Fit to Flatter Installment 3: Mindful Project Choice

Posted on 09 May 2010

Fit to flatter is a ten-part series of tutorials on choosing and modifying knitting patterns to flatter your shape. These tutorials will be released every two weeks both as blog posts (free) and as separate, professionally formatted PDF files for printing (nominal charge). Should you desire the PDFs, each installment can be purchased from the tutorial page as they are released, or via a “buy now” button at the end of the installment. Individual installments are US$2.00 and at the end of the tutorial series the whole series will be available for $US10.00. All text copyright Amy Herzog and all images copyright splityarn 2010, unless where otherwise noted. I hope you enjoy the series!

Normally I don’t like jump cuts in blog posts, but this installment got so long that I felt it was a little cruel to flood everyone’s reader (and my blog’s front page) with the whole thing. Please click through for the whole installment, which is 20 pages when formatted for printing. Thanks!

This series is not about making you feel badly about what you have already knit. It is not about making you feel badly about your shape or about making you feel like you can only knit certain things, in certain yarns. In writing these tutorials, I want to help you learn basic principles for dressing the figure you have in the most flattering way possible.

Every person reading these words has fabulous assets to show off and a thing or two that you wish would disappear forever. The fact is this: Though exercise offers a plethora of benefits, it won’t change your fundamental shape. And wearing clothes flattering to your inherent shape will do more to change the way you feel about your body than losing weight or gaining muscle will.

As knitters, we have the ultimate power of creating a piece of couture perfectly suited to our figures every single time. Your hand-knits should make you look and feel like a million bucks, and not just because of the skill required to form the stitches. I want to help you get there.

The first two installments of this series have introduced the concepts of shapes and dressing to flatter them generally, and stepped through specific shapes in detail. In this third installment of a ten-part series, I’ll move from dressing your shape to flatter in a general sense to choosing hand-knitting patterns for your form. Future installments will explore different garment elements that can have a big impact on flattery. I’ll end the series with thoughts on advanced sweater modification and custom sweater design. One note on this installment: For each body shape, I’m going to include a selection of examples of sweaters particularly suited to that shape. I’ll include links as footnotes, so that you can look for yourself to see the principles illustrated in those exapmles. Just in case this wasn’t clear, these are all sweaters that I’ve taken note of over the years and happen to think illustrate my points; my opinions are just that and shouldn’t be construed as being approved by (or speaking for) the talented designers I reference.

Skirts, Socks, and Scarves. Oh, my!

Most of this tutorial series is focused on the garment that offers the maximum opportunity for flattering our figure: the sweater. But the sweater is far from the only kind of garment we knitters we produce! In this installment I wanted to briefly mention what other kinds of knitwear can do to flatter our shapes.

First up: the skirt. The knitted skirt is without a doubt enjoying a resurgence. There are some great skirt patterns out there and modern yarns to go with them that do not cause the skirt to sag as in years past. However, unless knit very tightly, a knitted skirt will cling to the wearer, particularly in the hips. This makes a knitted skirt a poor choice for most bottom-heavy shapes as the skirt clings to and widens our widest point. But skirts can be a fantastic choice for top-heavy shapes and can also work for proportional figures as long as the skirt is kept balanced by the top. Diana is a top-heavy shape, and she looks great in knitted skirts. (She has several, in fact!)

Diana is wearing the Tapestry Skirt by Kat Coyle in this picture. In addition to the widening properties of the knit fabric itself, the skirt uses horizontal bands of contrasting color. These widen the hips even more, which is great for women as top-heavy as Diana. When paired with a dark top and eye-catching shoes, all visual attention is focused on her great legs. For beautiful examples of skirts on a proportional shape, please look up Mintyfresh at Pepperknit: http://pepperknit.com/blog/archives/category/skirts

Guidelines for choosing a knitted skirt: They should typically not be worn with negative ease unless you are very trim. If you desire something closer to the structure of a skirt made from woven fabric, choose a skirt that is knit very tightly (so that the fabric has real heft). Keep in mind that the knitted skirt is essentially limited to three skirt shapes: an A-line shape, if the fabric is knit very tightly, a pencil shape, and a trumpet (like the skirt above). Finally, make sure that the skirt ends in a flattering place on your leg. Exactly at the knee is a good bet for everyone.

Next: socks. Most of the time, hand-knit socks stay where socks usually reside, under our pants and shoes. But knee-high socks can provide great visual interest and a lovely balancing element for a top-heavy shape. (Proportional shapes can make knee-high socks and most other things work as long as the visual element is kept in balance with the rest of the outfit.)

Finally, scarves. Scarves are nearly as versatile as sweaters in dressing to flatter. Particularly if knit out of lace-weight or fingering weight yarn, scarves can be used to provide either a horizontal or vertical visual element. When worn as a belt at the waist or the hip, they provide a strong horizontal line and a splash of contrasting color.

When worn arond the neck they provide a nice long vertical line and also can serve to break up a top-heavy shape without showing too much cleavage:

Although this section of the series is just a quick overview, I hope it has given you ideas for how to wear other knitted garments in a flattering way. And now, the sweater!

Choosing a Sweater: From Knitter to Pattern.

In the remainder of this installment I’ll walk through mindful project choice from two perspectives. In this section we’ll start with the knitter and cover the kinds of patterns that are most likely to be flattering for a given shape. As a new ingredient, in this installment I will include examples both of flattering project choice:

And less-flattering project choice:

We’ll step through flattering project choices for bottom-heavy, top-heavy, and proportional shapes before doing a quick summary of good choices for curvy and straight figures.

For bottom-heavy shapes:

Recall from Installment 2 that we generally look best in sweaters that have horizontal (maximizing) elements at the top of the sweater and/or vertical (minimizing) elements at the bottom. Sleeves and hems should generally end at some point other than the widest point of the wearer’s bottom. This top meets all of those criteria for Sarah, and she looks great:

Less flattering choices for bottom-heavy knitters include anything with strong horizontal elements on the bottom, particularly if they end at the wearer’s widest point:

This top ends with a bright horizontal stripe just at the widest point of my thighs. The boxy shape hides my waist and the bulky-but-tight gauge effectively gives the impression that I’m several inches wider all around than I actually am. Not a very flattering choice.

So how does a bottom-heavy shape go about finding a flattering project? There are several types of sweater that tend to look great on bottom-heavy shapes.

Yoked sweaters. These almost always have a broad horizontal element on the top of the sweater—in colorwork, lace, or even garter stitch. Any repeat of the design element on the hem should be eliminated. Great examples include the Garter Yoke Cardigan by Melissa LeBarre, the Circles Yoke Pullover by Cheryl Burke, and the Phyllo Yoked Pullover (ravelry link) by Norah Gaughan.
Cardigans. Sweaters with a vertical component at the bottom of the sweater are great for bottom-heavy shapes, and cardigans have one built-in at the button band. Especially if you are a busty shape, pick a cardigan that can be worn open at the top to widen your shoulders. The only exception to the cardigan rule is that bottom-heavy shapes should generally avoid or modify cardigans that fasten only at the top, as they paint a triangle on the figure with the widest point at the hips. Good cardigan examples for bottom-heavy shapes include A Cardigan for Arwen by Kate Gilbert and Audrey in Unst by Gudrun Johnston. Most yoked cardigans without a hem element work well on bottom-heavy shapes, too.
Boat necks. For bottom-heavy women with smaller busts, boat necks are a stunningly good choice. The long and shallow line of a boat neck widens the shoulder better than any other neckline, and it nicely frames the collarbones without getting stretched out of line by a large chest. Good examples include Breton Girl by Kat Coyle and Tempting by Jenna Adorno.
Wide scoop necks. For bottom-heavy shapes with an ample bust a wide scoop neck can offer the same shoulder-widening properties as a boat neck while remaining neat. A number of wide scoop-necked patterns are available: I designed my February Fitted Pullover to fit this bill; other favorites include Mary Jane by Rachel Bishop/Sarah Johnson and Slinky Ribs by Wendy Bernard.

I’ll close out this section of the installment with a few pictures of Sarah and me in flattering sweaters for bottom-heavy knitters.

For top-heavy shapes:

Recall that the principles of dressing for a top-heavy shape include sweaters with horizontal (maximizing) elements at the hem, and vertical (minimizing) elements at the top. Sleeves and hems should stretch lower to maximize the wearer’s hips and at the very least sleeves should reach the elbow. It is especially flattering for sleeves and hem to end on the same visual line. In the following picture Danielle is wearing a sweater I designed (Arm Candy) which breaks up the width of her shoulders with a deep V-neck. It also has sleeves that end at her natural waistline, and they emphasize the curve of her waist:

Less-flattering choices for top heavy shapes widen the shoulder/bust region with horizontal visual elements:

This top has a double horizontal visual element in that the stitch motifs stretch from cuff to cuff across the chest and they travel over dolman sleeves that further widen the bust region. The sweater is cropped, ending at least an inch above Danielle’s hips. This contrasts her more square top half with her narrow, trim hips and legs.

So how does a top-heavy shape choose a flattering knit? There are several types of sweater that tend to look great on top-heavy shapes:

Cardigans: Cardigans are a versatile wonder-garment, flattering nearly every knitter. . . if they’re chosen correctly. While bottom-heavy shapes tend to look best in cardigans with yoke elements that widen their shoulders, top-heavy shapes look best when their tops have a vertical visual element at the shoulder/bust region. Top-heavy shapes are further flattered by cardigans that end at their widest point, incorporate a horizontal visual element at the hem, or both. Some good choices for top-heavy shapes include Andrea Pomerantz’s Millefiori Cardigan, Thea Colman’s Golden Vintage Cardigan (or her Nantucket Red cardi, pictured below on Erin), and Connie Chang Chinchio’s Farmer’s Market Cardigan. Bustier top-heavy shapes should choose cardigans worn unbuttoned over the bust. Cardigans with enough structure to be worn entirely open (e.g. the Minimalist Cardigan by Ruthie Nussbaum) also look great.
Deep V-necks: Sweaters with a deep, narrow V-neck look fantastic on top-heavy shapes. All top-heavy shapes look narrower with the vertical impression given by a deep V-neck. Even smaller-busted top-heavy shapes can wear deep V-necks with great success if they choose some negative ease in the bust (not typically true for scoop necks, below). I have a real soft spot for Marnie MacLean’s romantic Bella Paquita, and Alina Khasanova’s Braided Pullover is a fantastic choice for smaller-busted women (like the model in the referenced picture).
Deep (narrower) scoop necks: Deep scoop necks can work for top-heavy shapes with smaller busts if the scoop is very narrow (like Kim Hargreaves’ design Paisley (ravelry link) from Rowan’s A Season’s Tale), but typically scoop-neck sweaters look best on those with larger busts. The breadth of a large bust really benefits from the different blocks of color and gentle curve of a scoop neck. Great choices include Snowden Becker’s Shirley and Eunny Jang’s Autumn Rose Pullover.

Let’s close out this section with a few pictures of top-heavy shapes looking fab.

For proportional shapes:

Recall that the principles for dressing a proportional shape include horizontal and vertical visual elements used in balance, so that the item itself provides a balanced impression. Sleeves, neck treatments, hems, and any cable/lace motifs should all balance one another. In this picture Crystal, a proportional shape, is wearing Kim Hargreaves’ Salina. The collared neckline is balanced out by the seed-stitch cuffs and hem. The fit of the sweater gives Crystal the illusion of a curvier figure, everything is kept balanced, and she looks beautiful:

Less-flattering choices for proportional shapes throw off the balance of their figure in the shoulder or hip region:

The narrow shoulders and v-neck of this simple vest slim Crystal’s shoulders. The hem falls at her widest hip point, widening the appearance of her hips. The result is that Crystal, an extremely balanced figure, looks bottom-heavy in the vest. (Further, the lack of waist shaping or other visual elements to provide curves emphasize the boxy aspects of her shape.)

So how does a proportional shape choose a flattering knit? Most types of sweaters can be proportional—it all depends on the way the style elements are used. I’ll highlight three examples here:

Cardigans: Cardigans can also be really great for proportional figures. Their visual elements must remain balanced, however. Connie Chang Chinchio’s Printed Silk Cardigan has a horizontal print element and a wide scoop neck, widening the shoulder region. This element is balanced by an unfastened A-line bottom. Similarly, the shawl collar of Girl Friday by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark is balanced by the wide band of rib at the hem. Finally, Stefanie Japel’s Forecast achieves balance in a different way—the garter stitch portion of the sweater offers a widening horizontal line that is balanced out by the structure of the peplum. All three of these patterns, and other cardigans like them, will look great on proportional figures.
Yoked sweaters: Yoked sweaters can also look great, provided the horizontal element of the yoke is balanced at the hem. Jared Flood’s Seneca, Ysolda Teague’s Vine Yoke Cardigan, and Kate Gilbert’s Wisteria all fit the bill in different ways. The infinity-shaped cable of Seneca is repeated at the hem and yoke. The stockinette section in between the cables is exceedingly simple to alter to accommodate a curvy waist. The Vine Yoke Cardigan balances a substantial yoke detail with a flirty ruffle on the hem and sleeves. The three-quarter sleeves draw attention to the wearer’s waist, and the overall effect is great for curvy proportional shapes. Finally, the organic cables of Wisteria at the turtleneck and hem offer some interest, and the hint of a curve to a straighter proportional figure.
Cabled sweaters: Proportional shapes with smaller busts are the shape most flattered by the classic crew-neck cabled sweater. Examples of this type of sweater abound. Three of my favorite modern takes on an allover-cabled sweater are Yosemite by Swanky Knits, the Marseilles Pullover by Kathy Zimmerman, and Mystere by Cecily Glowik MacDonald. All three use long vertical lines and hems balanced with neat necklines, and they look great on proportional shapes.

The wide array of sweaters that flatter proportional shapes means that knitters wth proportional shapes need to look beyond the balance of an individual pattern toward what it does (or does not do) to flatter the other apsects of their figure: their curves or lack thereof, the length of their waist, and so forth. We’ll end this portion of the installment with a reminder of visual elements that flatter curvy and straight shapes.

But first, let’s close out this section of the tutorial with a few pictures of proportional shapes in great projects for them.

Curvy and straight shapes:

As a reminder, curvy shapes should wear things that fit well around their curves without being overly tight. Negative ease in the bust is typically flattering in fitted sweaters, but typically not flattering in the waist. Diana is a busty straight figure. She’s wearing one of my designs (Arm Candy) that she has modified to fit her form perfectly. With the addition of bust darts, Diana has an inch or two of negative ease in the bust but a few inches of positive ease in the waist:

She looks great. This sweater is fitted enough that her shape shows, but not so tight in the waist that it looks too small. Some great choices for curvy knitters include Snowden Becker’s Myrtle, Laura Chau’s Monday Morning Cardigan, Alison Green Will’s Jaali (love this), and Marnie MacLean’s Dulce de Leche. All of these sweaters do a great job of hugging a curvy figure and nicely breaking up a large chest without being too va-va-voom for everyday wear. While some positive ease in the waist is desirable, if you’re a curvy shape be sure that your shape is visible:

Both Erin and Jess’s curves are completely hidden by these sweaters. They’d be much more flattered by fitted waistlines. (For an interesting exercise, flip back to the beginning of this installment and see what Erin and Jess look like when they switch these sweaters. Vaila is more fitted on Jess and is well-suited to her long-limbed proportional figure. Erin looks great in vests that close under her larger bust since they define her curves. The message? It’s not that a knitter is attractive or not, and it’s not even that the garment is attractive or not. The magic lies in matching knitter to garment.)

Finally, straighter shapes should choose tops that either create curves or don’t require them in the first place. In the picture below, Diana has chosen a top with a diagonal lace motif under the bust. The lace creates a defined waist on her straighter shape. This is very flattering, and she looks great.

If you lack curves of one kind or another, it’s important to choose patterns that don’t highlight that lack. Just as Diana would not be flattered by a top with a straight belt around her waist, Sarah’s lovely small-busted figure is not flattered by a deep scoop neck:

Some nice choices for straighter figures include Connie Chang Chinchio’s Silk Cocoon Cardigan, Neoknits’s Tatami, Suvi Simola’s Low Tide Ripples, and Kathy Zimmerman’s Dovetail Pullover. All of these sweaters add a curvy visual impression to a figure without emphasizing straight lines or begging to be filled out by a large chest.

I hope that this part of the installment, with both flattering and non-flattering examples, has helped you in your process of assessing your own shape and mindfully choosing a hand-knitting project to flatter it. In the next portion of the installment, we examine this process in reverse: looking at a particular sweater pattern and teasing out the visual elements at play (and whether those elements are flattering to you or not).

Choosing a Sweater: From Pattern to Knitter.

In going from pattern to knitter, consider this likely scenario: The new Twist Collective is up and, naturally, you want to knit EVERYTHING IN IT. RIGHT NOW. How to sort through a set of sweater patterns and figure out which one of these beauties will flatter you? In this portion of Installment 3 we’ll do exactly that. Kate Gilbert and the other wonderful, wonderful women at the Twist Collective have generously allowed me to make use of photographs of all the sweaters in the latest issue (Spring/Summer 2010) as examples. My heartfelt thanks go to them!

Before diving into the garments, I’d like to spend a brief moment talking about the three lovely models used in this issue. (As an aside, can I just say how grateful I am that Twist uses gorgeous women with a variety of shapes? Thanks, Twist!) The first model, in «Hothouse Flowers», has a straight proportional shape with an average bust. The two models from the «Strata» story have different shapes: Model 1 (shown in Mehndi, Cecchetti, Goose Rocks, and Timpani) has a slightly bottom-heavy shape with a small bust and a straight waist. Model 2 (shown in Damariscotta, Banderilla, and Tanis) has a slightly top-heavy shape with a small-to-average bust and a more curvy waist.

Now, let’s step through the variety of gorgeous sweaters in this issue.

Celandine by Jennie Pakula:

(Photo credit: Caro Benna Sheridan.)

This lovely sweater, knit out of delicate silk, has a beautiful horizontal line of medallions on the neckline. The hem is plain and has a bit of extra room. These two elements combined make this a stunning choice for a bottom-heavy shape, particularly with a smaller bust. Proportional shapes would also be flattered by Celandine if they ensure the tank ends at their widest point, keeping a balance between the hips and shoulders.

Ideal for: Bottom-heavy, small bust, straight or curvy.

Anney by Emily Johnson:

(Photo credit: Caro Benna Sheridan.)

This sweater, too, employs a horizontal element at the top. The cap sleeves and slip-stitch pattern create a single horizontal band from one shoulder across the bust to the other shoulder. The curvy cables offer a vertical visual impression. Those lines, combined with the delicate tie under the bust, make this a fantastic choice for a short-waisted, small-busted bottom-heavy or proportional shape. (Like with Celandine, proportional shapes should ensure that the hem of the sweater falls at their widest point.)

Ideal for: Bottom-heavy, small bust, straight or curvy, short waist.

Poplar and Elm by Carol Sunday:

(Photo credit: Caro Benna Sheridan.)

Poplar and Elm is a great choice for proportional and top-heavy shapes, particularly those with larger busts or fewer curves. The deep V-neck breaks up a larger torso or bust, the line of the buttoned wrap creates a waist (or emphasizes one already there), and the vertical lace patterns are slimming. It is shown with positive ease, but it would also look great with some negative ease in the bust if worn by a larger-chested woman. In that case, the wrap will cut under the chest to provide a nice differentiation on the torso. Curvy shapes should take care that the waist is snug enough not to be baggy under the bust.

Ideal for: Top-heavy or proportional, large busts, straight or curvy.

Azami by Carol Feller:

(Photo credit: Caro Benna Sheridan.)

Azami is a good choice for many knitters. As shown, proportional figures will be very flattered by the balance of the hood and the garter band. Women with large busts will look great in Azami’s triangular lace panel which provides the slimmng vertical impression of a deep V without showing too much cleavage. Curvy knitters can easily relocate or add more waist shaping to suit their form. Top-heavy shapes wanting to knit Azami would do well to increase the width of the garter stitch hem and ensure it hits them at their widest point. Bottom-heavy shapes could modify by eliminating the garter stitch at the hem (turning a hem instead) and ensuring it hits above their widest point.

Ideal for: All, large bust, curvy.

Passiflora by Julie Turjoman:

(Photo credit: Caro Benna Sheridan.)

Passiflora is an A-line tank and will look best on proportional and top-heavy shapes. Since the neckline is somewhat wide, top-heavy shapes should ensure that Passiflora ends at their widest point (proportional shapes should end the sweater either above or below that point). As the A-line shape will give the impression of lots of ease in this tank, I would recommend that all shapes knit it with either zero bust ease or even a smidge of negative ease in the bust. This will allow the delicate lace at the neckline to draw attention to collarbones and shoulders, after which the tank falls fluidly to the hem.

Ideal for: Proportional/top-heavy, small bust, straight or curvy.