THE ART OF STYLE

Where small things make a big difference!

I know I was a little late to the party so I binge watched the Netflix series ‘Halston’ over the weekend. Halston was a US designer originally famed for his millinery skills, creating hats for Jackie Kennedy and the like. Once the hat became outmoded, he needed a new source of income so turned his talent to creating women’s clothing.

One of his first designs was a bright blue, kaftan-like dress with a huge, bold, abstract print centre back and front. Scrutinising it via a full length mirror, both he and the model knew something wasn’t quite right. Suddenly, the model grabbed her long brown hair, twisted it into a tight bun at the back of her neck and secured it with a pencil. Voila! It looked amazing. A collection, and the Halston name, was back on the map.

Not having much hair I obviously don’t have to worry about whether or not I wear it up or down. For those that do, how you wear your hair can make a huge difference to the overall success of the outfit. It’s not totally related to casual versus formal, though that comes into it. It’s more to do with proportions. If hair is worn really long, it can cover the shoulder line which reduces its width. If it’s worn up, tucked behind the ears or left loose down the back, the shoulders are enhanced. The same rule applies if you straighten rather than curl your hair. Try it out in front of a mirror. It creates a completely different aesthetic.

I own numerous garments that, to the untrained eye, look pretty identical. However, each of my dozen or so black polo neck sweaters has its own unique characteristics in that the length, width, texture, fabric, weight and colour saturation all differ. No individual sweater pairs successfully with every pair of trousers, jeans or skirt. I marry the length/width/texture of the upper garment to the shape of the lower one until the overall effect I want is created. Sometimes I need a longer length and a straight silhouette. Other times, short and wide is the key. This attention to detail pulls what I am wearing up a notch so it becomes stylish and more refined. This is also the art of proportion. If I get it wrong, I can look plain scruffy!

When any artist prepares to create their masterpiece, they invoke a range of compositional tools which include:

Colour

Line

Scale

Proportion

Space

Focal Point

The final result might be like Kandinsky’s bright, bold, dramatic abstracts or something calmer like Whistler’s compositions in greyish hues. When we get dressed we are inadvertently doing the same thing. You may not think of yourself as an artist, but you are, or at least you can be. So, let’s quickly look at the other aspects.

Colour can attract attention if placed correctly. I always wear red lipstick so people look at my face. If I’m not feeling great, I’ll wear red shoes instead. It works. Red has the longest wave length so we see it first - hence the use of red as the STOP in traffic lights. Placing colour strategically enables me to provide a focal point. It’s where I want you, the viewer, to look. You can also use accessories in the same way. Placement is key.

Line represents silhouette and/or pattern. I’m really lucky as I have a combination of two body types - inverted triangle on top with pretty wide shoulders (which I love by the way) but also a waist and hips - bottom half of an hour glass. Over the years, I’ve worn many silhouettes. Sometimes in vogue with the current fashion. Others with what feels more comfortable. At the moment I’m embracing a straightish line but that could change at any time.

Many of us moan about finding jeans. The common belief being that everyone else goes into a store and immediately locates the perfect pair. Wrong! If you want the right jeans, you need to be prepared to try on a zillion pairs. You are pursuing treasure, and it’s pure gold when you find it. Jeans were originally made for men who have no hips, so changing the straight silhouette/line of a garment, manufactured in a stiff and unyielding fabrication, to encompass a curvier bodyshape can be tricky to find.

Petite figures often need some skin on show to look their best. 3/4 length sleeves, cropped trousers, shorter hemlines. Although I’m a little too tall to be considered petite, I do have short legs. If I wear one colour way throughout, I find I have to do the same or I appear swamped. Creating some visual space this way breaks up the whole and makes it more pleasing to the eye.

Scale relates to the size of the pattern, the accessories, the weight/texture of the fabric. Generally speaking if you’re small choose small but, again, this is personal preference. Dramatic dressing will require a clash somewhere. Space can also be created in the pattern. Is it busy or randomly spread? Personally, I don’t like pattern. The only one I ever wear is a stripe and, even then, not often. I prefer simple, easy dressing and block colours give me that.

At the other end of the scale (forgive the pun) is one of my friends/colleagues. Suzanne is an expert at creating a vast array of unexpected clothing choices. Take a look at the expert way in which she does so here:

Suzanne Dekyvere

It may appear that Suzanne’s clothing is randomly thrown together. Believe me, every outfit is curated with the artist’s principles at the forefront of her mind. Each one will have an individual style rhythm that holds it all together. Sometimes colour. Other times pattern or scale, or maybe all of them at once. This is why they are all such masterpieces.

Of course not all of us will want to dress in such a dramatic way. This is why I am comparing and contrasting the two of us. My personal Style Statement, ‘Simple with a Twist’ inspires my artistic vision when standing in front of the mirror. Have I captured it in this outfit? If not, what needs to happen?

I cannot draw a straight line - even with a ruler - and I hated art at school. Learning the art of styling my wardrobe, however, has given me the greatest joy imaginable. Give it a go. Perhaps you’ll find your inner Picasso!