The Perfect Jeans - How To Tell The Right Fit For Your Body Shape

Jeans are a staple in many women’s wardrobe. What do you look out for when buying a pair? Is it the fit? the colour? the brand? All these pointers are important but the key thing to look out for is what style suits your body type.

Below are the most common body types and what you need to look out for when buying a pair of jeans.

Top Heavy

This body type is also referred to as the apple. We would rather not classify women as fruits….at least not in this blog post. These are the features to look out for when buying a pair of jeans:

• A wide leg/a boot cut or a flare at the bottom, this will help balance out your top half.
• A straight leg on the  jeans will also work well for your body type
• Whiskered jeans are a good choice for you. Whiskering in jeans refers to the lighter bleached crease lines around the front pockets and hips of some washes of jeans.

Whiskered jeans

• If you have an ample tummy, wear mid rise or high rise jeans. The rise is the length from the crotch to the waistband. High rise jeans are the opposite of low rise jeans aka low riders. They can also be loosely referred to as high waist or low waist jeans. High /medium rise jeans are good because they hold the tummy in. Jeans with thick waist bands also hold the tummy in.
• Avoid low rise jeans because this creates a muffin top where a soft belly pops over the top of the waist band. In Kenyanese, we would probably call it a love handle.
• You can wear low rise jeans, if you do not have an ample tummy.
• Low rise jeans will lengthen a short torso and may add curves to your bottom.

Bottom Heavy

Commonly referred to as pear shape. These are the features to look out for:

• Jeans with a stretch effect, these will create a corset effect that will work well for you.
• If you are short, a straight leg jeans is best. Avoid a flared bottom because this will make you look shorter.
• If you are tall or of average height, opt for a pair with a slight flare or a straight leg cut. Avoid wide flares at the bottom because this might look sloppy
• Opt for jeans with a high or medium rise if you have an ample tummy. You can opt for low rise jeans if you are able to eliminate the muffin top/love handle effect by either tucking in your top or wearing a loose fitting top.
• Avoid whiskered jeans as in the image above. Whiskering on jeans will draw attention to your bottom half.
• Go for a dark wash or a dark colour of jeans, this will create a slimming effect around your bottom half. But if your aim is to show off your curves, feel free to go with a lighter wash or colour of jeans.
• Avoid skinny jeans unless your aim is to show off your curves. Skinny jeans will play up your curves. Flared bottoms/boot cuts will also have the same effect of accentuating your curves.
• Chances are you have trouble finding jeans that fit you perfectly around your waist. If that is the case, you can always have a tailor adjust the waist to fit you perfectly. You can also look out for jeans that have a contoured waist band. This will reduce gaping at the back. You can tell a contoured waist band by checking to see if there’s a seam in the waist band that indicates the waistband was cut on a curve and sewn together instead of being on one piece of fabric.

 Enviably Slim

You are not too curvy and are generally slim&you probably have a relatively flat tummy. 

You are very lucky and most jeans styles would work well with your body type. The key is to wear fitting jeans not baggy jeans. Anything that is too wide at the bottom will overwhelm your frame. If you opt for a boot cut, keep the flare at a minimum.

You are also one of the very few who can comfortably get away with wearing boyfriend jeans. Boyfriend jeans are the opposite of skinny jeans. They are loose and relaxed.

Outfit suggestion: Wear your boyfriend jeans folded up, slip in a pair of heels and wear a fitting top or loose fitting top.

Hour glass figure

You are the envy of many. Your hips and bust are almost of equal size and you possess a narrow waist. The features to look out for when buying a pair of jeans is:

• Look out for jeans with a contoured waist band. This will reduce gaping at the back. You can tell a contoured waist band by checking to see if there’s a seam in the waist band that indicates the waistband was cut on a curve and sewn together instead of being on one piece of fabric.
• Look for jeans that are cut higher in the back than the front. This will ensure that the back does not ride too low when you sit or bend.
• To flatter hips best, choose a tapered leg instead of a skinny one.
• You can opt for a straight leg or a boot leg. If you are short, opt for a minimal boot cut not a very flared one.
• Whiskered jeans are a good choice for you as well.

Other points to consider:

• If you do not have an ample backside, you can go for fun detailed pockets that include noticeable stitching, crystals and flaps.
• If you have an ample backside and your main aim is to minimize it, go for large pockets at the back that do not have too much detail. 

I hope these tips will make shopping for jeans easier!

Feel free to write to us if you have any questions.

How To Choose Clothes That Will Make You Look Slimmer

No matter your size, you can achieve a slim look by choosing your wardrobe wisely. Clever dressing can give the illusion of less pounds. The cut, colour and design of your outfit is important when making your wardrobe choice.

The Design and Cut

If your problem is your midriff and you would like to camouflage that tummy that you wish could melt. Wear outfits that define your waist .Nipped waist jackets that are smaller at the waist and then gradually flare out are a good choice. If you are not top heavy, an empire waist dress or top will work well because this will only skim over your belly without hugging it. Wrap tops, belted tops and tops that have ruching at the front will also hide that bulge. Avoid wearing baggy tops because this will only make you look bigger. The key here is to ensure that whatever you choose to wear is not too tight or too baggy.

Ruched top

If you are bottom heavy and would love to camouflage your hips. The best cut for trousers is those that either fall straight from the widest part of your hips or ones that have a slight flare at the bottom. This cut balances out your hips and creates a slimming effect. Avoid an excessive flare at the bottom and too much detail on the trouser because this will draw attention to your hips. Tapered and skinny pants are not very flattering if you are bottom heavy unless your aim is to show off your curves. Pleated trousers are also not a good choice because the pleats can easily stretch across your hips and this will further accentuate your hips. A line skirts and dresses are your best friend if you are bottom heavy. These work well to balance out your hips.

If your problem  is your arms and your aim is to draw less attention to them, avoid sleeveless tops worn without anything over them. Your best bet is cap sleeves, long and three quarter sleeves.

A variety of the cap sleeve

Colour and Pattern

Dark colours are perfect for creating a slimming effect with black being the best choice of them all. A little or long black dress is a must have for every woman. Accessorize your black dress so that it does not look too bland and you will look less heavy. If you are a full figured woman, wear medium to large accessories. Small accessories will make you look heavier. In this case, accessories include jewellery, handbags and belts.

For very many decades now, fashion gurus have advised women to wear vertical stripes if their aim is to create a slimming effect but new research conducted by psychologists at UK’s York University shows that horizontal stripes make you look thinner. Our advice is simple: experiment. Wear either stripes and be your own judge on what makes you look slimmer.

The Midi Skirt

The Midi skirt….yes, Midi. It’s not a typo. The Midi skirt is a mid calf length skirt that starts somewhere below the knee and ends anywhere above the ankle. 

The Midi Skirt  SOURCE http://heshimavintage.tumblr.com/page/2

It’s an often difficult length to work with and most women shy away from it for this reason. But rocking the midi need not be a daunting task. When worn right, the midi can create a decent, elegant and graceful look. Here are some tips on how to rock the Midi skirt.

1. Shoes  -  the Midi can be worn with most types of shoes but there’s a few general rules to observe which include;

·         If you are short or of average height, wear high heels or shoes that have some elevation. If you are tall, you can wear flats.

·         Wear a shoe that does not contrast too much with your leg colour. Wearing a shoe colour that is almost the same as the colour of your leg will elongate your legs. This is important when wearing a midi.

·         If you choose to wear your midi with knee high boots, ensure the boot covers your whole leg making sure that your leg is not visible.Stay away from calf length boots that will show part of your leg when worn with a midi because this will give you a stumped look.

·         If you choose to wear ankle length boots, ensure the boot fits tightly around your ankle. A loose fit around your ankle will create a sloppy undesirable look.

·         Pumps are a good choice of shoes and will work well even for the office.

·         Mary Jane shoes paired with a midi skirt will work well.

Mary Jane Shoes

2. Length – the key here is to experiment to find out what length of the midi flatters you most. You can have the Midi shortened or lengthened by a tailor. The general rule here is if you are short or of average height, wear a midi that ends where your leg begins to thin out. Despite the general rule, experiment with different lengths to find out what works best for you.
3. Waist definition – when wearing a midi, it is important that you define your waist. This is regardless of your height and body shape. You can define your waist by wearing a belt with your midi skirt or by tucking in your top. A high waist midi worn with a belt will also look very stylish and chic.
4. Combination of colours and prints – If you are still unsure about the midi, begin with a solid coloured midi skirt. This is safe and you are not likely to go wrong with one solid colour. Pair the solid colour midi with a striking top or you can wear the same colour of top with your midi but break the colour up with a belt. If you opt for a striking midi skirt, keep the top simple.
5. Outfit combinations – Wear sleeves that will show some of your arms. Full length sleeves will not work very well with a midi. It is best to wear a sleeveless top, half sleeves or ¾ sleeves. If you opt to wear a jacket with the midi, keep it fitting and short. 

Have fun with the midi!

Make A Statement With Your Own Jewellery

DIY fabric necklace  

Fashion is not just about clothes but accessories as well. Accessories add sugar and spice to the outfit. A little like the icing on the cake, the tomatoes in a burger, the painting on a wall or a bright spot in an otherwise dull day.

Today, I’ll be blogging about how to make your own cool accessories. I used to do this when I was younger and an article that I have just come across has brought fond memories of me making jewellery.

Costume Design

Costume design is so much fun! It’s a little like creating pieces for a catwalk but in this case the runway is a stage in a theatre. The same way fashion designers go wild and expressive when designing their catwalk pieces, we do the same in costume design when creating pieces for the stage. Costumes in themselves are dead but when you have the character dress in them, something magical happens – the costume comes alive.

Here are images of some of the costumes we have produced for stage.

Kismet staged by the Kenya Conservatoire of Music

Click here to read more about the play
The main fabrics used for these costumes were organdy,satins and tafetta. 

Common Wardrobe Mistakes

Even the best dressed among us make what we call ‘fashion faux paus’. Simply put, fashion mistake or what I prefer to call a wardrobe mistake.  These wardrobe mistakes are so common and very few if any are exempt, myself included.

Let’s look at a few common wardrobe mistakes and how to avoid them

Clothes that don’t fit right – Most of us have fallen victim to this. Sometimes the outfit looks so good you ignore the fact that it does not fit right. There is an article that elaborates further on how to tell well fitting clothes http://bit.ly/xOGMNz

Don't wear red on Valentine’s Day – Some opinions from Kenyan men and women.

We were curious about what people actually think about wearing the colour red on Valentine’s Day. So we carried out a very unscientific poll to find out what guys thought of their girlfriends or dates wearing red on that day. The results were quite interesting.