Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Asymmetry is interesting

I noticed two nice uses of asymmetry recently. The first was on Secretary Kathleen Sebelius*:

This jacket has an off-center closure, similar to a motorcycle style. The asymmetry creates some visual interest that blends well with her necklace, which has bead spaced very far apart, giving it a modernist feel.

The second example was on Senate candidate Carly Fiorina:

This time, the asymmetry was in the necklace, which gathered beads together in an organic, uneven grouping. The necklace softens the look of a very structured jacket, which could otherwise look severe.

In both of these examples, the asymmetrical details work for the wearer (and not against) because they are:
1. subtle
2. paired with a neutral color palette.

Asymmetry is like animal print. Use it, but sparingly.

*An earlier version of this post used a different clip of Secretary Sebelius, from the same day. This one is a lot easier to see, so I switched it.

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