Hide Your Body Flaws...
Ever fall in love with a skirt only to find out it makes your butt look twice as large as it really is? We can't all have perfect figures, but we can wear clothes that enhance our assets and minimize our imperfections. Here's what you need to know.
Minimize Hips and Other Casualties of Being Pear Shaped
If your hips have caused you years of tears, then buck up and start dressing around them. The following tips will allow you to minimize the pear shape that you have been cursing since puberty.
* Skirts: Fuller, below-the-knee skirts conceal wider hips. Avoid high-waisted pencil skirts and opt for A-line styles and skirts with hemline details, which balance your shape.
* Trousers: Sport fuller, wide-leg pants. Avoid cropped pants, which make your legs look shorter.
* Dresses: Well defined waists with fuller skirts can hide a multitude of sins! Try strapless or V-neck styles to draw the eye upward and away from your lower half.
* Jackets: Damn those shrunken-style jackets that are so in right now! They only draw attention to hips and backsides. Stick to longer jackets that camouflage the hip area.
* Tops/Sweaters: Whenever possible, go with halter styles and boat necks, which create the illusion of broader shoulders. So do cardigans with horizontal stripes. Steer clear of clingy or tight tops.
Slim the Stomach Area
Not that diet and exercise aren't good for you, but sometimes cutting down on the cheesecake just isn't enough to get rid of that tummy you have had since, well, birth. Follow these simple tips to minimize your waistline.
Create Height
You can only add so many inches with high heels. It's true they look great, are slimming and make you feel taller, but they also absolutely kill your feet. When you want to give your tootsies a break, try these tricks.
* Trousers: Finding pants that make you look taller is easy. Long, wide-leg trousers lengthen legs. Pinstripes and front creases are also flattering for those who could use a few more inches.
* Skirts: Short skirts will make all women look taller. They don't have to be minis; just-above-the-knee lengths work too. If you're "vertically challenged," longer skirts will make you look like you are standing in a hole.
* Dresses: Empire-waist dresses lengthen your bottom half. Try above-the-knee lengths here as well.
* Tops: Drop V-necks with a vertical stripe create the look of a longer torso. Long slim sweaters will also make you look longer.
* Jackets: Keep 'em short and sweet. Longer jackets will make you look shorter.
Create Curves in All the Right Places
So you're still waiting to "develop" are you? Well, stop waiting and start creating. Make your own curves for Pete's sake.
* Jackets: The term "nip and tuck" isn't just reserved for plastic surgery. Tapered jackets can accentuate bustlines and waistlines.
* Skirts: Pair a full skirt with a long top and add a ribbon belt to create a waist. Belted skirts with pockets create the same effect.
* Tops: Fitted bodices create a super-sexy shape. Shop for V-necks and scoop necks as well.
* Dresses: Cinch a belt at the waist over a dress for instant curves.
* Dresses: Wear a wide belt over a dress to streamline your shape. Look for styles that have gathered fabric in strategic places, called ruching, which pulls you in at the middle, and V-necks, which draw the eye upward.
* Tops: Men's-style shirts tucked into trousers and skirts camouflage the middle area and are always "Katherine Hepburn" chic.
* Layered Tops: Layered chiffon tops create the illusion of "lightness" around the belly area. As with dresses, try ruched tops to hold you in and V-necks to distract the eye.
* Jackets: Stick to slightly tapered jackets to create a slimmer waist.
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