Something Fitted

Let’s talk about silhouette. Are all of your garments unfitted, poofy, wrinkled? If so, you are presenting an amorphous silhouette and communicating that you’re not really there for yourself. If I see someone whose clothing communicates a kind of boundarilessness, a lack of self-awareness, I hesitate to approach them for anything. I certainly don’t expect them to be a competent leader. That may be an unfair assumption but as you know if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, attire doesn’t work on a rational level: it communicates viscerally and instantly.

Let at least one of your main garments (pants, skirt, top, choose one) be fitted and structured. You should not look like a walking display of floppy fabric. No matter what your size and shape, not fitting any of your garments to you body communicates a disconnection between self and body. Even a belt can do wonders to pull yourself together.

Is your hair floppy and indistinct, flying around in tufts and layers? That’s charming on a 4-year old with bed head but less appealing on an adult. There are thousands of hair products on the market; learn to make a few work for you. The architecture of a good hair cut conveys self-posesssion — it’s not enough to wash and run if the rest of your style is unstructured bordering on unkempt.

Tuck something in, take it to the tailors, put a belt on it, smooth it down, button it up, put a jacket over it, take up the dragging hem, know your form from all angles and fit it with love, pride and self-acceptance.

One Reply to “Something Fitted”

  1. Thank you for this reminder! I am fighting the urge to wear loose, comfy, flowy things … the national news has me feeling pretty down. I want to be cozy and approachable, and I don’t want to be pulling on my garments all day.My fix has been more structured pants with boots and slightly unstructured (but not voluminous) long cardigans. I think in 5 years I’ll look at photos and wonder, “What was I wearing????”

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