[Nebraska-students] An article on fassion

[Karen Anderson]

I was reading this month's issue of the Braille Monitor, the magazine
published by the National Federation of the Blind, and I came across
this article. I have always wondered about these things, so I thought
I would pass the article along to all of you.
The whole magazine is an excelent read, and its a great way to keep up
with what we are doing on a national level. You can find this month's
issue at
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm10/bm1001/bm1001tc.htm
Here is the article on fassion.

Looking Good without Looking
A Guide to Personal Style for the Visually Impaired
by Linda Zani

>From the Editor: This article is unapologetically aimed at women,
though men can certainly gain valuable information by reading it.
Linda Zani is a member of the NFB of New Jersey. She serves on the
board of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children of New
Jersey. She has designed and made her own clothes and a line of
jewelry called Sparkle Brilliant. Linda’s daughter Marisa is multiply
disabled and lives with her parents. Last year Linda conducted a
fashion workshop at the New Jersey convention. It was very popular, so
she decided to put some of her useful tips down on paper. The
following article is the result. This is what she says:

Introduction

As a blind person you will have much more success in becoming a style
and fashion icon than a sighted person. Oh yes, you heard me
correctly. Vision can be misleading and in personal style just plain
confusing. You see, we sighted people copy the fashion sense of those
we admire, and this can really get us into trouble. Just ask one of us
and we will give you a litany of fashion disasters, from dressing like
Madonna to copying that popular girl in class who looked absolutely
nothing like us to begin with. Chances are you look different from
other members of your family, your friends, your fellow workers, or
your classmates, and one of them wishes she looked like you. Trust me,
having vision causes us to make lots of errors when we aspire to have
the image of someone else instead of accepting and celebrating the
physical gifts we already have.

Discovering and embracing your assets is the cornerstone of your
unique style and image and will give you great self-confidence to
become the best you can be. Being assured in your personal style helps
others see you as smart, self-disciplined, a good decision maker, and
someone who pays great attention to detail. Hmmm, sounds like someone
who has a great social life and an excellent career—a real go-getter.
As you become more comfortable in your skin, your self-confidence
increases, putting others at ease, leading to better personal
relationships. Your decision-making and attention to detail will help
you land that job or promotion. Cultivating your own personal style is
a discipline that will benefit you in all areas of your life.

In this article you will learn:

•What looks best on you.•How to choose fashions and trends that fit
your personal style.
•How to determine what colors suit you best and how to use color to
convey your personal style.
•How to master shopping tips, tricks, and resources.
Ready? Come along with me for a style ride to looking good without looking.

Linda Zani Thomas is the mother of Marisa, a multiply disabled diva
who rocks her signature color “butter yellow” as often as she can.
Linda would love to hear stories of your personal style journey and
will answer your questions at <lindazani at aol.com> or at (201)
314-8045.

Step 1: Find Your Natural Shape

For this all-important first step, you will need a measuring tape and
a sighted person to read it or an adapted tape measure (tactile tape
measure available at the NFB Independence Market, <nfb.org>, or at
independentliving.com). Measure yourself in your underwear.

You will also need a small notebook and scotch tape for this and the
other steps. This notebook will become your personal stylebook. Jot
these numbers down in your stylebook so you will have them to show the
salespeople when you go shopping.

You will need to record five basic measurements:

•Circumference of your shoulders. Measure from the outer edge of one
shoulder around until the ends of the tape measure meet at the
beginning.
•Circumference of your bust and circumference underneath your bust.
Measure at the fullest part of the bust and then again just under your
bust, over the ribcage. The first measurement gives you your bra size,
and, if you subtract the second measurement from the first, you will
get your cup size. An A cup is a one-inch difference, a B cup is two
inches, and so on.
•Circumference of your waist. At smallest part, above the navel.
•Circumference of your hips. At the fullest part of your hips.
Now for the fun part—determining your body shape and figure type.
There are five basic body shapes:

Hourglass: Bust and hip measurements are about the same, with waist at
least 25 percent smaller. This shape is the most balanced figure type.
Personal style goal: not to throw your look out of balance.

Linear: Bust, waist, and hips are all about the same measurement.
Women with this body shape tend to be athletic looking or thin.
Personal style goal: to add the illusion of curves.

Upper Curvy: Shoulders or bust is the widest part of the body.
Personal style goal: to balance the upper and lower figure proportions
by minimizing the upper figure or maximizing the lower figure.

Middle Curvy: Bust and waist are about the same measurement and are
much larger than the hips, or waist is the largest measurement.
Personal style goal: to minimize the waist and balance the upper and
lower figure proportions.

Lower Curvy: Hips are the widest part of the body. Personal style
goal: to balance the upper and lower figure proportions by minimizing
the lower figure and maximizing the upper figure.

Step 2: Determine Your Clothing Size

Now that you know your measurements, you can determine your clothing
size. Note—you may be two different sizes, one on top and another on
the bottom. What follows are typical American sizing charts to help
you get started:

misses sizes

size
 x-small
 small
 medium
 large
 x-large

0
 2
 4
 6
 8
 10
 12
 14
 16
 18

bust
 32
 33
 34
 35
 36
 37
 38½
 40
 41½
 43

waist
 24½
 25½
 26½
 27½
 28½
 30
 31½
 33
 34½
 36

hips
 34½
 35½
 36½
 37½
 38½
 39½
 41
 42½
 44
 45½


women's sizes

size
 1X
 2X
 3X

16w
 18w
 20w
 22w
 24w
 26w

bust
 43½
 45½
 47½
 49½
 51½
 53½

waist
 37
 39
 41
 43
 45
 47

hips
 45½
 47½
 49½
 51½
 53½
 55½


Step 3: Choose the Right Silhouettes for Your Shape

Now for the fun part—choosing garments that give you the right
silhouette to balance your figure or, for hourglass-shaped women, to
keep you in balance. Here are some basic do’s and don’ts:

Hourglass: Fitted clothing looks great on you. Floaty tops are fine,
but make sure they are fitted to the small of your back to emphasize
your waist. Wear flat-front pants and skirts to keep a smooth line.
Color trick: dark bottoms and lighter colored tops. Cropped tops, boxy
miniskirts, short pleated skirts, crewnecks, dropped waistline, or
empire waistline dresses are probably not going to work for you.

Linear: Create curves with floaty, ruffled tops. Shoulder pads work on
you, as do jackets that cinch the waist and flare at the hip. V-neck
and scoop-neck tops work well on you. So do belted looks. Your goal is
to emphasize your waist in order to create a middle curve. Boxy,
straight tops and dresses and fitted, spare tops are probably not best
on you.

Upper Curvy: Your tops should contain minimal details; tunics look
great on you. One-button jackets, long dusters and swing coat styles
work well on you. Fit and flare skirts will work for you, as will
wearing dark colors on top and brights or prints on the bottom.
Lightly fitted sheath dresses look beautiful on you. Avoid pencil
skirts or tops that are too fitted or tight.

Middle Curvy: Wear tops that skim the body and do not tuck them in.
One-button jackets that reach your hip are a good choice, as are tops
with U-, V-, or scoop necks. You will find belts difficult to wear.
Try wearing light colors on top with darker colors on the bottom or
monochromatic dressing (all shades in one color family). A-line,
empire-fitted sheath dresses work well for you, as do flat-front,
bias-cut skirts.

Lower Curvy: Balance your figure with boatnecks and cap sleeves—bell
or flared sleeves are probably not best for you because they add
volume when your hands are by your hips. Jackets and tunics should
cover your derriere—shoulder pads are okay as are lightly fitted
shirts. Boxy, double-breasted, or bolero jackets will probably not
work on you. Tight tops with no structure will throw your figure out
of balance—especially short tops. Flat-front, flared-leg pants are a
good choice for you, as are A-line and wrap dresses. Avoid tops and
dresses with empire waists. Try light colors on top, dark on bottom.

Experiment with what looks best on you. Then cut out and tape your
do’s and don’ts sheet in your stylebook to help you find your best
fashion styles quickly when you’re shopping. Most large departments
stores like Macy’s, Lord and Taylor, and Nordstrom have personal
shoppers who will work with you within your budget at no charge—and
they mayoffer free alterations, including hems, on regular-price
items.

Step 4: Choose the Perfect Outfit for Each Occasion

What styles say about you:

Before you attend your next meeting, go to a job interview, or head
out with friends or a date, take a moment to consider what you want
the outcome to be. How do you want to be perceived? How do you want to
be remembered? Then dress accordingly. My own tip is that, if the
thought even enters your mind while you are getting ready that maybe
you should wear something else, listen to the thought. Change your
outfit.

Control the message
When you feel confident and dressed right for the occasion, you
control your message even before you open your mouth to speak. There
is much truth in the old saying that you only have one chance to make
a good first impression. The sighted make a judgment call on vision
alone right from the get-go. The fact that a visually impaired person
can nail that first perception with excellent wardrobe choices will be
impressive!

Your choice of color can also bolster your image: experts suggest
wearing charcoal gray or dark blue for a job interview, red to stand
out when taking a leadership role or speaking in public, baby pink to
be irresistible on a date, and ivory to project a feeling of serenity
when hosting an event. For expert fashion advice read The Look by
designer Randolph Duke. Not sure what to wear? Contact me, and I’ll
help you decide. It will be my pleasure to be your personal style
consultant: <lindazani at aol.com>.

Step 5: Finding Your Best Color Palette

Choosing the right colors to wear is as important as finding the right
silhouettes for your figure. You can’t have one without the other to
look your best. Color choices say a lot about the wearer, and, just
like clothing silhouettes and styles, they telegraph to anyone with
sight a lot about who you are. Seeing colors creates a different
emotional reaction and assumptions in the viewer. It’s important not
only to wear the colors that are most flattering but also to wear
colors appropriate to the message you want to convey about yourself.
Here is a list of colors and the emotions they elicit:

Red—excitement, confidence. Red draws attention to itself and stands
out. If red were a scent, it would be a blooming rose or cinnamon. If
it were a sound, it would be Pavarotti holding the final note of
“Nessun Dorma.”

Yellow—happy, bright. Yellow also draws attention to itself. If yellow
were a scent, it would be a lemon. If it were a sound, it would be
Mariah Carey singing her highest note. Light yellow is a soft color
and would taste like lemon custard.

Blue—serene, fresh, peaceful, spiritual. In its warmer tones, blue can
be calming, and invigorating in its cooler tones. If blue were a
scent, it would be the ocean. If blue were a sound, it would be
rushing water.

Green—friendly, welcoming, relaxing, natural. If green were a scent,
it would smell like mint or freshly mown grass. If you stand still in
the woods in the summer and listen, that is the sound of green.

Purple—regal, sophisticated. If purple were a scent, it would be
fragrant lilac. If purple were a sound, it would be a saxophone.

Orange—happy, welcoming. If orange were a scent, it would smell like
an orange or an apricot. Orange feels like sunshine on your skin.

Light pink—gentle, feminine, soft. If light pink were a scent, it
would be baby powder. It feels like a feather on your skin. Bright
pink or rose is happy and feminine. It would taste like strawberry
jam.

White—pure, heavenly, angelic, honest. If white were a scent, it would
smell like clean sheets when they come out of the dryer. If white were
a sound, it would be a breeze.

Ivory—warm, sophisticated. If ivory were a scent, it would be vanilla.
If it were a flavor, it would be vanilla custard or dulce de leche.

Brown—warm, earthy, sophisticated. If brown were a scent or flavor, it
would be warm chocolate cake. Brown sounds like James Earle Jones’s
voice.

Black—serious, mysterious, intense. If black were a scent, it would be
incense. Black feels like the night.

Gray—a sophisticated, elegant neutral. It conveys quiet confidence.
Gray feels like a cashmere pillow or a fine mist on your skin.

Determining Which Shades Look Best on You
Each color has both warm and cooler versions or shades. Warm colors
have a bit of yellow to them and work best on women with warmer skin
tones. Cool colors have a bit of blue in them. To determine which ones
look best on you, it is helpful to determine which category you are
in, warm or cool.

Step 1: Hold two necklaces, one gold tone and the other silver tone
against your face. If you cannot see your image in a mirror well
enough to be sure, ask someone you trust which color is more
flattering. If you look better in gold, your skin has a warm tone; if
silver, your skin has a cool tone.

Step 2: Let’s break it down further. According to a great book called
Life in Color by Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo, those with warm coloring
can be divided into sun or earth groups; those with cool coloring are
divided into moon and star groups. You can determine which of these
groups you belong to by holding up two different colors to your face
in natural light and choosing (or having someone whose taste and
judgment you trust choose) which looks best. These colors correspond
to Benjamin Moore paint swatch colors 2020-30 Sparkling Sun and
2169-30 Oriole for those with warm coloring, and 2061-60 Little Boy
Blue and 2062-30 Blue Danube for those with cool coloring. You can get
paint chips at any Benjamin Moore store to do this exercise. The book,
Color Me Beautiful calls these groups winter, spring, summer and fall.
Some salespeople may be familiar with those terms, so I have listed
them below as well.

2020-30 Sparkling Sun: Sun/Summer
Suns look best in clear tropical colors with a yellow base such as
saffron, coral, and apple green.

2169-30 Oriole: Earth/Fall
Earths look best in rich, deep hues with a yellow base like berry,
moss, chocolate, and deep teal.

2061-60 Little Boy Blue: Moon/Spring
Moons look best in light, clear blue-based colors such as strawberry,
sky blue, lavender, and pink.

2062-30 Blue Danube: Star/Winter
Stars look best in rich jewel tones with a blue base like ice blue,
true red, and ultraviolet. Black looks best on Stars.
Once you’ve determined your color group, your best bet is to choose
colors with either warm or cool tones that are in your color palette.
Another thing I like about Life in Color is that the authors have
removable color chips by group in the back of the book. For those
without access to that book, don’t despair. You can hold scarves or
pieces of material of different colors up to your face to determine
which colors look best on you. Once you have a pile of color swatches
or scarves that look great on you, you can bring those items in to the
paint store and have the manager scan them into the computer to
determine which paint colors correspond to them. Here’s where your
stylebook comes in handy again. Tape your paint color chips or
swatches into your stylebook to guide salespeople at your favorite
clothing stores. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can take a
snapshot of any item and use the ColorCapture application from
Benjamin Moore or the ColorSnap application from Sherwin Williams to
translate them to paint chip colors.

Streamline Your Wardrobe with Your Personal Signature and Basic Colors

The best way to build a wardrobe is to choose one or two basic colors,
called “neutrals,” to showcase your silhouette and form the building
blocks of your outfits. Neutrals are grounding and calming; certain
neutral shades will work best for your color palette:

Sun/Summer
Suns look best in medium, warm brown; chocolate brown; and ivory.
Grays are probably not ideal for you.

Earth/Fall
Earths look best in brown hues with a yellow base like chocolate or
camel or medium light khaki. Medium or light gray and olive green are
probably not a good idea.

Moon/Winter
Moons look best in cool grays and dark navy blue. Beige and brown
colors are not good for Moons.

Star/Spring
Stars look best in cool medium to dark gray or bright white. Beige,
mustard and olive green will probably not work for you.
Suits, skirts, and pants in your basic colors will form a base for you
to pop your tops and accessories with your signature colors. This is
the fun part. Your signature color is whichever shade in your color
palette (Sun, Earth, Moon, or Star), not a neutral, that gives you the
most joy and makes you feel just right. It will be the color or colors
that make you look the best when held up to your face and that fit
your personality. Do let me know which is yours.

Step 6: Streamlining and Organizing Your Closet

First some basic tips:

•Unless it is a formal outfit of some kind, if you did not wear a
certain item at all last season, give it to a friend, take it to a
consignment store, or donate it.
•If an item is stained or hopelessly out of date, make it go away.
•If an item is not flattering because of fit, silhouette, or color,
get rid of it.
Now you are left with what looks best on you. You will probably need
to go shopping to fill in the gaps. You will also need to arrange the
items in your closet so you can match them correctly each time. Some
tricks to try are:

•Hang garments frequently worn together as outfits. I am a real
proponent of Huggable Hangers, available on Home Shopping Network and
at hsn.com. These velvety hangers enable you to fit more in your
closet, and the cascading hooks can be used to hang multiple pieces on
one hanger. They also have many great storage and organization ideas.
To hear a video presentation of Huggable Hangers, go to hsn.com, click
on “home solutions,” then “Joy Mangano,” then any Huggable Hanger
picture and go to the video.
•Hang metal Braille tags on the hangers so you can tell the items by
color. Use different labels for basic neutrals and signature color
pieces.
•Keep all like items together. Always return the items to their places
after wearing or washing.
All-Important Undergarments

•Correct fitting bra, with style to match the straps and top design of
your shirts and dresses.
•Panties that do not show panty lines.
•Hosiery and or/ shaping garments such as Spanx to be worn under
knits, etc., to smooth out your lines.
Linda’s Modern Wardrobe Basics for All Ages

These items will take you through your errands and leisure time:

•Jeans, 2-3 pairs: black, dark denim, white.
•Tops: building-block and signature-color solids, a couple of prints.
•Jackets, shrugs, shawls in your signature colors and silhouettes.
•Shoes/boots: building-block colors (2), signature color (1).
•Handbags (2): building-block color, signature color.
•Jewelry: in building-block and signature colors.
Add these for working gals:

•Suit, 3 pieces if possible: skirt, pants, jacket in building-block color.
•Dresses: in building-block and signature colors and prints.
•Dress shoes: in building-block colors.
•Dress coats, long and short: in building-block colors.
•Briefcase: in building-block or signature color.
•Hats, gloves, scarves, shawls: in signature colors and prints.
Jewelry: in building-block color and style, use signature color in
work-appropriate style.