YOUR BODY'S NATURAL BALANCE
Your figure is naturally curvy, with a beautifully defined high waistline. The styling goal is to
create visual harmony by selecting pieces that provide structure while enhancing and
celebrating your waist..
STYLING PRINCIPLES
Key Objective:
Draw the eye upward by adding interest to neck line and shoulders—through color, texture,
neckline details, and statement accessories—while keeping your lower body streamlined with
clean lines and minimal embellishment. Wearing the correct sizes is key.
Balance Focus:
✔ Draw attention to: Shoulders, ears, chest, hair, center of waist (via accessorizing, styling, and
garment details).
✘ Avoid emphasizing: Hips, wrists and the lower body.
5 Golden Rules for Balancing Your Shape1. Keep it Streamline
o Think Stretchy Fabrics. Selecting the correct fabrics is key to achieve perfect
fitting and ease.
o Where clothes that hugs your curves.
o Consider wearing body suits and one piece undergarment.
o Opt for pieces with fun Shoulder details.
2. Keep the Lower Body Clean
o Stick to Mid to high rise, in stretchy fabrics with smooth lines.
o Think A-line shapes that hugs your hip area before they open.
o Avoid pockets, pleats, and hip-level details.
3. Watch Your Proportions
o Tops and jackets should end at the smallest part of your waist (or a palm below).
o Skirts/dresses/cropped pants end a palm below your knee; pants end at ankle bone
or floor.
4. Use Accessories to Pull the Eye Up
o Go for statement earrings and necklaces at collarbone.
o Keep bags short-strapped (waist level, not hip).
5. Think in Curves
o Choose curved lines and rounded shapes in prints, seams, jewelry, buckles, lapels,
pockets, shoes and bags
o Avoid harsh angles and straight geometric designs.
FABRIC STRATEGY
General Notes:
• Match texture to skin: Mature skin benefits from texture (e.g., crepe silk instead of shiny
smooth silk).
• Youth, Shiny, Oily Skin requires smooth, sleek or shiny fabrics
Fabric weight and structure:
Consider fabric weight across all categories (jeans, leather, cashmere, cotton blends, synthetics,
corduroy, polyester, velvet, spandex, crepe, rayon).
✔ Upper Body:
• Light weight to medium weight
• Stretchy fabrics
• Bias-cut fabrics (for natural drape and movement)
✔ Lower Body:• Flowy fabrics with weight to it
• Medium-weight fabrics with stretch and structure
• Bias-cut fabrics (for natural drape and movement)
✘ Avoid:
• Upper Body:
o Stiff fabrics that don’t give in do not accommodate your curves
o Bulky fabrics (thicker knits, chunky sweaters).
o Medium to heavy-weight fabrics.
• Lower Body:
o Bulky, stiff, non-stretchy
o Lightweight fabrics not cut on the bias
GARMENT STRATEGY
UPPER BODY – Keep It Fun!
✔ Invest In:
• Silhouettes: Fitted at the waist and thighs straight bellow hip; Empire, Sheath, Bodycon,
Slip Dress (bias cut), Mermaid, Column, Wrap, Dropped waist, Tulip.
• Tops & Layers: should be fitted by the armhole (under arm side boob), Oversized
shoulders/padding, off-the-shoulder, wide scoop or curved V-necks, sailor collars, fitted
tees, cropped tent styles, oversized button-downs, boxy fits (should be tucked), buttoned
cardigans (should button only at smallest part of the waist), blouses.
• Necklines: Off-the-shoulder, wide scoop, sailor, boat, open collar, oversized lapels,
crewneck and jewel (at collarbone and accessorized properly)
• Sleeves: Petal, bishop, puff, circular cap, peasant, ruffle, leg-of-mutton, Juliet, cape,
lantern, rolled-up, short or long (ending no lower than wrist bone).
• Shoulders: Should be perfectly fitted, Embrace details—prints, textures, cut-outs,
shoulder pads. Keep seam lines at or inside the natural shoulder.
✘ Avoid:
• Silhouettes: Straight, shift, A-line, tent, peplum, balloon, tunic, trapeze, princess.
• Tops: Vertical stripes, Chest-level pockets, center pockets, spaghetti straps, halters, wrap
tops, straight blouses, vests, smocks, turtlenecks. Avoid plain fitted tops unless layered or
accessorized with bold earrings, open front cardigans, zipper cardigans.• Necklines: Squared, Straight across, Sweetheart, keyhole, Sabrina, narrow lapels, tie-
neck, stand-up collar.
• Sleeves: Halter, raglan, kimono, batwing, bell, poet, butterfly, cowl, dropped shoulder,
overly long sleeves.
• Shoulders: Halter cuts, raglan seams, dropped seams, seams placed inward on the neck.
LOWER BODY – Keep It Clean
✔ Invest In:
• Bottoms: High-rise, fitted at hip, clean lines, side zippers, fully buttoned instead of
zippers for better structure.
• Pants: Bell bottoms, straight, boot-cut, flares (fitted until thigh), cropped bells, jodhpurs,
sailor cuts.
• Skirts/Shorts: Dropped hip pleat, bias cut (ideal), wrap (front tie), trumpet, sarong (front
tie), mermaid, tube, asymmetric.
• Dresses: Bodycon, sheath, slip (bias cut), wrap (front tie), pegged, mermaid, column.
• Rise: Always Mid to high-rise.
✘ Avoid:
• Bottoms: Loose fits, bulky fabrics, hip-level details (pockets, pleats, prints), low or mid-
rise.
• Pants: Wide-leg, palazzo, parachute, pegged, skinny, tapered legs
• Skirts/Shorts: A-line, pleated, layered, ruffled, peplum, bubble, gipsy, sarong tied at
side.
• Dresses: A-line, shift, trapeze, tent, ballgown, princess cut, slip (A-line).
• Rise: Low rise
PRINTS & PATTERNS
✔ Use Prints on Upper Body (unless in matching sets/dresses).
• Medium to big scale.
• Curvy prints (florals, abstract curves, polka dots, puzzle prints).
• Vertical stripes (upper body).
✘ Avoid:
• Prints on lower body (a way to do it is to pair a top with shoulder detail to help balance
proportions)• Geometric, angular, or straight-line prints on upper body.
Print Scale Guide:
• Small prints = enlarge.
• Large prints = reduce.
• Angular prints = create volume.
• Curvy prints = emphasize body angles.
LINES & SHAPE
✔ Curved, round, oval details in prints, jewelry, buckles, sunglasses, nails, and bags. Curved
darts, seams, lapels, and buttons.
✘ Avoid angular or square accessories, straight seams, or geometric prints.
Rule of Thumb: Straight lines amplify body scale; curved lines reduce it.
ACCESSORIES
✔ Invest In:
• High-waisted belts (no less than 3 inches with belt)
• Statement earrings.
• Head pieces
• Bold Lip Colors
• Bold, bulky necklaces (collarbone length).
• Small-scale watches, bracelets, rings.
• Short-strapped shoulder bags.
✘ Avoid:
• Low-rise belts.
• Denty accessories
• Bulky wristwear.
• Ankle straps.
• Bags hitting at hip level.LENGTHS & PROPORTIONS
✔ Key Balance Points:
1. 2. 3. 4. 6. 7. 8. Neckline: Collarbone →Bold Necklaces, Scarfs
Chest: Length of face (chin down) → guide for buttons/necklaces/Short sleeves.
Waistline: Smallest part of waist → Buttons, Belts, tops/jackets end max a palm below.
Hip line: Your long sleeves should end before wriest bone.
5. Palm bellow Knee: Skirts/dresses.
Widest part of your calf: Dresses/skirts end
Palm above ankle bone: Cropped Pants
Floor: Pants extend to ground.
✘ Avoid garments ending at widest points (hips, thighs, mid-arm).
SHOES
✔ Invest In:
• Fun colored.
• Footwear matching either lip color, earrings, head band (pick one)
• Thin, delicate straps.
• Drivers, ballerinas, wedges, low-tops.
• Prints, Fun details.
• Boots tucked in.
• Some Heel, pointy-toe or rounded shoes.
✘ Avoid:
• Bulky shoes.
• Ankle straps/boots.
• Boots over pants.
• Foot-top decorations.
• High-tops.
STYLING RACKS
✔ Tips:
• Build a strong neutral base.• Keep neckline/shoulder emphasized.
• Tuck tops (full tuck for long, half for shorter).
• When tucking your tops make sure to have all the extra fabric on the back and make the
front flat and smooth.
• Belts always at smallest waist.
• Jackets open; or one to two buttons done at smallest part of wait line.
• Sweaters thrown over shoulders.
• Stick to monochromatic or low-contrast base for your looks.
• Match metals to your palette.
• Metallic bags and shoes are easy to mach.
• Mix fabric types for depth.
• Always coordinate one color used on your upper body to the lower body (ex. Lip color
with shoes, hair band with shoes, bag and shoes.
• Mix prints carefully (different scales, same undertones).
• Fitted Shoulder padding looks amazing with fun shoes.
• Light weight fabrics on tops/sweaters/jackets should be paired with delicate shoes.
• When covering your shoulder – close toe shoes.
• Exposed shoulder – Open toe.
✘ Avoid:
• Small jewelry.
• Thin belts.
• Low-slung bags or belts.
SHOPPING RACKS
• Stay true to your color palette.
• Shop multiple key neutral staples you love (clothes do not last for ever)
• Add shoes and Accessories often.
• Invest in timeless quality leather, shoes, and jewelry.
• Metallic shoes and bags are a great investment as they don’t require to match with other
specific colors (refer to your color palette to learn your metallic)
• Layer pieces are great to create new options using neutral base looks.
WARDROBE RACKS
✔ Capsule Wardrobes:
Group items by occasion and season. Simplify by keeping each capsule together.
Examples:• Fall/Winter, Spring/Summer.
• Daily (work), Home Office, Errands, Airport, Travel, Resort, Athleisure, Gym,
Weekends, Lounge.
✔ Organization:
• Hang most clothing.
• Fold tees in drawers (envelope style).
• Shelves for shoes and bags.
• Lounge/athleisure in drawers.
• Keep seasonal capsules separate.
• Display purses, keep accessories visible.
• Use matching velvet hangers.
• Remove dry-cleaner bags.
• Keep a pouch in handbags for easy transfer.
FINAL NOTE
The source of all answers is within you!
I trust this guide will support you in building a wardrobe that reflects your essence, enhances
your features, and empowers you—while simplifying your daily routine.
With love,
Thays Vick