While this is naturally the most fabulous book ever, indispensable and life changing, its information will have absolutely no effect unless you have appraised your shape. Oh God, what a vile and hideous thing to have to do. We are certain the idea of standing naked in front of a full-length mirror makes you want to reach for the nearest plastic bowl to vomit in. We are convinced you won't want to compound the horror by making your rear view available to criticism via a hand mirror reflecting the image of your butt in the bathroom looking-glass. For sure, an order from us to do it twice in one day (morning and night) will make you wonder whether we are writing from the goodness of our hearts or a sick desire to make you feel like shit. As we have always said, deciphering your flaws and assets is a crucial part of looking your best. If you won't do it, give this book to a friend who will and watch her blossom.
It took us a long time to realize the importance of body assessment. What we conveniently forgot was the fact that our bodies had changed over the years. Fad diets, pregnancy, exercise and lack of it had left us with bodies we no longer recognized. Because the changes happened slowly, we weren't aware that our figures were no longer lithe and lean, and consequently we were buying all the wrong clothes. To let you in on a secret, we only put ourselves under the microscope five or six years ago. Yes, we had a good knowledge of clothes, but this only became the "science" upon which we've built our careers after prodding and poking our parts with the precision of two neurosurgeons. And, girls, you absolutely HAVE to do this, however painful it might be.
Decoding your shape is not easy, especially as age-old misconceptions and insecurities get in the way. How do you know whether you have saddlebags, if you are an hourglass or a pear, or if your arms should be hidden at all times? It helps to do this with a good friend because the comparison will make you more aware of the way you are built. Introducing your eyes to your good points must be done in the morning before breakfast. We all feel thinner then, and more open to see what we like. The bad points become glaringly obvious at around 6 p.m., just as you are about to have a pre-dinner guzzle.
In both instances, take note of whether you are top- or bottom-heavy. Carrying the weight up top invariably means you have big boobs, fat arms, a wobbly tummy and shorter neck, while your legs, butt and skin will be the envy of all your friends. Bottom bulk will often be topped by a long back, which means a flatter stomach because your intestines quite literally have more room. Your breasts will be smaller and your arms more shapely.
Talking legs, they, too, have variables and their shape and fat distribution will dictate what shoes and tights you wear. Same with a neck. If you think you look daft in a collar your neck is probably short. If thin chokers get lost, then your neck will be longer.
One time when a woman must reevaluate her shape is during menopause. The most common change is a thickening of the waist where the stomach takes over as a main body flaw and can become bigger than your chest size. You must learn to accept your figure at every stage of your life. Look to your mother as to how you will fare at menopause.
Only when you accept your body shape will you have the courage to move on. We sympathize and know this is an awful thing to ask of you, but please take our advice-it is the first step to a new you.
SUSANNAH
I can't believe I've ended up this shape. Although always curvaceous, the curves were where you'd expect them to be, like my waist. My boobs used to be an easy-to-handle C. My stomach lay within my body. My arms, while strong, never required total cover. Damn it, I used to be bloody perfect. I was in proportion. Not too fat, not too thin. Now, oh my God, now things are very different. A naked Susannah is like a fat white maggot, all folds and undulating movement. The breasts have engorged to an E cup, the stomach has emerged like a hernia, open and laid out for inspection above every waistband, and the arms, well, they are worryingly vast and soon to take over my entire body. This may sound exaggerated, but it's how I feel about the parts I don't like. Luckily for me, however, I have learned to block them out by appreciating what little there is left to love.
My arms
I never wear sleeveless tops because my upper arms are proportionately much chunkier than my wrists. My dainty forearms become a member of the same fat family when my whole arm is displayed. This is why I cover them totally or just show my wrists in three-quarter-length sleeves.
My tummy
To have this hanging over a too-tight waistband kills all the self-esteem I might need to get through the day. When I sit down, I always cover my belly with arms or a handy handbag. The best cover for my least favorite bit is a fitted top that hugs my boobs and flares out over the tummy.
My ankles
Aside from my wrists these are the only bits of my body I am happy to show naked. Because they are thin and shapely, I can wear all skirt lengths just so long as they don't reveal my temble, wrinkly knees.
My neck
Weird thing to loathe, I know, but it's short and rather thick. It has no definition because it is topped by a jaw that dribbles down the gullet and makes me chinless but not a wonder. As if by magic, shirt collars erase all signs of my neck whereas round necks or turtlenecks make my face look as if I am being throttled.
My boobs
The key to these is to keep them covered but show them off. As they are so huge compared to other parts and because my skin is now getting wrinkly, it's important that the cleavage line is always covered by fitted tops that still define the shape of my boobs. A lack of cleavage line makes my boobs less in your face and more demure.
My bum
Love it. It's pert and high as a kite. I show it off at all times by wearing skirts and trousers that hug it lovingly. That way we can see that I have long legs.
TRINNY
I grew up skinny, and never really thought about my proportions until I was an adult. Even though I am 5'10" I didn't require extra-long leg length in trousers. My boobs have always been nonexistent and it has never concerned me, except when I am out shopping with Susannah and rather covet her ability to hold a deep-cleavage dress in place. It wasn't until I reached my thirties that I realized I didn't leek that hot in dresses, and trousers looked best with a very high heel underneath to keep me in proportion, as I tend to carry my weight on my bottom half. When I follow the rules for what to wear for my shape, I get good wear out of an item. I make new discoveries every year about how to dress for my shape; my latest is to bulk up my top half to reduce the width of my bottom. But ultimately I have to balance out how I feel inside about my shape and how others see me. The truth is somewhere in between.
My arms
These are definitely an asset. They have always been toned (many years of driving a Fiat Panda without power steering) and I have never been shy of showing them off. As they are very long, I have to be careful never to wear mid-length sleeves, but most other shapes work fine.
My torso
I have a very long body, which causes problems when I am buying tops as they are all too short. Even though my stomach is good (goes with the long back) I feel it makes my legs appear even shorter so I tend to layer clothes on my top half. I will find a top longer and in a slightly darker shade to the one I want to wear and wear that underneath. This shortens my torso and by definition elongates my legs.
My boobs
I'm a flat-chested girl (normally flatter than this as I am still breastfeeding here) and there have been occasions when a chicken fillet filling was needed to give me some bulk on top.
My hips
Although skinny, I do have a bottom and thighs-saddlebags by another name. I don't look great in jeans-cut trousers in a thin fabric because they look too clingy. I am better off in trousers that are floaty or else cling over the bottom and go straight down from the widest part.
My legs
They are short, even though I am tall. I suffer from bad water retention so thick ankles are a permanent feature. My calves are chunky and my thighs are bulky. So I hate wearing skirts and dresses, and if I do wear either it will be over a pair of trousers so I can disguise where my bottom ends and my legs begin. In winter, boots are a godsend.
"I despise simplicity. It is the negation of all that is beautiful" Norman Hartnell
You need to look at your body. Not every woman benefits from over-the-top dressing.
"Don't believe that the only way you can feel better about yourself is by losing weight or cosmetic surgery. You can change how you look today by learning how to show off your best assets and disguise the ones you don't like."
In the same way that a stone foundation is the basis of a building, underwear is the source for creating a well-clad body. Not only do they make or break a look, good bras and panties can also radically change the shape of your body.
You may think it extreme that a humble pair of underwear can ruin an outfit. But think of Jennifer Lopez's butt, and the airtight clothes she encases it in. If her butt were kept cozy by a nice pair of comfortable knickers that didn't ride up her crack or leave room for a nasty draft between the waistline and her top, the smooth, rounded globes wouldn't be gouged by flesh-eating elastic.
Similarly, bras hold (quite literally) a girl's appearance in their cups. An astonishing 70 percent of us are wrecking our clothes with an ill-fitting brassiere. Just because it is worn underneath, its relevance, like underwear, is shunted down to the end of the style chain. It's tempting to think, "Who cares? No one is going to see it." Ah ha! Not so. These undergarments can often be spotted through fabric, and if they are not, then the impression badly fitting underwear makes on flab most definitely can.
A lady we dressed recently was a case in point. Partial to a friend's clothes, she accepted all things including her B-cup bras, into which she gleefully compressed her E-cup tits. The result was misshapen breasts that increased in number from two to four and looked fat instead of sexy.
Your underwear is particularly important if you are looking for Mr. Right. Most women think that underwear has to be either sexy or supporting - you can get underwear that is both. Likewise, if you are having a crisis of confidence, an easy way to feel desirable again is to invest in sexy and supportive bras and underwear. And for those women going through menopause, it helps to reupholster your body, rather like you would a tired old sofa!
If you are human and female you will have graying white cotton, frayed elastic, skin-digging wire poking out from bras and stained gussets littering your underwear drawer. These cannot stay. All need dispersing to the big underwear graveyard in the sky. What you require, girls, is SUPPORT and SHAPING in all areas that have given in to gravity.
The older you get the more responsibilities you have, be it kids or mortgages. Money to burn on clothes becomes less. Surplus income should be spent on a sensible wardrobe that lasts. Well, what's the point if your tits are down by your ankles and your pock-marked arse bubbles the material of your trousers? If you want to feel good, you HAVE to fork out for excellent underwear. Your hard-earned cash is far better spent on bras, panties and reconstructive fortressing than a cute top from Marc Jacobs.
Underwear, like all fashion, can fall foul of trends. There was the time when women were encouraged to burn their bras. God forbid. Then Calvin Klein came in with the compromise T-shirt bra that did nothing other than obscure a nipple or two. During the late sixties and early seventies, underwear was pretty much discarded, a rebellion not only against the opposite sex but also against the constricting fifties that had us entombed in whalebone and elastic strong enough to mend a broken leg.
Nowadays, specialty panties, tights, all-in-ones and bras are industrially enhanced for the sole purpose of improving our shape in the same way corsets did in the nineteenth century. Underwiring, sucking in and winching may not be the sexiest impact upon disrobing, but it sure makes a woman feel good from the outside in.
We are passionate about the effects figure-forming underwear achieves because it gives instant gratification-it minimizes the hours required in the gym and maximizes the amount you can eat guilt-free.
Blow the diet and exercise regimen and invest in some great underwear.
BIG BOOBS
Being the bearer of large breasts is not all that it's cracked up to be. They can be heavy enough to give you back problems, they make dressing elegantly a thousand times more difficult than if you have small boobs and, contrary to female belief, not all men want to suffocate during lovemaking.
Badly dressed breasts will ruin you. They will make you look fat and they will distort the fine line of tailoring. A big girl's worst foe can be her bra, and as most of you are wearing the wrong size, there is a veritable army out there winning the war against shapely breasts.
Anyone with a D cup upward must realize that a well-fitted bra is the most important item in her wardrobe. Don't be scared of spending three limes as much as you would expect because will not regret it. If you can only afford one bra, make sure it is made in a smooth fabric. Avoid all lace and decoration to broaden the bra's versatility. Underwiring is essential as it will push the boobs forward as well as upward. The jutting action alone will make you visibly lose pounds.
NO BOOBS
There is good flat-chested and bad flat-chested. If you have no tits but are blessed with an immaculate décolletage, like a virgin snow slope on a mountainside, all smooth and unmottled with no lines, you are one of the few flat-chested women who should wear deep V tops.
The rest of us, who don't have unblemished skin and probably suffer from sun damage from our teenage years, cannot. Expensive beauty products won't help either, although they can soften the skin. If you have this kind of skin you really need to ask yourself whether it's attractive enough to be on show or If you should cover up and enhance your shape through clever cosmetic molding.
But that doesn't mean resorting to a bra so
padded that one does not even need to come
up and take a pinch to see the fraud in your
cleavage. There are alternatives.
Continues...
Excerpted from What you wear can change your life by Trinny Woodall Susannah Constantine Copyright © 2004 by Susannah Constantine & Trinny Woodall . Excerpted by permission.
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