Designing for the no waist figure

Continuing on a theme - how to dress for different figure types....and my rant crusade for acceptance of sane body shapes, here's the latest - about the waist.

 

For my star du jour this blog, I've chosen Dame Judith Dench. An English lady who we all probably first saw on "As Time Goes By" on PBS late at night - or at least that's where I saw here, and after that she seemed to pop up everywhere - "M" on 007 series (she's so fabulous there),  Most of these are from the red carpet, so they are clothes that either she picked out or were for her - not costumes from movies.

This is just OK - nothing special.  When a star walks out on the red carpet she should look great, and there are people to help her.  She's not going to the local market to pick up a liter of milk and caught off-guard by the paparazzi, she's dressed to the nines....just to show you that even people in the public make mistakes.

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This expression looks like she was caught by the papparizi, and she looks a lot better...Dame Judi looks fabulous in pants as we'll see.  They lengthen her. She must have legs to her bust or something because it works time and time again.

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I know light colors are fun to wear, but with no shape and the way light projects, it's just real dangerous and here's the reason why.  No shape, she looks like she's wearing a sequined gunny sack, and there are so many more things she can wear (and does) that really look smart.

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She must be smiling cause she looks so good. See what pants do for her.  But there's something else working here.  It's the tunic.  She has it open and a low-cut camisole under it.  The long lines of the tunic open and particularly how it hits her decolletage is very lengthening which helps her look much slimmer.  Also black recedes, white projects...she's not anything but a wall flower here - she looks stunning.

One of the many things I like about what she wears, is the detail.  All of her clothes seem to have great attention to details and detail ornamentation or effects.  Shows great care in her selection of clothes.

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Again with the long scarf, long tunic and pants...there's no Ms. Frumpy here...very smart looking, even though I wouldn't have picked green for her, she looks very smart and well put together.  Another feature of what makes this work is her rolled up sleeves.  She will frequently wear 3/4 length or rolled up sleeves.  This keeps the tunic (which is large to start with) from looking frumpy or over-bearing.

Try this sometime...you have a large jacket, tunic, top or whatever, and it's long-sleeved.  Now pull up the sleeves to just below the elbow or a little lower and you will be amazed at how much more sophisticated you'll look.  OK - so it's 12" of snow outside, obviously this won't work.  But when weather permitting, try it.  I will often get a couple of rubber bands to put at the cuff area and push my sleeves where I want them and the rubber bands are lost in the folds of the sleeve and keep the sleeve right where I want it.

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She does so well, and then boom - back to frumpy dress.  The shawl is just too much, where's her waist?...where's her beautiful, long legs?  Gone.

 

Oh yikes....no more light colored dresses.  Love the detail...it's beautiful...imagine how much better this would look 3/4 sleeve length, and if the tunic was shorter, and a little more shaped to her body.  She really doesn't have to look this shapeless.

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See - with her right color - trademark scarf, long tunic, and great pants and killer shoes...she's off.  Very well done.  Good color - lavender and it makes her look glowing.

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I just love her as "M" who you do NOT say noo to her - EVER - even with double 0's!

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Wow!  This has everything...starting from the top - the great feature around her neck and face to take away from the no-waist bod.  She's got sort of a lace trimmed tunic with a collar on it, and the whole effect around her neckline is terrific.

Then she's got on either large balloon type pants or a to-the-body skirt and this works on her.  It's probably chiffon and just falls straight which works.  Anything too full, and she's toast.

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But my favorite no-waist person is my far Princess Diana.  She was totally beautiful and she was NOT fat.  She worked out compulsively, but genetically she had no waist.  That's why this dress, even though it flows like a dream and I'm sure that's what she loved about it, looks really thick through the waist.  This would work great on Marilyn Monroe, but Diana just doesn't have the waist to do this.

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I think that Diana went through a "princess" phase soon after her marriage, and she wanted to try all those full and exotic gowns and thank heavens she got them out of her hair, but in the meantime, it was really hard to watch.

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And then she got it right.  She has no accentuation of the waist...accentuation is on her thin hips and tall, tall legs and she looks wow!!

 

For people who are dressing for a large bust or shoulders and no waist, the biggest thing to stay away from is that under arm droop.  Do not think that you have to get a size 142 to fit your bust or chest....it's your shoulder you want to fit, and then add that front bust dart...that front bust dart is the space you need not through the shoulder. 

Then keep your jacket, top, blouse uncluttered in the midriff area - that's around the waist and just above...don't let that get too full or too tight...shape it to your body and give yourself a little nip of a waist, but remember fit is NOT skin tight or the buttons popping off.

Consider too, doing a 3/4 length on the sleeve or push your sleeves up holding them with rubber bands or elastic in the cuff.  This is very effective and can go a long way toward adding to your length...it keeps the jacket  or top from looking too frumpy and just too much fabric on top.

A longer tunic with pants is a classic way to look long in length.  A floor length skirt works too, but it has to be close to the body, like chiffon or something with a very loose drape.

Dame Dench is queen of the scarves and things around her neck, and hopefully you can see how a contrasting color long scarf can really add length...and this can be something as simple as a piece of nice fabric that has been edged nicely and then wrapped around your neck...it isn't hard to make one of these things.

 

OK - hopefully that gives you lots of ideas for lengthening and stretching out a "no-waist" body style.

 

Comments

[cidell]

I really really love your posts on these topics because I am hopeless dressing for my type. Meaning, only in the last two years have I had to start thinking about it (as my body has changed). The illustrative photos are great.

[Jean]

Thank you for the analysis of this particular figure type --- very informative. When you look at the photos, it is so obvious what works and what doesn't --- the hard part is taking that same critical eye to the dressing room!

[Ann's Fashion Studio]

I'm also a big fan of Judith Dench. I think she is very beautiful and she certainly looks amazing in a lot the these pictures.

[Nancy K]

Do you think she is using a stylist, because she is ill served if she is. Shame. I don't think that she's even all that heavy, just the clothing is making her look lumpy!

[Shannon]

I've also enjoyed reading these posts. And this one is particularly good as it addresses my thick waist as well. Thanks for sharing your insight.

[Karin]

I love these posts. I am going to send a link to my mom, who feels she doesn't have a waist.

[ClaireOKC]

@ Nancy K - you know sometimes I think Dame Judi has a stylists and sometimes I don't. Often these stars will have a dress in mind and that's it, but sometimes they don't. I suspect they are a lot like us, in that way. Diana, definitely had advice later on in her life, but when she just married, she had little or none.

[Ursula from TX]

Thank you Claire. I will google Princess Diana to see more pictures of how she dressed to suit her body style. Keep these analysis coming!

[Sewgood5]

Excellent advice and analysis. Thanks so much.

[Juliet]

This shop claims Dame Judi Dench as a customer:
http://www.hampsteadbazaar.com/
I haven't been inside as it doesn't seem to be my style!
Juliet

[Jean S]

I too have no waist and long legs, so this was very helpful. And it reminded me of many of Diana's "better" looks, once she got rid of the full gathered skirts.

Rant on!!! :)

[Bunny]

Just want you to know I have really enjoyed this series, Claire. Now if we could just separate Rachel Ray from the stylist that has turned her into Rock and Roll Vampira. That girl is so cute and is being done such a diservice with her current look. Oy,,,,,just watched her cooking show and it drove me nuts, but love the recipes!

More celeb fixes, please!

[girls tunics]

Ms. Antiquated here...very acute looking, even admitting I wouldn't accept best blooming for her, she looks actual acute and able-bodied put together. Another affection of what makes this plan is her formed up sleeves. She will frequently abrasion 3/4 breadth or formed up sleeves. This keeps the anorak from searching antiquated or over-bearing.

[Ab Transform]

In her age "no waistline" type of cloth is the best option. I wish I could look this stunning whet I'll be a grandma.