fascohninoenction
Fashion
on t p
Expert says to
find clothes that
flatter—get real
Costco member Danica Lo, former
plus-size model, is a fashion, beauty
and features writer in New York
City. This excerpt was reprinted
with permission from her book,
How Not to Look Fat (Collins, 2006).
By Danica Lo
WHEN I WAS WRITING my column for the
New York Post, I drew a lot of ire from certain
communities for freely using words like “fat,”
“chubby,” and “chunky.” Just because I wasn’t
hedging my semantics behind the safety of
watered-down political correctness, some
people took grave offense to my column and
called it “rude” and “trash.”
But here’s the rub—it’s time to get real.
All across the country,
women wake up in the morning worried about how they
look. So many people don’t like
the way their bodies feel—I’ve
certainly looked in the mirror
and called myself fat. We’ve all
had days where we feel ugly.
It doesn’t matter how
many times people tell you
you’re gorgeous, you will
pick and choose when and
whether you believe them.
Self-esteem is up to you to
find within yourself.
Still, I believe that clothing is one of the few things
that can make an instant change to our
appearances. The right shirt, pants, skirt, and
shoes can create virtual miracles. And even
if you don’t feel particularly good about the
body you have underneath, you can feel
great about the effort you’ve made and the
way you present yourself to the world. That’s
one thing you can control right now. That’s
one thing you know you can feel good about.
DANICA LO
grace your torso can make or break your
look. Now that you’re all grown up, don’t get
caught in a boxy, shapeless tee … the way
most of them hang straight off the largest
part of your chest will obscure any hint of
your womanly figure and waistline.
As a rule, the most flattering top you can
buy is a solid-colored deep-V-neck, three-quarter-sleeve, slightly stretchy fine-gauge
knit that skims your figure and
ends right at the top of your hip.
Since most of us like to have
more than one kind of top in
our closets—variety, spice of
life, blah, blah—I’ve rounded
up a list of elements that can
help make shopping for slimming tops a bit easier.
Necklines. The most flattering necklines come in a V-shape. The V draws attention to
your cleavage and the center of
your torso—i.e., away from
your width.
Rule to live by. The broader
and bigger your chest and
shoulders, the less fabric you ought to have
at your neckline.
Sleeve length. Three-quarter-length
sleeves are, absolutely, the most slimming
and arm-elongating sleeve length. Period.
Trunk length. For both short and long
torsos, the safest and most flattering hem is
one that ends right at the hip. Unless you’re
ultra slender, avoid tops that end right at your
waist—they’ll make you seem short-waisted
and larger of buttock. C
(How Not to Look Fat is available at
costco.com).
Tips on tops
Here’s the skinny on tops: No matter
what shape you’re in, the top you choose to
Fall
forecast
WHAT’S HOT IN CLOTHING this fall?
The Connection recently talked with
Shannon West, assistant general merchandising manager at Costco, and her
clothing-buying team about the new
items they’re bringing in this fall. Here is
their take on this year’s hot trends in
women’s clothing.
Pants. Aged and worn denim
remains popular, but the legs are an
updated evolution of straight-and-skinny cuts. Pockets are embellished
with stitching and rhinestones. Carpenter
pants are still fashionable, but the look
is sleeker—without the extra pockets
and loops.
Shirts. Ruffles and lace create a feminine look. Popular sleeve styles include
bigger cuts, such as bell and flutter
sleeves. Cardigans, cowl necks and crochet are all trends for fall sweaters.
Tops are hip length this season, and
popular colors include deep blues, reds
and earth tones.
In menswear, Shannon and her buyers say to watch for the following trends.
Pants. Denim with a worn or vintage
look remains popular. Colors to look for
include darker denims along with gray
and khaki.
Blazers. The forecast is for unconstructed and washed styles with a military or utility influence—noticeable in
epaulets and surplus pockets.
And for men and women:
Outerwear. Colors for this year
include deep orange, chocolate, burgundy, olive and pewter. Fabrics in
demand include faux shearling, washed
cotton velvet and quilted microfiber.
Fake fur remains a popular trim, while
the length of coats and vests is hitting
below the hip.
“Costco members understand that
their local warehouse is a one-stop destination for stocking up on the basics,” says
Shannon. “Those in the know also recognize Costco as a place to find unique, fun
and fashionable items.”
Shannon explains that she and her
buying team keep the clothing tables at
Costco up-to-date with visits to New
York City several times each year to meet
with suppliers and see the latest trends.
