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As I started the process of purging my previous wardrobe to carve out my capsule wardrobe I took proportions into consideration HEAVILY!

Amanda… why did you do that? Why does it matter? Oh em gee, I am SO glad you asked!

Proportions are a pretty big deal when styling yourself because it is how you utilize the clothing to flatter your frame. The biggest factor at play when dressing proportionally is that you are blocking the aspects of the outfit to highlight your stature and body type. When doing this you will be using the rule of thirds. If you are going to wear a cropped tee then you should pair it with a bottom that is high waisted- the crop will account for 1/3 of your outfit, the bottom will account for 2/3 of your outfit, all while elongating the legs. You also want to be mindful of your body type and height so that you are highlighting the features that make you stand out most.

For example- I am 5’3(ish) with shorter legs, broad shoulders, and a longer torso for someone of my stature as well as having a hourglass body type (small waist sandwiched between broad shoulders and hips). When I dress myself I know that I need accentuate my waist in some way to balance out my physique and outfit. This is possible a few different ways; cropped tees are my go to because I own so many, another way would be to tuck a full length tee into a high-waist pair of pants and accessorize with a belt. I opt for high rise jeans if I am utilizing a belt to balance my outfit for the day. On days I choose a lower rise pant I will typically pair it with a waist length tee that drapes to the top of my belly button that only shows a sliver of my midsection.

Now keep in mind… for a banging outfit we can’t just stop at a pant and top combo, we need to layer to add depth!

Let’s say I opted for a low rise pant and waist length tee combo, I could add depth to this look by adding a cardigan that drapes to the top of my hips/top of my upper thighs. This balances the entire outfit to my body type while offering slight coverage to the back of the crop. Another way to do this is with a medium-high waist pant with a tucked tee. As I said earlier, in the scenario that I am tucking my tee I utilize a belt to accentuate my waist area. I will typically opt for my black leather belt to create a color blocked visual in my outfit (matching your belt to your shoes was some of the best advice a gay man ever gave me). When I dress in this vein of styling I will opt for a cardigan that drapes to the middle of my thighs to create a visually pleasing aesthetic that can be worn for fun or for work. The last example I will give for our depth portion of the post is a medium-high rise pant with a waist length cardigan. In this scenario I usually pair a cropped tank with my medium-high rise pant and then layer a waist length cardigan that has a button or two secured in the center. I do this because it shows a peek of skin to balance the rise of the pant while adding depth to the overall look itself.

We have discussed the ways we want to accentuate our favorite features, but how do we minimize the features we may not be as confident about? This is where color comes into play. Darker colors help minimize features while lighter colors bring more attention to features.

I first dived into color blocking when I was pregnant because I was insecure AS FUCK during the whole process with the changes happening to my body. I went from being a size 2 to a size 12 and I cried almost every single day about it. I began dressing in all black to minimize my increasing size, but paired my all black outfits with lighter colored cardigans or leopard print cardigans to balance out the look. Those cardigans would typically drape close to my knees while the black leggings, pants, or skirts I wore would drape to my ankle so I didn’t look swallowed up in the look. My tops were usually v-necks to balance out the show of ankle. After I gave birth my chest area naturally minimized before my bottom half did. As this occurred I would stick to black bottoms or dark denim and start incorporating lighter colors up top while continuing to balance my ankle peek with a v-neck. I also continued to wear longer cardigans that were lighter in color to bring more attention to the top of my body rather than the bottom.

That time of my life was almost a decade ago and my body has changed quite a bit since then. I am very petite and slender nowadays (courtesy of stress, I could honestly benefit from adding a few pounds to my frame) and it is quite easy for certain styles to overwhelm my body type. As much as I love an oversized look I simply cannot sustain the look because I look awkward and messy if I do not keep my proportions in mind while dressing myself. There are oversized knits and cardigans in my capsule wardrobe, but when wearing them I make sure to have a fitted pant on underneath to show my shape and preventing an unkempt aesthetic.

Overall, I have found that focusing my styling based on my proportions has made me feel more put together when I set out on my day. What I find most ironic is that I stumbled upon this when I was my most insecure about my body. Learning how to color block my outfit to flatter my body at the time was life changing and motivated me to utilize my wardrobe to feel more comfortable in my own skin. Then when I taught myself how to use length paired with color blocking to accentuate or hide aspects of my figure I was able to step out into the world more confidently while experimenting with different looks to find my personal style. Now that I know what works for my body type I spend less time and money on my wardrobe. I have curated a selection of pieces that I know flatter my features that are also made with natural fibers that will last for YEARS as long as I care for them appropriately. And that my friends is an absolute win in my book!