Etiquette Boss: Shake up your wardrobe

WARDROBE ETIQUETTE FOR LADIES – Part 1

Flatter Any Shape: The four basic shapes of a woman’s body are defined as: apple, pear, hourglass and rectangle.

•An apple-shaped woman is said to have an ample bust and a thick mid-section. The challenge of the apple-shaped woman is to create the illusion of a defined waist or to take the eye away from the waist area.

Create balance below the waist by selecting Empire or A Line shapes. By cinching under the bust, the eye is drawn upward and the dress skims over the waist line.

V necks are also the most flattering because they elongate the upper body. Suit jackets should button a little higher than the natural waist, and the length of the jacket should skim the top of the hip bone; long jackets do not flatter the apple shape.

•A pear-shaped woman usually has a defined waist, but her hip is one or two sizes larger than above the waist. Such a woman might need a size 14 bottom but a size 12 top. To create the illusion of symmetry, the upper must be emphasized and the lower area de-emphasized. Pear shaped women should wear light colors on the upper body and dark on the lower.

Use wide necklines, frills or any style that widens the neckline.

Avoid pinstripe shirts or anything above the waist that draws the eye down.

Use straight leg or boot cut jeans; skinny jeans draw attention to wide hips.

A-line skirts that are narrow at the top and flared at the bottom are ideal.

YOUR BEST APPEARANCE: – Avoid Décolleté Wrinkles

Our décolleté area is one that easily shows wrinkles, yet many women do not pay much attention to it. Sleeping on your side is one of the primary reasons for wrinkles in this area. The weight of one side of the body upon the other night after night wrinkles the face as well as the chest.

If the area is already wrinkled, take one quarter teaspoon of vitamin C powder in three tablespoons of distilled water. Use a cotton bud to apply all over the chest, neck and face. Wait 10 minutes and apply a moisturizer of your choice. Results should be seen within two weeks. Decollété pads for sleeping are also available online.

Phillipa Morrish is the president of Etiquette Training International.