Mining Gold Day 2

 
Day 2/Step 2/Week 2 of the "Miracle 7 Day Glamour Course is all about "the clothes for your looks". Here you are asked to take a long, hard look at yourself for those good points and weak points. This requires a tape measure and two mirrors—full length and hand mirror. The accompanying chart to fill in asks you to assess and describe neck, shoulders, bosom, waistline, hips, legs, arms, side view and back view. The conclusion: it's not the numbers on the tape but how they relate in proportion to each other.

> Are you short? 5' 4" or less is considered short, but you will look taller if you are slim, shorter if you are stocky.
> Are you tall? 5'7" or more is considered tall and ditto from above.
> Are you top heavy? Yes, if your bust is 12 or more inches larger than your waist.
> Are you hippy? Yes, if your hips are 12 or more inches larger than your waist.

HOW TO DRESS...
 ...if you're short
Everything should be tiny. No large collars or wide belts, no matter how tiny your waist. You are the "bite-size version of femininity and can wear perky, piquant clothes other girls can't get away with".  No blouse-y tops, no contrasting colors, no bold jewelry. In other words, you cannot let your personality or personal taste get in the way of your teeny-tiny cuteness. This is 2019; please disregard.

...if you're tall
You can wear all the latest styles, the bolder and more dramatic the better—double-breasted, peplums, capes, boleros. Ditto bold accessories. Lay on the chunky jewelry, giant earrings, big prints, "handbags like pieces of luggage". Toss all your small jewelry to your little friends as you should never wear anything tiny and delicate. Now, if you tower over everyone and have the nerve to not like this, wearing horizontal lines will make you look shorter. I wonder if you can ask for your jewelry back.

...if you have hips 
Don't feel too bad; having large hips makes your waist look smaller. Being on the hippy side myself, I've always been up for any tips and tricks. Wear modified fullness over your hips to "even out" the disparity. Draw the eye to your top half by wearing brighter colors, scarfs and necklaces. Even consider adding "gentle fullness" to the bottom so it looks like the clothes and not you. You can disregard two other tips: wear a good girdle and a bigger hat.

...if you're heavy on top
Stop slinking around; this is what made Jane Russell famous! However, to de-emphasize your bosom, wear diagonal or asymmetric lines on top, like a crossed-over surplice. And don't wear anything too tight. Choose v-necks, scoop necks, off the shoulder, sweetheart neckline, just no bateau necks. Tops darker than your bottom will help as will a good corsetiere. You will never ever buy a striped fisherman t-shirt.

Hey, that's Jane

 
The next section is a checklist of all the styles in fashion on collars, necklines, shoulders, sleeves, bodices, waistlines and skirts and which types they are good for. You are asked to memorize this list (as much as pertains to you) in order to become "a real fashion expert". The problem here is too often we know what we should not wear and buy it anyway. That is not discussed.

Finally is a page on color. It took until 1980 for Carole Jackson to publish "Color Me Beautiful", still  the definitive guide to what colors look good on you. But the Miracle Course does touch on the fact that it is not just your hair and eyes that determine your best colors. You are asked to experiment with holding up all kinds of swatches to your face and letting your reflection tell you what looks best. I was happy to see this early mention of yes, redheads can wear pink. All in all, not exactly helpful, but I can see this section would take some time to complete.

Now that you are thoroughly depressed by the list of clothes and colors you cannot wear, it's time to move on to Day 3. Join me when we have both recovered.