NashVogue

Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner. It is time to start the most dreaded shopping trip of all – the swimsuit trip. The swimsuit shopping trip is the one where you take only the most brutally honest of shopping partners. While the truth may sting a little, at least you know what suits you don’t want. I myself have to get a new suit this year and will only take myhusband with me. I know that he will point out every little pudge that I don’t want to have. I thought in light of this daunting task, I would go over some body type tips for swimsuits, that will hopefully give you a starting point for the ever painful shopping trip.

Starting off with the apple, let’s review the body type a bit first. The apple body type is characterized by wider shoulders and a larger bust. Lucky for her, she has thin hips and a tiny bottom. Think of an upside-down triangle. (For a more in-depth discussion of the apple body type, click here.) Our goal for apples is to minimize the shoulders and emphasize the hips in order to create an hourglass figure.

Bathing Suit Tip #1

Pair bottoms with a lot of color, pattern, or detailing (ties, belts, etc) with simple tops. The eye will automatically be drawn down to the hips and away from the widest part of the body. The detailing, such as ties or belts, will also help to create some added width and create an hourglass shape.

Bathing Suit Tip #2

Avoid v-neck tops. Halters with plunging necklines are not for you as they will make your shoulders appear wider. Strapless, wide straps, and tube tops are best for you. They will minimize the width of the shoulders and draw the eye downward. Also, if your bust is on the larger side, it can be hard to get a proper fit with a plunging neckline. You don’t want to look like you are squishing it all in the top. You also don’t want the nerve-wracking fear that comes with feeling like you will fall out of your top at any time.

Bathing Suit Tip #3

Avoid spaghetti straps. The thin straps might appear dwarfed by your larger shoulders and make them look bigger. Plus, the thin straps will draw the eye up instead of down, giving you the appearance of being top heavy. Remember, we want to create the hourglass look.

Through the rest of the week I’ll go over the other body types and tips to look for on the ever dreaded bathing suit trip. I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever had a bathing suit that just made you feel and look fabulous? Have you already found the perfect one for this year?

Technorati Tags: apple, bathing suit, body types, how to, shopping tips, swim suit

The first coat I would like to discuss is the Pea Coat. This coat is very popular this year, and is available in a variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics. The upper-thigh hem of the pea coat, however, can cause certain body types to fall out of proportion.

Since the eye is drawn downwards to the hem, thereby widening the hips, this coat can be very bad for pears. The already wide hip and narrow shoulders of the pear are exaggerated by the pea coat. All hope is not lost for the lovely pear though. Many pea coats are sold with bold, colorful scarves. Tying this accessory around your neck will add some flair to the top half of the body and stop the eye from traveling downwards. When in doubt, try the coat on and see what you think.

The pea coat is especially nice for apples. The v-neck and length draw the eye downward, adding some width to the thigh area (where you tend to taper in). Beware of the scarves that are so helpful to the pears though. Since you are wider on top, you want to avoid bulking up your top half. The coat will look great on you, just use caution with the scarf. I understand that scarves are often necessary to keep you warm – I am simply talking fashion. If it is cold enough to wear the scarf, by all means, keep warm! Just avoid wearing one for the fun of it.

Technorati Tags: 2008 Fall style, apple, Body Type, Pea Coat, pear, Wardrobe Tips

One of the main philosophies of NashVogue is to be sure that every woman is dressing for her body type. In today’s fashion, there are many things that one body type can wear, but the others can’t. On the flip side, there are a few things that every body type can wear. Here are the top three and why:

3) Straight-Leg Pant: This is great for every body type for 2 reasons. 1) The straight leg pant helps hide the wider hips of the pear and hour glass by creating a straight line from thigh to floor. 2) This cut helps out apples and rectangles by creating a long line which draws attention from the broad shoulders of the apple and accentuate the long legs of the rectangle.

2) A-Line Skirt: The 2 reasons the a-line skirt is  great for all body types is going to sound like a contradiction. A-lines are great for pears because it hides those wider hips beneath it’s flowing fabric. It’s great for apples, hour glasses, and rectangles by helping to create/accentuate those gorgeous feminine curves down bottom. As I said, this may sound like a contradiction, but it’s the way it works.

1) Wrap top or dress: The number one item that works for all body types is the wrap top/dress. Every women has the thinnest part of their waist at  about the same spot. These wrap tops and dresses all tie around this area. Therefore, they help to create feminine curves on every body type, regardless of what it is.

Word of Warning: In this post I am merely talking about the cut of the item. Fabrics and patterns will play a large part into whether a particular piece will work for your body type. For example, a wrap dress with large flowers on it will not be ideal for pears and apples (as this draws attention to both top and bottom – remember, in apples and pears we are trying to accentuate the smaller half), but the cut of a wrap dress is great for all.

Technorati Tags: apple, Body Type, Fashion, hour glass, pear, rectangle, Style, wardrobe, Wardrobe Tips