Style guide

Proportions, not body types

Body-type labels describe a silhouette. Proportions tell you what to actually do: where a hem should land, which rise to buy, how long a jacket should be.

Why labels fall short

"Pear," "apple," "hourglass" sort people by the outline of their torso. Two people with the same label can still need different clothes: one with a short torso and long legs, one the other way round. The label doesn't tell you either of them where to put a waistline.

Proportions do. They compare parts of your body to each other, and each comparison maps to a concrete decision when you shop.

The three comparisons that matter most

1. Shoulders to hips

Stand in front of a mirror and compare the width of your shoulders with the widest part of your hips.

• Hips wider: structure and detail up top (a defined shoulder, a boat neck, a lapel) balance the line. Keep the lower half cleaner.
• Shoulders wider: softer shoulders and V-necks up top; volume, pleats or A-lines below.
• Roughly even: you have the widest choice. Decide by the look you want, not by correction.

2. Torso to legs

Find your natural waist (the narrowest point, usually just above the navel). Compare the distance from shoulder to waist with waist to floor.

• Shorter torso, longer legs: mid or low rises, tops worn out or half-tucked, belts in the same color as the top.
• Longer torso, shorter legs: high rises, full tucks, cropped jackets, shoes that continue the line of the trouser.

3. Height and scale

Height changes where a "midi" or "ankle" length actually lands. A midi cut for 5'8" falls near the ankle at 5'2". Prints and details scale too: a very large print can take over a small frame, and a tiny one can disappear on a tall one.

Turning measurements into choices

When you look at a piece, ask three questions:

1. Where will the waistline sit on me, and is that where I want it?
2. Where will the hem land on my body, not on the model?
3. Does the volume sit where I want to add width, or where I don't?

If a retailer lists the length of a garment in inches or centimeters, compare it with a piece you already own and like. That single number is more reliable than "midi," "cropped" or "regular."

How Eskara uses this

Your profile stores these comparisons once. When you look at a piece, Eskara reads the product's published measurements and tells you where it is likely to land on you, and when the retailer doesn't publish enough to say. It never ranks bodies, and it doesn't assign you a type.