Wendy sent me the link to this article in Canadian Living: 8 secrets for dressing slimmer. My favorites:
- Go monochromatic
First off, wearing a monochromatic colour scheme is elegant and flattering to all body types, explains Collins. Even wearing an all-white suit, for example, will look good on someone trying to dress slimmer because it doesn’t chop up the body. The last thing you want to do is chop up your look with a different colour, which could make even a slim person look stocky. - Stop hiding behind baggy clothes
Make sure clothes fit you properly, Collins suggests. Wearing clothes that are too baggy can easily add the illusion of five to 10 pounds to your frame and make it look as though you are hiding behind something, she says. On the other hand, wearing clothes that fit properly — not too baggy and not too tight — exudes confidence.
When we did the Friday Fashion Lab on Is Black Slimming?, Wendy asked if I thought cut & fit or colour had more to do with a slimming effect. Definitely cut & fit! Unfortunately, that’s also the more challenging to achieve.
But having clothes that fit well is by far worth it. Which no doubt accounts for the experts’ use of tailors.
Do you have a favorite dressing slimmer tip?
Thanks for the shout out, Rebecca!
The armhole and the sleeve width.
If the armhole is French cut, a high set in sleeve, the torso looks slimmer. Also, if the sleeve is narrow enough that you can see air between your arm and your side as you move around, it looks slimmer. A lot of times women who are busty will find that the size that fits the bust results in a design feature of a very roomy sleeve. If they had this altered or selected another manufacturer it would look better.
Bias cut skirts. Can look verrrry bad from the back.
Pleats. Some people just can’t wear them. The advice to wear skirts where the pleats are stitched down through the hip doesn’t work if your buttom is set low, as in some figure types.
Skirt length. If you’re short you have to watch that your short skirt doesn’t look like a box because you don’t have the length to make it look like a rectangle.
The standard advice to the hourglass to always cinch the waist is a horror with trenchcoats and many wrapcoats unless very shaped. You look like a poorly tied bundle.
Also, I disagree with the ubiquitous advice to never wear pleated pants. If you take heed of the pointer to have your clothes skim your body then the pleats won’t be spreading open or won’t give you an ease in one section contrasted with a skinnier fit elswhere. One secret is to watch in which direction the pleats open, to the outside or the inside. One option may be better than another on you to hide a belly.
Vildy – that’s such good advice. Especially the arm and sleeve stuff, because it just isn’t talked about much but it’s so true!
As much as I hate to admit it, I am one of those low-bottom types. I would love to try the pleat thing and just give it a test-out. I wonder if it is the same with skirts that have gathering at the hip?
No pleats! No pleats! No pleats! Gahhhhh… 🙂 Can you sense I have strong feelings about this?
🙂 🙂
Also, skirts that end at the knee are much more flattering than skirts that are too long and skirts that are too short.
Rebecca – so sorry for serial posting. But how about one of your fashion fridays with pleats vs no pleats?? I would offer to model, but I don’t own a pleated pant.
That is a fabulous idea for a fashion lab! I need to get organized and start collecting these good ideas somewhere other than in my brain (which is subject to malfunction of all varieties!).
I’ve got plenty! Check out my eleven tips on “lookimg slimmer in your clothes ” on youlookfab.com
http://www.youlookfab.com/http:/www.youlookfab.com/2007/02/13/look-slimmer-in-your-clothes/
Thanks Angie!