{"id":4971,"date":"2022-11-08T21:09:47","date_gmt":"2022-11-09T01:09:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fashionforrealwomen.com\/blog\/?p=4971"},"modified":"2023-07-30T11:13:25","modified_gmt":"2023-07-30T15:13:25","slug":"balance-in-dress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fashionforrealwomen.com\/blog\/balance-in-dress\/","title":{"rendered":"Balance in Dress"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What is balance in dress?<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s like balance any place else.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Seesaw\"For example, if you put a big kid on one end of a seesaw and a little kid on the other end, what happens?<\/span><\/p>\n

The big kid hits the ground and the little kid pops up in the air…and stays there. <\/span><\/p>\n

Game over. No ride for them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Because a seesaw works best if the riders are of equal size. They balance each other out.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s the same way with dress.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Balance is Important<\/span><\/h2>\n

The eye seeks balance unconsciously.<\/span><\/p>\n

So if the elements of an outfit balance each other out, our eyes move over the ensemble easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

But if they don’t<\/em>, if there’s too much of one thing and not enough of another, the mind stumbles, trying to assess what’s amiss.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s unsettling. Chaotic. We look away.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"Balanced<\/td>\n\"No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Balance<\/span><\/td>\nNo Balance<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

On the left, the heavily embroidered fitted bodice and slim arms offset the wide, flowing skirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

What’s more, the bits of embroidery at the hips and hem create a rhythm<\/a> that makes the skirt interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, it’s pleasing to look at.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the dress on the right has too many ruffles<\/em> and too much in-your-face yellow<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n

It’s over-the-top, lacks balance, and all those ruffles on her midsection visually add about 30 pounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Probably not what she was going for.<\/span><\/p>\n

See the difference?<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you understand what to look for, it makes so much more<\/em> sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Science of Balance<\/span><\/h2>\n

So how can you achieve balance in dress?<\/span><\/p>\n

The ancient Greeks solved it mathematically.<\/span><\/p>\n

As noted in the article about proportion<\/a>, everything<\/em> boiled down to math for them, including art, dress, and the human body.<\/span><\/p>\n

So if it was divisible, it could be balanced.<\/span><\/p>\n

If not, it couldn’t<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:<\/span><\/p>\n

One Half<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The body is divided in half, offering equal balance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"OneJil Sander<\/span><\/p>\n

One Third, Two Thirds<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The body is divided into thirds, offering one-third of one thing, and two-thirds of another.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TwoAgnona<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TwoEmilio Pucci<\/span><\/p>\n

One Sixth<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The body is divided into sixths, with one-sixth offering drama and impact and the remaining five-sixths creating a backdrop for the attention-grabber.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"OneDiane von Furstenberg<\/span><\/p>\n

\"OneRalph Lauren<\/p>\n

See how this works?<\/span><\/p>\n

If you think in terms of dividing your body mathematically, whether in half, in thirds, in sixths, etc., it makes creating balance so much<\/em> easier.<\/span><\/p>\n

Imbalance in Dress<\/span><\/h2>\n

So what are some examples of imbalance<\/em>?<\/p>\n

\"Imbalanced\"Kasper<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no clear mathematical division here. <\/span><\/p>\n

You see a lot of material, and then your eyes shift from the necklace to the sandals as both compete for attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s kind of chaotic, and you don’t know where to look first.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Imbalanced\"Michael Michael Kors<\/span><\/p>\n

The tall, long-legged blonde is certainly beautiful, but the clunky boots immediately draw your attention to the feet and keep the dress from visually dividing her in half.<\/span><\/p>\n

If she’d worn navy or skin-toned pumps, it would look more balanced.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s not horrible<\/em>, but you definitely get a, \u201cWhat’s wrong with this picture?\u201d vibe here.<\/span><\/p>\n

What’s wrong is that it doesn’t add up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Imbalanced\"Free People<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from the fact that the delicate crocheted dress and the clunky boots don’t go together, this ensemble also misses the mark mathematically.<\/span><\/p>\n

The dress is two-thirds, but the boots are one-sixth, throwing off the balance.<\/span><\/p>\n

They also draw attention directly to the feet \u2013 which is a real shame, given how pretty she is.<\/span><\/p>\n

So…<\/span><\/p>\n

See why these didn’t work?<\/span><\/p>\n

There’s no clear mathematical division in any of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you think in terms of that<\/em>, it makes putting together ensembles much<\/em> easier.<\/span><\/p>\n

Formal vs Informal Balance<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now that we’ve talked about creating balance mathematically, let’s dig a little deeper.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are two types of balance in dress:<\/span><\/p>\n