Plus Style

I finished reading Plus Style, The Plus-Size Guide to Looking Great by Suzan Nanfeldt. What a great book! I am all inspired. This book is very comprehensive and stresses fit, something that has been overlooked in the other books that I have read.

What I learned from this book:
1. People make a number of value judgments within 7 seconds of meeting a new person based on their appearance.

• Economic Level
• Trustworthiness
• Level of Sophistication
• Economic Heritage
• Educational Heritage
• Educational Level
• Social Position
• Level of Success
• Social Heritage
• Moral Character

2. Using prints in clothing needs to be carefully thought out.

• A regular pattern that fills the available space will make one appear smaller than a widely spaced pattern.
• Use pattern to balance proportions.
• Match the "personality" of the print to the style of the garment.
• The smaller, more subtle and muted the print, the more sophisticated and enduring it will be. (Think of the wild prints of the 1970's).

3. A skirt must be longer than it is wide to be properly proportioned, so a shorter skirt needs to be tapered at the hem.
4. Rules for a capsule wardrobe:

• Use 4 or 5 colors maximum, 2 neutrals and 2 accent colors.
• All colors should work together.
• The patterns should coordinate.
• The styles and scale should be compatible. Can the blouse be worn under the jacket.
• Each piece should be appropriate for the same lifestyle function.

5. Catalog your clothes by clothing type, garment, season/fabric, color, what else it works with, and any accessories that will work with it.