7 April 2009 – Curvy Lines, originally uploaded by academichic.
Sources:
Turquoise cardi – Gap, years ago
Leaf print top – H&M, remixed
Black trousers – Target maternity, remixed
Pointy toe flats – Target, remixed
Orangey-brown hair color – courtesy of being pregnant.
End Notes:
The main problem I have with maternity pants is that they, by necessity, have to sit far lower on me than I would normally prefer. The lower rise (often with a stretchy panel that needs to be concealed) means that my shirts have to also be longer, a fact that initially caused some angst for long-torso-me.
Two tricks I’ve recently figured out, though, and will probably continue to use post-baby, is the long monochrome line approach and the blending cami strategy. I’ve found that if I can create a long, lean line of color from my torso through my pants, my legs will appear longer and balance out my top. The simplest way, of course, to achieve this would be to wear a black top, black pants, and throw a brighter open cardigan or jacket on top. But, since our Pattern Mixing Module, I tried to follow the same principle but with a black and white print. Because the vines on this top run vertically, they keep your eyes running in a smooth up and down.
Another trick I’m trying today is to let a little cami show. Wearing a very long black cami underneath the printed top covers the stretchy maternity band, giving me the illusion of a valuable inch or two in the rise. A higher rise, means a longer leg line and, again, a seemingly shorter torso. This may not be the most elegant solution, but imagine how bifurcated I would look if I were wearing, say, a white cami underneath.
OK, for one, I am amazed that such a meticulously thought-out outfit can look so effortlessly chic. And for two, I adore you forever for using “bifurcated” in a post about style.
Your statements on the cami makes a great point. I have a long torso as well as long legs which is sometimes really difficult to work around. It’s sometimes hard to dress without accidentally making one of my two parts seem much smaller. This also means that if I dress in one color, the long torso and long legs will suddenly look miles longer, and that gives a much different but equally disturbing illusion. I have found that by allowing a different color cami to sneak out from under my shirt, it breaks up the two portions of my body giving them each definitive lines. I have lived in colored longer cami’s for years now and the ‘ let it peak out’ philosophy has served me well for so long.
I have to agree with Sal that this outfit definitely has the effortless chic look. I love that leaf print top. I wish Florida had H&M.
It’s amazing how you still barely look pregnant at all! Of course from the side it’s noticable but from a frot shot, it’s almost completely undetectable!
Lovely, as always :)
Obviously I meant front shot. Whoops!
I agree, you look so put together with so little effort. I never looked this good pregnant!
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