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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1988)
Unlocking a good wardrobe requires self-sensex By Debra Wilt Staff Reporter Are you afraid to open your closet door each morning because the boogie man has been known to warp your wardrobe overnight? Well, that boogie man may all be in your head, literally — at least in \ your fashion sense. A wardrobe ill-suited for your figure and lifestyle can be fixed eas ily if you understand some basic fashion principles, three Lincoln fashion experts said. The fashion industry has some thing for all shapes, sizes and life styles, said Rose Marie Tondl, cloth ing specialist in the department of textiles, clothing and design at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Understanding your personality and lifestyle is necessary to under stand your personal style, said Gcrdi Heath, independent image consult ant for Beauty For All Seasons. Hu<uii 5aiu iumcs cnangc as styles change. People need to adapt their style to reflect these changes, she said. The hardest part of finding an image is knowing your body. Look at your body in a mirror from all angles to understand your shape. You then can determine if yc i fit into the angular, curvy or aw rage body cate gory, Heath said. Most people, Heath said, fit into the average height and weight cate gory. These people have the easiest time finding clothes to fit, but their si/c also sel Is out the fastest, she said. Angular body types are tall, slen der and long-boned. Curvy body types are more rounded. Carol Mehlhoff, professor of tex tiles, clothing and design at UNL, said you should dress to accentuate your figure assets, not your figure flaws. For instance, Mehlhoff said, if you’re larger on the bottom, use l scarves or a pattern on top to draw attention to your face instead of your hips or stomach. Balance is the important word to keep in mind when dressing or shop ping for clothes, both Mehlhoff and Heath said. If you are big-boned and larger all around, small accessories and prints will be lost on you and won’t be flattering, and the opposite holds if you have a small figure, Heath said. When buying clothes, look for comfort and a good fit, Mehlhoff said. While high heels make the legs look longer and leaner, comfort may be lost if they arc too high, Tondl said. People with a slight stomach bulge, Heath said, should avoid tight clothes and high waistlines. Non fi tied sh i rts also cover up round stom - achs, she said. Keep fabrics loose if you are overweight, both Heath and Mehlhoff said, so you can move and sit with case. Roomy sleeves not set in the shoulder give more room for the larger-framed person and add full ness to the thinner person, Heath said. Another garment that can cither create or minimize fullness is the double-breasted jacket, Mehlhoff said. The placement of the buttons adds width, she said. The experts said color analysis is becoming more popular. More people arc seeking color analysis to help them look good and to coordi nate their wardrobe, Heath said. “Color gives a psychological comfort as well as pleasing our aes thetic sense,” Mehlhoff said. But, she said, you should wear colors you like, de spite your body type. Mehlhoff said it is better to let the style of the garment slenderize or add fullness rather than to wear a natter ing color. -- Tondl agreed. If you like a color, it probably looks good on you, she said. But Heath said it is important to choose colors that enhance your col oring. To find those colors, you must either have an analysis or ask a fash ionable friend to help you experi ment, she said. Heath said people fall into one of the four season color categories. Spring and fall people have a warm, golden skin tone, she said, while winter and summer people have darker hair and eyes, and cool pink or blue skin tones. Generally, Heath said, spring people look good in brighter colors, while the summer palette pales those tones down. Fall people look best in neutral browns and beiges, and win ter people look best in black, white, red, navy and gray, Heath said. Heath said having a color image analysis will save you money because you will buy clothes that you know will look good and will match other pieces of your wardrobe. She said it is easier to buy less but get more en sembles out of a color-coordinated wardrobe. Mehlhoff said color coordination is essential if you don’t like to take a lot of time getting ready in the morn ing. Many outfits can be put together quickly because you know the colors match. Mehlhoff said colors can work together to combine into a new en semble. Clothes do not have to look prematched, she said. She suggested experimenting with mixing and matching colors. “Choose one basic color,’’ Mehlhoff suggested, “and work l around that color to develop other aspects of the wardrobe.” You can use value contrast, where one color or part is emphasized to detract from a figure flaw, Mehlhoff said. Many garments already in your closet can be updated simply by adding accesso ries or changing a garment detail, Tondl and Mehlhoff said. The next step in taking a closet inventory, Heath said, is to place all your clothes into piles marked “yes” for clothes you wear all the time, “no” for clothes you never wear and “maybe” for clothes that do not r match anything else or arc for special occasions. From there, Heath said, sort them into colors and discard all worn-out and poorly fitting clothes. She said this lets you know what you need to buy. Then you can begin to experiment to see what styles look best on you. “Forget about what New York and your friends say — wear what looks good on you,” Heath said. If you like the new shorter skirts, but arc not quite sure which length is right, Tondl said, look at your age and position. See IMAGE on 8 ---- Look and tool perfec tlv beautiful in our gowns, robes, teddies, s//ps. and odier intimate apparel. Use nur —Bridal Registry— for a special gilt1 4724 Prescott Ave. 489-4724 So Many Fabulous Diamonds, Such Fantastic Prices! GREENTREE COURT SUITE 319 210 GATEWAY NORTH LINCOLN, NE 68505 (402) 466-6747 ’’Like having a friend in the Diamond District”