Pattern placement makes or breaks

This post will challenge you to identify the best version of a printed garment for your colouring & body shape based on how a print is placed on that garment. 

When you buy high street, usually the print pattern is placed differently within a style & within a size.

Why? Because doing it this way they use less fabric instead of waiting for the pattern to repeat on the fabric roll before cutting more units.

Expensive garments can afford to use more fabric to place the pattern in a desired spot for each size within the style and even between sizes.

Pattern placement will affect where the eye goes when you are wearing the loot. That means it will affect whether you look taller, shorter, thinner, fatter etc. 

Does the eye go to your face? your waist? your arms? your hips? your legs? north- south? east-west? diagonally? where else?

What do you want to highlight? What do you want to hide? Does the pattern work with you on this or against you?

The colours near your face should be the best colours for your complexion. This one is not negotiable. Ever.

SIA has photographed 11 of these tops with a view to having you assess which is the best for you and which is the worst.

You don't have to like the top or its pattern to do this. 

If you want, do it imagining the print in your best colour, then in your worst colour. Also consider the background colour.  You also need to consider the pattern & its placement waist down. 

Don't worry about sleeve lengths, neckline widths, hem lengths or whether it's lop sided on the hanger. Just focus on the pattern placement of the front.  

The best way to handle this is to compare the first two. The winner is then compared to the next one on the list. The winner here is compared to the next one. And so on, until an ultimate winner is found. Then do the same to find your worst pattern.

The beauty of this is that there is no copping out. Because every print placement is unique, you cant say that they are the same. There has to be a winner & a loser.

This is really important stuff - if you want to be well dressed, it's in the 101 category. 

Meghan Markle in Karen Gee

It's no secret that in the past SIA has given fails to most of Meghan Markle's outfits. 

It's always the fit that goes wrong - she doesn't seem to have any alterations to her clothes, unlike Kate, Mary or Melania. 

The latest Karen Gee white dress is no exception. 

There are two big picture things wrong with the Karen Gee dress. And I haven't even started on the midi flatters no one. 

1st - a rectangle body shape will never find her best look in a straight up & down sheath. Even if it had a belt, the answer is the same. A rectangle body will look like a rectangle in a straight up & down sheath.

2nd - the fit is very poor.
It is rippling & bubbling all over at the slightest move she makes. That and/or she is wearing bad foundation garments. 

Personally I think that it is too big for her, but that's just a theory. 

In the past when her clothes haven't fitted her well, in a dark colour it's hard to notice. But in light shades like white - everything stands out. 

This is a big fail for SIA. 

It looks marginally better with the trenchcoat because the skinniness is hidden but when you have to cover up the figure, it's not the best pass in the world either. 

The back split

On another note, the dress is $1,800 being made with the Karen Gee Premium fabric. Fair enough. But the back split is edge to edge. These splits are quite easy to split. A better split would be the overlapping one. 

So what could have been better?

A dress that has interest at the top & the bottom, creating a waist. The interest can be with colour, print, a dark contrast, pattern, zips, buttons etc. A boatneck or a fit & flare style could have also detracted from her rectangle style. If she wanted a sheath, then a Roland Mouret style with curves & flounce would have been a big improvement. 

SIA cannot comprehend who dresses this woman. 

Tents flatter no one.

Let's assume your goal is to look taller & slimmer. 
I am not suggesting that's a good goal or a bad goal.
It's just a goal. 

Secondly, this post outlines some general rules. There are exceptions. However if you think you are the exception, you may not be. Exceptions are rare. 

If your closet is full of these types of clothes & you want to lose weight, then get out there & change your shopping strategy. 

Assuming that taller & slimmer is your goal, all these pieces are not your friend. 

SIA calls it fattening fashion. 

It was randomly selected at a Sydney TK Maxx. All except the orange is made in Italy & either silk or linen. In theory lovely pieces but maybe not lovely on the body which wants to look slimmer.  

1. Stripes

The myth: Only thin women can wear horizontal stripes. 

The reality: When you are carrying extra weight, you may not need to avoid horizontal stripes in the area of extra weight. Just make sure they are narrow in width & not highly contrasting. 

If you are carrying extra weight all over, then don't highly contrast the horizontal stripe area with the rest of your body. 

2. Peasant tops

The myth: Peasant tops look good on women carrying extra weight.  

The reality: Yes it may be pretty, but all it does is hide what's underneath. Like a tent. Tent looks are never flattering. 

Notice the curved lines, the gathers around the waist/bust area & the general fullness? Tent. Tent. Tent. No. No. No. 

Your best bet is fabrics with body which skim not cling your form. 

3. Loose flowy dresses 

The myth: Not sure what the myth is here.
The reality: The best way for a loose flowy dress to be flattering is to fit at the bust & to flare out below it. Like an A line. 

Loose & straight up & down is never flattering if you are carrying extra weight. 

4. Big flowers on a loose flowy dress.

The myth: Big women should wear big prints.
The reality: Not if the overall look is a tent. 

This dress has raglan sleeves (which are easier to fit & cheaper to make, but make you look more rounded) & a high neckline (not great for a big bust). It also has an up & down cut. An A line which starts under the bust would be mush better. 

You can still engage your passion for florals with a more structured garment which skims not clings. No tents please.  

We want cheap but we don't want to look cheap.

Importance of this post: Very

Sydney's Double Bay has always had at least three designer recycled stores, for at least the last 30 years.

Very crowded, loot often not just a few years old, but dated (even though they all claim to only accept loot younger than 2 years) & overpriced (but able to price that way due to pre internet & the isolation Aust had when it came to getting good loot).

A few years ago, a new player emerged - Appartamento 57.
This place looks like a boutique. No pre love here. They dont just list high end brands & hope they arrive. Their base brands are Balmain, Gucci, Prada, Lanvin, Chanel, Dolce, Wang, Stella, Dries, Bottega & the like. To fill some gaps, they have J Brand or Rag & Bone, Vince, Moschino etc. 

Here's the kicker. Or two of them.

1. The prices are reasonable for the quality. Very reasonable. 

2. The loot looks new. It took me some very close looks to find signs of wear on many leather items and clothes & I notice every detail. 

They also have some artwork & housey things - all exquisite. 

Now this isn't a plug but feel free to look at their Insta page. 

SIA saw a sterling bracelet (hinge & screw closure) for $225. It was exactly the kind of thing my wrists love. Unbranded but heavy, solid, etched, good size. 

Here is the strange bit. I was in there wondering whether I should spend $225 on this thing.

WAKE UP CALL SIA. 
THE ANSWER IS YES. 

Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten & this thing was so stupidly cheap anyway. 

Plus when you wear something out of the shop, it's a real give away that it was the right decision to allow it to follow you home. 

But here is the good bit. 

A few days ago, I landed in a suburban David Jones in the clothing clearance area. I walked out with a scarf, a few blouses (Wite), a tee (Ping Pong) and a couple of (duplicate) shirts in the DJs home brand. 

I look at this photo & cringe. Seriously. What was I thinking even if Ms 925 hadn't come into my life. 

Buying hauls is fun, eh? Unless you do it in a refund for change of mind umbrella, it can be more painful than fun once the high has worn off. 

1. All this loot was "nice" but I bought it because it was cheap. When you are price driven, purchases rarely turn out to be your best because you compromise on quality because it's cheap. 

2. I would have never considered buying any of it at full price.  That's the other test - don't waste your money on anything you wouldnt have been prepared to buy at full price. 

3. Plus I already have much nicer versions of each of these things. So if you already have substitutable items which you would love more, then leave it at the shop. 

4. Basically, if you buy just "nice" you end up with a pretty ordinary closet. Anything you buy needs to look fabulous. Nice doesn't cut it. Don't get me started on "it'll do". 

I hear alot of you are scared to apply this standard to your purchases because you are afraid you will never find anything amazing. Keep looking. It will find you & you'll know instantly. Kind of like the romance stuff. 

So I took everything back, tipped the bags on the counter & asked for refunds. $260. The whole time I was looking at my bracelet smiling. 

BECAUSE WE WANT CHEAP BUT WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK CHEAP.