Guest Post: Online Shopping for your style

Being an avid online shopper, I get asked about shopping online fairly often, and the singlemost asked question is always ‘But how do you know it will…fit/suit/look good?’. And my answer is always that it isn’t that hard! Whilst it certainly helps that the best online stores offer fantastic return policies, detailed sizing charts and will answer any questions you may have, but it’s also important to know YOUR style and what suits you…so today we’ve got stylist extraordinaire Careen Hulme from Stylizit with her top tips for making sure it fits and suits when purchased online.

How to Make Your Fashion Purchases On-line Perfect Every time.

Shopping on-line can be great fun.  With virtually limitless choice and great prices, sales and offers it is hard not to be drawn in to the plethora of sites available.  But if you want to receive and unpack pieces that work for you it is important to think before you click.

So let’s look at some basic guidelines that will help you find that perfect bargain.

Sizing:

• There are many sites to help you convert sizes (check out our sites to help you shop for some of them)
• But it is also important to be true to yourself with your size. Don’t vanity shop – no-one sees the digit inside the garment!
• Get a friend to help you make a full list if measurements and keep on hand at all times.
• Your chest should be measured with your favorite bra on.
• Your waist is where you get a crease (when you stand upright and tilt your upper body left or right).
• Your hip measurement should be taken at the widest point of your hip area.  Stand side view to a mirror to find this correct placement.

Now, while you are taking your measurements, also look at your body to make some notes about your  shape and attributes. Some basic notes a fashion stylist would look at from the head down, are:

• Do you have a short thick neck or a long thin neck?
• Do you have narrow sloping shoulders or a wide square shoulder line?
• Small or large bust?
• A narrow or shapeless waist?
• Small or large hips?
• Do you have shapeless thick calves?

Learn to shop to highlight your good points and around your negative areas

• Short thick necks – Avoid high necklines that will visually cut you off, V and scooped necklines will give you the length that you need.
• Long thin necks – Can be counter acted by looking for higher necklines.
• Narrow sloping shoulders- Avoid halter neck lines, this will only highlight your posture.  If a maxi dress is desired look for one with straight shoulder straps, the wider the strap the better.  You could also match it back with a denim jacket.
• Wide square shoulders –Show off your straight posture with all the strapless and halter styles. You will have hips narrower than your bust, which means you should look for pants, shorts, skirts and dresses that have detail and designs around the hip area.  A tulip skirt, gathered mini skirt with floral patterns, minis with wide banded pleats are all good styles.
• Small bust – Wider straps or sleeves ruffle detail, pleated necklines, light or bright colours across the bust are all ways to create volume for the bust. As you want the top half to appear bigger you need to select styles to decrease volume to the hip area.
• Large bust – Deep V necklines, avoid shoe string straps, Balance a larger bust with a bottom half that gives you more fabric.  Such as a full circle skirt, a maxi dress with horizontal bands on the boarder or bootleg style jeans.
• Make sure your bra gives you lift. This is a must have item before you go shopping.
• Narrow waist – Show it off and look for fitted styles that give shape to the waist.
• Shapeless waist – A baby doll style is NOT the style for you.  Many make this mistake and all it does is widen your midriff.  Look for styles that are shaped but not hugging your waist.  This is one of the hardest things to achieve at the moment with current styles.  I would consider shirts and tops with darting at the waist and in the lower back. This will give you shape. Also look at a vest or denim jacket that could be worn over your summer tops and dresses.
• Small hips – Make the hip area bigger by selecting light or bright colours, patterns, gathers, pleats, patch pockets, A line and full circle skirts.
• Large hips – Reduce the area by selecting dark colours, small patterns & intricate patterns only, pencil shape skirts. The less fabric and detail the better.
• Shapeless thick calves – Select hem lengths wisely. It is important not to let skirts, dresses or trousers sit at the widest point of your calf.

Lastly you can consider your colouring

Some of us are warm based and some are cool. Pinkish toned people are usually cool and peachy toned people are usually warm.  Knowing what colours you are best in can save you a lot of fuss and bother, as you will be able to build up tops and bottom halves that all match each other, meaning you get more mileage from your purchases. If a colour analysis is not for you, consider the universal colours that suit all:  Soft white, emerald turquoise, aqua, warm pink, earthy red, teal green, teal blue, chocolate, purple, marine navy, plum, watermelon red, stone and medium grey are colours that we can all wear safely.

Happy shopping ladies!

by Fashion stylist Caaren Hulme from www.stylizit.com.au

About Careen

With a background as a stylist and costumier in film and TV, Caaren has built a solid profession out of her two passions: fashion and styling. She learned her love of clothing from her mum and grandma, a trained tailoress who ran her own shop and taught her everything she knows about cutting, fabric draping and patternmaking. To anchor her passion, Caaren obtained a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Film, Media and Communication and completed courses in Millinery Design and Fashion Drawing. She also provides fashion stylist consultant services and runs Stylizit.