Fashion 101: Proportions – Featuring Your Best

Posted on | April 13, 2009 | 30 Comments

In this second module of our Fashion 101 on Proportions, we will explore how we use clothing to emphasize the aspects of our bodies we love the most. As we mentioned last week, each of us have aspects of our bodies that we just don’t like and that we try to visually minimize or alter with clothing.

But getting dressed shouldn’t just be about hiding things! Instead, clothes can be used to positively highlight the parts of your body you feel most confident about. Though fairly simple, we’re wondering if this re-oriented mindset will help us clarify why we’re drawn to certain items of clothing already and if there are other strategies we can use to achieve similar effects.

Homework:

For the coming week, we will think about the parts of our bodies that we are happy with and like to emphasize. We will be self-conscious about how we showcase those features and why we appreciate them. If you are reading this, we urge you to make a list this very moment of five things that you like about your physical appearance. No excuses – stop what you were doing and make a list right now. If you would like to share your list with us, leave us a comment, or keep your list private and as a reminder for just yourself. We’ll be using our lists as the starting point for our outfits this week.

A: On Smiles and Appreciating Your Self, On The Obi and the Waist, On Marathon Legs,

E: On The Preggers Bump, On The Best of Bones, On Lucky Locks, On Cropped Garments and Delicate Joints, On Being A Tall Pregnant Woman,

S: On The Shift Dress, On Running and Leg Power, On The Clavicle Bandwagon, On The Insane Mane,

Category: Uncategorized

Comments

30 Responses to “Fashion 101: Proportions – Featuring Your Best”

Diana
April 13th, 2009 @ 5:51 am

Hmm… If I had to pick five favorite things about my appearance, they would be 1) waistline 2) back 3) shoulders 4) bust 5) and my hair. Obviously, I can’t really show off my back and shoulders at work, so I tend to focus on the other three.
Sal
April 13th, 2009 @ 6:03 am

You ladies rock. And you KNOW I’ll play along with this one:

1. Tiny waist.
2. Slender ankles, which are great for those cage heels everyone says are unflattering
3. Unruly-but-personalityful hair
4. Very feminine shoulders and collarbone
5. Damn decent legs, if I do say so myself
LeeHovey (Kendra)
April 13th, 2009 @ 6:13 am

I did my homework!

http://tomboyfashion.blogspot.com/2009/04/academichic-proportions-101-homework.html

Thanks girls!!
13 April 2009 - Above the Belt : academichic
April 13th, 2009 @ 6:31 am

[...] week in our Fashion 101 series on Proportions we’re getting dressed with our “best” in mind. Can you guess which feature I’m highlighting [...]
Clare
April 13th, 2009 @ 6:42 am

Okay, here goes:

1. Tiny bust. I know this goes against everything society has ever thrown at me, but I love my little mosquito bites!

2. My neck and shoulders.

3. Lips and eyebrows. Both are full and untamed.

4. My mane of hair. This would also fall under my “5 things I hate about my appearance” list.

5. My hips/butt. Since we’re not being modest here, they look goood.
MrsRoy
April 13th, 2009 @ 7:08 am

I like this homework- sometimes I forget to focus on the things about me that I actually like. Okay, a lot of times I forget. :) here goes!
1. neckline/collarbone- feminine and great with wide collar tops
2. junk in the trunk ;) it’s just the right amount!
3. height- I’m with Kendra on this one that 5’6″ is my perfect height and I like it. :) You don’t look super short in flats, and you can wear heels without towering over ppl.
4. hands- I’ve always liked my hands for their delicate, long fingers and great nails- ppl always say I have “piano player hands”
5. lips- perfect plumpness

I feel like such a bragger!! :) But trust me, the list of things I hate is probably longer. I like this list better!
evanadine
April 13th, 2009 @ 7:40 am

(1) my eyes. gray-blue and a very unusual color.
(2) my curves. my body may not be “my” perfect size, but i love that no matter what weight i am, i’ve got curves.
(3) my breasticles. i always say that i wouldnt mind if they were a wee bit larger, but really, i love my boobs. i’ve got enough to show off if i want to, but they’re small enough to hide away when i need to.
(4) my booty. i get many-a-compliment on it. ;)
(5) my freckles. i know so many people with freckles who hate them. i see article and advertisements aimed at getting rid of them. i LOVE my freckles!
Emily
April 13th, 2009 @ 7:41 am

This is homework I can get into! Lord knows we all spend enough time making lists of the things we hate about ourselves. Here are mine:

1. My really, really long & thin legs
2. My multitude of freckles (some people think they’re unsightly, I think it makes me unique)
3. My arms- they’re really long and thin too, but I like them
4. My nose- it scrunches up when I laugh
5. My neck- it’s long and lean, like a giraffe!
S.
April 13th, 2009 @ 7:50 am

I’ve been loving reading your lists this morning, keep ‘em coming! It’s so great to celebrate what we love instead of always bemoaning what we wish were different – reading your “homework” is putting a smile on my face for all of today!

Also, I just want to add that I LOVE freckles! I always wanted freckles, love them on others (my fiance is very ‘befreckled’) and I have about five under my eyes that I am thrilled are there!
angie
April 13th, 2009 @ 7:56 am

This is a worthwhile exercise and one that was tackled twice on our forum. It makes for a lovely read:

http://www.youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-works-well-for-you?replies=39

http://www.youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whats-your-favourite-part-of-your-body?replies=21

I’m going to make a HUGE statement and say that I like my body in its entirety because it works SO hard for me daily, especially during times of stress. To single out five parts would make me feel bad about the other parts!
13 April 2009 : academichic
April 13th, 2009 @ 8:20 am

[...] week we’re thinking about, showcasing, and discussing our best features. This is a worthwhile exercise to do on a regular basis, since we tend to hone in so [...]
April 13 2009 : academichic
April 13th, 2009 @ 10:06 am

[...] week we are focusing on our best features, so today I present you my hight, my collar bones, and my hair. I am tall, 5′9, and I love [...]
Sara
April 13th, 2009 @ 11:23 am

I love this compliment to last week’s thoughts on proportion! You’ll keep me thinking again this week – thank you in advance.

For me, my five are (and yes, this was far more difficult to think of than the five things I don’t like so much about myself):

1. My calves.
2. My eyes.
3. My shoulders (especially when I’ve done yoga regularly).
4. My hips.
5. My hair (especially now that a bad haircut is just about grown out).
Cosmo
April 13th, 2009 @ 1:03 pm

I did the homework and posted it on my blog: http://bluecosmostyle.blogspot.com/2009/04/fashion-101-proportions-featuring-your.html
e.
April 13th, 2009 @ 2:00 pm

I’ve loved reading these, too! If we were actually style professors we would be handing out lots of “check pluses” or maybe even smiley faces. (I had a professor once who would draw a smiley face with TEETH when he was extra pleased with your work). Thank you, all, for sharing your lists.

And I have to say, I am delighted that there are so many folks who are also proud of their collarbones!
A.
April 13th, 2009 @ 3:07 pm

I’m with E. and S. and am loving reading these lists today. They are so wonderfully positive and have made me smile over and over today!
Canadian Lawyerista
April 13th, 2009 @ 5:24 pm

Homework completed!

http://canadianlawyerista.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-friends.html
what i like about me. « Oh Honey. No.
April 14th, 2009 @ 5:02 am

[...] it telling that, tasked to write a “what i like about my body” post ala academichic, i sit here for half an hour drawing blank after [...]
14 April 2009 - The Best of Bones : academichic
April 14th, 2009 @ 6:05 am

[...] I could not have been more thrilled that so many of our readers listed off their collarbone as one of the body parts that they love most about themselves. I, like A., am particularly proud of these sweeping bones. In fact, in the early days of my [...]
14 April 2009 : academichic
April 14th, 2009 @ 10:00 am

[...] week we’re focusing on what we like about our bodies, and one thing I have always liked about my body is my legs. I have always loved wearing skirts and [...]
15 April 2009 : academichic
April 15th, 2009 @ 7:09 am

[...] we are celebrating our proportions this week, I also have to say I really like the way the obi/belt emphasizes my waist. The Traveling [...]
Camille
April 15th, 2009 @ 5:41 pm

Wow, I would never normally do this, thanks for assigning! And thank you sick day for permitting the time! By the way, I love your blog, you stand for so many things I admire!
I like:
1. Collarbones- they poke out no matter what my weight is!
2. Athletic calves, I hate the top but love the bottom! Running gives you great legs!
3. Waist: I have a tiny waist, always defined
4. Height: I am short, almost 5’4 and I love wearing heels or wearing flats to be the small girl
5. Eyes: They change colors with what I’m wearing and I never know if I’ll get green or blue, it’s fun to dress for the eyes!

Thanks again ladies!
17 April 2009 : academichic
April 17th, 2009 @ 12:15 pm

[...] week is coming to an end and so is our “feature your best” module. However, I hope that that the idea behind this module will continue on – that we here at [...]
17 April 2009 : academichic
April 17th, 2009 @ 12:52 pm

[...] also imitating S’s sentiments about her legs from earlier this week. For my last post of our “featuring your best “ module, I am happy to say I love my [...]
16 April 2009 - Traveling Scarf Edition : academichic
May 10th, 2009 @ 6:27 am

[...] week we’re also showcasing the features we like about ourselves (instead of talking about camouflaging or mitigating [...]
Academichic Year One: A.’s Top Ten : academichic
January 14th, 2010 @ 9:08 am

[...] of the reason I selected outfit # 8. I wore this during our Fashion 101 on Proportions when we celebrated our best features (in this case, my strong running [...]
Lavanda
April 11th, 2010 @ 1:25 am

I’ll share my list:
1. My behind is small and good shaped
2. My legs are skinny and long enough
3. My bust is ok, it’s small but well shaped
4. Eyes – my favorite feature – they can be blue or green (if I am wearing green)
5. My wrists – they are narrow

Wondering how can I show of my butt.. especially with not so narrow waist and back.
Coming Soon: Dress Your Best Week! : academichic
May 4th, 2010 @ 5:43 am

[...] When we tried this experiment last year, all three of us were surprised by how empowering such a simple mental switch could be. E. dressed for her baby bump. A. dressed for her calves. S. dressed for her hair. Although our outfit choices may not have changed that much visibly, the act of getting dressed and articulating why we chose what we did had a significant psychological and emotional effect. And so we want to try this again, and we want you to join us. [...]
Hannah Bergren
May 7th, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

1. My eyes
2. My waist
3. My long legs
4. My toes (they’re cute!)
5. My collar bone

This will be fun to do. I’ll even be home after finals to have time to think about it! Yahoo!
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