When I heard that my friend, Kathy McFadden had entered into a partnership with Janet Wood and formed Pivotal Impressions, I knew it must be something good. I had known Kathy through previous business endeavors and had always been impressed with her business insights.
Last week we met in Chicago to shoot a segment on their product, Fashion Fit Formula, for the Well Past 50 series, and I am still impressed. These two women have hit on something that’s needed by all of us – a foolproof system for helping us look better in the clothes we have hanging, but unworn, in our closets. They measured me, pinned me, and showed me how to take all of my unworn outfits and make them, not only wearable, but attractive on me.
I have always worn turtle necks to cover up the sagging, chicken-skin neck. They explained that I am only drawing attention to the problem by stopping the eye right where I don’t want anyone looking. They also showed me how elongating the neckline with V-neck tops draws attention away from my neck and focuses it on my face.
They shortened my jackets, narrowed the lapels on my suits and removed jacket pockets to slim my hips. They took my beloved gaucho pants (that my daughter says make me look like a frumpy Jack Sparrow), and shortened them to a length that makes them fashionably perfect for my body.
Even my ultra-glamorous friend, Doris, had her already-altered clothes transformed into more flattering outfits. The whole experience was a real eye-opener. I will never again take an item home that looked great on the mannequin, discover it makes me look like a frumpy Jack Sparrow and toss it in the Salvation Army pile. I will refer to my personal Fashion Fit Formula chart and trot off to the seamstress to have it altered perfectly to my proportions.
Janet Wood explained their theory in an article on Closet Guilt:
Have you ever added up the cost of the clothing that hangs unworn in the back of your closet? The amount of money is scary isn’t it? Yet, I bet you never went into a store and said “Give me something ugly to buy?” No, of course you didn’t. Yet if you are like the typical woman you only wear approximately 20 to 30% of your wardrobe.
It’s time to evaluate your clothing and end Closet Guilt! You need a full length mirror. Take one outfit at a time. Is the color flattering? If the answer is no, evaluate it. Can you wear it with a scarf that would bring a more flattering color near your face? If the answer is no again – get rid of it. You can fix a lot of things but color isn’t one of them.
If it is one size too tight, take it out of your everyday closet and store it until you have lost weight. On the other hand if the item is too large, then examine it closely. Is it made of good fabric? Do you like the style and color? Does it go with other things in your closet? If the answer to all of these questions is yes then consider if the alterations to fix it would cost less than half the price of a new garment? If the answer is no (except for a sentimental attachment), get rid of it!
The hardcore problems are the outfits that have a great color and fabric but you just don’t “feel” right when you wear them. Most likely the proportion is wrong for your body. Compare the unworn clothing to your favorites. What is the same and what is different?
In art class they teach that the perfectly proportioned figure is eight head lengths long. Of course each designer has his or her own standard. For one, the perfect model might be 5 foot 6 inches for another 5 foot 8 inches and so forth. No wonder clothing sizes between designers vary.
In an art class I tried to paint a life size portrait of myself for my mother. I had a friend measure my head, stretched out the canvas and measured out 8 head lengths. The only problem was that the body in the sketch was 5 foot 7 inches but I was only 5 foot 2 inches!
Immediately, I realized that those missing 5 inches were the reason that clothes didn’t look as good on me as they did on the models in magazines. Since figures and clothing have similar math components I set about trying to develop a mathematical formula which would put clothing in perfect proportion for my figure. It took about a year and a half but finally I had it. I knew the exact mathematical hem lines for skirts, dresses, shorts, capris, jacket lengths for me! When I tried the formula on my friend’s measurements it worked for them as well without fail.
Although I didn’t know it at the time, the results of the formula are independent of weight gain and loss. Thirty-five years later, although I am heavier my vertical measurements are the same. After I retired from a successful corporate career, I joined in partnership with Kathy McFadden to form Pivotal Impressions and help every woman look her best through linear proportion. End Closet Guilt forever!
This is a great blog. I have a question that I'm sure is not unique to me. At 52, I am tall and fit, broad-shouldered, small on top, firm derriere and small waist. Must I "tone down" my dressing, wear skirts to the knee, flat shoes, no midriff showing, etc. "just because" I am over 50, even though I have no rolls, bulges etc.?
Posted by: Vashi | May 26, 2009 at 07:16 PM
Vashi --
There is no reason to tone down your dressing at 52, unless you have been dressing inappropriately to this point. I would show off my assets as long as I have them. Just remember to do it in good taste or you will look like you are trying to be a teenager again. I do think bare midriffs should be limited to beach and deck wear, but short skirts can be flattering as long as your legs still look good – and it sounds like yours do.
Posted by: Nancy Nehlsen | May 29, 2009 at 09:09 AM
Thanks for your response, Nancy!
Even as a teenager, I had good taste. As an adult, I have never shown my midriff in the workplace (except in the little gym in the basement). That said, I would like to show a small amount of midriff (3 inches) in public; let's say, a modest cropped top and just-below-the-waist jeans while walking around the shopping mall. I have no spare fat to hang over the jeans, whereas lots of the teenaged girls I see, are muffin-tops. Why would it be OK for them to show their fat rolls in public, while I can't show my midriff?
Posted by: Vashi | June 07, 2009 at 08:43 AM