Most of you will know already that the clothing we choose to wear has a huge impact on how balanced our bodies appear. What you may not know is that the shoes we wear ALSO have a big part to play in how top or bottom heavy we appear.
Here are my top 10 things to consider when selecting footwear.
1) Consider your footwear BEFORE you decide on the rest of the outfit
I know it sounds mad, but there is no point planning a fabulous outfit if you then don't have the right footwear already to go with. Right? If you're planning to BUY an outfit, consider the footwear first. Buy the footwear FIRST or with the outfit. It doesn't make sense to plan on buying a beautiful ladylike dress if the only footwear to suit are a pair of high heels at home you can no longer wear. Get me?
2) Printed footwear
If you decide on wearing printed footwear, eg leopard, spotty, striped or snake skin you will have to let them be the #heropeice of your outfit. It is advisable to keep the rest of your outfit quite simple in order to let the shoes stand out and avoid clashing.
Printed footwear is a great way of drawing the eye down away from any areas you may feel self conscious of.
All body shapes can wear printed footwear so go for it!
3) Chunky vs dainty
Scale your footwear to your body type.
If you are a plus sized woman then wearing dainty footwear will make your seem much bigger in comparison. It will make your thighs appear heavier and your stomach seem bigger than it actually is. Almost like an upside down triangle.
Likewise if you're petite (in height) and slim, go dainty or your frame can be overwhelmed by chunky footwear.
If your plus-sized remember, go big and bold, platforms, block heels, thicker straps and big buckles.
4) Nude footwear is ALWAYS your friend
Unless you are tall and want to appear shorter (in which case wearing a contrasting colour to your skin tone would be better to break up the length of your leg), nude footwear is always a winner.
Nude footwear blends into your skin tone and makes your legs look much longer than they are. This can also work with other neutral colours such as; rose gold, light grey and silver as they don't stand out too much against your skin.
If you are dual heritage (I think that's the right term these days), then tan footwear would work to elongate your pins and black shoes for black women.
5) Pointy vs round toe
Pointy footwear draws the eye down and forward into an acute point. This makes the bottom point of your silhouette appear tiny. Therefore emphasises your top half.
If you are larger on top, have heavy thighs, a large tummy or broad shoulders, a pointed toe will make you appear wider up top and unstable and unbalanced in your appearance.
6) The evil ankle straps
Ankle straps do no one any favours.
They cut off your legs making you appear shorter. The horizontal strap makes your ankle appear wider. If you're a pear or plus-sized lady they can dig in, chafe and make your ankles look stumpy.
So, instead opt for footwear like the ones below which still have a strap behind the ankle and have a low vamp design to show off more of your ankle and foot. If you must wear an ankle strap, match it to your skin tone as much as you can.
7) Block heels are just a dream for all body shapes.
Except of course if you're a very slim, petite lady and in that case they may be took overwhelming on your short or possibly dainty frame.
Block heels, because of their heel width, balance out your body. Whether your problem area is your stomach, thighs or bust these shoes will make you appear much more balanced throughout.
8) Own the 3 most versatile shoes!
1 - A comfy flat trainer in your own personal style.
Whether it be a Converse, a Vans or a dressy pump, we all need that go-to errand running comfort shoe that can be worn with more casual items in your wardrobe. Or if you like the street style vibe, stick them on with something more dressy like a maxi skirt or a dress. I personally love this look!
2 - A nude heel.
It doesn't have to be high, but if the style flatters your specific body shape in its specifications you will definitely get years of wear from them.
3 - A tan shoe.
This could be a heel, a flat, brogue / loafer, a pump, mule, sling back or wedge.
Tan footwear is such a versatile colour for all colour palettes to integrate into their wardrobes.
9) Go monochrome!
If you want to look taller and slimmer them monochrome is the way forward when selecting your footwear.
What I mean by this is to match your footwear to your outfit's bottom half.
For example; navy trousers + navy footwear.
Nude heels against sheer/nude tights/skin.
Black shoes with black trousers / tights. This will make your footwear blend instantly into your pins and make you appear much taller.
10) Select the height of your boot carefully
In order to look slimmer you must elongate your legs as much as you can. If you have short legs or a below 5ft 4 I would be careful when wearing knee or ankle boots.
Ensure that the opening is not too tight. Find a low vamp boot. Try slouch or pull on styles or styles with an elasticated panel.
Tight styles can make your ankle appear thicker so beware.
I hope you enjoyed these tips and they help you look absolutely fabulous.
With Love,
Joy x