How to wear and style a jumper to create a waist (and avoid a shapeless look)

Posted on by Toni Carver

Have you ever found that a jumper can look a little bulky or shapeless when you’re wearing it?

Sometimes what you need to do is wear it with a little tweak to style it in a different way.

I’ve talked about tucking in a jumper previously (so that you don’t look like a sack of spuds). It’s all in the styling and creating shape. You can revisit that video on YouTube here or click on this blog.

But, have you thought about the sleeves?

Rolling the sleeves up slightly will draw attention to where your waist is. Or, where you’d like it to be if you don’t have equally balanced proportions! It’s simply a clever trick!

It’s not just a yank up either and hey presto. You’re looking for a smoother line rather than a gathering of material.

This is a visual trick to draw the eye line into a waist and highlight more shape to your frame.

Just a simple adjustment of the sleeve area can help to create the illusion of a waist, if you don’t have a clearly defined one too.

In the video, you’ll be able to see how my silhouette looks better as a result of just a couple of tweaks and how to style it.

Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/zUDQUz3cw64

zara sizing code

The Zara sizing code you need to know

Posted on by Toni Carver

It’s well known that if you shop at Zara, the sizing can sometimes be a little off.

Without any standardisation to sizes in the UK, they aren’t exactly on their own though.

In fairness, Zara do have a good sizing guide to assist when shopping online. Simply enter your height, weight and how you want the garment to fit (tighter, perfect, or looser). Then, it gives you your ideal size for the item you’re looking at.

Lots of online retailers offer similar sizing and fitting guides (for example, Boden use True Fit). Plus, I highly recommend reading the measurements to improve your online shopping experience and reduce returns. I’ve talked about this in my blog: How to shop with success.

The Zara sizing code

zara label symbols

zara symbol label guide

 

On each garment label, it shows the size of the garment (in EU, USA and MEX) with a symbol.

This symbol relates to fit and you’ll see one of three symbols.

Square fits true to size, a triangle means it fits on the smaller side, and a circle on the bigger side.

 

 

 

Worth noting is that it hasn’t been confirmed by Zara. Instead, it’s rumoured the symbols indicate the different clothing collections rather than sizing.

What I found

From my personal experience of the garments I checked, broadly speaking, the symbols are a good indicator.

Here’s my examples:

Zara dress label

zara dress label

 

This Zara dress was the one I dyed here and is a size small with a circle.

I always found this was on the larger side but it has a tie belt I use to pull the garment in at the back for a better fit.

 

 

 

 

 

My Zara coat I bought in XS with a square symbol.

Interestingly, I originally sized down for this one as I felt it drowned me in the next size up.

The style however is more of a loose fit with an open front and I prefer a slimmer line so went for the smaller size.

 

zara zig zag dress label

zig zag dress label

The cult zig zag dress from the blog a few months ago was XS with a circle symbol.

Of the many reasons why this dress didn’t work was the fit.

Despite it being XS it totally swamped me so was definitely an over-sized fit.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, another dress which I found at the same time as the zig zag dress was this blue one. A size small with a square symbol.

It was for me, a perfect fit, it just wasn’t my ‘style’ but I would agree that it was true to size.

Conclusion

On the whole, I would recommend using the symbols as a guide when buying in store and using the measurements and fit guide online.

Why not check your own garments against the symbols and let me know?

Just remember that size doesn’t matter. Learn to dress for your shape in garments which fit and flatter your shape and your proportions and you’ll always look fab. (especially in the right colours for you!)

But, if you need some help and advice, get in touch about booking a colour or style session.