Here's a 'how to' wear what's modern or trendy designs but make the look flatter our shapes no matter what size we wear.......

1. Statistics indicate that 40% of the women in this country are size 14 or larger, yet stand only 5'4" or shorter. In "garmentese" this woman is a size petite-plus — larger in width, smaller in height.

2. If plus-size women make up 40% of all womens who could be shopping why don't the stores and designers offer more properly fitted, properly proportioned clothing for us? why's it still so hard to shop, dress and look modern and fashionable?

   Since the quantity, quality or selection isn't out there, (and they are complaining their sales are down) plus many wrong turns myself - I have considered and condensed our dressing choices down to one simple factor!
   

3. PROPORTION! This should hold true no matter what style is currently in fashion.
   

There are a few basic shapes of women in this world:

1. Apple - round in the middle with thinner arms and legs
2. Pear - heavy in the hips and thighs, thinner up top
3. Straight - no noticeable curves
4. Triangle - heavy at the top and thinner through the hips and thighs
5. Hour Glass - and we won't even go there - perfect
   

We are supposed to aspire to an hour glass - the most sought after shape.
One can achieve this effect by dressing with proportion foremost in mind.

Hide the biggest, accentuate the smallest, accessorize with the similar size pieces (big if we are big, small if we are small) - then we look in proportion and the flaws somehow disappear - yahoo!

Just like in decorating - if you want to hide a less attractive feature make it blend into the background, paint it the same as the wall! If you want a feature to stand out paint it either a brighter colour or a glossy finish.

Well for clothing it's exactly the same:

• Apple: Round in the middle - is the hardest to dress. A sheath dress which falls from the shoulder and skims the body suggests that everything is the same proportion underneath, but since the middle is actually bigger make sure you accessorize with good sized purse and shoes, jewelry too - nothing makes us look bigger than to have a very generous body tiptoeing around in Cinderella slippers.....  What happens is we see the difference and it makes the big look even bigger, and the small look even smaller - the opposite of what we should try to achieve and that's proportion. If you are apple shaped - think big print, chunky jewels, monochromatic from head to toe, no belts in the middle, perhaps an empire waist but that's iffy because it might draw attention to your tummy.... and throw out those elastic waist pants (if you can) and get some actual pants, those with the waistband and zipper - they actually work like a bit of a girdle and give you the look of being the same shape as those lucky ones the hour glass girls.
  

• Pear: If you've big on the bottom and small on the top wear black skirt, tights and shoes - everything from the waist down blends into the next and on top wear something patterned and or bright to draw the eye. Now you're in proportion!
  

• Triangle: If you're small on the bottom and big on the top - reverse it - all one colour on top and something attention getting on the bottom.
  

• Straight: If you are wide shouldered and slim hipped, you can achieve proportion and create the look of a waist by wearing a wide strapped top - thus cutting the visible shoulder into two smaller sections visually, and wear a fuller skirt - now the hips and the shoulders look like they are the same width and the waist will naturally seem smaller in comparison.
  

A few important notes about pitfalls:

1. KNITS, unless very very fine make us look bigger! so if knitwear is IT this year stick to scarves, hats and gloves
2. PLAIDS, the very busyness of this pattern can work to our advantage but make sure it's a subtle colour because it can make Kate Moss look big!
3. TEXTURE, makes us look bigger than we are, so use it to fix your proportion, textured tights if you are top heavy, textured top if you are bottom heavy.
4. CORDUROY, can be fantastic if it is narrow whale, not so good if it is wide whale
5. TWEED, same as texture! if the tweed is a very fine weave and monochromatic - ok but it still adds pounds - how about a tweed handbag!
6. SHIMMER, anything shiny, shimmery or sparkly looks larger - metallic, sequins, beaded, satin etc - use it carefully to accent your outfit. Where light hits your outfit it will appear larger!
   
7. COLOR, well we all know by now dark retreats and bright advances, so use it wisely and it can be your best friend
8. SIZE, give yourself a break!
   

What the industry has to say:

Let’s look at the average American woman. She is not the typical runway model — the 5'9 1¼2", measuring 34"-24"-34", broad-shouldered, slim-waisted, long-legged, size 6 head turner.

Quite the contrary, statistics indicate that 40 percent of the women in this country are size 14 or larger, yet stand only 5'4" or shorter. In "garmentese" this woman is a size petite-plus — larger in width, smaller in height.

Recognizing that meeting the needs of the plus-size market presented an excellent business opportunity, leading designers such as Liz Claiborne, Adrienne Vittadini, Andrea Jovine and Carole Little have expanded their product offerings and major retailers have devoted more floor space to improve plus-size options. In fact, industry observers place this industry at $26 billion in 1996.

What does the average American woman have to say? According to the Lifestyle MonitorTM, 49 percent of women lament that the current styles available do not flatter their shape, while 45 percent generally can’t find their size in the clothing they like. And these shoppers need new clothes since 43 percent say that they own clothes that they don’t wear because they just don’t fit.

"The ELISABETH stores serve as a test lab for us," said Greenberg. "It is where we learn what our plus-size consumer wants, such as one-stop shopping with a full gamut — from clothing to accessories."It was through the ELISABETH consumer that the need for petite-plus sizing was brought to their attention. "Petite is sometimes mistaken as a horizontal proportion," explains Greenberg. "Petite is really a vertical proportion. It’s for women 5'4" and under, whether they are a size 4 or 22."

The company’s newest offering to the plus-size market is "E," a group of "must-haves" for the season that takes the hottest fashion trends and translates them into flattering cuts and sizes for the plus-size consumer.

Just My Size, the well established intimate apparel, sleepwear, bodywear and fleece manufacturer, has just added jeanswear to its fold. The jeans currently being marketed in Kmart and Wal-Mart stores, have a questionnaire attached to the pocket flasher that encourages women to provide feedback by writing to the company.

And, considering that plus-size women make up almost half of all women’s wear sales prospects, designers and retailers are sure to welcome the need to expand their product offerings.

This story is one in a series of articles based on findings from Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ tracking research.


Please visit my eBay store Ocean Interiors for Plus Size Clothing, thanks!