Good style is all about really understanding your body’s own unique proportions so that you know what suits you best whatever fashion throws at you.

It’s about you being in control – letting your body dictate, not what fashion houses dictate.

First and foremost that means knowing and understanding your assets, so that you know how to present them to the best advantage to maximise your potential.

So where do you start?

Forget apples, pears and bananas! The best place for those is a fruit basket.

Like everyone else, you are an individual. There are thousands of different body shapes so while being an ‘apple’ may suit a few, the vast majority of individuals cannot be categorised into a piece of fruit.

The key is knowing and understanding your proportions – and it’s well worth  taking the time and trouble and a tape measure to find out if you don’t already know them.(You can get help at www.garmentology.co.uk where there is a step by step process).

In the coming weeks we’ll be giving you lots of hints and tips on how to style your different proportions… but let’s start with some of the key measurements:

•    Leg length.  You have long legs if your leg, measured from the crease at the top of your leg to your foot is more than to the top of your head. Long legs are a great asset to play with. If they are shorter, there are tricks to help redress the balance.

QUICK TIP shorter legs? Ankle boots and skirts will make legs look shorter, trousers with boots/shoes in the same colour will elongate your legs.

•    Waist position. A neutral waist is midway between the top of the legs and your armpit.

QUICK TIP High Waist? Tops that are designed to tuck in are not ideal for you unless you are able to wear low waisted skirts or trousers.  Avoid belts that sit on the waist as they will draw the eye.

•    Breadth of shoulders in relation to hips.  We style to create balance. If your shoulders are slightly broader than your hips you will be a great coat hanger for clothes.  Slightly narrower shoulders can make the hips appear wider, style tips can help avoid hips looking broad.

QUICK TIP narrow shoulders need width , a light shoulder pad or style that gives width to the shoulders will help balance out against hips.

•    Bust Line. Where is your bust in relation to your waist

QUICK TIP if your bust sits low either wear an empire line top that is supposed to sit under bust and skim over waist or look for a dropped waist effect, to allow for space under the bust.

written by: Susanne Newman