Waist-slimming lines are generally flattering to your figure, but if your upper hips are pronounced to a marked degree, you should avoid lines that slenderize the waist without breaking into the upper hip area as well. ~Emmi Cotten, Clothes Make Magic, 1949
Dear Friends,
We are continuing with Only Wear Beautiful Clothes™ lessons with our mentor Emmi Cotten. In our last lesson, Miss Cotten had us analyze the building blocks of our figures. She reminded us that the building blocks are more important than our weight or the sizes we wear. Now, it is time to start identifying the best style choices for our figure types. In this post, we will look at the Type 1 Figure using Ms. Cotten’s original illustrations. I also worked some photo editing magic and created line drawings to make her recommendations easier to see.
The Type 1 Figure: Square Hip and Average Proportions
A woman with a Type 1 figure has a square or prominent hipline and medium (average) proportions. While square hiplines are not problematic in and of themselves, there are ways to reduce their visual prominence and make the figure appear more balanced.
Upper Torso Optical Illusions for a Prominent Hipline
One of the main differences between modern and vintage clothing is in the armhole area and shoulder area. Vintage garments have higher and tighter armholes. Modern garments have a great deal more wearing and design ease (the difference between your body measurements and the garments finished measurements) which can cause a lot of fitting issues. It is much more difficult to find a garment that fits correctly in the shoulder and armhole area. Really, poor fit across the shoulder and in the armhole area can ruin the look of an otherwise gorgeous garment.
Say “Yes” to These Style Features
- Angular and crisp shoulder details that provide balance with the hips (Illustration #8)
- Gradual widening out from the waist to the underarm (Illustration #3). What about garments with dolman sleeves that are popular right now? You can wear them but you have to be careful about where the bottom of the armhole begins/hits you. Compare Illustration #9 with #11A. Number 9 works because of the gradual increase and the sleeve doesn’t begin just above the hip like it does in #11A.
- Short fitted coats should end at or just above the lower hips (Illustration #3)
Avoid These Style Features
- Clothing with rounded shoulder lines. This “rule” is especially true if you have wide and heavy hips because the roundness of the shoulders will mimic and accentuate the hips in an unflattering way. When we look at Illustrations #1 and #2, the hips look bulkier in #2 because of the rounded shoulders. Additionally, the optical illusion created by the raglan-style sleeves of #2 make the shoulders seem narrower and the hips wider than #1, even though the size has not changed.
- Boxy garments, such as a Chanel-style jacket, will make you look heavier (See Illustration #11). Even if the garment is fitted, as in Illustration #7, the straight up and down illusion will emphasize the hips.
Waistline Optical Illusions for a Prominent Hipline
(If you also checked Figure Types 7, 8, 9, follow the recommendations for those types when we get there)
Garments without belts and waistline seams (such as a princess line sheath) are an excellent choice for you, if you have a Type 1 figure. Waistlines that dip in center front and back are ideal, too.
Say “Yes” to These Style Features
- A wide belt if you are slender and do not have a high waist. If you are high waisted, the belt throws off the balance of the garment so that the waist will seem heavier than it is.
- Raised waistlines–without a belt–are good (see Illustration #10) because they separate the mass of your prominent hips with the upper torso. Just be careful not to overemphasize a large bosom if you have one.
Avoid These Style Features
- Gathered waists can be problematic for you, if you have a Type 1 figure. In Illustration #5, the heavy gathers create bulk above and below the waist. Also note that the amount of gathers takes away from the gradual widening from waist to shoulder. When wearing a garment with a gathered waist, make sure it is only slightly gathered and that the desired waist to shoulder line is retained (Illustration #6). Also, notice how the width of the belt in the two illustrations makes a difference. The narrow belt in #5 gets lost in the bulk whereas the wide belt in #6 emphasizes the waist.
Optical Illusions for Your Square Hips
The shape of your skirt matters when you have prominent hips. The good news is that the skirts described below look stunning on you and only “meh” on your counterparts with medium or triangular hiplines.
Say “Yes” to These Style Features
- Vertical or diagonal lines (like in Illustrations 1, 3, 3A, 8, and 9) are the most graceful and minimize hip width.
- The most flattering skirt design for you follows your hip line at least to the bottom of your hip, as in Illustration #12. Look for skirts that hang straight from the hips, such as a modified pencil skirt, or begin to flare no higher than the knee, such as a trumpet skirt (Illustrations #9 and #10).
Avoid These Style Features
- Horizontal lines that cut across the widest part of your hips–especially if there is a color, pattern, or design change–are your worst nightmare (see Illustration #2A).
- Flared skirts, such as shown in Illustration 11, leave the contour of your body at your upper hips.
To Summarize
Look for garments that avoid cutting you visually in half, follow the contours of your hips while gradually widening from the waist to the shoulders. And make sure those shoulders are crisp!
Do you have a Type 1 figure? Share your wardrobe victories (and horror stories, too) with us in the comment section!
Until next time,
Dr. Julie-Ann
