Most women want to look slimmer at one time or another. Perhaps it is because we will be an event where we know photographs will be taken and don’t want the extra ten camera-pounds to show. Or perhaps we actually need to lose a few pounds and would like a quick fix that doesn’t include a 48-hour crash diet. There are many ways that you can dress to drop visual pounds from your frame.
1. Wear jeans that have a boot or flare cut. This cut visually balances out curves, and will make your hips appear smaller than they would if you wore tapered pants.
2. Wear black. The color black creates a negative space, which detracts from extra weight. It is not called the slimming color for nothing. The worst thing you can do if you want to appear slimmer is to dress in a mélange of bright colors and large prints.
3. Wear clothing that gives you a shape. If you wear one baggy piece, make sure that the other piece is fitted. Baggy, shapeless clothes will make even a runway model look as though she has gained fifty pounds.
4. Highlight the areas you like; disguise the areas you are uncomfortable with. If you are worried about the size of your hips, try wearing a plain pair of black pants with a fitted red top. The bright color will draw attention upwards, away from your hips. Add a nice neckline and a necklace to the top, and the eye is drawn even further upward, to your face.
5. Choose dresses with a bit of an A-line cut. Generally speaking, an A-line cut is the most flattering, skimming lightly over the stomach and hips, and reducing the need to suck in one’s stomach.
6. Try highlighting your legs. Long, flowing dresses rarely make anyone look slimmer. Try a shorter dress or skirt that hits at or above the knee. Add heels for a leg-slimming look. While you are focusing on your legs, if you have a light complexion, consider using a self-tanner. Adding a bit of color to your legs is also slimming.
7. Wear clothes that fit. Clothes that are either too loose or too tight will create problems. Clothes that are too loose add pounds by adding bulk to your figure. Clothes that are too tight create fat where none may exist, by pushing fat above the waistline of your jeans, for example. Push-up bras are good; push-up jeans are definitely not. You do not want a bicycle tire around your middle, which with tight low rise jeans, is a common fashion blunder. Go ahead and wear your correct size, even if you don’t like the number on the label!
8. Try some of the newer non-torturous undergarments. There are many body smoothers on the market that are gentle to wear, and that can make your silk pants slide smoothly over your hips and thighs with nary a bump or bulge. Some panties are the equivalent of a quick tummy tuck, eliminating the poochy look. These are great with form-fitting dresses, especially the infamous clingy knit variety.
9. Avoid horizontal stripes. Vertical stripes and lines are much more slimming, as they draw the eye up and down, as opposed to back and forth. Even an elongated necklace or a lengthy scarf can create a slimming vertical look.
10. Avoid pleats, ruffles and other volume adding embellishments like the plague. You may feel comfortable with a ruffle or two around your neckline, but if your hips are what you are worried about, for goodness sakes don’t wear a pleated skirt! Also watch out for some of the newer fuller skirts that are in fashion right now. Chances are, if the skirt makes a 120-pound model look full around the hips, it is going to do the same for you.
The best thing to do is to experiment and see what works for you. If you are self-conscious about your body, the temptation can be to cover up by wearing large tee shirts or other baggy clothes. Remember, this only adds pounds. Invest in some quality clothes that are well tailored and play up your best features. Don’t worry about following every trend. While most trends work well in the hyperskinny world of runway models, they do not work well for the average woman. Try things out and find out what looks good on you. It may help to take an honest friend whose opinion you value shopping with you. Don’t wait to lose extra pounds to start dressing attractively. Start now, and you’ll find that as you begin to look like the person you want to be, any unwanted pounds will be more inclined to come off. Meanwhile, you’ll look snazzy, and gain self-confidence, which is always a good thing!
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