We often hear about body shape and scale but do you consider your proportions (that is the length of your upper body compared to your lower body, and your waist placement). Once you understand your proportions you can adjust the way you wear your clothes to give the illusion of a balanced body. The most successful outfits are those in which the waist appears to be in the centre of the torso. 

You are high-waisted if:

• You generally don't tuck in
• You do not wear belts on your waistline
• You have a short midriff (little space between your bust and natural waistline)
• You often find trouser legs are too short
• Your hips look high

You are low-waisted if:

• Your tops feel too short
• Looking at yourself sideways, your bottom appears low
• Trousers fit you, but the legs are too long
• You do not like yourself in full skirts

How To Dress For Your Proportions

Tops
High Waist: Leave loose over waist or blouse over
Balanced: You choose
Low Waist: Tuck in or belt

Waistband
High Waist: None or lower
Balanced: Leave as is
Low Waist: High or defined

Trousers
High Waist: Wider leg trousers are good
Balanced: You choose
Low Waist: You choose, but not too wide

Skirts
High Waist: You choose
Balanced: You choose
Low Waist: Minimum volume

Dresses
High Waist: Low-waisted
Balanced: You choose
Low Waist: Empire style is good

Shoes
High Waist: Low heels or flats
Balanced: You choose
Low Waist: Medium to high heels with open fronts



You can see from the images above that our model is high-waisted and has assentuated this by tucking in her top. In the second image, her top is untucked and she has achieved a balanced body. 



This article is an extract from our book, Colour Me Slimmer (hamlyn) which you can purchase here. We cover this aspect in depth during our Style Consultation (find your local consultant here).