Thursday, August 6, 2009

Fashion Faux Pas Central: Mid-Calf Hemlines

I am starting to really enjoy writing this category for my blog! Yea, sure it is fun telling you about fabulously, amazing things, but I love to share my, "Oh God, please don't do that!" knowledge. So here again folks is another post of what not to do....

Hemlines are a serious issue. Not serious like world peace and the current economic state, but they are definitely second in line as far as "serious" things go. I would scream it from the rooftops if I figured someone was listening, but I will just write it in my blog instead: Your skirt should end between your mid-thigh, just below your knees or somewhere in between. Wow, I already feel better. Of course the older you are the lower your hemline should be. I am 30 and moving toward the end of my mid-thigh hemline days.... Of course I think my defiance against this goes hand in hand with my inability to accept that I actually am older. That would mean I would have to actually BE an adult:)

Choosing a hemline that is lower than the bottom of your knees get really tricky. In fact, unless you are 6 feet tall and look like a supermodel, this style will almost instantaneously make you shorter and fatter. I really don't think looking shorter and fatter has ever been a request of any woman. Think about it, you are cutting yourself off mid-calf making the bottom part of your leg look like a stump. This is taking away from the hourglass figure that we all desire. Of course, pairing a longer, mid-calf length skirt with a pair of flats is only promoting the problem. Now you have flat, stumpy legs. Bad, very bad.

Now here is the good news. If you must choose the mid-calf hemline, you must follow a simple rule: WEAR VERY HIGH HEELS. The 50's style tea-length dress is great for curvy women, but lengthening the bottom part of your leg is a must. You don't want the skirt to swallow you and that is what a lower hemline does. The piece wears you rather than you wearing the piece.

So quite simply put, having a good tailor to help you create the right hemline is a must. You have to include the cost of tailoring when you buy an item because without the proper fit and length, owning the item is a waste because it will not do your body justice. Stick to the suggested hemline and you avoid a lot of short and fat pain!

Photo courtesy of nogoodforme.filmstills.org
Photo courtesy of fabsugar.com

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