ASK ANDY ABOUT CLOTHES  Back to HOME Page               Info about The ENCYCLOPEDIA of Men's Clothes               FORUMS   The World's Most Popular Website Devoted to Men's Clothing Advice! Selected Merchants               Andy's Product Reviews                 Ask Andy Shop                      Ask Andy Wedding Guide
Ask Andy DEPARTMENTS Men's Fashion Forum Clothes Closet What to Wear and When Lifestyle Travelin' Man Andy's Quiz Challenge Tee Time Favorite Men's Store Encyclopedia FAQs Back to HOME Page Your support of this site is appreciated and accomplished when you purchase from these merchants, specially chosen for their high standards and quality products.      Amazon.com  Andy' Product Reviews Selected Merchants AskAndy Store	Body Style -- Yours! What you look like with clothes on depends on what you look like without them? Men are great at evaluating women's shapes. So why do we suck when it comes to figuring out our own body type? We can instantly peg a woman as a pear-shaped beauty built for cornering or a wedge-shaped nymph built for speed, but don't know how we look to others? I've tried to illustrate body shapes with these crazy little stick-figure guys to help you decide which one fits your body style. Once we know our body type we can work with clothes to emphasis our good points and down play the areas we want to down play! Classification by body type has been around for quite a while. Five thousand years ago Sanskrit teachings of Ayurvedic medicine assigned three basic body types: Vata: a thin body type belonging to a person who can be unpredictable and who becomes vivacious and excitable under pressure.   Pitta: a medium body type represents a person who can be intense, orderly, decisive and tends to become angry and ubrupt under pressure.   Kapha: a heavy set body embies a relaxed, calm, steady, easy going person who, when stressed may balk and grow silent.   American psychologist William H. Sheldon (1899-1977) classified bodies into three body types and linked personality traits to them: Ectomorph: An ectomorph was a person with a tall, thin, fragile frame and a large head. He tended to be intellectual, introverted, self-conscious and often nervous.   Endomorph: With a rounded, soft, plump body, this person was thought to be sociable, friendly, relaxed with a fondness for food and comfort.   Mesomorph: His athletic body type had a muscular, sturdy and thick-necked frame. According to Sheldon, he tended to be active and noisy, risk-taking and sometimes insensitive in his personal relationships.   For years, these descriptions were the conventional ways in which bodies were classified.  Then came Roseanne and Hulk Hogan. Also to help narrow it down, here's a list of fairly typical men's shapes. Be honest and figure out which comes closest to describing you: ATHLETIC: Stocky, muscular, bulky. SHORT: Like, 5' 6" or under. TALL: Above 6'4". HEAVY: This is the polite word for fat. THIN: And this is the nice word for skinny . IMPORTANT! You may fit two of these categories -- i.e., Short and Heavy or Tall and Athletic, so go with your best guess as to which you most closely resemble. There are plenty of other things to know about how to project your best image. Read these sections and learn how you can get it all together! The Basics:   Start here -- stripes, patterns, how to stand up straight, all that.   Body types: Your body type can be more important in finding the right clothes than your taste.   What colors say:  Need to make a statement? Let your hues cry.   How women see colors: To every man, there is a season.   How men see colors:  Who says clothes have to be complicated?   Color Coordination:  A prime coat of color knowledge.   Coordination:  Putting it all together - Pattern, Color, Fabric Weight and Texture   Introduction:  The start of looking your best.                   -- Andy Gilchrist

 

 

_______________________________________________ Andy's The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes Andy's Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes contains complete information on every article of men's clothing:  how to look your best, and garment history.   PLUS there are chapters on fabrics, clothing care, foreign size conversions and grooming.   NOW in PDF !! You can download The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes directly onto your computer almost instantly!!  Own it NOW!!   CLICK HERE Thanks to the Tech Support and Sponsorship of RibbedTee.com!   Treat yourself!  It's also an appreciated gift for your Dad, Uncle, Son! Now REVISED with more illustrations and updated information  Library of Congress Copyright Office Registration TX 6-429-994 You can order using a credit card or electronic check payments through PayPal.  PayPal is a secure and convenient payment method with built in protection against fraud.  PayPal is free to join and use.   Here is a recent testimonial about THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MEN'S CLOTHES: "I received The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes this afternoon, Andy, and it's terrifically useful! Thank you for explaining how to access the various disk components--your instructions helped me to quickly navigate the book. I particularly like your logical, straightforward approach to each section. I mean to say, it really makes sense to explain why something matters, then how to care for it once you've chosen to incorporate the thing into your life, and then to include a history of the item, which focuses the reader's attention on its intrinsic value to a gentleman's kit. Your book is more useful than Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Men's Fashions, because the latter serves as a chronicle not a guide. The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes provides a road map for fellows who wish to understand the choices they make, and who wish to make choices they understand. I am simply delighted with your book!" -- J. de M. NM For more Testimonials CLICK HERE _______________________________________________