Flatter Your Figure

This book is very valuable for helping a person discover what areas of their figure to de-emphasize and how.First, there is the section for evaluating your figure. Helpful illustrations and step-by-step instructions make the process as quick and easy as possible. Inside the front cover is a quick reference guide where you circle the figure issues you have. This is also very helpful. Each figure issue is numbered and ready for you to utilize in another section of the book where you will find all kinds of garment illustrations---divided into sections (necklines, collars, sleeves/no sleeves, and length of sleeves, skirts, pants, jumpsuits, swimsuits, underwear, outer wear and appropriate lengths and cuts). This is the fun part---taking your figure issue number/s you look through the garment illustrations where you will find the same figure issue numbers. There are + and - rows under each illustration. If your figure issue number/s is/are in the + row then you know the garment illustration is of one that will work for you. If your numbers are in the - row then it will not work for you. If your numbers are found in both the + and the - rows then you can determine if the majority of your numbers are in one row or the other. If mostly in the + row it will work for you, but could use some accessories or additional garments or garment elements to make it work. There are a number of sections in the book that walk you through the process. I found the process to be quite fun and not overly tedious. The presentation of the material was easy to understand and placed in the order it would be needed. Figure issues listed include: Double Chin, Small / Large bust, Thick neck, Short / Long neck, Thin / Heavy arms, Thin / Heavy legs, Thick ankles, Protruding abdomen, Flat / Heavy bottom, Wide hips, and three or so more. It also gives some basic instruction for determining what kind and size of lines and prints garments should have for your size of bone structure. It guides you through the process of learning about high and low contrast colors, how to use color combinations/garments to look taller or shorter, thinner or heavier. There is more, but without the book in front of me, I cannot remember everything that is included. It is not a huge book, so it is handy for those who do not have a lot of time. At the same time, the book has sufficient details to do the job of helping us find out what we need to so that we will make more informed purchases and better investments in our efforts to clothe our bodies and present them well. Even though this book is on the older side, I would still recommend people get it, because it is still very useful, even now. I like its compact size, easy readability, well chosen words--without being too wordy, the illustrations are well chosen and helpful. I have been using my copy for around twenty years---on and off as needed, and am not sorry I purchased it.

Although Quite old- 25 years- it is a very complete guide to finding the styles which help women of all ages to find clothes which can improbe their sel- esteem

Obwohl dieses Buch aus den 90er Jahren stammt, geht dieses Buch meiner Meinung nach nie aus der Mode. Dieses Buch ist ein zeitloses Nachschlagewerk für individuelle Körperformen und die dafür bestmöglichen Schnittführungen von Kleidung. So wie du bist, bist du richtig. Du brauchst keine Diät machen. Mach das beste aus deiner Figur, die du jetzt hast. Hab deinen Körper lieb und sei dankbar, dass du gesund bist. Fühl dich wohl in deiner zweiten Haut, der Kleidung.

This is not a new book and some of the photos are not current fashion, but this book is hand's down the best, most authoritative book on figure issues and how to help or disguise them. A real classic and should be in every fashionable woman's library.I wish this author was still writing and would update the photos and the book, etc. But the information is all excellent. A must-buy.

Jan Larkey has a wonderful, honest writing style. She shares her own struggles stemming from a childhood illness that left her lopsided, until surgery corrected it. She really did her homework in listing styles that are good, bad and indifferent on various body shapes and parts. Though somewhat outdated--it was written in the late 80s--the advice is still valid. I just wish she'd let people like myself, with wide hips/hourglass figures wear pockets in more places than just the breast--I feel she's too strict on this. Otherwise, very helpful in finding clothes that flatter your figure, no matter what shape.