Horizontal Lines

Learning that almost 27,000 of you have subscribed to my newsletter was a thrill. Sharing lessons learned is the purpose of this site. It might be shopping for the basics you may wear hundreds of times or eating a lunch that makes you feel your best. Over the years, I’ve completed numerous courses, read many books, and studied the styles of countless different women so that I could share tips and tricks that are never just my opinion. The first 2024 tip I want to share is also one of the first I learned.

Horizontal lines on the body draw the eye.

Avoid placing a horizontal line at your widest part. This could be hips if you’re a pear, middle if you’re an apple, shoulders if you’re an inverted triangle, mid-bust if you have a large chest, etc.

The 1/3 to 2/3 rule gives the most pleasing proportions to the eye. Adding the belt to define the waist and changing to a black tank gave me 1/3 on top and 2/3 on the bottom. Adding the open gray cardigan accentuates the most flattering column of one color.

Higher rises with shorter tops and jackets draw the eye upwards and lengthen the legs. Shorter torsos benefit from longer jackets/tops and lower rises to lengthen the body.

The same rules apply to footwear, so avoid lines or edges at the widest part and know that shoes that end lower down the foot will lengthen your leg. Round toes are more casual, square toes look wider, and pointed toes elongate.

That’s one of my favorite necklaces since it gives me a pleasing V-shape over a crewneckline. The necklace is here, and you can get $10 off when you use the code SAS10.

Where your sleeves finish is an easy way to manipulate your leg length visually. Shorter sleeves visually lengthen the legs. Petite women always benefit from getting the sleeves shortened to the wristbone. I nearly always turn up my sleeves and often wear one color from top to toe to look taller and to create the illusion of longer legs. Another tip from the look above is to partially tuck in your sweater so that the hemline is closer to your waistline than your hips.

Notice where the clothes start and finish and use it to your advantage. In this last example, I untucked the sweater and added an open shirt over it in a longer length. It is okay for a very casual look, but you must admit it makes my legs look shorter, and I look heavier.

I’m wearing black ponte pants over eighteen years old in all these photos. The gray merino wool sweater is at least five years old. The denim shirt is about three years old. The cashmere cardigan is two years old. The round-toe dark gray shoes are my house shoes. I’m telling you all this because I wanted to prove you don’t have to keep buying new things. You can use what you have in endless ways if it is classic and basic in neutral colors that flatter you.

The cute flats with the buckle are here. The heels are here. Similar items are linked: Pants – Sweater – Shirt – Tank – Cardigan – Belt.

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