Wear It!

What Ever Shape You Are, Read This Before You Try Anything On!

Fabrics, and Necklines for Lollipops, Apples and the occasional Hourglass. Curvy on top, busty, stacked, what ever you call it, this blog is for you. Get your needles whirling if you knit and if you don't hire a knitter! If you just don't do crafsty, read this any way to check out the info. on how to choose tops and sweaters because it will make sense whether you are choosing  hand-knit pieces or a polyester (yuck) turtleneck at Macy's. Read on...

I must now discuss chests, bosoms, and over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders. Hour glasses, Lollipops and Apples this is for you. Celery you will be discussed as well so read on for some good advice any way.

Yarn is really important! No seriously. I realize that allergies to wool and physical need of mohair can lead to very specific choices for the busty and non busty alike. Whether you knit, sew or shop my plea is that you also consider that the drape of the fabric you choose should be the first thought when planning a top to wear. Do you want to flatter your body or create a visual roller co aster? Some people like it hot, some might get queasy. It's so your thing but this week’s blog is about picking a yarn or fabric that will drape over your shape nicely and enhance your attributes and surely that can't be all bad.

The first case in point: a bra-less tank top looks good only on ladies with a very small bra cup size and chest width, who has no other curves,i.e. Celery. For those with breasts a good bra is the first step. Get fitted for one in your local department store because in my profession, nine times out of ten, no matter her age, a woman is wearing the wrong bra size when she comes into my office. A woman’s breasts can change size slightly just during the month so imagine how a few pounds over the years (up or down) can also affect a woman’s cup size?  Step one "get a good foundation bra". For ladies of the fruitier variety (curvier), when picking a pattern for a tank top go with a style with wide enough straps to hide your bra straps and to not slip off of your shoulders. Pretty bra straps you don't mind showing off ought to either match the top or need to be obviously styled to clash  so as not to give the impression that you were already late when you began to dress this morning. If you are gonna do the clash method, add jewery the same color or shoes or even tights to insist you did NOT hit snooze 7 times this morning!

Necklines are the very most important part of the design of any top whether it is a sleeveless tank or a winter sweater. Choose a wide open neck line for a curvy chest because styles such as a halter top that wraps up around the neck in the center of the chest would make the breasts below look too big compared to the head and shoulders, think pendulums. Not good. Instead go with a wide, open neckline. This looks great on a curvy chest because the breasts look balanced by the width of the neck and shoulders revealed above them. A little skin revealed is nice, it catches the light, just remember that cleavage is not necessary before 5pm so think outside the bra. And about the yarn…

Yarn? Well that depends, if you are shopping winter looks, do you want maximum sex appeal or comfort and machine washable fiber? Maximum sex appeal would be perfectly achieved by any yarn that is shiny or drapey and clings to your bosom such as silk, soy and bamboo blends (again this is more for the small chests with very little shape to drape). However for everyday wear or for a little modesty like hiding your bra lines go with a thicker or heavier weight fabric. If you knit you may like Soysilk's corn blend A-MAIZing, or a wool like Saphira that floats on the skin but isn't too heavy to layer and has a drape that hides bras and extra little bumps more evenly than the really fine gauge yarns.

My blog for Apple Shapes covers how to wear silks and bamboo blend yarns and fabrics on a curvier figure. In the mean time for lighter weight yarns and fabrics that you want to wear year round I suggest sewing in a liner or wearing a camisole or tee shirt underneath your knit-wear and you will smooth out most drape issues and add seasons to your wardrobe. For cold weather gals, avoid super bulky yarns in your sweaters, which will add real inches to your curves instead of smoothing over them and enhancing their shape.

Until Next Week…

Lena Walker Smith

Basic Shapes to Wear for Apple Shapes, Busty or Not!

Apples both well endowed and otherwise…

you know I love you so I have some great summer suggestions for fun clothes that are versatile enough to get several seasons of use, adding countless options to your closet! In the blog about fabric and how it drapes across you (What Ever Shape You Are...)  I suggested staying away from bamboo and silk blends for tops if you are busty or have tummy area issues, but this blog is about how to get enjoyment out of these fibers and fabrics and still feel comfortable. Bamboo and silk blends are so soft and feel so good in hot weather. Try an open weave, sleeveless look like those pictured in this blog over your usual summer tanks and you’ll feel the cool texture of these yarns and fabrics on your skin. I am suggesting shapes that will visually skim over any tummy troubles that most summer-wear points and giggles at. The model to the left is a petite Apple shape with a short torso and full bust.
          The triangular shape of the poncho pictured is popular decade after decade because the triangle shape is slimming. The eye follows the shape to its narrowing point and it creates the illusion of  lengthening the figure.

I suggest a pattern that is open and airy because this look that can go from casual to dressy depending on the fabric it is made of. If you are a knitter, make one for every season because this kind of  look doesn’t have to be heavy or bulky. Also this is a fun way to mix up color combinations, the open knit reveals the color underneath so be creative and try a brighter color underneath. Go punk rock and wear stripes under a hot pink one!

    For a larger bust on an Apple Shape (not that the girl in this picture is an apple or busty) the Blue Bayou vest is a beautiful way to elongate the apple shape and to divide and separate a well-endowed chest. The long open front creates a straight line in the midst of the Apple’s namesake area slimming it (tummy area). The open area over the breasts doesn’t visually bind them in. Instead the open shape comes to another triangle shape at the tie and divides the chest into three smaller shapes instead of one large bosom.

 

                                                                                                                                                              Another version of this look, which is great for a small bust on an Apple shape is this style of vest (SWTC's Twize Tweed Vest). The difference between the two is subtle, the tie is in a different place.On a large bust when the vest comes together above or across the breasts like this one, the vest becomes distorted or stretched out by the curves that hide underneath.  When worn by an Apple Shape with a small chest the shape is perfect and may even exaggerate the curves a bit, plus this style of vest keeps it’s intended shape and still slims the tummy area!

Fabric: In Bamboo blends, silk, or any delicate knits all of these tops will feel good season to season depending on what they are layered with. The fabulous texture of silk, soy silk and bamboo blends are so yummy 'for any knitter, but if you don't knit just look for these shapes when you are out shopping next. Be creative with your summer wardrobe; shapes like the upside down triangle. Keep your eyes peeled for open weave hand knit wear and know tricks like finding garments designed with lines straight up and down your middle! All tools toward an Apple shape's perfect wardrobe. Feed the craving for cool textures in hot weather and lengthen your shape at the same time!

Sew, Knit and Shop on girlfriends but leave out the bras and knickers, as lingerie is a subject I am eager to get to next....ever thought of making your own thong, or bra? Me either, but now I want to!
Until next week,

LenaWalkerSmith  ps The patterns seen on this blog are all available at Soysilk.com

Corsets For Day Wear

Corsets for day wear, Oh Yeah, I’m Talking to you Lollipops and Apples!

    Lollipops, well endowed Apples and Hourglasses this blog is for you!
    Large busts just need some inspiration. Take a look at this naughty and nice lace up corset back top called Peekaboo (pattern available from soysilk.com). The front of the Peekaboo top is lovely with it's wide open neck line (perfect for curvy chests) but when you turn around it laces up the back corset style with ribbon creating a dramatic exit for ladies of the busty variety. This top works because the wide-open neckline draws attention to the wearer's face and opens the shoulder and collar bone for admirers-Oh  la la.

The fitted shape works for Lollipops and Hourglasses because the lace up design in back creates a totally adjustable waistline. Pull it in tighter with the ribbons  to dramatize your small waist  for Hourglasses and Lollipops, or let it out a bit to hang loosely on any tummy troubles that my Apples might want to minimize.

   This top does not have any uncomfortable corset boning in it so it is really wearable and comfortable. I have been asked before what corset boning is and why it is referred to as "bone".  Boning is a thin, flat insert that slides into a corresponding envelope inside a garment, like bras, lingerie or a very structured bodice in a gown.  When corsets were not merely fashion but an expected requirement in underwear, the very stiff, structure of the corset was achieved by somewhat flexible, long "stays" inside, commonly made of whale cartilage. Due to past over-whaling and changing attitudes toward the undergarment industry those days have long since been forgotten. Boning is now made mostly of very flexible plastics and is used sparingly, mostly in Haute Couture fashion and sexy occasional wear. The Peekaboo top gives the look of a more structured middle but is comfortable, flattering to wear and easy to knit!

I found gloves to match if you're feeling really daring at Twitchy Knitter "http://blog.twitchyknitter.com" from a book called:
Naughty Needles: Sexy, Saucy Knits for the Bedroom and Beyond (Potter Craft) (Paperback)
by Nikol Lohr.
The model wearing the Peekaboo top is a Lollipop, with a long torso. She seems easy to fit into clothes given her Barbie type blessings but her bust is not her favorite asset and often gets more attention than desired. This top was a big hit with her, she felt feminine but not boobalicious. For support of those assets we went with a strapless bandeau bra. With really wide open straps such as these I recommend a soft bustier (available in all department stores), a strapless bra or a bandeau supportive tube top underneath. Which type of support you choose depends on how much support you need.  Stick to the soft bustier (no boning, more like a  wide bra that starts at the middle of the ribcage) or a traditional bustier (some flexible boning that also starts in the middle of the ribcage) for more support.  A bustier (pronounced boost-EE, Ay) supports from underneath but mind that you do trade some comfort for that support and some are more soft than others so try them on first.

Check in next week as curvy lingerie draws to a close, and curvy arms and long torsos make their opening debuts. The cute ideas are overflowing and I can't type fast enough!

Lena Walker Smith 

What’s Old is New, What’s Sexy Becomes Steamy…

   We have been so busy with sexy looks and lingerie! I’m still working on last week’s string bikini underwear. I think I have to tell you ladies about a fun site I found called Sexy Knitters Club at sexyknittersclub.blogspot.com which is overflowing with the creativity of pretty ladies and their naughty but nice patterns. Inspired as I was, I decided this week is all about sleep wear and finding new ideas for old patterns…or just exactly how to find the sexy in your old patterns. Pear Shapes take note while I slip into something a little more comfortable…
                                                                                                                                                            

  No need to buy a new pattern for these ideas ladies. Make old patterns new again just by adding length and width for entirely new items. For example, rethink your favorite patterns: make a chemise out of this past the hip length Lela Tank Top pattern that I found on Soysilk.com just by adding a few more rows to the bottom, it is perfect for small busts and Pear Shapes. By adding length to the end and turning it into a little skirt a very cute and cuddly creation for sexy snuggles emerges from the sheets. Then slip into the panties from last weeks blog which happen to match!  Here is a great site for knitting advice in general, but this little page of pearls will help guide my Apples and Lollipops along as they search their old patterns for new ideas. For help with sizing. http://knitty.com/issuesummer04/FEATpatterns102.html

  For Celery girls and Pear Shapes this Little Bamboo dress is a dual option. As daring as outer-wear as it is at bedtime The Little Bamboo dress by designer Laurie-Ann Schultz is a great feel under the covers or at dinner. Try your favorite color on in this straight shaped and low cut look. Bright colors are sexy because they catch the eye of your amore, the brighter the better. If you fear it, start by adding color just to the detail of the neckline. A splash of color on a neutral background can keep the gaze of your beloved where ever you want it.

    This dress works for Pears and Celery shapes as a sexy date look or as a night gown. Small chests can pull off a look such as this low-cut design because a small chest won’t stretch out the detail around the neck and nothing will fall out either.

    Pear shapes take a look at the  straight shape in the skirt of the Bamboo Dress. This pattern works on a curvy bottom half because the interest is around the neckline.  To visually balance the width of the hips, drawing the eyes up to your face instead of down to your curves (which it hugs smoothly by the way) is your best choice. An Celery can wear pretty much any shape she chooses but she needs something exciting around the neck or waist to keep her figure from looking shapeless. This dress creates enough of it’s own excitement with it's sexy details to keep the eye of the beholder right where you want it. On the menu of course...

Have fun rethinking all of your old patterns and check out the patterns mentioned in this blog on the Soysilk website. Please keep me updated on any of your new ideas for these innovative fibers but resist the urge to model those new undies you finished (hopefully) from last week's blog, SWTC has a very strict nudity policy gals!

Lena Walker Smith

PS Do me a favor my lovelies, when you invite your friends to peruse this blog remind them to read Real Women Wear Knits, the first one published, so that they aren't confused by all the food references! Scroll down also for a refresher every now and again yourselves! Tah Tah for Now!

String Bikini Undies

Lingerie? Oh yes, I’m still going on about that.

Lingerie patterns are an ideal use of yarns like Tofutsies and Love because these yarns are soft and cuddly and breathe well as sleep wear.  Equally as important though, is that they are durable and washable. Try knitting the mohair panties I found in the book, Sexy Little Knits, and then wash them once. Yes, like I said chiten blends like Tofutsies and soy silk blends like Love or Bamboo are much more practical after the honeymoon.

Attention knitters of all curves and shapes: you must knit string bikini panties in Tofutsies to understand what clouds feel like to your tush!

A good mohair or angora would feel similar but who really wants to find tufts of that in places I won’t mention? The same reason Tofutsies is great for socks is what makes it great for sleepwear and undergarments, softness already mentioned, it is the wash ability and durability that makes this yarn so sexy! Patterns that are washed more frequently like unders, socks and baby projects need a yarn that can hold up. Speaking of unders…

 The set to the left is an example of a more involved pattern requiring sewing and elastic, too complicated! Let's keep it fun and quick. Instead I found a project for the next slumber party your teen queen throws or for the next bridal shower you can’t quite think of a gift for: String bikini panties!

Warning: This is a good project for those knitters who won’t feel compelled to walk around showing people their latest accomplishments or God forbid promoting Soysilk yarns in the same fashion.      (Maybe this is not a good project for teen knitters after all).

    String Bikini underwear are an evening-ish project depending on the size and fit of the underpants. I know what you are all thinking about little tie string panties but trust me string bikini under wear fit most curves very well because they are so adjustable around the hips. Add a little elastic around the edges for a perfect cling or knit tightly for a snug fit as fiber does stretch out a bit. Thongs are a personal choice but fit every bottom half with half the knitting time required for bikini styles and half the yarn. Just a suggestion for those little bits of left over yarn in your closets.

Check out the next installation in lingerie because if string bikinis are not your thing, next week’s suggestions for sleep wear and rethinking old patterns might just fit the bill. Pear Shapes, next week is your week, but as always, keep reading ladies because I never leave anyone’s shape undressed,OH! I mean unADDRESSED!

Here are links to a couple of free patterns that I dug up from the internet to get you started...

XOXOXOXO, Lena Walker Smith

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/na_knitting/article/0,2025,DIY_14141_3537734,00l.html

 

Feeling daring girls? This next pattern for a quick and comfy thong is an evening of fun with girl friends I promise:

http://kn1t.com/patterns/frecklegirl_thong/index.html

© 2005 kn1t.com. All Rights Reserved.

Lingerie? Oh la la, yes...

 

 

Lingerie? Oh la la, yes…

Rockin' out at bedtime this Love Lingerie design by Lori Steinberg sexes up knit wear in this free pattern from the Vickie Howell collection.Click on the image to see more detail.

Usually I deal in outer-wear; however, I am obsessed with Love by Vickie Howell and what better time to promote patterns for skin caressing unders, than right before the heat starts!  I am from a hot climate and in the summer time I want as little fabric touching my flesh as possible. So, since I am too shy to join a nudist colony, I stick to non-sticky fabric like Love.

The so called "youth movement" within the knitting industry has given rise to a slew of lingerie knitting patterns of the naughty (knotty) variety. Yarn is sexy. Say it loud ladies “Yarn is sexy!” You don’t have to be a wild child to wear out this fabulous short set, and believe me you won’t want to take it off once you glide into it. Ooh.

As I hunt the newest ideas in knit patterns I am always a little too thrilled when I come across lingerie. Just recently I saw corsets, panties, merri-widows, stockings and bikinis that I would kill to have! Get an eyeful of the beautiful patterns I went ga ga over in a book called Sexy Little Knits, it is full of patterns for delicates and intimates touted by celebs of all curves and shapes. The pattern for this little short set however, is available free with a purchase of Love from Soysilk.com in the Vickie Howell collection.

The vibrant blue set photographed above is breezy, cuddly and doesn’t take a lifetime to make. The drawstring shorts make a great swim cover-up too! Note that the great detail in the center is visually slimming and revealing at the same time! This set is so versatile that it is perfect for Short Torsos and Long Torsos as well as small or large busts. This model is a petite Hourglass with a short torso and curvy bust. Not many patterns can suit such a wide variety of body types. For long torsos, add length to the top until the hem reaches just past the drawstring. For Larger Busts, add width on either side of the center design front and back. Enjoy the breeze through that design by the way…and check in next week as lingerie continues to inspire your wardrobe!                                       

Oh lala,

Lena Walker Smith

 

Real Women Wear Knits

 I am Lena Walker Smith of LenaWalkerSmith.com, the SWTC stylist and I am proud to introduce my blog “Wear It!”.

This blog is for entertainment and to promote healthy self-image by sharing tips and advice for women of all shapes and sizes. Forget fifteen pound 18 year olds in the fashion mags, because we are talking real women with real proportions.

A woman’s proportions never change whether she gains or loses weight!

Proportions boil down to the length of your middle (or torso) compared to the length of your arms and legs and where your curves fall in between them.

What really matters when choosing a pattern for your body type is to know first whether or not you have a long or short torso.

This is the most important thing to know about your own figure. How? Forget about measuring tape, let’s make this simple.

My favorite fool-proof torso-checker is simple, feel around until you can touch your last rib, and now feel around until you can touch the top of your hip bone. If you have no distance between them or less than two inches you are a short torso.

A little padding in the way? One more way is to put on pants that hit at the natural waist (as in not hip huggers). If they come up to your belly button and you feel like Humpty Dumpty the egg, chances are that you are a short torso. If they don’t feel awkward, and you can still bend at the waist, chances are you have a long torso.

This is SO important because no matter where your curves fall on your figure, all shirt, jacket, sweater and many dress patterns should be chosen based on the kind of torso that you have. Now that you know your torso lets talk curves.

Which flavor are you?

I like to use food names for instant recognition of common body types:

For instance if I say 'pear-shape', most people instan tly picture a woman with a curvy bottom half and a smaller top half.

If I say 'apple shape', most people picture someone whose curves tend to fall right in the middle of her figure.

How about a 'lollipop'? Think Dolly Parton and you can see why clothes that look good on her wouldn’t look the same on a celery shape.

'Celery' is a straighter figure who widens slightly at the hips.

'Hourglass' is a rare and un usual thing, but I do refer to them on occasion, this is a figure that is equal in measurement around both the bust and the hip.   I could call these ladies gourds or squash because these are the only veggies that come in this shape but I fear offending anyone.

Lena Walker Smith