Those longer-length shirts, the ones that are neither cropped nor tunic-length, often land at what Tresi started calling the “frump line.”
She emailed me and said, “I noticed that every one of the tops I rejected for frumpiness, regardless of whether they are shirts, t-shirts, or jackets, landed at the point where my leg joins on.”
Quote of the day: “You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are.” Rachel Hollis
Proportion is one of those elusive details that can make or break a fabulous look. We don’t hear about it much when people style clothing, but it’s a powerful tool.
Throw out the ideas that your body shape can only wear this or that, and think more about proportions.
While many stylists talk about balance (say a loose-fitting top with tighter jeans), sometimes balance can be more about how long items are and even about changing the focal point.
Pro tip: While proportion and balance can seem elusive, the best trick is to take a photo of your outfit daily. Even the ones you don’t love. Then analyze them weekly and notice which you like the best and which you don’t. Figure out the WHY.
I have explored this idea in the past, along with side-by-side photos with different proportions, because it can help your outfits tremendously.
–Coordinate with Proportion, Dichotomy and Color
–Proportion Body Dressing
–Tucked vs Untucked
Before you come to the conclusion that the problem is the longer length shirts, Tresi and I have ideas. There are so many ways to counteract that tricky proportion without tucking.
Sure, tucking can be a great option too, but there’s always more than one way to skin a cat (my grandma’s saying…not that I would ever do that).
Both Tresi and I believe that once you understand the balance game of proportions, your wardrobe instantly feels more elevated, even with the exact same clothes.
How this happened: Tresi sent me her photos, and I decided to basically recreate her look (somewhat similar, somewhat different), and see if we could show various ways to style those longer-length shirts.
Or in Tresi’s words, “I challenge you to find your frump line, and dissolve it!”
Why the “Frump Line” Happens
Let’s start with a little style math (don’t worry, it’s the fun kind).
When a shirt ends right at your crotch, it visually cuts your body in half. That 50/50 proportion tends to look boxy and hides your shape, especially if your top doesn’t have structure or shape.
What works better, in general, are thirds — like ⅓ on top and ⅔ on bottom (or vice versa). When your shirt ends at that halfway mark, it’s not usually the best look. Not to say there aren’t exceptions.
Knowing this frump line doesn’t mean you have to avoid longer length shirts altogether. You just need a few styling tricks up your sleeve.
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The Longer Length Shirt Outfits
Here are both Tresi’s and my original longer-length shirt outfits.
We both wore wide jeans, a longer length blue shirt, and then a brown topper. As well as ankle boots.
Tresi started with a “‘nice’ outfit, that you might wear for retired life if you wish to pass unnoticed!
I call this a buy-one-of-each-style, as you go to the shop, see a nice top and buy it in three different colours and then think that your wardrobe is sorted.
As you can see, the t shirt and jacket both fall on the frump line.”
In order to copy Tresi’s look, I ended up borrowing one of Rob’s t-shirts to get it to end at my crotch area.
With all of Tresi’s ideas plus mine, you have a boatload of options to take one outfit and make it look proportionally different.
Scarf Ideas with Tresi
Tresi admitted that she knew she could tuck or belt or both to change the dynamic, but wanted to experiment for those ‘feeling fat’ days.
In her words: “It’s amazing how many different things you can do with a scarf. This one is a gorgeous pattern, but oh so slippery! I don’t think it was quite big enough for the over the shoulder style, but I liked the way it broke the navy blue.”
“Round the hips worked really well. Btw, a great way to add extra warmth without bulk.”
I would like to point out that Tresi wore this same scarf in the original frump line photo, but because it’s the same color scheme and was only around her neck, it didn’t change the look as much as when she tried these 2 other ideas.
One reason that the scarf works when it’s showcased more is that you are changing the focus without tucking the shirt.
When it’s slung around the shoulder, it shows off the material beautifully.
Worn around the waist covers the frump line of the shirt while adding in some asymmetry.
Pro tip: Scarves work wonderfully as a belt in all sorts of situations. My crew showcased that this summer, so you can try it in many ways.
Plaid Shirt Options
After Tresi shared this shirt around the waist article from Vogue earlier this season, she and I have both been fans.
Pro tip: Before you worry about if the extra volume will make you look bigger, remember that being small is not the goal. Having fun with your style and trying new things gives you a much bigger burst of dopamine.
Tresi wore the plaid shirt
-As a jacket that is a tad longer than her brown jacket, and thus gives a different proportional look.
-Tied around her waist, which gives asymmetry and fun to the outfit.
-Tied around her waist with a much longer duster, which adds that bit of glamour or maybe gunslinger vibe (as Tresi called it).
Other Accessories
Wearing a belt does not mean you have to tuck your shirt in and use the belt loops of your jeans. I just placed a chain belt over the longer length shirt and changed the focus that way.
Another way to change the focus is to pile on necklaces.
For this example, I wore 4 different necklaces to give some vertical dimension and have your eyes pivot to the bling instead of my frump line.
Style Hacks
There are so many ways to style your shirt that don’t involve tucking. I’m showing 3 different ways here.
1-Scarf clip. While these are marketed to hold scarf ends together, they work just as wonderfully with t-shirt material.
2. Brooch. Just gather the extra material of your shirt and use a pin to keep it all together. This acts to ruche the material as well as change the hemline of your longer length shirts.
3-Create a ‘button’ on your shirt. I used a bangle bracelet and clear elastic (as seen in this FB video) to pull in the extra material.
Pro tip: For style hack #3, you can gather the material the opposite way by putting the bangle bracelet on the outside of your shirt and using the hairtie on the inside instead. This creates a dimple in the shirt instead of a ‘button.’
Other Proportions
Then I decided to play in my closet and see how I could change up the proportions with these longer length shirts.
1-I grabbed a shorter skirt to change the top and bottom from being half and half. I think I could have used a knee-length skirt to make it even better.
2-Then I layered a striped shirtdress under the blue t-shirt.
3-I even tried the striped shirtdress over the blue t-shirt, but under the topper.
It’s all about playing in your closet. I believe it’s time spent much better than watching TV. The idea of putting together different clothing combinations builds new brain pathways, which is good for our brain health.
PLUS it’s physical exercise, which is good for our muscular health as well as balance.
The Takeaway With Longer Length Shirts
Longer length shirts can be tricky proportion-wise, but they’re far from unwearable. The key is breaking up the line, creating shape, or changing the focal point. These ideas can be done through layering, knotting, or accessorizing.
Once you see the difference, you’ll start noticing how those tiny adjustments make your whole outfit feel more put-together.
Tresi and I came up with over 10 different ways to make these longer-length shirts work, all without a single tuck. Because style should feel creative, not constrictive!
So the next time you put on a top that ends right at that infamous “frump line,” refer back to this article and try some of our ideas. You won’t be sorry.
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Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
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