Those perfectly proportioned celebs are not flawless, they just know what to wear, says stylist Annebelle van Tongeren. Here, in an extract from her new book, she helps us all make the most of what we have.
KEY POINTS:
Your Three Worst Enemies
Lurking within each of us is a dislike of something we find really physically unattractive about ourselves. For some it's thigh anxiety. For others it's a round tummy from the 5kg we would rather not have as a constant companion. Or a big bust, a small bust ... or no neck, sloping shoulders, short legs ... I could go on all day. Sadly, for most of us it's a combination effect that does our heads in. We are going to seek these out now and name names.
Make mine the no-waist special, with the double helping of ex-breastfeeding bosoms, tuckshop arms and age anxiety. And I'm a normal height, size 10. Technically I am industry sample size so I should be okay - but there are so many styles that just don't work on me.
There is some ancient Chinese wisdom that you need to use your enemy's energy to your own advantage. I'm sure that this is all well and good in the art of physical self-defence, so I would like to apply it to mental self-defence now.
Stop letting your enemies defeat you, be they your legs or your bust, and harness their energies instead.
Acknowledge the features you want to disarm and work towards enhancing other aspects of your appearance. Set this strategy as a certainty. It's time to acknowledge your issues and embrace them. This is getting a bit LA now.
Write down your three least appealing physical features, starting with the worst. If you are so overwhelmed by self-hatred that you can't make a short list, please ask your best friend, your sister or, if you're married, your mother-in-law, as she will always give a brutally honest appraisal of your flaws. If you have a daughter, she will be honest too - and you can make her do the housework as punishment if she gets too mean.
Your One Killer Feature
Remember Rapunzel? Yes, we know she was a princess who had great hair. That's it. For all we know she had stretch-marks, bad teeth and a hideously hairy back. You get the picture.
The prince was so busy looking up that tower wall at her glossy gold locks that he didn't report back on anything else other than her One Killer Feature.
Jackie Kennedy apparently had bow legs and large hands. We remember her for stylish sunglasses highlighting a striking face. Audrey Hepburn didn't like her large feet and flat chest. We remember this enduring style icon for her swanlike neck. And have you ever noticed that Olivia Newton-John always wears boots or long pants? Probably not. If you do a web search you'll see that she has great arms and shoulders - even now, at 59 - and many of her photos show them off.
Hopefully, you already know what your One Killer Feature is, but some people get really baffled by this and look at all their good assets as equal. Maria Venuti, are you paying attention? There is no equality in fashion.
The wise choice is an outfit that highlights your One Killer Feature and gives a gentle nod to your lesser better attributes - if you are blessed with a few natural wonders we wouldn't want to understate them.
Your One Killer Feature has to be the highlight of the journey towards your face when someone looks at you in your outfit.
The closer to your face the One Killer Feature is, the easier the design process.
The eye will have a better chance of staying at the top part of the body, and the verticals will be stronger for it.
* From Dress Like a Star by Annebelle van Tongeren, Random House, $34.99
