Rain or shine, this year, florals are THE print everyone is turning to. Here are three on-point combos that help you harness the flower power.
Q&A
Q: Hi, I have narrow shoulders, and have lost some weight recently, which makes them more glaringly obvious. Any advice on what to buy in the upcoming shopping season that would look nice?
There are plenty of ways to tackle your concern. You want to dress in a way that will add some width to the shoulder area, balance out your frame, and draw the observer's eyes away to assets you want them to notice. Here are a few tricks to get the job done.
Necklines
Bateau, square and wide V-necks are your friends. You want the line of sight to run horizontally, creating the illusion of width. So whether you're having blouses, kurtis or kameezes made, opt for these necklines.
Avoid narrow V-necks, halters, and gathered necklines, which will slash your shoulder width in half.
Sleeves
Puff sleeves, ruched sleeves, petal sleeves are some great choices for tops and dresses, particularly in this weather, as they extend your line of sight. For your fancy festival kameezes, consider going old-school with some leg-of-mutton sleeves, which are puffier at the shoulder and taper near the elbows. For jackets and shirts, make sure your tailor installs set-in sleeves where the shoulder seam fit right on your shoulders.
This means dropped shoulders are a no-no, which ruin the elongation effect. Also, dolman and raglan sleeves drag the eye down in a vertical line, diminishing your frame.
Up top, down below
As a rule, if you want to create more space, go for lighter colours, while darker colours will slim things down. So if you're trying to add the effect of wider shoulders, opt for lighter coloured tops and darker bottoms. These will balance out your frame and make those shoulders pop.
Fabric and texture
Shiny fabrics will reflect the light and also create more width for your shoulders, so opt for slinky, metallic tops that will widen your shoulders. To physically add more width, go for tops with shoulder detailing, like studs or epaulettes.
Layers
If your natural dressing style is to the conservative side, there's good news for you. Tight tops will only shrink your frame; looser tops are preferable for spreading those wings. Layering with scarves will add dimension to those shoulders and make them look bigger.
Outerwear
When you're layering, there are a number of things to keep in mind. Firstly, choose wide collars lapels, as they make your wingspan look larger. Since fitted shoulders are preferable, the trending kimono jackets, are unfortunately not for you. Opt for an always-fashionable blazer cut instead. It's probably too warm for shoulder pads, but consider jackets with shoulder padding for the cooler, rainy days. Similarly, when the temperature permits it, thicker fabrics like tweed (for jackets) will add inches to your narrow frame.