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Clothes Economy The word out there is that we are in a recession period. For some it seems to be a sit-tight period, like trying to wait out a storm. Others will cash out all their stocks and try and put their money in a sock, so to speak. The number of jobless people is growing, which brings about a lifestyle change. All of a sudden, food, heat and other necessities of life become a priority over entertainment, vacations, and many other enjoyable activities. We now realize that for many people freedom 55 is not a reality and working as long as possible is becoming a necessity. Actually, that is not a bad thing, so long as a person is well enough to do so. It may involve an interesting career change, and keeping one’s mind and body occupied may actually prolong your life. The need to stand out With the times as they are, the competition for decent jobs can be overwhelming. Employers can afford to be choosy and they are. Every article we read about going to job interviews mentions three critical things: have a good CV, be mentally prepared, and be well dressed. In this article I want to talk about dressing well and minimizing the cost. Fashion meets math A few years ago, my partner Terry Lee and I had the good fortune to meet a woman who had developed a formula for her own use and those of her friends. At the time we met her she had decided to share her invention with as many as possible. When it was described to us, we were totally impressed. We were already well equipped to help people to understand which colours and styles of clothing suit them best and, in the case of women, to know the basics of makeup application, etcetera. Now we would have a formula that would help them ensure their clothing was in proportion with their bodies, accurate to an eighth of an inch. The woman we met is Janet Wood — mathematical genius, lawyer, businesswoman and mother — who was frustrated by never having her clothes fit properly. Janet set about finding a mathematical approach to determining how clothing could be made to properly fit a woman’s body, regardless of her height, weight or shape. Just for interest, I’ll mention the Fibonacci sequence of numbers, which is found throughout Nature, and Leonardo Da Vinci’s Theory of Perfect Human Proportion. Da Vinci said a human body that is perfectly proportioned is the height of eight heads. When Janet measured her head during an art class and then proceeded to draw the eight heads on a canvas, she discovered that the body on canvas was five feet, seven inches tall. Janet is just five feet, two inches tall. She then realized that it was all about proportion. Everyone is proportioned differently. Two people of identical height can have entirely different measurements for arms, legs, neck, waist and back. Only a very small percentage of the population is perfectly proportioned. But clothing manufacturers make clothes to fit a perfect standard, so for most of us they need to be altered. The challenge Janet undertook was to discover a formula that would allow her to take 12 “pivotal point” measurements of any body, feed them through the formula and receive as output a personalized guide containing all the critical measurements for different articles of clothing (long skirt, short jacket, etcetera). It simply lets people achieve their optimum look by knowing where each item of clothing should fall to bring their clothing into proportion with their body. Because the 12 measurements are all vertical, it is independent of weight loss and gain and lasts a lifetime. Stay with me, men, there really is something in this article for you. Applying new knowledge Taking into consideration the reason for this topic, it is now more important than ever to give ourselves an edge over the competition. Whether it’s in trying to advance in an existing job, getting into the job market or just wanting to be the best we can be, it all starts with image, so clothing plays an important role. (Remember: “by looks and acts and what you say, your image is left behind.”) The really important thing for these recessionary times is that many of us can start our next shopping trip in our own clothes closets. Women Studies tell us that, on average, women wear only 20 per cent of their clothing. The rest remains at the back of the clothes closet creating closet guilt. You bought the items because you liked them but each time you wore them you were not able to function at your best — there was something wrong but you didn’t know how to fix it. Your personalized guide will allow you to examine each item and, if the colour suits you and the style is not too dated, you can change the whole look by having the garment modified. Needless to say, this new knowledge also applies to shopping for new, as well as consignment, items. Men As with women’s clothing, men’s off-the-rack clothing is made to certain standards and only very few fit into these standards. I have had the experience of trying to listen to a man speak on a very important and interesting topic but being so distracted by his look that I couldn’t even compliment him on his talk because I hadn’t really heard it. What I was seeing was a man wearing a colour that did not suit him and did not project confidence. The suit didn’t fit properly and the shirt and tie were sending out anything but the right message. A situation like this accents the importance of personal appearance to effective communication. The men’s formula provides correct lengths for different items of clothing and that topcoat that so often fell around the ankles now has a perfect place to land. The appropriate lapel widths, shape and length of collars and choice of tie knots are all taken into account. The men’s measurements are taken differently than women’s, but the end result is all about proportion, fit and balance. We do not say that the men’s formula lasts a lifetime because not all of the measurements are vertical, and a significant increase in weight can cause a change. As with women’s clothing, most men’s clothing can be altered to fit properly. Back to the budget Having your Fashion Fit Formula guide with you when shopping for new or consignment items can save both time and money. It helps to avoid making unsuitable buys and enables wise purchases of clothing that can be inexpensively altered to a perfect fit. Also, numerous good garments may be hiding in your clothes closet waiting to be discovered, altered, and worn again with pride. Next time you need to put together that perfect outfit, keep in mind that the Fashion Fit Formula can assist you in assembling an exciting wardrobe within a recessionary budget. Teresa’s Tips
Teresa McCarthy is an image consultant certified by the Association of Image Consultants International. She is a Director of Canadian Operations for the Fashion Fit Formula, as well as a cofounder Ottawa-based Image Solutions Group. |