It took me a long time to understand that tucking in my shirt and exposing an area that I’m not super confident about (specifically my stomach) was actually MORE “flattering” than leaving the shirt untucked, because of the rule of thirds.
A couple years ago when I first heard of the rule of thirds I turned to the holder of all knowledge…Google 😂 to read up about it and I’m going to be honest that I never found an article that explained it to me in layman’s terms so I decided to put a graphic together that breaks it down in the most simplistic terms possible.
Before jumping into it, I want to take a moment to address the term “flattering,” I recently wrote a whole post about the word and how I don’t agree with using it as a synonym to say it makes you “look skinnier.” When I talk about the rule of thirds being the recipe to a more flattering fit, I specifically used this outfit as the example, because truthfully I think that the untucked version actually makes me look “skinnier” due to it pulling in some of the fullness of the skirt, but visually, tucking the sweater in truly emphasizes my pear shape which makes me feel more confident and CONFIDENCE is what truly makes an outfit flattering.
Simply Put: the most flattering fits happen when you visually cut your body/outline into thirds vs. fourths, because it elongates your legs while emphasizing your waist. A visual break is something like a color block, tucking your shirt in, adding a belt, etc.
For the best look, you want a visual break at the bottom of the first 3rd (belt/shirt tuck) or the bottom of the second 3rd (a midi length skirt like in my example, a rolled pant leg or an ankle boot, etc).
Related: The actual FIT of clothes is also very important.
I’ll never stop shouting it from the rooftops how important it is to know your actual measurements. ESPECIALLY because no two brands size women’s clothing the same. In general, I’m a size 18, but in some brands that’s a size 20/22 and other brands (Universal Standard in particular – who I love and who bases their sizing off the size of actual women) is a size M. So I also made a helpful chart that illustrates on a plus size body where to measure to cross reference on sizing charts.
There is nothing I hate more or makes me feel worse than when I order clothes (online of course, because that’s where I do all my shopping haha) and I have a mental image of how it’ll look on me, and then when it arrives it doesn’t fit right at all. Just an instant mood killer.
Knowing your measurements means you’re not wasting time (or money) returning things and there are so many studies out there proving that if you look your best you FEEL your best.
Again, CONFIDENCE = FLATTERING.
I hope you find this chart helpful and feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions!
XOXO, Tara
Tara Jane Style 
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