In the world of fashion, the existence of this word is crucial and mandatory. It speaks of the structure of your clothing or gives a hint about your interest in type of garments you lick off the racks. The term silhouette simply states the basic outline of the body or the garment that it takes shape in. Our bodies have their own natural shapes, which most of us women usually find a number of flaws in. And hence we live in a modern world where we have clothes to do the talking and speak about our personalities. Our bodies range from the pear shaped, to the rectangle, to the V shaped or the hourglass. But once we throw on our clothes, they tell a different story.
Silhouettes act as an identification to garment cutting and distinction of structure. We must not have realised, but it is often the outline of a garment that is used to describe a garment or an outfit, besides its colour or fabric. When we talk about silhouettes, the right type of garments enhance your figure. The very common and most talked about silhouettes is the A-line that is slim on the torso and that flares out at the hemline. The sheath is every women’s absolute favourite as it is body hugging and takes the beauty of the shape of the body. The exact opposite to this silhouette is the shift dress that simply has no shape and rests straight on the body, concealing the waistline. The empire dress takes the natural waistline a few inches aboveboard, thus making the body look longer. A flared dress is one where it is made voluptuous and has exaggerated flare. In terms of construction of a garment, the role of darts and gathers plays a vital role.
Fascinating fact – The term was coined by a French finance minister Etienne de Silhoeutte, who used to decorate his house with figure cuttings, during his years of retirement.
By: Fleur D’mello
