After discussing body measurements and types in the October issue, let me now share some styling rules of thumb that I have followed for years.
• Wear the same color items below the waist. For example, if you are wearing black pants, choose black shoes. Make your instep/feet look like part of your shank and you will appear 2-3 inches taller. In summer, nothing beats a pair of nude colored heels, which match well with every color and extend your legs effectively. Kate Middleton is the perfect example of this rule. For winter, black pants/long skirts/leggings + black boots are the best way to go.
• Choose the same colors inside. This means if you are wearing a coat or jacket, choose the same color top and bottom inside. This trick will successfully make you look slimmer and longer. For example, the ‘denim on denim’ look is the trend now, and you can wear that underneath this winter. And remember to unbutton your coat.
• Always raise your waistline! I cannot emphasize this enough. No matter whether you choose high waist bottoms that are so hot right now, or add a belt to your coat/dress, your proportions will be improved a lot visually.
• Sculpt your v-line. When we look at photos of the old Hollywood stars, like Audrey Hepburn or Vivian Leigh, we are always enchanted by their timeless elegance and beauty. One of the things they had in common is that they loved to wear v-line dress with their hair up to extend the neckline and show their beautiful shoulders and collar bones. For daily wear, you can choose a long v-shaped necklace as an easy substitute as well. However if your neck is slightly longer than usual, you can wear a choker, which has become an “it” item recently.
• Color-matching. I could talk about this topic for hours, but the basic rule is always wear neutral colors and highlight your whole outfit with a hint of strong color. The most common neutral colors include: black, white, grey, gold and silver. Also, navy blue, shades of brown, military green, cream, and even nude are all in this category. In general, neutral colors match each other well and go with all the other colors. Add a hint of red, bright yellow, purple or pink on top of that and you will always look sharp and outstanding. I personally like the following combinations: pink and grey, navy blue and white, red and black, gold and black, brown and camel/nude or military green for a more subtle look. All pinks, yellows, emeralds and purples, reds and oranges, and reds and leopard prints are the loud way to go if you are daring enough.
