Shapes

So, I mentioned in a previous post that I was trying to come up with a good system to help women identify if an outfit would fit them or not.

I figured out that the closest thing to my own shape was the New Zealand sweet potato, called a kūmara.

I started doodling shapes, to see if I could figure out the different plus-size body types. As you can tell from my drawings, the ones closest to my shape were the easiest for me to draw.

I posted on my Facebook wall, inviting comment, and was pleased to find that I had correctly identified enough of the right shapes that my friends could find themselves in the drawing. 

Beautiful Butternut

Pretty Parsnip

Curvy Kumara

Ravishing Radish

Saucy Shallot

I decided to test the shapes on the range of possible designs that I had come up with for my own, kumara shape on these shapes, to see what happened - and it was fascinating.  

First, the dress - as it seems to fit almost every shape, this one is a dead cert. Pretty parsnips with smaller busts may not like them as much, but given that it's a stretch bodice, at least they won't sag the way a structured/tailored bodice will. As expected, the hourglass wears it the best, but the kumara (highlighted) doesn't look too terrible, either :)

Another fairly universal winner is the blouse, although its success with each shape will be more a case of personal taste. A lot of women will also feel better if it's belted, which leads me to the next one - the cincher.

The shape is still very much a draft, but the effect is very specific - and as you can see, it only really suits the bustier shapes. I think it will be worth spending a lot of time on developing the cincher design, because if it's good, it will be very, very good, but if it's not - ugh.

The skirt is another very subjective design. Again, it looks best on the curvier figures, although the radish still has enough va-va-voum to carry it off - poor parsnip. We will have to devote some serious attention to her, down the track.
Conclusion - these designs will definitely work for the kumara:

They probably won't work for all the shapes, though - so I am going to take a punt and rate them as I expect they will play out:

Dress: Shallot, Butternut, Kumara, Radish.
Blouse: Shallot, Butternut, Kumara.
Cincher: Shallot, Butternut, Kumara, Radish.
​Skirt: Shallot, Butternut, Kumara.