Okay, listen. This girl is an Olympic champion and the winner of Dancing With the Stars, for the sake of sweet little pickles. CAN'T WE DO BETTER BY HER THAN THIS?
Shawn is short and a little stockily-built and THAT IS TOTALLY OKAY. Three quarters of people reading this right now are a little short, a little stocky, and/or both, am I right? Please, tip your waitress. But seriously, folks. A lot of people are built just like Shawn (except without the incredible athleticism, generally) and most of them manage to look very cute indeed on a daily basis, with no professional help. Right? Like you -- right there, with the turkey sandwich. You look adorable in that sweater. Way to go. So this is why I can't understand why whoever is styling Shawn -- America's Sweetheart! -- can't manage to, like, figure it out. Clearly, the empire waist here is an attempt to make her legs look longer, but the top is totally unflattering, the shoes don't match and the colors are so very Elderly Bridesmatron. I just want to grab her and take her to Bloomingdale's and FIX HER, since apparently, her stylist doesn't CARE ENOUGH to do this right. I'd start with making this dress shorter -- knee-length at least --- and give her something with sleeves, say, with a deep v-neck, to elongate things? But what would you do?
Usual Commenting Kindness rules apply, please. Now, TAKE IT AWAY:
Shawn is short and a little stockily-built and THAT IS TOTALLY OKAY. Three quarters of people reading this right now are a little short, a little stocky, and/or both, am I right? Please, tip your waitress. But seriously, folks. A lot of people are built just like Shawn (except without the incredible athleticism, generally) and most of them manage to look very cute indeed on a daily basis, with no professional help. Right? Like you -- right there, with the turkey sandwich. You look adorable in that sweater. Way to go. So this is why I can't understand why whoever is styling Shawn -- America's Sweetheart! -- can't manage to, like, figure it out. Clearly, the empire waist here is an attempt to make her legs look longer, but the top is totally unflattering, the shoes don't match and the colors are so very Elderly Bridesmatron. I just want to grab her and take her to Bloomingdale's and FIX HER, since apparently, her stylist doesn't CARE ENOUGH to do this right. I'd start with making this dress shorter -- knee-length at least --- and give her something with sleeves, say, with a deep v-neck, to elongate things? But what would you do?
Usual Commenting Kindness rules apply, please. Now, TAKE IT AWAY:
I doubt she has a stylist.
I would totally make it knee length, but keep the cute slit. I'd turn the top into a deep v with thick straps - I think the material being kind of striped would definitely work with that. Put her hair up and a killer pair of heels and voila! Tall and glam!
I'd wear something different. Maybe something that shows off a waist...
First of all, kill the floral print bottom. I think the slate color at the top is good for her, so maybe a halter neck instead of the strapless, the same fabric or at least color throughout and a shorter length. Some chunky black sandals to go with. All the hair really needs is a decent blow-out.
Lengthen the top to her natural waist, make it a halter, and shorten the skirt to above her knees.
Hair, shoes, and accessories are all OK.
She shouldn't wear horizontal lines of any kind, and probably shouldn't do things that are strapless, because they accentuate her shoulders. And the tube-top top is making her look flat, especially since it extends down past her natural waist (or where her boobs end).
And the material looks cheap and her hair looks unwashed. The skirt has a ballooning effect for her lower half. This is really depressing!
Excellent photo - she literally, and figuratively, misses the mark.
I think she needs the full-on Underwood: she disappears for two months and comes back a svelte, coiffed, tall drink of Countrytime Lemonmaid. Delcious anytime, and only slightly high in sugar.
Also, it should be noted that the lower portion of that frock is a great repurposing of the fabric used to make most of Jessie Spanno's blouses. Way to recycle.
You don't put a boxy dress on a boxy body. Make it shorter, make it a halter and make the waistline lower to accentuate curves on her very athletic body.
something that perks up her chest would be nice - as well as a pair of shoes that's more cute and sassy with a short summer skirt. that's my vote.
I don't care if it's an awards show. Jeans & a t-shirt would have been better than that get-up. Poor thing.
In a word - bra.
Knee-length for sure--but please, no shark bite hem or variation on. I could get with a cap sleeve, but prefer a halter with a V neckline. Make the shoe lighter, strappier, so it doesn't look like she's tethered to the earth. Hair up with some tendrils around the face. Wide waist band or skinny empire waist, but not wide empire waist. She is too cute, fit, and pretty to wear this monstrosity of a dress. I wouldn't even wish that on a witchy mother of the groom! If this is nonsensical, I apologize. I have the flu and it is kicking my butt.
honestly, i don't think you can unfug this dress. shawn can be unfugged for sure, but not the dress.
she needs straps at least, to keep the boobs from looking like they're going to meet the bellybutton. i've found that a good halter-style looks good on a lot of people.
as for lengthening, i've always felt that a long torso is better for the camera than long legs. that said, she's got killer legs, so show 'em off! give her a long torso with a drop waist and a fun party-dress skirt. she's so young, she needs to wear those things while she can! and give her a bright color. the steel grey isn't bad, but i want her in PINK! or YELLOW!
now, how do we get these notes to her?
I saw a different picture when I could only see the top half of her, and the top by itself isn't really a problem. But the skirt definitely needs to be shorter. And not that print. And it looks like the waisted is pleated/gathered/something which makes is making it look bunchy.
Her hair is cute though.
Yep, it definitely needs a knee length and I'd make the top different, on all acounts not strapless. And switch the shoes for some black heels.
But I have to say, I despise the whole look: The pattern is indeed too old for her, her breasts look uncomfortable, oh, and those shoes...!
Her hair also doesn't look that nice, but that's another thing.
I agree; nothing can save this dress. She needs a deep-v short dress with some very high heels.
Besides completely changing everything about the outfit. I would teach her how to stand so she can lengthen her tiny body for the camera. She is shooting herself in the foot with her foot all askew like that!
This particular dress just can't be saved. The whole thing looks like bad faux-chiffon curtains found on sale at Sears.
I agree that her hair needs to be pulled up to display a neck. I think the weight of her hair and the (I am jealous) crazy muscles are giving her the neck of a college linebacker.
She definitely needs to show some leg, she's a GYMNAST!
I don't like the dress and I don't think any part of it flatters her. Though I kind of like the top half, I think the color makes her hair and skin tone drab.
The girl needs some pink to brighten her up. Or some black and gold to make her look more polished. Because she is so muscular I don't think pleats or flowery layers is a good idea. Assuming that she doesn't have an ounce of fat on her body, I think something form fitting without being trashy is ideal. I'm thinking Angela Basset circa Whats Love Got to Do with It?
Actually, Tina Turner could probably give her the name of some decent stylists.
1) Yes, V-neck and/or some kind of top that allows her to stand up straight without risk of flashing everyone
2) bring in the skirt or at least smooth the gathers at the bodice so that it is not all poofy at her waist,
3) I don't necessarily think the length is bad, it is the fact that it tapers IN at the bottom (and is biggest at the waist). Move it IN at waist, and cut the skirt differently so that the bottom flares out or at least hangs straight down.
4) Come to think of it, a creatively-shaped statement necklace, maybe one of those new-fangled bib necklaces, would go with the boho summer look AND do the same thing a V-neck would do, by creating the illusion of a non-horizontal neckline. Still wouldn't fix the posture problem, though.
5) I think the hair and makeup are nice - youthful and relaxed. The shoes are cute, but they are too formal for that dress.
This strapless dress looks horrible on her. With her athletic figure, she should have something that doesn't look like duct tape wrapped across her boobs. Making it shorter would greatly improve, as well.
Can we get the girl a better hair style while we're at it?
The girl is cuter than a basket of kittens but you'd never know it from this outfit.
I'd put her in a floaty skirt just above the knees that shows off her amazing calves, and with a summer v-neck blouse that is NOT that color. Perhaps white strappy sandals. The hair is ... meh, but it's not the primary offender and the earrings are merely accessories after the fact, so they can stay.
Poor thing is so young she just might not know better.
Even a glimpse of a waistline would be killer. She looks like horribly wrapped Easter Present. Kill the pastels. Kill the box shape. Kill the mismatched heels. Shorten it up, show us a teeny tiny bit of cleavage, not the pancake variety. And she'd be good to go!
Tim Gunn should be on emergency dial for these situations, but in his absence I'll give it a whirl.
I like the colour of the bandeau against her skin, but strapless is doing her no favours. She needs some support, and a structured silhouette. Personally I'm thinking a fifties style sleeveless shirt dress, with a popped collar and some nice patent pumps. Then go crazy with pearls and call it a day.
She looks like a sweetheart though, & she has a beautiful smile, so whatever makes her happy.
The whole ensemble has got to go.
None of it works.
She needs something with panels or darts in the waistline, she is not curvy enough there, and panels or darts would create the image of curves. A v-neck and a side slit, to get the eye moving up and down, creating length.
Whoever attached a tube top to my Grandmother's shower curtain and convinced her to wear it, must have been on some serious narcotics.
I am of the mind that a maxi dress does no girl any favors unless she is 5'8" or above. I am 5'5" and I see adorable maxi dresses all the time that I wish I could buy but don't, because I am adverse to both stumpifying and chubbifying myself. It doesn't matter how great your body is - MAXI DRESSES ARE FOR TALL GIRLS ONLY. sorry but it's true.
I would start completly over. First of all do a deep V-neck dress with a sleeve (not full length, but a cap sleeve won't do her any favors either). Make it in a bright color and add a little matallic around the neckline. Bring it in at the waist, and make it knee length. It should definately cinch at the waist, her waist needs some definition. Then I would top it off with her hair up, and some sexy, strappy, slingback sandals in gold to show off her legs. The shoes she has on now makes her calves and foot look HUGE!
First, I have to say that she is cute as a button and I love her shoes!
Now on to the dress. I really don't think this one can be saved. But if we are going to try, I would make the top a halter b/c the strapless is doing her no favors. Then I would cut the skirt to just above the knees; not showing her legs is a big letdown. I would also pull up her hair to help elongate her neck.
Ugh! I have seen that skirt a thousand times! Oh no! This girl is athletic! Must drown her in pastels to make her girly!!!!!!
Lose the entire thing! I'm down with the V neck, and maybe something a little less floaty, that girls got curves, time to celebrate!
I say change the outfit to match the shoes, don't mess with the shoes.
i agree with the first comment, get her a stylist!
Something needs to be done with that hair. It just looks like a wet puppy, and Shawn deserves better.
A bra would help wonders.
I honestly don't think that you can change this dress to make it flatter her.
Strapless or spaghetti straps -- bad. the girl needs sleeves, even little ones.
She needs a shorter lenght skirt
She needs more flattering colors/prints
She needs something that flows out from the waist to balance those awesome shoulders and create balance.
She needs to start over. Somehow, I even doubt that she has a stylist. Maybe Stacy and Clinton can fix her.
Pitch this whole outfit to start off with.
I'd love to see her in something with a halter with the neckline kind of a curved V. I think that would be more elongating but still show off her buff arms. Maybe a jewel tone - I'm thinking emerald green would look nice with her coloring. Definitely knee-length. With a metallic heel.
It's always weird to me when I see pictures of her with her hair down because I got used to seeing it up at the Olympics. Her hair needs something, but I don't know what.
I'd put her in heels that weren't commissioned for my grandmother.
Peeptoe!
Higher!
I'd take that skirt up to just above knee-length.
No one should ever wear that top, ever, at least anyone who isn't standing on a corner looking for a good time. I like the color-- maybe not on her, though. I'd swap it for a punchier color, and make it properly supportive, possibly with a sweetheart neckline. I'd also like a simple pendant necklace or something.
The shoes should be swapped for something not covered in sequins, also in a coordinating color. Doesn't mean they have to match. They just shouldn't be on the totally wrong side of the color wheel.
I also never saw the point of elaborate earrings if you're wearing your hair down. Pretty studs would do fine.
Definitely something shorter, around knee-length. I'd love to see her in a more tailored look with fly-away hair. She's a lovely young woman! I don't like her being swallowed up by what she's wearing.
Thing is, she probably doesn't have a stylist.
Fix that; the rest should follow. But given she likely does dress herself, I think she looks very cute.
OK, Shawn is an Iowa-bred, high school kid, and even though she is a celebrity now, she is still the kid who giggles and has fun while doing gymnastics at the local shopping center. Stylist-- I don't think so. But, yeah, she needs someone to take her to Jordan Creek and pull her into a couple of stores other than Penneys or Younkers.
Shawn, you're young, you're cute and spunky, get with the program. Cute prints, not your mom's prints. Shorter skirts to show off those athletic legs. Don't chop up the dress into top v. bottom-- it makes you look shorter. I know-- I'm vertically challenged, too. Your hair, though, is wow!
Ugh, she's so cute but that top does her no favours and the skirt is a one way ticket to stumpsville.
Put her in a short-ish dark skirt and a pretty top with bust support and she'll be darling indeed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sargent_MadameX.jpeg
Sweet Jeebus, it's like someone shoved a Mom-scarf up inside a tubetop. GAH!
She needs fitted lines and a classic style to fight the short and dumpies.
A decent cut with some brighter highlights wouldn't hurt either.
With her skin she can even rock some more challenging colors. Red or even orange.
She is adorable, and that dress makes me sad :-( I am one of the short, stockily-built people Jessica mentions in her post, and it took a while for me to learn that strapless was not ever going to be a good look for me. Give Shawn time to figure this out, too--she's young.
That said, I agree with the commenters--thick straps, a deep V neck and a just-above-the-knee length would be sooo much better! The steel gray is fine, but I thinks he could pull off lots of bold colors, as well. Hair is meh, but it is certainly not the problem here.
I assume you mistook my roast beef for turkey, but that's ok, because its hard to see what i am eating from that distance. but you're right... it's totally me--short, somewhat stocky (i have some serious leg muscles, thanks dad!) and got some boobs. i know how NOT to look like Little Miss Stumpalicious.
Basic rules:
1) Knee length or a little shorter.
2) if you are young, dress like it, dammit! bright colors, cool (not crazy) patterns.
3) Natural wait. Empire waists look better on tall, wispy type of chicks with willowly limbs. on the short chicks, we just look out of proportion (which = weird)
4) shoes that go (come on, don't tell me you can't pick out SHOES, it's practically genetic)
5) WEAR a BRA. No tube top dresses, they NEVER make your boobs look good. tube tops always make them look saggy and misshapen. ick.
when in doubt, pick something in a single color with a classic design. history has many style icons to choose from. pick one and emulate.
I think the slate would be nice if the whole dress were that color and then more form-fitting, stocky form or no. Maybe knee-length. And is it just me or does the photo make her look like she has her right shoe on her left foot?
There is nothing you can do with that floral disaster on the bottom half.
Make the top of the dress a square neck with wide straps (straps having verticle stripes akin to the horizontal ones on the top already). Continue the fabric from the top all the way down to just above the knee in a fitted (but not-too-tight) dress.
Different shoes (something metalic w/o sequins, please) and earrings. Hair up.
All better! (Or, she could just change into something entirely different.)
I like the colors in the bottom half - they're youthful. Make the entire dress in that fabric, make it shorter and make it a halter.
oy vey...
i say, give the bandeau some halter straps instead, for a more flattering line & a little support. replace grandma's favorite pastel watercolor fabric with a blue & white ikat patterned fabric that ends at the knees, and make those shoes strappier & a more subtle metallic pewter to compliment the gray part of the dress.
I'd take the skirt fabric and convert it into a knee length halter style dress- then use the fabric from the top of the dress as a belt.
That garment doesn't even make sense! It looks like she cut off the bottom of my 8th grade graduation dress and sewed it to an spray painted ace bandage. Poor girl, she is probably hard to dress, despite her absurd level of cuteness (some of her DWTS outfits can only be described as "yikes").
I think all the suggestions here are good ones (halter, shorter skirt, etc.), the best being a foundation garment for the love of God. She's what, 17? The girls shouldn't look saggy.
Holy smokes, this dress looks sooooo bad on her! Poor cute little thing! Even if she doesn't have a stylist, SOMEONE (her mom, her best friend, her aunt, her cousin, ANYONE) should have said something. Not a good look.
I would change the bust altogether, add sleeves, a deep v-neck, and make the skirt above the knee but not slutty short.
LOVE THE SHOES. I want those shoes.
K. bye.
Clothes aside, she needs new hair and makeup that don't make her look like she's 40. Isn't she only 17?
I'd definitely put her in a mono-chromatic knee-length dress with a flouncy A-line skirt, structured top with a waist, a v-neck or a low scoop-neck, and some loose sleeves. I wouldn't do a halter because she has pretty broad shoulders and I think it will just accentuate the wrong things...
And I'd do it in a bright color (but not pink!). She has such a bright personality, but she is also too strong to look like a Barbie girl...
I'd also change the shoes. Anything that isn't so chunky-looking...
There is no way that that dress can be saved, at least not with that fabric. The dress as-is, well, if it was shortened, and the skirt fabric became a silvery color to match the top, then it would be worlds better, but not great. I'm thinking she needs something knee length, V-necked, and cap sleeved? Also, she would look AMAZING if she just cut her hair to right above her shoulders, a la Reece Witherspoon's old longish bob.
There is no way that that dress can be saved, at least not with that fabric. The dress as-is, well, if it was shortened, and the skirt fabric became a silvery color to match the top, then it would be worlds better, but not great. I'm thinking she needs something knee length, V-necked, and cap sleeved? Also, she would look AMAZING if she just cut her hair to right above her shoulders, a la Reece Witherspoon's old longish bob.
Shawn is so cute! To improve upon this dress, continue the top half all the way down to just above the knee, make it a brighter color and get rid of the floral part (ugh). Add some great strappy heels, a strapless bra and do something a little more exciting with the hair.
Overall, I think she would look cuter in a just-above the knee v-neck style kimono or wrap dress with sleeves. She needs something that cinches at the waist but is looser everywhere else, to give her some definition.
She's so cute, but that dress....Could someone put out a memo: strapless doesn't look good on everyone. In fact, it looks good on very few.
Take the dress, burn it.
Make new dress out of different gray material that is smooth and not so stretchy and cheap looking. Spread ashes of floral print over old stylist while making said new dress a sweetheart cut (She's young, it's allowed), and a bra worn underneath. Sweetheart will hit at natural waist, and a sleek gray skirt (of same material and color of top) that would go to the knees with a slit up the back. Hair is done in updo. Shoes are donated to Wicked, and she gets strappy stilleto sandals. DONE.
Seriously, I think the 1987 K-Mart bedsheets my parents stuck on the trundle bed when my cousin came was made of the same material as her skirt.
I don't like the idea of a halter on her- I just can't see it working. I'd love her in a solid color cocktail dress- black or red would do well. I think it would work as strapless if it fit right and wasn't a long dress.
I know she's short- but this makes her look approx. 3 feet tall.
Short and stocky here, too.
Shawn is so adorable...she has a thick-ish torso, though, so that tube top type thing doesn't flatter. I agree; she definitely needs a bit of a sleeve and a skirt above the knee. Short skirts were MADE for short girls!
Just start over. She needs a halter top dress, above the knee, slim to the body. The fabric should have some give to it - nothing too stiff. Her hair is terrible - she needs to lose that length and bring it up to her chin. A pair of strappy sandals to finish the ensemble.
Simple- hoist the skirt up to her armpits and slide the tube to down to be a funky belt. Add a bigger coral and turquoise necklace, and strappy sandals, and put those shoes off in a corner when you can bask in their glory and wear them with an apporpriate little black cocktail dress, not a beach cover up.
Ixnay on floral anything. For that matter, ixnay on prints/patterns bigger than a quarter inch. That rule about using bigger floor tiles in a small bathroom to make it look bigger? Opposite applies here.
One color--slate is not a color--from shoulders to just above the knee. Emerald or sapphire. Avoid anything that breaks the visual vertical line.
Wide straps or halter to hide the bra straps that will give the girls the support they deserve. What is she? 18? She doesn't know from droop yet.
A bias cut skirt for a little girly-swirly. The kind of skirt that makes her want to twirl.
Hair up, grown-up heels without sparkles, and waalah!
I know she's 17 and this is probably wrong to suggest, but that tube top is doing nothing for her boobs. She demonstrated on Dancing with the Stars that she can have cleavage, but that tube top is letting everything fall down, and smooshing what's left. More than anything else, she needs some support -- a dress with straps or a strapless bra, or something.
Dear lord. Somebody HATES her.
I'd get rid of the waist-band right off, along with the entire concept of large patterns (too tiny to carry them off) and contrasting top and bottom (cuts her into blocks).
She needs something clingy and long with a deep v-neck, to give her length and highlight her natural athleticism.
That photo fills me with sadness. Also curiosity: does she not own a full-length mirror?
I LOVE Shawn and I LOVE her hair. She is so cute. Don't you just want to be that cute?
Anyway, I think girlfriend needs to be proud of that body and show it off instead of hiding it under a bushel. I may just be projecting, but she seems to be dressing the way that I did in junior high and high school when I thought that the way to cover up feeling like a whale was to wear the baggiest tent I could find over the part I was embarrassed about.
I know I have watched my athlete-friends get freaked out by gaining weight and losing toning after they stopped working out like 40 hours a week, so maybe it's that?
Seriously, ShawJo--you worked hard for years, and you should not apologize for anything. We do not all have to be tall and skinny, sweetie.
Love Shawn but there is NO saving this horribly ugly dress!! Put her in something entirely different altogether...all one color, short and with a v-neck/halter to show off her beautiful muscular frame. At least Serena can dress her muscles sometimes, should we suggest a mentoring partnership??
I commiserate with Shawn since I have the same exact build and height. She needs a deep V neck with very wide straps. Basically what's being used for her bandeau top could be moved down under her bust to create more of a waist. The skirt needs to be knee-length or slightly shorter. I like the idea of a solid color for her, but not necessarily the slate gray for the summer time. Maybe a vibrant blue.
I saw her walk out in this on the CMT Awards show last night, and I thought (and probably said aloud), "Oh, NOOOOO." The only way she can be helped here is to totally lose this dress and start over. Her boobs look taped down, and it makes her look 20 pounds heavier than she is. Nix it, and start fresh!
She desperatley needs something with some support up top or something that allows her to wear something that resembles a bra. And yes it needs to be shorter. Love the shoes just not with this. Can we just scratch everything but the shoes?
First off I would loose the "cumberbund trying to be a top" look and pick out a proper bra. The droopage is out of control.
Why for the love of diet coke is she not wearing a cute cocktail dress? V neck, knee length, cap sleeves, in a color that does not remind me of the dust ruffle from my bed set when I was 12.
- Deep V neck line with medium straps in that cool slate color.
- shorten! You know she has awesome legs... let's see them.
- high, strappy sandles or a nude/light-colored pump.
not much good about this outfit...
i'll start with the shoes...they just look like some cheap bedazzled candies from the 80's...
maybe she got them from "dancing with the stars", but someone should tell her that "dance gear as street clothes" went out with "Fame!"
As for the dress...i think they completely botched this for her body type.
shes got that young perky mary lou retton smile and this sad sack of a dress...
the grey at the top looks awful with her hair...she needs a bra!!! no matter how small her boobs are, the look sad and droopy!!!
the blues in the chiffon-y part of her dress would probably look pretty on her....but that material sort of puffs around her like a tube and iradicates the best features of her shape...
all together, the hair and make-up with this dress makes her look like one of those MTV reality stars..
very sad, cause shes cute...
Oh dear. She's so cute, but that dress is so cheap. Looks like a shower curtain sewn onto a rubber tube top that looks like it's squeezing the life out of her.
Shawn, you're awesome. You deserve better.
Ugh. this is really bad. She needs a solid color and something that isn't strapless. Def a V neck and something to emphasize or create a waist. This is unsalvagable.
To unfug this up? A totally different dress with proper support garments, and non-cheap looking shoes. She is beautiful. The outfit? Not so much.
I'm a shawty myself, so I deal with these things on a daily basis. Shorten it to above the knee, and give the skirt little flare at the hem to make her waist look narrower by comparison. Keep the high waist but give her a deep v-neck and either some sleeves or a little jacket. Cut her hair so her whole neck shows. Put her in solid colors, and by "colors" I do not mean varying shades of rainwater gray.
While I agree that the deep-V and knee-length (at least) dress is necessary, those in themselves are not going to fix the color.
She needs to just dump this dress and find the shorter, deep-V number in a FANTASTIC deep color. I see a hint of red beads on her earrings. I'm sure inspiration can come from there.
Proof that even tiny, beautiful teenagers need help sometimes! Although I think what she really needs is a BRA.
A drab tube top, offering zero boobular support, stapled to several yards of fabric better suited for retirement home furniture? There's no saving it, folks. Fix it by burning it or making curtains out of the skirt.
V-neck with sleeves, GOOD.
Tube top, BAD.
Not thrilled with any fabrics available, she would look very cute in a short flirty dress with V-neck, 3/4 length sleeves, maybe even use the skirt fabric to make it, Stevie Nicksy, not sure...
Nothing will fix this dress. And honestly, this kind of astounds me because isn't it from Elizabeth and James, the label of two pint sized women? Shouldn't they know better than to make a dress that makes a short girl look like crap? She needs to avoid patterns, pick something that gives her a waist, and like others have said, pin her hair up or cut it so she has a neck.
jesus christ. totally agreed, GFY ladies. aside from my huge issue with wearing enormo heels with long dresses that aren't quite long enough to hide the fact that you're wearing killer stompers and denying the world a fabulous view of your legs (an issue which i realize may be mine alone), you just don't put a long dress on a short girl. GOD. so if i was her stylist, here's what i'd do:
1) put her in a slate-colored or black minidress with long sleeves and a plunging v-neck. the material should be clingy/swingy but not at all tight; Shawn is adorable but because she's athletic the dress should create a few curves where she needs the help. minidress length should be, well, mini but not crotchtacular.
2) maybe keep the shoes-- they wouldn't be half bad if you could SEE THEM and not just the part of them that makes her look like she's got beast-feet (a common side effect of wearing killer shoes with a long dress). we need to see a lot of leg, so the lower the toebox, the better.
3) put up the hair in a high ponytail or loose bun. it'll elongate the whole silhouette even more and add a bit of sophistication that folks may (erroneously) not expect from an athlete.
4) selfish request: i would also like to see a bit of lipstick on her.
Forget the stylist girl! Get the What Not To Wear book and take matters into your own hands!!!
The thing is, I don't think she is stocky (didja watch the Olympics? She is TINY all over) but she has muscular arms, and that makes her look "large". So, yes, sleeves, to avoid any wrong ideas. Deep purple, knee-length dress, fitted top with a cute flirty skirt. And any shoes but these.
(And any other hairstyle and earrings, as well.)
Everyone, but especially those of us with figure issues, looks better with clothing that follows the outlines of the body. This kind of fluffy look does not flatter anyone--why can't Americans figure this out? Why make yourself look WORSE than you do?
The dress and shoes have to go!!!!! She needs:
a. a solid color that's livelier (I think she's look good in a deep, bright blue)
b. a halter would lift those babies.
c. a just above knee length skirt (she's young and could be sassy)
d. strappy metallic shoes
e. 1. a haircut or
2. to straighten her hair or
3. put it up in an elegant & simple pony tail
Viola- seriously sweets- call me- I can work with you and I'm cheap!
Knee-length would be good, so would V-neck, sleeves optional--but the key is a rich COLOUR. This kid has gorgeous skin and should play it up.
i won't pretend to be able to help Shawn when I probably need as much help myself, but I would caution against a halter top - as a linebacker-y looking lady myself, I can tell you that giant sternocleidomastoids and shoulders are NOT helped by having halter straps hulked up around them. Definitely not a halter. Wide-placed wide straps, or something like a bateau neck, are way way better for us hulky-shoulder ladies IMHO.
The earrings are OK? And she's a cute, shiney-faced kid with gorgeous skin and healthy color, which is more than most people get in life.
The rest of it: hair needs pulled up off her shoulders; not necessarily an up-do but at least something that doesn't make her look neckless.
The dress looks like it was pulled together out of the Goodwill box in the Dorm: wrong-sized, dead elastic tube top and last summer's sarong, both washed a couple of times too often. She could wear a halter top, although muscular women sometimes look fat with that kind of cut; better something with high-cut arm eyes and a racer back and V front, I think. Livelier pastels, either knee-length or with a sleek double-panel slit skirt. No ruffles/shirring/ruching/extra fabric. Nothing shiny; it looks like her Olympic uniform then.
The shoes are dreadful; they look at least a size too big, and she doesn't have the ankles or arches to call that much attention to her feet. I'd bet she'd look cuter with the ballerina-laced sandles that are around, though, and wedges rather than stilletos.
She IS cuter than a basket full of kitties or puppies!
On the hair.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. I'm sorry it almost looks like a wig, a real dowdy color and like she could not get a comb though it, so she just ran a curling iron over it.
The dress, I would not waste my time on trying to fix it. I'm on the cocktail dress train with a lot of other commenter's. A halter style or even one that cuts away, color and some leg, she'll score a 10 then.
I literally cannot find one good thing about that outfit.
1) somebody with her body type cannot wear a top like that, it flattens out her chest and eliminates her torso completely
2) that skirt shape is extremely akward and would add width to even somebody Nicole Kidman slender
3) a skirt that appears too long will make a short person look even shorter.
I think Shawn should buddy up to Hayden Pan-whatever from Heros. Hayden has a very similar built (and I think is actually shorter) but most of the time she manages to find things that highlight her assest better.
There's nothing wrong with muscular legs, she should show them off a bit.
The dress can be unfugged. I really like it but that is because it would look good on me. I am 6'1" with edgy looks, more boobs and less shoulder and obviously the height for maxi-dresses. Would wear that dress with a strapless bra underneath though! And change the shoes. Probably to flats sandals and wear it to a beach party in Ibiza. God I need a holiday...
Back on topic, let's unfug Shawn then.
She has a pretty difficult body shape/length to dress. Definitely go knee-length with a nice platform heel. Slight A-line with V-neck which potentially does a mock wrap in the waist to give her more curves. A halter can work well but only if it is well cut with wide bands and still allow for showing a fair bit of cleavage and wraps at the waist. I would prefer covering up her arms though.
Colour wise- go for one colour. I love the grey and it is in now but she can carry off most bright colours as well.
BTW luffly Fuggies- you missed this faux pas by Shawn- she got the gist but somehow all went awry in the execution...
http://images.starpulse.com/pictures/2009/05/02/previews/Shawn%20Johnson-DGG-022270.jpg
Choose something that doesn't have a top made out of seatbelt (cute in a bag, not so cute in a gown) and a skirt made out of a 99 cent a yard Joanne fabric remnant. Bleh.
I like pieces of almost all the comments here.
#1 - Restyle the hair to give it some life and elongate her neck. Long limp hair + long limp dress just makes her look dragged down.
#2 - Terrible colors. It's all so muted and boring. She's young and perky and her colors should show off her personality and play against her great skin.
#3 - Tube tops are a NO on anyone. All they do is mush and flatten things, which is sad for a teenager. She's has years before the boobs start to wander south on their own. Why start early?
#4 - She's muscular, work with it. Deep V, thick straps, even sleeves. Show some leg - nothing wrong with strong legs. No chunky shoes - streamline the leg line. And shorten that skirt. Go for a svelte illusion, and for god's sake, create a waistline. She's naturally thicker due to her athleticism. Shapeless just makes her look completely square.
#5 - Again, she's young. A little bling and sparkle wouldn't hurt. She should look fun, not like she's co-hosting a formal mah-jong party.
Hoo dear. Well, first, turn the floral patterned material into a tulip skirt which ends above the knee (not a tiny mini, but show some leg). The top... eech. Get rid of it? Maybe a bandeau halter or something? Make it a bright lilac though, she'd rock that. Then a pair of peep toe gigantor platform heels (learn from fellow short girl Kylie: heels are painful, but we need them). They should be a really bright colour too. She's what, 17? She can get away with that. Style the hair into big soft curls and voilá! Pretteh!
No one would look good in this dress. The person who helped her pick it out should have just looked at her and said, "No."
That's what friends are for. I blame her friends.
Start with the hair, something that says, "hey! I have a neck." Then change everything below that neck. I think I remember that skirt pattern on a couch one of my friends bought at Costco in the early 90s.
How does it look like she has the wrist version of cankles? What would a person do for that?
Stop borrowing clothes made for a 7ft tall grandmother. You're a GIRL - wear something fun & flirty without going into slutsville. Take some notes from Miley Cyrus (most of the time).
And you're a gymnast so presumably have awesome strength and poise, so STAND UP STRAIGHT (although I get it that you're trying to hide and/or apologize for this mess).
Oh, she is so pretty, but that dress has to go.
What I think? V-neck (or lower cowl), slit sleeves, a little lower in the back, slim through the torso. She would carry a flared skirt really well, with one caveat: hem at the knee or higher. Slate grey with chartreuse print, maybe, or something in lilac and matte cream, to play off her lovely skin. One pair of killer heels in a simple shape to keep her legs a mile long. And most definitely no more eyeshadow in that colour!
It's not that a short girl can't wear a long dress; Eva Longoria is proof that it can be done. The problem is a short girl with SJ's proportions should NEVER be bisected at the waist, and the fact that this was done using two totally different, uncomplimentary fabrics in a style that also unfortunately accents her straight hips is an abomination.
Strapless would be fine if it fit properly and didn't make her look like a wee Stretch Armstrong doll. I'd use maybe a heavy silk in the same gunmetal shade, add small vertical pleats to the (properly fitted)bodice then use the same fabric to create a lovely full skirt that stops right at the knee. That silhouette would instantly create a waistline by giving the illusion of hips as well as show off her gams.
Hair and makeup are fine, but I agree that the shoes are too chunky. A lighter shoe in an appropriate shade of yellow would give fab pop of color and freshness.
Amen to whoever said lipstick. Get this girl some color! Gray dress + gray eyeshadow = no. And that is the saddest tube top ever.
Get rid of the dress and call Kristen Bell's new, good stylist to take care of Shawn.
She is such a cute girl, this is a travesty!
Shorten the skirt part and add some straps. The tube-top looking top part is horrible and makes her look droopy.... which at her age is another travesty.
The shoes... meh. Change them for something like a strappy sandal to go with the floatiness of the dress.
fire her stylist, give me her number.
for the love of all that is halfway decent, i feel BAD for this girl.
she seems like a halfway decent person & whoever is stuffing that stuff on her is making her look like a VERY poorly dressed 160 pound dwarf——one who is, in fact, wearing half a sausage casing & a wraparound table runner for someone's grandmother's bathroom boudoir.
so help me, i could EASILY dress a 160 pound dwarf to look more entrancing than whoever is dressing this little one. seriously.
oh for heavens sake, ditch the columnar antics, put her in an accented solid that defines proportions——ACcentuate the positive, ELIMinate the negative, as it were, as it so very clearly isnt. so help me [redux], this is NOT all that hard to do. ANY reader of ANY womens mag from redbook thru savvy & any all in between & over beyond the outskirts of these has read many an article saying how to do just that.
this one needs:
a GOOD pair o'heels, age appropriately mid-->high [i like a good chunky heeled platform, but thats just me. there are a whole host of variations opportunities options];
sleeves;
undergarments that do not work against her;
a KNEE LENGTH skirt, or one just slightly above or below;
a hairdresser [mine is certainly one of the best in LA. i have her number. she was probably five minutes from this photo op & wouldve made the photo-oppressed, here, look like a Whole New Person];
if she can afford tom binns then some tom binns [she probably can] & not some ancient aggrieved pier one imports feather drop earrings;
someone to apply makeup that makes her eyes look bigger than her chin, & the makeup to be applied [we all have our favorites];
& a nice & [possibly long peplumed] jacket w/ a waist & an interesting, face defining collar to pull it all together [depending on the weather {it's been running hot & cool here lately}].
voilà ! we is DONE.
well, except for the potential addition of another bes-ben hat.
then again, i wouldnt use one for starters. this one has sartorially been thru enough. it takes someone whose elegance is both admitted & well turned to carry off a bes-ben. this one has @least a year to go before turning her life experience around enough to do it. BUT SHE CAN!
come on! i am rooting for her!
i think we all are.
I'm built like Shawn - 4'10"/93 lbs - but with a bigger chest, and I've lost some of my gymnast muscle (thankfully!) so have a neck again. And I can say that I would NEVER wear something like this.
V-neck or halter (if you can wear a bra with it) would be great. I don't recommend long sleeves, though -- then the arms just look fat instead of muscled.
While knee-length is flattering, floor-length isn't bad on us shorties for formal occasions, surprisingly, but there has to be a real waist involved. It's all about the waist. And the material should be flat and sleek, not nearly pleated like that one is.
ok, so I looked back and K.B. still fugs it up sometimes, but she does, occasionally have a decent look. Maybe a part-timer, like when her regular, stumpifying stylist is on vacay? That one. Who clearly needs a full-time job...
The strapless boob tube look barely works on runway models, its never going to work on someone short 'n stocky, additionally the maxi length is all wrong for her..she looks dumpy and awkward, The dress is all wrong for her body type, gives her linebacker shoulders, flattened boobs, and stump legs.. nothing here can be saved..get thee to a stylist stat!
There is nothing here that is worth keeping, except the *adorable* girl in the dress.
1. for the dress, I'd for with something with color, short, sassyish. This awards show seems to be kind of kicky, kind of casual, so I'd maybe try something in a red? BCBGMAXAZRIA has a super cute shorter summer dress with an empire waist that I'd love to see her in.
2. shoes, oh god, those shoes are terrible. no. just no. something like strappy and gold maybe.
3. I hate her earrings. I'd give her hoops and maybe a clutch.
4. I'd put her hair up, but not too slick, with wisps and a couple curls escaping. A nice lip color, brighter but not clown bright would be nice. I hate that eye makeup on her, it's VERY aging. :( Mascara, liner, maybe some fake lashes, and like, a very nude/gold shadow.
The strapless boob tube look barely works on runway models, its never going to work on someone short 'n stocky, additionally the maxi length is all wrong for her..she looks dumpy and awkward, The dress is all wrong for her body type, gives her linebacker shoulders, flattened boobs, and stump legs.. nothing here can be saved..get thee to a stylist stat!
Okay, I am adamantly opposed to empire waists. I know I know, they look good on some people, allegedly, they make your legs longer. Although I think I win on that one, look at this poor girl, could she look any stumpier. I agree with many commenters, burn that dress and find something new. Something with a V neck, and maybe some sort of wrap thing going on to define her waist better, what is the point of working out to be an Olympic medal winning gymnast if nobody can tell you have a waist for crying out loud? Oh, and it needs to be shorter, knee length would be prime.
Those shoes are awesome though.
why is it that EVERYone here can come up w/ a way to make this little person look more than passable but the very well paid people responsible for doing just that cannot?
just a question.
Bandeau tops flatter NOBODY!!!!, small breasted girls look even flatter and large breasted girls look droopy. Something with soft gathering would look so much better and I agree, cut the dress off a few inches above the knee.
I actually like the hair and shoes, but I don't think there's any fixing that business in between them this time. Sorry, Shawn. =(
Okay, I have to disagree with all the people saying she should wear a halter. If you have broad, muscular shoulders a halter will only draw more attention to them and make them appear bigger. I think a short, V neck dress, sleeveless, a-line dress would be great on her. Soemthing like this:
http://www.shopruche.com/seagreen-romance-lace-dress-p-670.html
Or This:
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/miss-selfridge--black-lace-tiered-dress?refItemId=AAAAA29NzgsAAAAAALoc6g
It defines her waist, elongates her neckline, balances out her shulders, and makes her legs look longer.
I think the colour of the skirt is good on her, it's just the shape that's wrong. I'd like to see a halter neck with a nice deep vee, a very fitted waist and a slightly flared skirt. And a really good bra. I can't tell if girlfriend has a waist of her own under that monstrosity, but if she doesn't I think she owes it to herself to cheat and invest in a girdle.
A lot of you seem to want to see the skirt shorter. As someone who is, ahem, athletically built, let me assure you that girlfriend does NOT want her legs on display!
Shawn deserves better than this.
I would love to see a heart-to-heart wherein Reese Witherspoon takes Shawn to brunch and breaks the news that long dresses that cut in with a boob-smashing tube top do not work on short ladies like the two of them.
And then after brunch Reese and Shawn go shopping and Reese makes it all better and they become life-long friends.
The End.
Give her white shoes, make the skirt fall to right above the knee, and make the top fabric something else, and I think it would look better.
This dress is unsavable. I'd put her in some sleeveless to show off her arms, something short, possibly with ruffles.
Either fabric, but not together. Preferably the top, though. I think ladies with broad shoulders look fantastic in a-line dresses with cinched waistlines; sleeveless, but not strappy or halter. And the shoes are a good shape for what I'm picturing, but the glitter doesn't work with the fabric.
This dress can not be fixed. It looks like duct tape holding up what used to be curtains from Grandma's powder room.
Poor little moppet. Her stylist obviously hates her.
She needs something to draw the eye up and down instead of entirely side-to-side. I'm not fond of strapless stuff on anybody..too stocky, you look stockier, too slender, it looks like it's gonna fall off and I fret about needing to hike the thing up for you all night.
She could use a slightly brighter or shinier lip gloss.
Is anybody besides me totally over the big print fad yet? I just don't think those fabrics work together, and I don't like that bottom print at all, in any way--too Jessica Fletcher (and I loved Jessica Fletcher, but she was 70, and it was the 80s).
Not a halter top, she needs a wide v-neck, in the same fabric, but the bodice part should come down to her natural waist (to about where her hand is). For the skirt part, you could keep the fabric, though it's not my favorite, but it should be fitted at the waist and then flow out in an a-line or fuller skirt. Skirt should be a few inches above the knee. Keep the shoes.
to me, shawn jonhson always looks a bit stocky ish. but yes, she is only young, hasnt grown to full height and is just built that way. also she has extreme muscle.... ness.
but! she can still look elegant, exhibit a:
http://realitytvmagazine.sheknows.com/blog/images/2009/03/shawn-johnson-abc.jpg
so, based on that photo.. id say turn the top into a vest top, so its not squishing down on her chest so much and making her look even more short & squat. and the dress could come up to midcalf although its okay where it is. and extend the bodice of the dress, so the grey comes closer to the bellybutton section.
I agree with previous comments about a wide v-neck , the bodice coming down to her natural waist and a shorter skirt. Although I would say putting the skirt above her knees would make her look taller. I would also swap the shoes for a youthful strappy sandal - maybe matching one of the blues in the skirt. Also, trade the dangling earrings for some studs and add a necklace.
Ok, I am a stylist and in my opinion, she needs to lose this dress all together! There is nothing wrong with her shape, that style of dress just doesn't flatter it.
She has an athletic, rectangular shape so to create curves I would put her in an A-line dress that hits just above the knee.
Because she is stocky and athletic, a halter may make her look a little incredible hulkish about the arms and shoulders. I would cover the shoulders but go with sleeveless.
Ok, I am a stylist and in my opinion, she needs to lose this dress all together! There is nothing wrong with her shape, that style of dress just doesn't flatter it.
She has an athletic, rectangular shape so to create curves I would put her in an A-line dress that hits just above the knee.
Because she is stocky and athletic, a halter may make her look a little incredible hulkish about the arms and shoulders. I would cover the shoulders but go with sleeveless.
Finally, I would suggest an updo and thin, crystal, dangling earrings for an elongating effect.
Ok, I am a stylist and in my opinion, she needs to lose this dress all together! There is nothing wrong with her shape, that style of dress just doesn't flatter it.
She has an athletic, rectangular shape so to create curves I would put her in an A-line dress that hits just above the knee.
Because she is stocky and athletic, a halter may make her look a little incredible hulkish about the arms and shoulders. I would cover the shoulders but go with sleeveless.
Finally, I would suggest an updo and thin, crystal, dangling earrings for an elongating effect.
It should be a crime to put such a pretty girl in such an ugly dress! And, amen, Trisia!
it looks like jessica simpson's stylist got their claws into her.
There's no hope with this dress. It has to be scrubbed and start from scratch. Blech.
I'm 5'1 and athletic. I used to be heavier than I am now and I was self-conscious and looked stumpy in all of my outfits, so without resorting to starving myself(I have a slight bit of junk in my trunk and over my knees that just won't go away so I live with it; who's perfect after all), I lost some weight and at 5'1 and a smallish frame I'm a healthy thin person at 100-105 pounds who can still pig out once a week or so and not excercise too crazily and wear outfits that I feel good in. Unfortunately being short means that every extra pound is much more stumpifying on us gals than it would be on say an Uma Thurman.
on behalf of all short and stocky-ish people everywhere - WTF
What bothers me most is the bodice--it looks like somebody wrapped a colored Ace bandage around her chest a few times and called it a day. Instead of that harsh, pancaked thing, maybe give it a sweetheart neckline and use the same fabric from the skirt rather than the weird not-quite-metallic grey.
The other major problem is the way the skirt is bunched up around her hips--makes her look way wider than she is. Shawn Johnson is adorable. She deserves better than this. So, lose the skirt slit and freaky pleating; keep it sleek and straight *or* make it full and knee-length.
OK, this girl is not like the rest of us because any amount of "weight" on her is pure, solid muscle. She has pranced around in leotards her whole life, I think this is someone who could successfully and not skankily or scary skinnily pull off a version of the bandage dress. A nice, short version to display the calves that very few actually own.
I'm short but not stocky, here, so I sympathize with Shawn's stumpification concerns. I agree with practically everyone that 1) Shawn is adorable, 2) this dress is not, and 3) she needs a different style, probably something v-neck halter-ish and short but not gynecological.
It took me YEARS to realize that I cannot wear every style that comes down the pike (or runway). Some things just plain old don't work with certain body types. And yes, it's limiting and yes, you'll see magazine articles about how you can wear that tube- top/miniskirt/caftan/double-breasted jacket/whatever no matter what your body type, so long as you VERY CAREFULLY pick the RIGHT ONE. However, these articles are LYING to us. Don't let them lie to you, Shawn! So no tube tops, okay?
I like the suggestion of a dress like Sargent's Madame X's, but in about 10 years. She's only 17, so right now I'd like to see her in something fresh and girlish. Think Dakota Fanning (pre-Kristen Stewart).
Turn it upside down. Make the bottom a tight pencil skirt in the metal elastic stuff and the top can be a loose flow-ey floaty affair, kind of boat neck, cowl neck, off the shoulder. I don't know where the two should meet - whether the skirt should be a slight high waist-ey or of the flow-ey floaty should end at the hip. Either way, its better than cutting her at the boobs like it is now.
I am short and stocky. Its tough fo' sho, but no reason to...you know...look a bit vile.
Short and stocky, right here! 5'4" tall and pear-shaped. I agree with Sarak--no tube tops! Ever! I'm not sure there is ever a reason to wear a tube top, unless you're my grandma and are in Florida for vacation. Shawn, who is lovely, needs some support. Also, the slit manages to make her ankles look thick. Bless her heart--she needs a much younger look.
After looking at the dress for awhile and the star trek picture (see anonymous at 1:15) and viewing the nearly unanimous call for a deep v-neck:
1. Angles! NO RUFFLES! Straight lines and and an angled collar would probably help balance the curves of her arms and legs. I don't know about a collar with a deep v-neck, but I'm sure the right designer could pull it off.
2. I think sleeveless is the way to go. If you can get the right fit the hem of the shirt can make the arms look longer.
3. After seeing her legs in the star trek picture, I hesitated on the short skirt, but no. She earned those legs. She needs to show off what she has and be proud.
4. I think a bright color might be too much given the strength of her body. I like black on her, but I think she needs some gold too. Jewelry would have to be selected carefully though, because you don't want to add to the curves of her arms and neck. Maybe a gold belt at the waist, but again, choosing the right width and material would be trial-and-error.
5. I think the secret ingredient would be incredible heels. Maybe platform.
6. Lose the bangs.
she looks so young to have boobs looking at her waist.
I looked at it and I nearly puked. I started a comment suggesting all sorts of alterations in colour, cut, fabric, etc, etc, etc.
But then, I discovered that, with some minor alterations, I could actually really stand behind this dress.
1. Eliminate the empire. Cut the bodice at the waist.
2. Make the whole bodice sturdier.
3. Introduce a sweetheart line and boning.
4. Direct a textile-themed porno that involves two characters named "Sweetheart Line" and "Boning".
5. Take out those godawful highlights and pretty up the hairdo.
6. Add a necklace.
You're done! Stand back and admire your work.
Hm. On a personal note, I just sold a pair of shoes at work today that look exactly like hers, but gold, and wedges. They were tacky as hell, but I convinced the customer they were my second-favourites in the store. (Ok, fine: they were. Shut up.)
She has been WRONGED!
She needs to:
Ditch the dopey dress,
Shuck the silly shoes,
Hire Anne Hathaway's stylist.
And hurry!
Maybe its just me, but somehow her foot looks prosthetic. She looks like she is sporting two right feet. The muu muu-like skirt is so billowy, you can't tell what her legs are doing to get the feet into that position.
What is so interesting about this outfit is that is succeeds in creating the illusion that Shawn Johnson is fat. That is quite an accomplishment.
Is she a gymnast? Because my cousin used to be a gymnast and has the exact same problem re: the shoulder area. Also I think cute young girls look better in bright, happy colors. Ugh. That sounded just like my mom when I was 16 and wanted to wear all black, all the time. Mom was right!
I agree with the comment above me.
Also, what should happen is that the bodice of her dress should be made so that she doesn't bulge from above and below the girls. She shouldn't be wearing what looks like a curtain combined with duct tape.
As far as I'm concerned, empire waists are the devil. Put the waistline somewhere near her ACTUAL waistline, and she'd probably look a billion times better. And that's without even messing with the other questionable elements of the outfit!
Oh, and for the record, I'm arguably one of those "tall and willowy" people that empire waists allegedly work best for. They might TOLERABLE for my sort of build by comparison, but it's still definitely never the MOST flattering option.
Ladies, there is nothing wrong with her arms or shoulders. I hate how women will pick apart all body types...short, stocky, fat, gawky, big shoulders or no shoulders...
A halter would look great and YES it would make her shoulders look broader, but by having broader shoulders, you create an illusion of a V...and less of a shapeless rectangle.
This is why women in the 40's and 80's wore shoulder pads, remember?
Also, as a woman wih muscular arms myself, I take offence to the notion that she has to wear sleeves. How horrible to assume that just because you don't have pin-thin arms, that you must wear dowdy dresses with sleeves all your life?? I used to believe this and I am so glad I don't anymore as there is NOTHING wrong with having muscular arms.
I think the main problem with her here is that the dress is doing nothing for her height or her waist. She needs a halter dres with a belt at the natural waist and it needs to be knee-length with nude heels. Enough said!
On the plus side, her skin looks fantastic. The rest needs to be burned.
love those shoes! every time i see shawn johnson, i just want her to look amazing since she seems so sweet. but she just stumps herself up. i don't think any part of this dress can be saved, please put her in something short and sassy like her personality!
Agree with what others said. A bright color - maybe a bright blue, but dark, not pastel.
V-neck on top, maybe a halter - and a kind of flouncy skirt.
She is not fat. She has a shorter, wider torso, so she looks chubbier than she is. A deep v-neck could create the illusion of a leaner, longer body. Add some shiny silver necklace and earrings, with a shorter, perkier haircut.
The look she needs is young and vibrant, that's why a bright, bold color wold be best.
I'm with those who said that this particular outfit just can't be salvaged, and that starting from scratch is necessary.
I have a not dissimilar build, so I'm making my recommendation from personal experience (I alos know that if you have this sort of build, noting is going to make you look long, so why not just work with what's actually there?): I'd go with something that simultaneously plays up her curves (she has great legs!), and doesn't visually chop her up: a short dress with a portrait or other open neckline, in a deep, rich solid colour (not necessarily a dark colour, but not a pastel or a light bright shade) that would really bring out her hair and eyes. I don't think that there's any reason to wear long sleeves just because you have muscular arms (and I certainly don't), but on a short dress, I find long and 3/4 sleeves more interesting, and give a more chic effect.
I don't adore the shoes, but am not usually super keen on metallics, so I'm going to shelve my subjective view on this and say that if she truly likes those, she should wear them and they'd add a not of interest to a simple dress.
OH MY GOD she totally could look better but I am JUST SO EXCITED at being able to comment!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Love!
OH MY GOD she totally could look better but I am JUST SO EXCITED at being able to comment!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Love!
Believe me when I say I have been where she's at and it's with great hindsight that I say this: She needs some good gays. I got mine, and while I don't look like a goddess should, I'm so much better than I was. (My mistake was picking lesbians who aren't 100% into clothing, but can costume a huge cast with the blink of an eye...I just tell them I'm half the cast and to dress me.)
Anyhow, I would have definitely put this beautiful young lady in a shorter skirt that offered a bit more subtle closeness and then sway from the body, perhaps creating a stronger look of a waist and giving her torso a better top -- with straps, deep vee, and a cute little necklack to play into that vee. The colors I don't mind. The real problem is the cut of that awful outfit. Wait, I do have a problem with the fabric on the skirt. It's what we used to have on the chairs in the hospital...in vinyl. Something bolder and more fitting an Olympian and DWTS champ. I'd even go crazy with some awkwardly bold color just to get away from that.
Now shoes. Not those. Give her something a little more summery to go with her revamped outfit and something that allows her to move with grace and confidence. But please, take her out of those over-sequinned atrocities.
I think I've commented on every one of these Unfug It Up entries, and this is the first time I have to just say: START OVER. This outfit is made of fail.
Good god. Even the earrings are woeful. Poor girl.
There are only two things I like: the shoes (sorry, I do: too much Wizard of Oz in my childhood) and the colour of grey on the top part of the dress. Though not the fabric or the cut of it.
So, keep the grey colour because it flatters her skin tone. Actually I think she can pull off strapless, but I think she'd look more comfortable and cuter in a V-neckline with thickish straps. Keep her arms bare, because she has fabulous arms. Toned and powerful-looking without being too built. These are arms that should be seen.
Then, most importantly, give her a waist. On the short and stocky among us, it's most flattering if the waist hits exactly at the natural waist: drop waists make your legs look short, and high waists make you look, well, like Shawn does. She can definitely carry off fitted, and curve-fitting would say "feminine" much more effectively than that vile pastel pattern on the skirt.
Speaking of which, that skirt fabric has to go.
Yikes. I have the exact same figure (albeit less impressively toned) and I'm so familiar with each and every pitfall this nice young girl has fallen into. I agree with most of the other Fuggers – the dress needs to be shorter, v-necked, brighter. But definitely no cap sleeves. No way. DISASTROUS on anyone who doesn't have very slender arms. They make everybody else's look like chicken legs wearing swimming hats. GAG. Either thick straps perhaps with a wrap, or butterfly sleeves with a kimono-wrapped style top.
More bra, less of the horizontal stripe, less of the pattern, less of the balloon-shaped skirt, less of the shoes, less of the...everything. And did I mention more bra?
I'd make the top part into a halter. It's summery, and it flatters a lot of different body types. Move the skirt up to knee-length, and change the shoes (they totally don't match!). Still not wonderful, but better. Ultimately, she'd do best to pick out another dress.
Can I just say that I am built EXACTLY like Shawn and can I tell you HOW MANY TIMES a friend has been sitting right next to me and Shawn is suddenly on the TV and my friend will say, "boy, it's a shame how THICK that girl is. I think she's actually a bit FAT." And I'll be like, "Hey. I'm right here. I CAN HEAR YOU. Let's not pretend you haven't noticed I am also a stocky midget." ANYWAY. Girl has my sympathy, because it is not an easy body to dress. V necks are crucial. I'd do a v neck with fitted boob support. Go ahead and do an empire waist that softly floats away from the fitted bodice and ends just before her knee. Put it in black. Thank you, I am done.
she must wear things with sleeves. always. short or long is fine, but there must be sleeves.
I guess I am in the minority in that I like the outfit on it's own. I agree that she does not look the best in it, but in my opinion, she looks okay ... she's smiling ... which is always a good sign.
Oh dear. She is so awesome but this whole outfit does her no favors. And I do not understand the Trump-ian comb over with her hair. Pull it back into a sleek ponytail, a low one, not a gymnastic high pony (which, naturally, would be with a sparkly scrunchy). She is so pretty, but the hair is just sloppy.
i can't e-mail you for some reason, so i'm taking to the comments to give you mad love. you girls are so g.d. funny. seriously. that top hat post made tears stream down my face. bless you both & cheers to intern george.
i think a few minor things could help this. 1. elongate the grey part up top so that it comes to her waist. then maybe add a fun, thin belt. maybe metallic to match the shoes? then shorten the bottom to just above the knee. and.. if its not asking too much, maybe swap out the grandma color scheme of the skirt and go for something a bit bolder, and more youthful. something that says I'm 17, not 71!!
The shoes have to go. Why wear a gray or silver top with gold, spangly shoes? Shoes might be great for another outfit, but not this one.
Ponytail advice is good, lengthens the neck.
OK, so the dress is absolutely hideous but she is adorable. Did any of us know how to dress at that age? Is it time to pull out the photo album for a trip down the memory lane of horrible high school "fashion"? Keep in mind that at 17 she's only had those boobs for a few years. It took me a long time to figure out the best way to wear mine! She is absolutely adorable and her personality still manages to shine through that horrid getup. Give her a little time and I think she'll figure it out. Also, the girl is short and that's probably not going to change. Girls usually reach their maximum height during the early teenage years.
I would assume most gymnasts don't have stylists but most gymnasts don't show up to celebrity events like this, either ... do they?? Either way I like the earrings but the floral pattern on the dress needs to go.
I agree with those who like the color of the tube top. Then again, almost any of the colors in the bottom of the dress (except the white) would work as a solid color on her. She has very nice skin, and a solid will bring that out much more.
I also agree with the need for sleeves and something with a neckline that makes her chest look happier. All the fuss on the bottom of this dress is pulling attention away from her very nice face.
Since this is a formal event, a crisply-tailored shirt-dress with good collar details probably wouldn't fly. But I can see her looking great in something like that.
2 words...wrap dress.
She can wear the horizontal lines, but let's give her some support and keep what's good going instead of tacking on some ugly flowy shit.
Next:
Less foundation, more blush, less eyeshadow, more eye liner and mascara, lipstick (for god's sake!), smaller earrings (sut still dangly), a good sized fashion ring on one hand and maybe a bracelet on the other plus a different pair of shoes.
Oh, and we mustn't forget, do something with her hair. That side part with bangs and mullet-esque layering is not working on her face.
Hair up to make her neck look longer, wide straps with a deep V to minimize her broad (read: athletic) shoulders, and a modified A-line that ends an inch or two above the knee. I'd go with a rich jewel tone and detailing around the bust line, with gorgeous high heels as tall a she can bear.
She is so much cuter than this dress!
Everything Lori said, plus lower the waistline to just above her natural waistline. The high empire is somehow more little-girlish than elongating on her.
See, this pisses me off. I guess I have this body type too, except I never knew until recently how much everybody thinks it's unattractive. I seriously want to kill myself. It's why I've put on weight and don't really seem to care about losing it; yes, this adds to the thick waist, obviously, but so what? Even if I lost the weight, this body type is considered unattractive, right? So yay me, I can't win. I am seriously depressed.
2 words:
cocktail dress.
I've been meaning to ask someone this -- are her physical proportions a little off? like a touch of dwarfism? no disrespect meant -- I had a friend from south africa who had similiar size things going on & no big because she did just fine... but like my friend, I've never seen Shawn in anything that looks quite right on her... stylist, tailor - *some*thing will hook her up eventually- maybe when she matures & tops off... and "D" seriously, lighten up chica!
Gigi, lighten up? Um, yeah--if the rest of the world would, maybe I would too. You say lighten up and in the same breath you say you've never seen your friend, who has Shawn's proportions, in anything that looks quite right on her. Hmm, nice. That's the PROBLEM! Listen, I'm told I'm beautiful and sexy and have a beautiful face all the time, okay? It's actually begun to piss me off, because it's a copout people use when I know all the horrible things they're thinking about my body shape. But I bet you're one of those coke-bottle-shaped girls, huh, Gigi? That's why you could NEVER UNDERSTAND! No, I can't lighten up. The world doesn't lighten up on me, so it's not that easy, okay, chica?
Let's keep this about Shawn, please? It's just outfits! Everyone can look awesome in something -- let's focus on finding that for her.
Thanks guys!
Jessica
I can't figure out why it is that everything I see her in not only seems to emphasize the short and stocky stature, but also makes her look thirty pounds heavier. Even the costumes on DWTS had this problem, and there's not a lot of fabric on those outfits.
If she's doing an exposed-shoulder dress, then the skirt should be A-line no matter the length so that her bottom half balances out her broad shoulders. It would also make her waist appear more defined. (Works for my super-stocky construction-worker gal-pal.)
She needs a bra. Aside from the obvious, a bra pushing the girls up and out would also help define her waist more.
The empire style is a huge mistake because it makes her girls look like they're sitting at her waist, when there's not a lot of space between her bust and waistline to start with. It needs to be lowered to make her torso appear longer, or at least make it not look like she's saggy. This should be of greater concern than keeping her legs from looking short.
@becca ...I love you. I' 5'10 and wearing a teal maxi dress right now...I does help me to look more graceful and less like someone who's about to tile your floor.
Now...absoloutely this outfit can be saved by taking it off her, putting it on Lisa Rinna, and giving Lisa killer strappy heels and chandalier earrings to pull it off with.
Then put this adorable girl with arms like mine into something fun with lots of movement. This dress makes her feel like she has to stay still and pose, which is all wrong for her personality.
Fugly all around. UNFIXABLE. Seriously, she needs a whole new dress.
dude, sarah michelle gellar was photographed wearing that EXACT SAME DRESS. now, there weren't any front-on pics to see if it looks as horrid on her as it did on poor shawn, but then again, SARAH IS PREGNANT. maxi dress + uncomfortable pregnant body = automatic pass.
view for yourself: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/sarah-michelle-gellar/images/6330208
Don't, whatever you do, go for a halter top, Shawn! Speaking as someone whose shoulders actually are wider than my hips, halter tops do nothing but accentuate it! Rather, go for a wide-strap, deep-v-neck, jade green top, perhaps with just a simple, short black skirt. Strappy sandals, better posture, and your hair pulled back into a low, loose ponytail/down-do of some sort, and you're there.
The dark gray color of the bodice is cute, but it needs to have straps and a v-neck. Shorten the bottom. Actually, let's just change the bottom to match the top! And keep it above the knee since we know girlfriend will have toned legs.
holy beegeebers!
pretty sure half the wardrobe (out in public) from DWS would look more flattering than this...
Parts of this dress have potential. I'd elongate the top section to give her better proportions and add wide straps and a built-in bra. Then I'd change the skirt color/material to be a slightly darker version of gray, somewhat gauzy, but not see through...just dressy. Keep the slit, but hem the skirt a little higher. The add some great black strappy heels and a striking, thick cuff style bracelet.
She needs to call Nastia. Friends don't let friends wear flowy house dresses to events.
She's young, so I think she should dress it. I can see her in colors! Maybe a block pattern, color on top (in a short sleeve scoop neck maybe), a-line, flowy black on bottom. Then some 4-inch heels to give her some height.
Sarah Michelle Gellar looked lovely in this dress a few weeks ago. She's also pregnant and this dress showed off her belly in a pretty way. (I will not say 'bump,' I will not not not.) I would advise Shawn Johnson to never wear dresses that look great on really visibly pregnant women.
i'm sorry, the whole ensemble reeks petunia pig. not flattering. such a shame on a nice girl
I must concur that, in the most friendest way possible, a supportive bra would work miracles here.
I would drop the waist a bit (nothing wrong with being wee, Kristin Bell manages ok, despite her frequent appearances on this site). I think if the blue were matched with something other than a grey top it would be ok (and some pink lip gloss, please), even just a blue tank top. And that hem has to go.
I spent many high school years (aka good legs years) in long skirts, and I want to invent a time machin to chop them off at a cute knee or midcalf length.
All that said, she looks genuinely happy and smiley, and that makes up for a lot.
don't think the dress can be saved. the shoes can stay, however.
Different dress. Completely. Maybe one of those nice dark colored waisted button-ups, knee length or a little shorter, with short sleeves. I like the long v-neck idea. I feel like she needs something with a defined waist, and in a dark color. Not floral. Dear GOD, not floral. and maybe some hot black pumps. And different earrings, please.
Whatever you think about the outfit, her hair is awesome.
Hmm. This is an Alice + Olivia dress and I actually quite liked it when I saw it. I, however, did not try it on. I think this is a lovely dress, but only on the right person. For Shawn's body type which is perfectly fine, I'm thinking of something solid colored. Short sleeves would look great, and so would the v-neck suggestions. I don't think it needs to be shorter if it has the sleeves and the vneck, but a shorter skirt wouldn't be bad either. I think her hair should be up and darker in color and she should have some great earrings. 4" stilettos also.
I guess overall I'm just thinking of something along the lines of a classic black dress with great hair and accessories. That never fails.