5 Women on Finding Their Signature Silhouettes
August 04, 2017 | Filed in: Your Closet
The key to dressing well? Knowing your proportions, and the silhouettes that fit them best—and then sticking to those shapes, no matter how tempting this season’s trends may be. Here, five MM employees share their go-to looks, and how to freshen them up from week to week.
Christine, designer
Christine wears the Rachel dress in midnight blue with the Sant Ambroeus jardigan in black.
Go-to silhouette: I have a shorter torso, so I like to wear pieces that accentuate my natural waist—cropped jackets or cardigans, high-waisted pants, and fitted dresses. Working in fashion, I learned early on that getting ready for work is a lot easier when your wardrobe has an essential core. You can add special pieces when you want, but you need classics that can be mixed and matched seamlessly. My new rule for buying clothes is that If I don’t see myself wearing it in 10 years, I won’t get it. I’m looking to buy quality over quantity, and stick to tried-and-true pieces that I know will look good on me, not someone on a runway.
MM favorites: The Sant Ambroeus jardigan is perfect for me because it hits at the right place—my natural waist—to be paired with most of the things I own. The Rachel dress is a great shell that I can wear with different accessories and under different jackets or sweaters, so it doesn’t seem like I’m repeating the same thing over and over again.
Styling tips: When there’s a creative-casual vibe, I’ll add cool sneakers and a colorful scarf.
Hanna, senior associate, service excellence
Hanna wears the Soho skirt and Winfrey top.
Go-to silhouette: Because I’m petite and curvy, I can get swallowed up in things easily, which makes me look shorter and bulkier. I prefer two silhouettes: either extremely loose but tailored in strategic places (an asymmetrical hem, an interesting neckline, etc.) or curve-hugging. With MM pieces, I love a good tailored shape that emphasizes my waist. It was a big discovery for me to find out how great this silhouette makes me feel. Still, it can take discipline to stick to it sometimes. I love clothes, and occasionally have to remind myself that just because I like the aesthetic of a particular trend, it might not work for my body or my style. I’m learning to say, “So gorgeous, but not for me.”
MM favorites: I frequently wear the Rachel dress, and the Masha 2.0 nips in dramatically at the waist and makes me feel like Christina Hendricks in Mad Men (in a good way!). I also love the combination of the Winfrey top with the Soho skirt, which looks like a dress when paired together.
Styling tips: Belts always help define the waist. On a more casual day, I may wear a chunky flat and something loose and flowy on top like a kimono. On a more formal day, I’ll keep it polished with simple heels and a jardigan.
Christina, merchandising coordinator
Christina wears the Georgia 2.0 dress in black.
Go-to silhouette: I tend to wear looser styles that keep me comfortable running from meeting to meeting during the day, as well as commuting to and from work. I have a slightly bigger bottom and middle section, and on days when I need a little extra love, I know I can count on a flowy A-line dress.
MM favorites: The Georgia 2.0, Toi, Zulma, Pauline, and Femi dresses are all easy-fitting and make me feel confident, sophisticated, and ready to give a kick-ass presentation.
Styling tips: A good colored heel can do wonders for the legs!
Kartinah, customer logistics associate
Kartinah wears the Aditi 2.0 dress in galaxy blue.
Go-to silhouette: I like sheath dresses with a straight cut that still hints at my curves. I move around all day while working in our Brooklyn-based warehouse, so I prefer fitted styles that don’t feel too fussy or flowy. When I was younger, I thought I was too tall (I hit 5’10 when I was 14!) and wanted to shrink into the background. For a long time, I only wore baggy T-shirt dresses, not realizing that they only added volume and made me look larger. After moving to New York, I realized I am not the tallest person in the world, and started looking for pieces that complemented my features rather than hiding them.
MM favorites: I go for the more fitted MM pieces, like the Aditi 2.0 and Katie dresses.
Styling tips: I’m bad at accessorizing, so I look for dresses with details that do the accessorizing for me. A beautiful seam at the waist or a mock collar can make a huge difference, and turn a ho-hum dress into a power outfit.
Lani, stylist
Lani wears the Sarah 7.0 dress in black.
Go-to silhouette: I’m 5’0”, so I go for simple but strong pieces. High-quality tailoring is a must when you’re my height, because things need to fit well. I find that sticking to clean, somewhat menswear-inspired shapes makes getting dressed easier, because almost anything within this formula automatically goes with everything else I have. It simplifies the shopping process, too—I know at a glance what will work for me and what won’t.
MM favorites: I like the Sarah 7.0 dress, which is great for petites, and separates like the Nakamura trouser, the Rowling top, and of course my namesake Oshima pant (which I now own in 4 colors).
Styling tip: When I want to feel more adventurous, I switch up colors rather than my silhouette. For example, I recently bought the Oshima pant in chili flake. Incremental experimentation ensures that I don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel every season.
