Dressing for Comfort, Confidence & Style

Beauty & Wardrobe by Nancy Goldblatt, Color 1, Personal Image Consultant

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visual tricks

Look Slimmer By Dressing Smarter

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Clothes can make you look heavier or slimmer

Has anyone ever said to you “You look thinner out of your clothes, than in your clothes.”

 Before I became an Image Consultant and learned how to dress my body type, I went to a beach retreat.  When I put on a bathing suit, several people said,” You look thinner out of your clothes.

 At the time, I felt confused by their comments.  Before I put on my bathing suit, I was wearing an oversize top and wide-legged pants.

Can you guess what I was doing wrong?

By wearing wide-legged pants with an over-sized top, I was hiding my thinnest parts.

  • When wearing  separates, where one piece is loose and unfitted, the other piece should be more fitted. Our eyes automatically search for the narrowest place to look.  If there is no narrow place, because you are wearing a loose top and bottom, you will look heavier than you are.

 If you are thinner from your waist up, you will look better with fitted tops and more loosely fitting bottoms.  And if you are heavier from your waist up, you will look thinner in unfitted, tops and more tapered or fitted bottoms.

Choosing the right fabrics can take pounds off your silhouette

  1. What fabrics and styles should you avoid wearing when you are trying to look slimmer?
  2. What fabrics are figure friendly

You can use clothing weight and shapes,  and color to create visual tricks to get people to focus on your face, eyes and mouth.  

You can strategically place color and clothing lines, so that people look at your face and just glance at your body.

What Not To Wear

Avoid stiff fabric or thick fabric, ruffles, heavily textured fabrics, shiny fabric or fabrics that are too thin and cling to the body.

Also, avoid wide horizontal stripes, and large horizontal patterns.

What To Wear

Choose fabrics that drape and are medium weight in your most flattering colors

Jackets, A Great Way To Look Slimmer

I love jackets because they are “workhorses,” that can camouflage a tummy or large waist, buttocks or hips. 

To look slimmer you must choose a jacket that flatters your body and ends at one of your narrowest places.

(If you don’t want to wear a traditional jacket, you can layer an unbuttoned blouse or cartigan sweater over a shell for a more casual jacket look.)

  • If you have a wide mid-section, and waist-line but relatively narrow hips you you need to wear a jacket that ends at your narrow hips.
  • If your mid section is wide you will look better in a jacket that has at least 3 or 5 buttons.  Two buttons usually stops at the stomach area.  This is like pointing an arrow at your widest body part.
  •  If you have a defined waistline (your waist is 8 to 10 inches smaller than your hips) you can wear a jacket that tapers in at the waist.  Avoid a jacket with darts and a defined waistline, if your waist line is not much smaller than you hips.
  • If you have a small waist and a large buttock or large hips,  avoid a jacket that ends at your waist because it will emphasize your buttock or hips.    A better choice for you is a longer jacket that tapers at the waist and stops at the narrowest place near your thighs.
  • Don’t wear a jacket that is too long, because it will make you look shorter .

 

Wear Layers To Look Slimmer

  • To create a longer, slimmer look,wear your jacket open.  You can wear your jacket with a skirt or pants of the same color and wear a blouse or t-shirt in a different color.
  • Your can change the color of your shell or blouse and have a different outfit.
  • By wearing your jacket open, you can create two vertical lines and the illusion you have a waistline, because only a little  of your waist shows.
  • Wearing clothing that skims your body shape and is not too tight or too loose will make you appear slimmer.
  •  Don’t be afraid to get your “ready to wear,” clothing altered to get a fit that looks like it was made just for you.

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Nancy Goldblatt is available to work with you no matter where you live.  If you live in Baltimore, Md or surrounding areas she can work with you in person.  If you live other places, she can work with you on-line using digital pictures.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard,” is a “Color 1,” Personal Image Consultant who specializes in working with mid-life women whose size and shape has changed and who have too many clothes and “nothing to wear.”

After a woman works with “The Wardrobe Wizard,”she will have a wallet of her best colors and styles, and a pared down closet.   She will be know how to mix and match her best looks so she can get dressed “lickety split,” and look great everyday.

“The Wardrobe Wizard,” also works with younger women and is available to work with men.  She was trained by Joanna Nicholson, founder of Color 1 Associates, an International Image & Style Company.

Nancy@WardrobeWiz.com, 410-513-9496,  WWW.WardrobeWiz.com

 


How To Instantly Lose Credibility

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Nancy Goldblatt, "The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,"

Earlier this  year I went to a women’s networking event.  I joined a conversation of two other women and ended up talking to a “20 something woman,”who was a graphic artist. The only thing I can remember about this young graphic artist besides her profession was the blouse she was wearing.    She apparently had gained some weight and her blouse was too tight.  Horizontal creases had formed where her blouse was especially tight over her bust area and the buttons down the front of her blouse were so strained they looked like they were about to pop open.

My eyes kept being drawn back to those “about to pop buttons.” She had unknowingly created a focal point with the strained buttons and the horizontal creases of her shirt.   I was looking for a graphics artist at the time but this young woman’s appearance kept me from trusting her.  I never told her I was looking for a graphics  person.

My automatic thought was “If she isn’t willing to take the time to put on clothing that fits her, she is not going to take the time to do good art work.”   She had managed to “instantly discredit herself,” by wearing clothing that was was too tight.

Wondering what will give you instant credibility? Here are four suggestions.

  1. Create visual harmony by repeating hair, eye and shades of your skin color in your clothing
  2. Wear three layers.  This means a jacket or vest over a shirt or blouse.  (This will make you look more authoritative and if the jacket or vest follows your body line it can hide figure challenges.)    If you have a defined waistline choose a jacket or vest with vertical darts.  If you do not have a defined waistline choose a jacket without darts that is not fitted.  For a more “relaxed,” jacket look, use a cardigan or an unbuttoned blouse over a shell top.
  3. Before you leave  the house look in a full length mirror and make sure your face and eyes are the focus point.
  4. Wear clothing that fits you, not too tight and not too loose.

Do you have any tips to share on how you create ” visual credibility?”

Nancy Goldblatt, the “Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,”was professionally trained by Color 1 Associates as a “Personal Image Consultant.”  She specializes in teaching people how to shop in their own closets first before they purchase new clothing.  She uses color analysis, as well as face and body shape analysis to teach her clients how to create “their own best looks.”  She can be reached at Nancy@WardrobeWiz.com/ 410-513-9496, Her website is www.WardrobeWiz.com/ She works with both individuals and groups.  She is now offering “Online Makeovers.”