“You have a long face with a nice prominent chin. So there is nothing really for you to avoid. You can wear earrings of any shape and size,” she smiles. I gloat for a moment till she says, “Your body type is tubular. For it to be ideal…” and she gives me the specifics.
“Though I don’t like using the term “Ideal body shape” because each is different and that’s fine,” says Sandhya Oza, an image consultant, stylist and founder of DresSmart. There are eight types of body shapes — hourglass, oval, round, triangle, inverted triangle, diamond, rectangular (tubular) and ideal. According to her, no matter the shape, it’s all about how you dress that can accentuate a waistline or derriere. She’s Trinny and Susannah (international makeover experts) rolled into one, only kinder. With people always asking her what to wear, how to wear it right and if what they are wearing is fine, Sandhya often finds herself telling them what they have on is not on. “But I say it so politely that they don’t realise I am actually telling them they have got it all wrong,” she laughs.
Based out of Bangalore she was in the city for an event at The Amethyst Room, Chamiers. The short fashion show displayed clothes from Amethyst and jewellery by CaratLane. Sandhya styled three models and spoke about the choice of outfit and jewellery for them. “If you have a round face, avoid round earrings, if you have a long face, avoid long earrings and if you have a triangular face, avoid triangular earrings,” she explains.
Being a consultant she deals with numerous clients and helps them “build their confidence and revamp their wardrobe.” What’s the style faux pas that irks her? “Wrong shoes! People wear uncomfortable footwear just to be fashionable. And sometimes I see toes sticking out from the sandals,” she says rolling her eyes. And then there are women who wear night gowns throughout the day at home that leaves her unimpressed as well. “In fact the reason I started DresSmart three years ago was because I saw my neighbour always step out of the house in a nightie,” she says.
A model-turned-consultant, Sandhya also runs Curry Classes where she teaches Indian cooking. Currently, she is preparing for the Mrs. Universe pageant in August, where she will represent England as she holds a British citizenship.
“I am training with Prasad Bidappa and I already have my costumes sorted out. Unfortunately there is no talent round this time, so I can’t show them my Bollywood moves,” she says.
Meanwhile more people flock around with queries about their skin, body and clothes and I slink away to look for clothes for a tubular body.