Dress to look slim

Published on December 31, 2010 by The Editor · No Comments

Jules Standish reveals how to dress your body type and look much slimmer

Wearing clothes that fit your body shape can instantly make you look a dress size smaller. It’s a common mistake with many women who try to conform to fashion rather than their own personal body shape.

It is not all about dieting but knowing how to dress your body type, highlight the good parts and camouflage the negative, through understanding how style and colour can make you look slimmer.

Jules’s top tips for a slimmer body shape:

The general COLOUR rule is to use stronger, brighter colours on your best body areas to make them more noticeable/larger.

Bright/light colours should run up and down your middle with darker ones on the outside for a slimming effect.

Use duller, darker colours on badly proportioned or bigger areas to camouflage and make them appear smaller.

If you are CURVY/BIG BUSTED then your aim is to highlight your waist, elongate your figure and show off those curves. Wear single breasted soft/fluid jackets, belted styles. Vertical lines and wrap dresses, v-neck and scoop tops will compliment a full bust.

If you have a BIG TUMMY then your aim is to re-focus the attention from your middle to your legs and/or face. To do this wear tops with fullness that drape but don’t cling i.e. empire styles; avoid waistbands, belts and front pockets on trousers/skirts and try a one colour outfit with a colourful scarf that will detract upwards.

If you have SHORT LEGS/LONG WAIST then you need to create the illusion of a higher waistline and longer legs. To do this choose high waisted clothes, heeled shoes/boots and tights in a dark colour that match bottoms, and wear your trousers slightly long.

With SHORT WAIST/LONG LEGS you will need to create the illusion of a lower waistline with monochromatic outfits and low waisted bottoms. Vertical lines on the top half lengthen the waist area and team with a narrow belt. V-necks will elongate your neck line.

If your issue is BROAD HIPS you will want to square up your shoulders to create balance with your hips. To do this buy tops/jackets with shoulder pads and horizontal lined tops. Cap sleeves, puffed sleeves, boat necks, collared shirts are your best styles. Wear structured, tailored shapes with lighter colours on your top half.

What’s the best style tip you’ve ever been given on how to dress your body type? Why not pass it on to other wowdewow readers?

Jules Standish is a wowdewow style/colour consultant