This article is part of a series based on the style vision boards submitted to us by our readers.  

Today, we’re working with our reader Julie.

THE WOMAN: 

According to Julie, she spent her thirties having and nursing her babies, and, in her words, “I mostly just wore clothes that worked, without worrying too much about whether they flattered or reflected who I was. And by the time my forties were well under way, and I lost some of the baby weight, I found myself in need of a new wardrobe, and I no longer knew what I wanted to wear.  A year ago, I started the quest to find a wardrobe that I loved. I live a pretty casual life, and am something of a free spirit, quiet, solid, unconventional, and bold in my essence.”

THE VISION:

click to enlarge

MY OBSERVATIONS:

• The colors of Julie’s vision board are quintessentially earthy: warm, rich, and muted. There is great strength here, not rash and tempestuous, but steadfast, certain, eternal. This strength grounds Julie’s sensuality and gives her style a rare, quiet confidence. I also get a sense of comfort in her own skin, the kind of ease that is born out of wisdom of experience, out of knowing the true value of all things in life.
• Despite this feeling of being grounded, Julie’s style board also reveals a sense of movement. In Julie’s case, grounded doesn’t mean rigid or restricted; to her, groundedness equals connection. And since there are no bonds to break, there is no need for frenetic energy, either. Julie’s movement is self-assured yet sensuous and languid, like the swaying of the hips of a belly dancer. This dance is both captivating and liberating.

Woman dancing on the shore of a wild river with her arms held like bird wings

• Notice how every item on Julie’s board is textured. Textured is the opposite of cold, hard and flat. While this texture is earthy, it also adds layers of complexity and meaning that add new dimensions of interest to Julie’s style.
• Likewise, the prints and details that Julie chose for her vision board have meaning and purpose beyond mere adornment. In her comments, Julie noted that she doesn’t like antique but loves ancient. Indeed, what is antique but an imitation of the ancient? And why settle for an imitation when you can go to the root, to the very essence of the thing? Things that endure and hold ageless wisdom have a special appeal for Julie.

PRACTICAL PRESCRIPTION:

Here’s a visual summary of Julie’s vision board:

• Colors: warm, rich, slightly muted. Earthy neutrals, with reds and teals adding vibrance and energy.
• Shapes: simple; a combination of roundedness and sharpness.
• Textures: abundant and varied. Texture is one of the key words to Julie’s style.
• Lines and prints: tribal, native; angles and sharp geometrics combined with rounded lines. Ancient and nature-inspired influences.
• Details: structured pleating; angles and V-shapes.

Let’s see how Julie’s vision board relates to her physicality:

• Julie has a lovely, trim, balanced figure; an hourglass leaning towards the A, or pear, shape. Her bone structure is strong and well defined, providing an excellent foundation for her curves.
• The combination of angles and curves that occurs naturally in Julie’s physicality is echoed on her vision board. Anyone who ever doubted their innate powers of self awareness and observation, should only look at Julie as an excellent example of a woman who understands her own physicality. Her unique combination of strength and curve is what allows Julie to wear somewhat structured items, like jackets and pleated skirts, as successfully as softer, curve-hugging clothes.
• Julie scores another win in her choice of fabrics. Medium to heavy weight fabrics featured on her vision board work great on her body (for example, tweed, corduroy, and velvet). Nothing flimsy, wispy, or excessively light weight. Draping (apart from the very basic kind, like a simple shawl collar) is not recommended. Neither are boxiness and stiffness. Good tailoring is great, the kind that respects the lovely hourglass quality of Julie’s figure. Knits are wonderful, but not the thick, bulky kind. Substance is best achieved through layering.
• Another key word to Julie’s style is “formfitting“. Nothing loose, oversized, or bulky. This is partly because of the compact nature of her frame (loose equals overwhelming and heavy); partly because of her proportions (ditto); and partly because it’s just a rotten shame to hide her lovely waist. Formfitting, compact and proportionately balanced clothes are perfect for Julie.
• Texture is absolutely vital for Julie, even more so in outfits that lack print or pattern. She is naturally high in visual interest (her features are animated and vivid; her hair is curly with lots of movement). Texture, prints and accessories support and showcase her physicality. They also add important energy and movement to her style. Julie shouldn’t be afraid to layer textured fabrics with prints, and to add accessories to very outfit. In Julie’s case, less is less. Anything stark and plain will make her disappear. As long as she keeps the shapes of her clothing simple and formfitting, she can indulge in bold, layered combinations of textures, prints, colors and detail. Her best accessories are the kind that are both practical and decorative, like belts.
• The best jewelry for Julie is the kind that holds enough complexity and visual interest to support her physicality, with ancient and / or natural influences. Anything that mimics the lines of her face and the texture of her hair is wonderful (think semi-circles, V-shapes, and spirals). Nothing fussy, delicate, prim, or cute (which goes for the rest of her style, too). Practicality is still important, so it’s best to pick jewelry that won’t get in the way of her daily life, which means choosing earrings, necklaces, and hair accessories, as opposed to bracelets, for example.

Julie’s vision board brings together grounded strength and sensual femininity in the most beautiful way. In order to reflect this harmony in her everyday life, it’s important for Julie to take clues from her own physicality when selecting clothes and accessories.  Grounded simplicity is a good foundation, but it needs generous touches of visual complexity in the form of textures, prints, and accessories, to be able to fully support Julie’s rich and multi-dimensional essence. The lovely and generous Earth Goddess that is Julie deserves nothing less.