To me you can't beat shirt/blouse but have you ever though they are just not for you... Well I am here to show you 6 different shapes and colours and patterns and highlight some rights and wrongs and how you may have been wearing the blouse wrong all along, or choosing the wrong silhouette for you! Blouses are perfect in today's world, they can be worn as a formal need for work, or on a night out to look a little more sophisticated with the girls in town, with jeans or trousers as a casual day wear, you see they are so versatile and the possibilities are endless and they are especially perfect for women who have 2 different sizes for top and bottom. I asked last week what some of you guys wanted help with and a blouse can be a resolution to those problems!!! If you are not one sized ie top heavy or bottom heavy, you can buy two separates to fit perfect and with a few of my tips on what colours flatter you more and how you can draw attention away from the bits you want to hide, or even create the illusion of the perfect fitting dress, I really think the blouse will be a staple piece that you will grow to love when you next shop again, especially online. You will hopefully be less daunted by seeing 1000 different blouses and no longer be overwhelmed at the choices and start to enjoy looking for the perfect style that suits you and your physique.
A blouse is a timeless classic and as much as fashions change and I'm a big lover in trends and also loving vintage and mixing the two genres together. With the added cherry on top of your personality in accessories and extras to finish the look off, buying the perfect blouse may be an investment piece that you can dress up or dress down and that will last for many years to come. All you will need then is a few new accessories each year and an open mind to vary your bottom half and add current trends and lt will be a piece you will use for a long time to come.
Before we begin take the time to look at your shape here's 6 shapes I've divided your body into, pick the closest to you, but remember if you are a mixture of 2 that's OK because it's only the top we are focusing on for now!!!( keep the other half in mind for later) I’ve shopped on line and took 6 pictures of me in blouses- some work for me and others don't! But that's OK, I want you to see good and bad looks. Don't forget we are all very different and this is just a basic guide, I may suggest a shape that you hate but with this simple guide to look at, it will hopefully open your eyes to buying a better fitting garment that is the better shaped blouse for you. We all get lessons on the perfect jeans but many women stress about not what only to wear on the bottom but what to wear in top and as most people look at you these days on zoom calls from the waist up I want to help you with your worries and help you find your perfect blouse!!!All these blouses are available at Asos and vary in price from £20-50, I tried to keep it in a budget that suited the majority!!
1. The coral puff ball sleeve. This blouse isn't for every one's taste, but Unless you’re really short and average height or above, this blouse is great for most body shapes and certainly makes a statement. Coral is really big this year, its less vibrant than it was a few years back and is a nice warm tone that works gorgeous with coral tone make up. As a red head I don't often like corals on me, but this I was loving and especially the fact my makeup that day complimented it well and the shape worked wonders for me. For me that doesn't actually have a naturally synched waist and has to dress accordingly to create one, it worked great in my skirt as it broadened my shoulders more and give the illusion of a slimmer waist, creating and nice hour glass curve. The collar was a classic neckline and fitted beautifully over my bust and despite most women liking an open blouse top this for me needed to be high buttoned, to create a crisp clean silhouette with the linear of the buttons going vertical, elongated my torso and made me lest bust and creating an illusion of a longer leaner look. Top tip…. Be sure to get the right size, if you are having a shirt or blouse buttoned to the collar, make sure there is no gaps in the buttons or it will draw attention to the eyes and distract in professional meetings- there is nothing worse than busting out of a blouse and if you always have this issue no matter the size you may need to go for a blouse that is all one piece at the front or has a low v.
2. The yellow blouse.... Shape wise this is perfect for anyone who is on the athletic looking taller side and smaller chested with a straight long frame that you want to break up and create the illusion of shape. If you’ve ever been called lanky or you resemble a sporty tall athlete this is a great shape for you. This top is not great for women with busts and if your top heavy or chesty I would avoid detail that adds a ledge to make the material drop off and look more like a sack, than a nice silhouette. The colour is a great shade for most especially in yellows that can be difficult to wear, but remember if it's not the colour I'm showcasing this here more for the shape. If this shape works for you, you will be able to find this style in other colours at other shops that suit you better. if you’re a red head yellow tones can sometimes make you looked washed out compared to blondes and brunettes that can suit certain shades well. if your red hair is bright orange and vibrant it may clash but having a tan can help that or a bold makeup look and a mustard tone works great.
3 black v neck blouse.... There is a massive miss conception with bigger ladies to not wear fitted tops, it is so wrong and in cases where you top heavy and sized differently or an apple shape with issues hiding your tummy and want to create a waist, this top is perfect for you. It's equally as perfect for our petite ladies just be mindful on petite ladies that the shaping is perfect, but find a blouse a little shorter so not to cover your waist and be sure to show off your petite frame, whereas ladies who are taller or want to hide a tummy this longer length is perfect to cover that tummy area. Now with a nice high pair of spanks and with its elastane material and wrap around belt, you can create a waist and hour glass shape and with a good bra, hike those boobies up and make a nice cleavage!! If it is too revealing for work you could always wear a base layer in a matching or opposite colour underneath, and that would make the look varied and more Conservative look should the day need it. This material is also great in cotton for those ladies who may sweat in usual blouse material and less like likely to show marks. Top tip-if you see a shape you like and don’t like materials, be sure to find other material options. Be sure to try it on in the correct size as the look may vary dependent on the material. It may not look the same and can hang very differently in different materials, so don't be too disappointed as some styles are just made for certain materials to sit right.
4. Sheer animal print… Now this is a classic shape that works well for most physiques as long as you get the right size and right tailored silhouette to suit your bust and waist measurements, but I added this as I wanted to make a point about patterns and material and how they look. As much as see through is gorgeous and cool, so is the garment see-through, and should you not have the right under wear it can certainly look tacky and not at all a great look. Be sure to have the right under wear and My tip to any lady tall short slim or plus, get a great body shaper, especially with blouses as it adds that extra smoothness where some silks and delicate materials can be less forgiving. Also, if you invest in a nude one then you can wear it under any colour unlike white not being great under black and vice versa. Pattern certainly plays a big part in enhancing shape and flattering a women, but that is a whole other blog about colour and pattern! but for me, where colour and pattern is concerned unless it is something that you know doesn't work, if your classic blouse fits perfectly and you’re in the right size and you love it and you have accessorised right and most importantly it make you feel good about yourself and you look in the mirror and LOVE what you see, then wear the colour and pattern with pride, and enjoy the compliments!! As your smile radiating that day will say it all and means more than any stylist or colour chart!!!
5. The classic v neck white blouse… Now v neck is a different neck line than your usual classic collar and for those who don't like a button up and feel too busy to wear a button up or don't like it, a v neck is a great alternative, in respect of a blouse I always like the rule in most styling if you get your cleavage out, don't risk the blouse being too fitted to enhance the bust shape too much unless it’s a night out, as for work purposes too much cleavage may be inappropriate in some work environments. Also, as that's where some bustier women can go wrong, also too tight and it can look too much, and too baggy can look like a night dress- so again get the right sizing. I'm top heavy and smaller bottomed so for me white isn't the best choice for me on top as white can make you look heavier, so if this is your issue maybe opt for black, grey or a dark colour as it is more flattering. If your slim and want to look bigger busted on top wear white with ruffles and pockets and detail. if your wanting to look slimmer opt for a darker colour blouse. Also, the same technique applies if you have very slim try a white or lighter skirt to make your bottom look bigger and with the dark top and light bottoms will become balanced creating the perfect two-piece harmony, and vice versa if your bigger hipped and slimmer top wear dark on the bottom and white on top. Also, if a blouse has a matching skirt it's a great way to create a dress as you can always buy your top and skirt in different sizes that fit perfectly and by adding a waist belt that will create extra waistline.
6. Fitted shirt with tassel neck… Now for me this is a no no, the spots weren't too bad and if I'm honest maybe made this blouse look better than if it would of been plain as that would of shown everything but the dots did disguise a lot for my bulges i like to hide in my shape, but it’s funny that all these blouses were a size 16 and this was the same size but bursting at the seams. you see that's why trying on is important and knowing your shape and what works for you!! Don't take sizing as gospel, it isn't like it used to be, and from having the shop we learnt that a lot, especially how sizing from designer to designer differs greatly. I like to go off measurements or again try on, and in cases like blouses or jeans I often get a pair in 2 sizes and return the other. Also, this high neckline does nothing for me and just creates too much fuss near an area I want to attract less attention, it also pops open as its too small, maybe a bigger size would look better, but then there is a chance an 18s would be too big and un flattering. it does have good features with a tailored fitted waist and detailed shouldering which creates an hour glas shape and This would be perfect for petite or taller slim ladies who have no bust and want to create curves, the fitted detail will really synch a slim waist and create one, as well as the shoulder detailing creating a wider top and then with the slimmer waist would make the ultimate ideal shape. The neck a chief detail will cover up a flatter bust and add draw more attention to that area, making it especially ideal for those who have long necks- this is a great shape to break up your decolatage.
I hope this blog has opened your eyes a little and next time you go to a store you'll be more confident to buy a blouse, plus now be more confident to shopping online and knowing what to look for as you can type in the style name and in the Google bar go to shopping and it will take you to a variety of shops selling a particular, shape, colour, material and size. Online shopping has massively progressed and to some its daunting but it has been a necessity this year and as much as I hope the high street cones back, the future predicts we will be going more and more online in the future. So now with this blog I hope it helps you have more confidence when blouse shopping!!! I aim to offer more tips especially how to shop online- you will have a happier experience surfing the Web and if the weather's bad, get your feet up, wine in hand and shop at your own leisure without even having to leave the house!!
If you’ve enjoyed this don't forget to visit our website where there will be more blogs and tips and should you want help identifying your particular wardrobe and shopping needs, I offer personal Shopping experiences and personised styling services where I can create style portfolios especially for you and your life style, with makeup and hair tips to give you the full overhaul. Right now, we are offering a FREE 20 MIN CONSULATION and for all style packages booked in spring are HALF PRICE (buy in spring and you have 6 months to book your package, (should covid lock down happen don't despair we will honour bookings and they will get extended for the months we are closed).
Happy shopping!!!
Kommentare