Your face presents another surprising opportunity for a “point of connection”.  Remember:  the first rule of dressing well is to maximize the common characteristics between your own appearance and your clothes and accessories  – the points of connection.

The shape of your facial features is an important – but usually overlooked or misunderstood – connection opportunity. In addition to your facial shape – the proportions of the outline --we’re now focusing on the actual shapes of your eyes, nose, lips, brows, cheekbones, etc within that outline.

We describe those shapes as falling somewhere from very angular (like the woman on the left) to very curved (like the woman on the right).

Most image books – if they touch this subject at all –say that angular women need to surround their faces with curved details to “fix” that angularity.  And women with curved features need to off-set them with angular style details.

 We know better than that.  Your features are just fine the way they are  … so we want to harmonize with them.

See how the curved print below is out of sync with the left-hand woman’s angular features – almost like fingernails on a blackboard, isn’t it?  And the angular print is equally wrong with the right-hand woman’s curves.  Ouch!

When we reverse the pairings, the blends are infinitely more harmonious.  Both the angular and the curved features now look “just right” for the respective woman.

Your features may not be as extreme as  these examples.  The point is to match your personal  degree of curve/angle with the shapes in your accessories and style details.  For instance, my own features are fairly angular, but less so than our Angularity  Poster Gal above.  So I choose earrings like these --  angular details on a curved hoop shape – or this handbag – angular structure softened a bit by the curved upper edge.

Once you identify your spot on the angles/curves continuum, that knowledge informs a huge array of choices:

                Print motifs – especially if the print will drape relatively flat over your body. (A print that will be scrunched up in a scarf or fall in soft folds of a gathered skirt won’t be as visible, so the angularity/curve of the motifs isn’t as critical,)

                Necklines – V-neck  vs scoop, for instance.

                Lapels – a very angular peaked lapel vs a rounded “petal” lapel

                Pocket and pocket flap shapes – square corners vs rounded

                Jewelry shapes – a rectangular pendant vs an oval one

                Shoe styles – squared or pointed toes vs rounded ones

                Handbags – a structured geometric style vs soft, curved shape            

                Belt buckles, jacket hemlines, earrings, watchs,hairstyles … the list is endless,

Of course I don’t expect you to spend the week purging your closet of every item that doesn’t match your facial structure.  But do take a look at favorites and l bet you’ll see this principle at work. 

Then group together an assortment of items in your best angle/curve shape and see how compatible they look.

If you weed out the most incompatible items, and vow to add only pieces in your best shapes from now on … pretty soon your whole wardrobe will reflect that subtle compatibility. And your features – however curved or angled they are – will look even more lovely than before.