Hey my draft had too many characters sooooo, part 2!
I think the great secrets of women's fashion are: 1) layers;
2) mainstream style is an attempt to emphasize, or create the impression of, an hourglass figure. Examples: belts (draw attention to the waist and may actually physically cinch in the clothes to create narrowness there); full skirts or wider-leg pants, if your shoulders are broader than your hips (creates a visual impression of balance); likewise, narrow v-necks (visually narrows your shoulders); wide lapels or boat necklines on people whose shoulders are narrower than their hips (visually broadens the shoulders - strong horizontal lines broaden what they are near; verticals narrow it). Trends of *fashion* may or may not be of any utility for you in this regard, but an overall style which follows this principle will be pretty timeless.
3) The body is a system of thirds (ground to knee, knee to waist, waist to shoulder) and clothing should respect that. Clothing that breaks you up into two halves will make you look dumpy and unproportional; clothing that follows the thirds will lend you graceful proportions. So the classic sheath dress (runs the 2/3rds from shoulder to knee), or a blouse and knee-length skirt (likewise), or a blouse and long pants (the top 1/3 and the bottom 2/3). In point of fact, your SPECIFIC body may have proportions that depart somewhat from this (and that is *totally okay*); this may suggest some garments that will be better on you and some worse. For instance, if your torso is proportionally short, a tunic-length top will create the impression of lengthening it, and may be quite flattering; if your torso is proportionally long and you wear the same garment, you will be emphasizing halves, not thirds; you, and your legs, will both look shorter than they actually are. (To go all nerd, in the first case you'll look more elven; in the second, more dwarven. Most people prefer the former.)
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Re: I'd love your female oriented links
I think the great secrets of women's fashion are:
1) layers;
2) mainstream style is an attempt to emphasize, or create the impression of, an hourglass figure. Examples: belts (draw attention to the waist and may actually physically cinch in the clothes to create narrowness there); full skirts or wider-leg pants, if your shoulders are broader than your hips (creates a visual impression of balance); likewise, narrow v-necks (visually narrows your shoulders); wide lapels or boat necklines on people whose shoulders are narrower than their hips (visually broadens the shoulders - strong horizontal lines broaden what they are near; verticals narrow it). Trends of *fashion* may or may not be of any utility for you in this regard, but an overall style which follows this principle will be pretty timeless.
3) The body is a system of thirds (ground to knee, knee to waist, waist to shoulder) and clothing should respect that. Clothing that breaks you up into two halves will make you look dumpy and unproportional; clothing that follows the thirds will lend you graceful proportions. So the classic sheath dress (runs the 2/3rds from shoulder to knee), or a blouse and knee-length skirt (likewise), or a blouse and long pants (the top 1/3 and the bottom 2/3). In point of fact, your SPECIFIC body may have proportions that depart somewhat from this (and that is *totally okay*); this may suggest some garments that will be better on you and some worse. For instance, if your torso is proportionally short, a tunic-length top will create the impression of lengthening it, and may be quite flattering; if your torso is proportionally long and you wear the same garment, you will be emphasizing halves, not thirds; you, and your legs, will both look shorter than they actually are. (To go all nerd, in the first case you'll look more elven; in the second, more dwarven. Most people prefer the former.)