence
What are the most flattering jeans I can buy?
Why matching lingerie is one of my style essentials
​Buy Less Choose Well - a more sustainable approach to my wardrobe

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