Read Online A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style by Tim Gunn, Kate Maloney - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tim Gunn, Kate Maloney
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product of osteoporosis and contributes to the impression of shrinking as one ages. No one likes to shrink, so work on those shoulders.
GETTING ALIGNED
Imagine a model skeleton hanging in a very chic laboratory. The skeleton is held together by wires and a pole that travels from its base, through the cavity between the pelvic bones, along the spine, and up into the skull. Try standing in front of a mirror and imagining yourself suspended in the same manner. Yes, a bit macabre, but a helpful exercise nonetheless. Does your pole travel gracefully up into your skull? Or does it poke out of your neck because your head juts forward? Is the pole knocking into the back of your pelvis because you stand with your stomach thrust out? Is the pole too long because you allow your ribs to sag into your diaphragm, shortening your torso? The best way to make sure that your skeleton is giving you its all is by remembering that just as in clothing, the line is whatis important. Nothing on our model skeleton is crunched together or sticking out to the side. The skeleton looks relaxed, ready to samba or hit a tennis ball.
The body is engineered to function in the most efficient manner possible. That means that aches and pains can be avoided if the skeleton is given plenty of room to work. It also means a youthful, attractive silhouette really should have very little to do with age. For some reason, many American women insist on foreshortening themselves by allowing their shoulders to round forward, their ribs to sink toward their pelvis, and their heads to hang forward heavily. This difference is rarely mentioned in that endless debate of why French women are chic, but it is worth noting. What often gets chalked up to a certain hauteur in the French is partially the impression given by proper alignment of the body. Dior’s new look does not work if one is slumped over and drooling. Nor does one see many photos of Catherine Deneuve standing with her stomach sticking out and her shoulders rounded. So the question is: How does one go about getting things to line up? By starting with the pelvis.
One of the most helpful pieces of advice on the subject comes from a wonderful book called
Your Carriage, Madam
by Janet Lane. Though published in 1934, it is not in the least bit dated, perhaps because the temptation to slump is eternal. Ms. Lane suggests that in order to bring the pelvis into proper alignment, one should imagine slipping between two tables at a crowded restaurant. Instinctively, one tucks one’s bottom under and draws the navel into the spine. This is the proper position for one’spelvis. Since French bistros are usually packed and their tables are only inches apart, one can think of proper pelvic alignment as the “bistro position.” If one is familiar with pilates, it is also immediately recognizable as the “scooped” position that is the backbone of that fitness method. This ever-so-slight pelvic tilt keeps the bottom from jutting out and flattens the stomach. Not only does it make one look slimmer and taller, it provides support for the lower back. The change it makes to one’s seated posture is also tremendous. Next time you are seated at a desk, try slipping into bistro posture. It naturally brings the spine into contact with the chair and makes it far easier to pull those shoulders down. All of this means less fatigue, which means more time for productive work. Or more efficient work—which means potentially leaving the office early! The benefits of good posture are manifold!
OUT AND ABOUT
One of the joys of living in New York, as both authors of this book do, is that you can walk anywhere. The sidewalks are perpetually filled with people hurrying about. The rich, the poor, the glamorous, and the frumpy all jostle for space on the same few feet of sidewalk. Observing this pageant of humanity, it becomes clear that despite all of our differences, the vast majority of people have one thing in common:
GETTING ALIGNED
Imagine a model skeleton hanging in a very chic laboratory. The skeleton is held together by wires and a pole that travels from its base, through the cavity between the pelvic bones, along the spine, and up into the skull. Try standing in front of a mirror and imagining yourself suspended in the same manner. Yes, a bit macabre, but a helpful exercise nonetheless. Does your pole travel gracefully up into your skull? Or does it poke out of your neck because your head juts forward? Is the pole knocking into the back of your pelvis because you stand with your stomach thrust out? Is the pole too long because you allow your ribs to sag into your diaphragm, shortening your torso? The best way to make sure that your skeleton is giving you its all is by remembering that just as in clothing, the line is whatis important. Nothing on our model skeleton is crunched together or sticking out to the side. The skeleton looks relaxed, ready to samba or hit a tennis ball.
The body is engineered to function in the most efficient manner possible. That means that aches and pains can be avoided if the skeleton is given plenty of room to work. It also means a youthful, attractive silhouette really should have very little to do with age. For some reason, many American women insist on foreshortening themselves by allowing their shoulders to round forward, their ribs to sink toward their pelvis, and their heads to hang forward heavily. This difference is rarely mentioned in that endless debate of why French women are chic, but it is worth noting. What often gets chalked up to a certain hauteur in the French is partially the impression given by proper alignment of the body. Dior’s new look does not work if one is slumped over and drooling. Nor does one see many photos of Catherine Deneuve standing with her stomach sticking out and her shoulders rounded. So the question is: How does one go about getting things to line up? By starting with the pelvis.
One of the most helpful pieces of advice on the subject comes from a wonderful book called
Your Carriage, Madam
by Janet Lane. Though published in 1934, it is not in the least bit dated, perhaps because the temptation to slump is eternal. Ms. Lane suggests that in order to bring the pelvis into proper alignment, one should imagine slipping between two tables at a crowded restaurant. Instinctively, one tucks one’s bottom under and draws the navel into the spine. This is the proper position for one’spelvis. Since French bistros are usually packed and their tables are only inches apart, one can think of proper pelvic alignment as the “bistro position.” If one is familiar with pilates, it is also immediately recognizable as the “scooped” position that is the backbone of that fitness method. This ever-so-slight pelvic tilt keeps the bottom from jutting out and flattens the stomach. Not only does it make one look slimmer and taller, it provides support for the lower back. The change it makes to one’s seated posture is also tremendous. Next time you are seated at a desk, try slipping into bistro posture. It naturally brings the spine into contact with the chair and makes it far easier to pull those shoulders down. All of this means less fatigue, which means more time for productive work. Or more efficient work—which means potentially leaving the office early! The benefits of good posture are manifold!
OUT AND ABOUT
One of the joys of living in New York, as both authors of this book do, is that you can walk anywhere. The sidewalks are perpetually filled with people hurrying about. The rich, the poor, the glamorous, and the frumpy all jostle for space on the same few feet of sidewalk. Observing this pageant of humanity, it becomes clear that despite all of our differences, the vast majority of people have one thing in common:
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