Are You Too Confined to Your Body Shape?

  Using body shape to tell on clothing is a common practice among image consultants. Even the fashion media uses body shape in their articles to inform and guide when choosing the right outfit. People are now so attuned to access body shapes that everyone is eager to find out what their shape is. Due to its popularity, it is becoming a convenient and conventional way of working for imaging professionals. But, it is not always effective in addressing individual dressing needs. First, there is no one who fits any shape. Because we are not made from a mold, each form is unique. At best, this approach is an approximation. If we are not mindful, we could be wrong. Second, when we focus too on body shapes, we not only limit a person's dressing options, but also overlook some real body issues that the individual. For example, a lady whose hips are wider than her shoulders with a well-defined waist is "typed" as a pear-shaped figure. In theory, "pears" are encouraged to sag at the bottom and show off their shoulders and arms. But, not all "pears" are created equal. What if instead of a heavy round bottom, this lady has weight distributed between her bottom, hips and thigh? What if this lady has no problem showing off her curves, but is more concerned with her flabby arms? In this case, a pencil skirt in a dark color could help show off her curves and stress her waist. She would also like to avoid sleeveless and strapless tops that are sometimes recommended for "pears". Finally, obsessing too much about body shape could have an adverse effect on how wakeel about ourselves. We all know that the hourglass (for women) is the measure of the perfect body shape. Marilyn Monroe was considered to have the perfect hourglass figure with measurements of 36-24-34. So, when some of us realize that we are not achieving the ideal hourglass figure, out of shape. Even worse, some of us have succumbed to the pressure and let it become a body image problem. This is not healthy to say the least. Instead, what we want to take into account when it comes to dressing our body is knowing what qualities and strengths we have, what challenges . Above all, we want to feel comfortable in our skin and shape first. We must realize that the standards set by popular media and pop culture are unrealistic and it would be naive to compare ourselves to them.