Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Great Tips for Fabulous Posture

When I wrote about my concerns about my posture last week, you all responded with a wealth of brilliant knowledge and insight. You'll be pleased to hear that I've already taken action towards improving my carriage (for the sake of both health and vanity, I must admit): I've committed to weekly pilates and yoga classes and am striving to be more mindful of my posture throughout the day. In honor of these positive life changes, thought I'd do a little round-up of the tips I've found to be the most helpful in my current state.
  1. Master the "bistro pelvis." This is from the excellent chapter on posture in Tim Gunn's A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style. Mr. Gunn, likewise, takes his knowledge from a 1934 guide called Your Carriage, Madam! The author instructed her readers to hold their bodies as though one is walking sideways between tables in a crowded bistro. This means tilting your pelvis slightly forward; or "scooping" your navel to your spine, as it is known in pilates. This tip has been invaluable to me. I didn't realize how strong my tendency is to tilt my pelvis forward, resulting in lower back pain and a rather unsightly bulged tummy, it must be said.
  2. Shoulders down, not back! (Many thanks to commenter Pammie who brought this tip to my attention.) This is another bit of wisdom from my beloved Tim Gunn. He says that people often think of good posture as throwing one's shoulders back. Well, try this for yourself right now and you'll see it doesn't really work. At least for me, it forces me to arch my back, contributing to the forward-tilted pelvis mentioned above. Instead, focus on keeping your shoulders down, away from your ears. 
  3. Imagine a pole going up through your skull. Hmm, that actually sounds rather grisly, doesn't it? Just imagine you have a metal pole going up through your spine and up through the top of your head, like a skeleton in a science lab. Now try to keep the pole straight at all times. This will cause you to lengthen the back of your neck, rather than scrunching it or straining it. Another helpful bit of imagery here is to imagine yourself as a marionette with a string through your head that you must keep taut and pulled straight at all times.
  4. Beware the dreaded pigeon toe. Commenter Michael is an Alexander Technique teacher and linked to his post on women, fashion, and the pigeon-toed look. He described seeing women sitting on the subway with their toes pointed decidedly inward, creating poor alignment. And don't you know it? I do this too! I think I do it reflexively on the train as a way to keep my knees knocked together while I'm wearing a skirt. But regardless of reason, it's a bad habit and one I'm striving to break. 
So those are the tips I'm loving right now, readers. As an aside, I bought the Tim Gunn book as a result of commenters' recommendations and am totally digging it. Mr. Gunn is a personal hero of mine, but I never thought to buy this book because I mistakenly thought it was just another fashion guide that was going to tell me to buy a classic trench and get a bra-fitting and all of that other hackneyed advice. There is a list of the top ten wardrobe necessities, but it's much, much more than that. The chapter on posture is invaluable, and his section on culling one's closet to speak to one's soul inspired me to clean out my own. (Closet, not soul. But that's next.)


Best yet, Tim's trademark wit is on every page. In true erudite Gunn fashion, he summons the philosopher Kierkegaard to dispense style knowledge. You see, fashion is all about finding the authentic self and Kierkegaard "counsels that the unmediated choice is the only choice one will never regret. This means no agonizing over whether or not to keep the jumpsuit. If you have to ask, the answer is: throw it away."

Oh, Tim! You're a national treasure.

    38 comments:

    1. Any guy who advocates jumpsuits is a hero in my book! Thanks for the recommendation.

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    2. Thanks for this post - posture is something I don't think about on purpose because I'm worried mine is wrecked. But of course (as you've pointed up), there are things you can do to help correct it.

      When I began reading I immediately thought of Eugenia Munster from Henry James' novel The Europeans, because there's this line about her not being pretty, but carrying her head as if she were. That bit always stuck in my brain when I read it as a kid. It made me realise how important carriage is. And you've just reminded me!

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    3. Great post! Who doesn't love Tim Gunn?
      -Ruby

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    4. Thanks for rounding up the posture advice. Now that I have started sewing I am painfully aware of how far forward my shoulders are. I am only 38! I shall take your advice to push my shoulders down not back.

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    5. One totally weird thing that has helped me improve my posture while sitting is to raise my computer by about two inches. Raising it up to my natural eye level forces me to sit straighter instead of slouching so that my eye level meets the height of the computer. So far it even seems to be improving the stiff neck that I thought was unrelated to my posture. (I guess this is why ergonomics work.)

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    6. My two required semesters (don't ask) of Philosophy and Religion my freshman year would have been infinitely more interesting, entertaining, and meaningful if the professors had used Tim Gunn's examples for Kierkegaard!!! I can't imagine what Tim would do with Plato's Republic!

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    7. I love Tim Gunn! I can't say how many times "Make it work" has helped my frame of mind in the midst of frustration.

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    8. Gertie, you rule. These are such great tips, and all of the associated visualizations help SO MUCH.

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    9. I absolutely LOVE this book. The world needs more Tim Gunn!! Thanks Gertie for the recommendation and all the fabulous fashion advice and inspiration!

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    10. Having two kids and carrying them in a sling or on my hip all the time has absolutely wrecked my posture and I know it. I'm absolutely horrified when I see photos of myself because I already have a hump in my back and I'm only in my 30's! Thanks for the great advice. Now if I can only remember to DO those things...

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    11. Lol, I learned all those postural techniques in ballet class! They still work, 18 years later.

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    12. One of the interesting things about the belly buttons-to-the-spine thing (to tilt the pelvis) is that straight, non-pilates instructors have no idea how to do it. Try it on your boyfriends and husbands girls. Ask them to pull their belly buttons to their spines and watch their blank stares. My husband thinks I'm insane when I talk about stuff like this. ;-)

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    13. I always think the pigeon-toed model thing is weird. Models used to look so Katharine-Hepburn-confidant, and now they all look like marionettes with slack strings. What gives? Is that why pigeon toes seem normal, or maybe even fashionable, to women now?

      Actually, I'm wearing heels right now--not big ones; 2 1/2 inches--and I'm realizing that pigeon toes are more comfortable in heels than straight or angled-out feet. Maybe it's our shoes doing it to us?

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    14. I stole that book from my former crazy houseguest and never looked back.

      I love Tim Gunn, and I love that people are as sick of the 'exaggerated pigeon-toe pose' as I am.

      Garnet

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    15. I was the little girl who wanted to play outdoors in the dirt and stuff. My Mother was the woman who forced me to walk around with a dictionary on my head.

      I hated it. I especially hated how she made me walk that prissy one foot in front of the other walk so my stockings (when I was old enough to wear them) would swish and my hips would swing. Charm school wannabe - ugh.

      Luckily I had a super GrandMama who ended the torture one day by volunteering to take over so Mother could do other things.

      We giggled and goofed around and her gentle "We short women need to stand up straight to be noticed" is all it took.

      Of course, 40+ years later I am slack about it on occasion. Thank you so much for the helpful hints and suggestions! You rock!

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    16. What did we do before Tim Gunn?

      I hope you enjoy the yoga classes - the 4 tips you describe are, when put together, essentially mountain pose. So, it sounds like you are off to an excellent start.

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    17. Great post! I agree with the shoulders down rule - it's also much better for your back. I think Mr. Gunn's book is going to be added to my wishlist.

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    18. I had a massage last week -- I expected to hear that tension was in my back. Nope -- along my front upper chest. Therapist said I was rolling shoulders forward from sitting at a computer, etc, all the time and showed me how to push them back and down into the right place. Scary.

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    19. Excellent tips, doll! Thanks!

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    20. Great tips. I've read this book by Tim Gunn. It is an excellent read.

      Trudy
      www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com

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    21. Great post Gertie! Thanks for the mention - both Jonathan and I are trying to improve our posture - working out on our "core" as you suggest is working!

      My mother has always advocated the bottom in tummy tucked in method. . .which I have largely ignored until now.

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    22. Great tips! I considered reading all the comments on your other post so I'm extra glad you shared these (I got to around 30 then gave up)

      I think you've convinced me to buy that Tim Gunn book!

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    23. Obviously one of the few people in the world who has never heard of Tim Gunn, I enjoy your blog, Gertie. Your suggestions always seem applicable and timely!

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    24. Great post, what a good idea to post a follow up to last week's discussion! I do the pigeon-toe thing as well..one more habit to work on breaking! I've been working on shoulders DOWN not back as well. Of all the things I read, that one really stuck in my mind!

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    25. C’est avec un très grand plaisir que je me promène sur votre blog. J’apprécie particulièrement votre respect et qualité de la couture ; bravo pour votre « boutonnière passepoilée » c’est le nom employé en couture en France. Bonne continuation.

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    26. For those digging the imagery used by Tim Gunn and others, I highly recommend the book The Pilates Body. It provides detailed instructions for all levels of Pilates practioners and, what I find to be, incredibly helpful visualizations both in executing the exercises and for everyday movements. Also, another great book for visualization and posture is Eric Franklin's Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery. I learned of this book in my undergrad dancing days, but I believe much of it applies beyond dance training!

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    27. I love any blog that combines clothing and posture, especially one with such excellent tips. For my bad computer posture, I use an old straight back dining chair. With feet flat and knees straight, you can feel yourself pulling your belly button back and pulling your shoulders down. You'll then automatically want to pull your neck up straight.

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    28. ohh and don't you just forget how much of a hunchback you are until you get up from your machine after a few hours of hard yakka at the machine... phew its tough

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    29. I love your blog! I will definetly be thinking of my posture from now on! I am now following you! You can follow me at mymodernguide.blogspot.com

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    30. I need to get Tim's book. I loved your posting!!

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    31. Just read this article after returning from my pilates class. It made me smile and got me instantly into an upright position on my couch.
      I started to work on my posture in the mid of my twenties and have now (with 30) finally reached a point where I'd say it's ok. Those slouchy 90s and always being one of the tallest weren't helpful in my youth.
      Btw: A good posture also enables you to ride a bike without holding on. ;)

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    32. Okay, now I really want to read that Tim Gunn book. It's definitely time to cull the closet.

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    33. I LOVE the idea of bistro pelvis, it's such a perfect way to describe it. And an easy way to remember it. However, as others have said, you may need to have some pilates experience to get the best idea of how to stand properly!

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    34. I have Gunn's book and love it! I agree that it is so much more than another run of the mill fashion book. Glad to hear you're enjoying it. :)

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    35. thinking of a string pulling up from the crown of your head is maybe a less gruesome way to think about standing tall. And then there's always the Alexander Technique mantra:
      Let the neck be free so the head can move forwards and upwards and the back can lengthen and widen.
      It really helps me to realize that I'm holding in my tummy/sides, when I should either loose the weight or wear spanx instead of using muscles to try and be a shape that I'm not :-/

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    36. Great post on improving one's posture. I find that if I walk with my chest UP, my shoulders naturally drop. And that whole tilting of the pelvis - so important - for the lower back if nothing else.

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    37. I had a dance professor in college who told us to think of the pelvis as a big bowl of soup filled to the brim. If you tip your pelvis too far in any one direction, the hot soup spills. Weird, but helpful.

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    38. My college singing teacher gave me the best posture advice (she sewed all her own beautiful suits, too). She told me to imagine my body was suspended from a string attached to my solar plexus. This creates a long yet relaxed line...perfect for getting plenty of room for air!

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    Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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