It would be rare to find someone who has not stood in front of the mirror and wondered why an
outfit, made up of perfectly good pieces, just doesn’t feel quite right. And naturally, this always seems to happen when you’re already running late, does it not?
For anyone who regularly finds themselves putting on outfits that feel a bit flat, let me introduce you to a concept I’ve been leaning on for a few years now, and one that has genuinely changed the way I dress: proportions. Or, as Amy Smilovic, founder of New York City-based clothing
label Tibi, has coined it: “big/slim/skin”.
Dressing with proportions in mind has absolutely nothing to do with creating outfits that “flatter” your figure. In fact, it can often be quite the opposite. It’s about taking an outfit that feels one-dimensional and giving it more depth – keeping the eye moving and creating balance by playing with shape, volume and negative space.
As Smilovic puts it in The Creative Pragmatist, her book on styling principles, “The concept of Big/Slim/Skin is an easy cheat, an uncomplicated way to remember how to create energy and keep your eye moving around the body, to effect an outcome that is far more compelling than simply ‘looking tall.’ The concept is as simple but not necessarily literal, as it sounds: mix something Big with something Slim with a bit of Skin.”
Here are some quick fixes to common style “problems” using this method…
Your outfit is too one-note
You’ve thrown on a pair of slim-leg jeans, a baby tee, a fitted knit and round-toe ballet flats to head out for lunch, but the outfit just isn’t giving. It feels flat, lacks a bit of flair, and doesn’t visually offer anything that reflects your dazzling personality.
There are a couple of easy options here. First, you could keep the top half as is, because a fitted knit is chic and perfectly lunch-appropriate, but swap the jeans for a full A-line midi skirt and a pair of pointed ballet flats. Instantly, you’ve created more balance by pairing a Slim top with a Big skirt, while the line of Skin through the calves and ankles adds lightness, with the pointed toe adding shape too.
A pair of wide-leg or barrel pants would have a similar effect, bringing a bigger, more interesting shape into the outfit. Pushing up the sleeves of your knit can also add proportion and balance by revealing a little more skin, especially if you decide to wear boots with the pants or skirt.
Your outfit is overwhelming you
In this case, your outfit is feeling too oversized, and this has nothing to do with your body shape whatsoever. Maybe you’re wearing a boyfriend-style shirt with wide-leg jeans and sneakers, and again, the balance just feels a little off.
If you love the look of a big shirt with big pants, there’s no need to change that. Simply swap your sneakers for a sandal or ballet flat that shows some skin at the top of the foot. This also brings in the Slim element by removing the visual weight of a chunkier shoe. Roll up your sleeves too, and you’ve created a more proportionally balanced outfit almost instantly. Sometimes the smallest tweak really does make the biggest difference.
The best thing about this style philosophy is that it lends itself beautifully to experimenting with the clothing and accessories you already own. It’s about trying new combinations and discovering the small styling shifts that can make an outfit suddenly click.
If you still haven’t quite got your head around Smilovic’s concept, keep these examples in mind:
Big: A full skirt, a barrel pant, a bubble mini skirt, a strong-shouldered blazer.
Slim: A single-soled shoe, a narrow pant, a ribbed cotton tank, a fitted blazer.
Skin: Sleeves rolled up, ankles showing, hair tied up, arms or legs out, an extra shirt button
undone.
Have fun playing with – and breaking – the rules, and see if it doesn’t instantly solve myriad style dilemmas.
Amy Smilovic’s book The Creative Pragmatist ($195) is available in New Zealand from Muse Boutique.
Imagery: Launchmetrics Spotlight and supplied.
