Fashion Strategies: Dressing to Look Thinner

Very few women and men are fortunate enough to have a perfect body shape. Some are heavier than they would like to be. Looking thinner is a goal for many women and men. This article addresses how to dress to look thinner. 

It’s imperative that women and men who want to look thinner know how to choose a wardrobe that will help them achieve that result. It’s also important that they know how to wear the chosen outfit correctly. Selecting the right wardrobe can create an illusion that will appear to reshape a person’s body in a more flattering manner.

 Assessing Body Shape or Type

Men and women should analyze their body shape. To do this effectively, they should stand undressed in front of a mirror. In assessing the body shape, there are certain features that should be noted. They should take note of the proportion between the top part of their body and the bottom part of their body. The must observe their bone structure, the width and size of their shoulders, chest, waist, and hips, and the length of their neck. In order to create the illusion of being thinner, people must choose wardrobes that draw attention away from the less flattering part of the body and accentuate the more flattering part of the body.

For Those Who are Heavier on the Top

People with a heavier body type should wear loose fitting tops that gradually taper in hugging the waist and hips. Lighter and thinner fabrics, such as cotton or jersey, are good to wear as they are less apt to add bulk than heavier fabrics would do.  One color choice for the entire outfit will also help to create the illusion of being taller and leaner. They should avoid jackets with shoulder pads. Pleated skirts are a good choice because they tend to draw the eye away from the heavier top part of the body down to the more flattering lower half.

For Those Who are Heavier on the Bottom

People who are heavier in the bottom half of the body could opt for shirts, blouses, or jackets with a bit of shoulder padding. Such a strategy helps to balance the frame of the body. They should choose vertical lines and patterns when opting for an outfit.  People with such a body shape, should wear printed fabrics on the top half of the body. They should opt for longer jackets and tops that completely go below the hips. Such a strategy creates a longer line and serves to hide a heavier bottom. They should choose suits, jackets or shirtwaist dresses that are classically straight in design.  Such choices would better flatter the shape of people who are bottom-heavy.

Flattering Fashions for Those Who are Less Curvy

All women would love to have curvy figures but, unfortunately, not all women have vivacious curves. Ladies lacking curvaceous figures can add breadth and give the appearance of having curves by choosing clothes with prints, patterns, or flowers. 

For Those with Hour-Glass Figures

Some women have hour-glass body shapes. Such women can wear clothes that drape and are looser fitting. Such women can accentuate their slim waist by wearing a beautiful belt.

Slimming Fashions for All Body Types

Petite women are those shorter than five foot four inches. Shorter women should opt for dresses that hit just above or at the knee. A-line dresses, dresses with empire waistlines, and straight-legged pants also help to create a longer and leaner appearance. Men and women should avoid wearing pants with pleats. Such pants serve only to add bulk or girth to the middle of the body. 

People should avoid turtleneck tops. Turtlenecks make the face look wider. V-necks, jewelry and scarves, however, flatter and draw attention to the face.

In conclusion, despite one’s body size or shape, a slimming effect is better created with monochromatic coordination of outfits and color schemes. No matter what type of outfit people choose in an attempt to create a longer and leaner illusion, the choice will be ineffective if they have poor posture. Men and women should remember to stand tall, square the shoulders, and hold the head upright to help elongate the neck.

Finding Sexy Jeans that Fit and Flatter Any Woman’s Figure

 

Whether you are a teenager, a young woman from Generation X, or a young-at-heart and still attractive, style conscious woman from the Baby Boomer generation, you should not be made to feel that your age and figure must dictate the style of jeans you wear. You can choose any style of jean, from the skinny jean, straight leg, flared leg, boot cut, ultra low rise, low rise, and mid rise to high rise.  Yes, even you older ladies from the Woodstock generation. You were rock and roll then, and rock and roll never dies. As Dylan Thomas poetically phrased it, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” A woman’s advancing age doesn’t mean she is destined to wear polyester pants or jeans with an elastic waist band. Rage against age! Rage against such fashion dictates! Feel free to be as trendy and as sexy in your jeans as you want to be, no matter your age. This article will help you to find the proper fit, to explore the vast universe of fashion designs, and ultimately to choose jeans that will best flatter your figure, give you self-confidence, and make a star quality personal fashion statement about you.

Step 1: Finding the Right Fit

According to Kathy Collins, the director of strategic planning and visual marketing for Lee Apparel, most women try on approximately nine pairs of jeans before finding a pair that fits them to their satisfaction. Because so many brands of jeans have begun offering numerous fits and style choices, women are becoming more discerning. In the past, most jeans were basically cut the same way. They were generally cut high with a small waist, and were big in the bottom with a full thigh and tapered ankle. That kind of style and cut would never flatter anyone’s figure. Such a style is what women with a savvy fashion sense today jokingly refer to as “Mom jeans.” Nobody, not even Mom, wants to settle for having to wear “Mom Jeans”. There are so many styles, cuts, colors and brands available today that women don’t have to settle for unflattering or ill fitting jeans.

For jeans, “the right fit” means that they have to look good from any angle, sitting or standing, and they should never pull or bind. You must consider your body size as well. If you are fortunate enough to be slim, your choices are almost limitless. Slim figures will look good in almost any cut or style –low rise, mid rise, the skinny jean, straight leg, tapered leg, flared or boot cut. If you are a fuller figured gal, you may want to choose a straight leg to give the illusion of a long lean line that will make you appear thinner. Avoid tapered jeans if you are full-figured. Tapered jeans will make your legs look shorter and your hips wider. Even though the low rise and mid rise jeans are sexy, fuller figured women may want to stick with a waist band that is anywhere from a mid rise to a natural waist line rise so that there won’t be any risk of tummy overhang. In my experience, the more I spend on jeans, the better they seem to fit. The more expensive jeans are more structured with better quality denim. They are generally better constructed and, therefore, fit better.

If you are like most women when trying on a pair of jeans, the first thing you do is turn around to see how your derriere looks in the jeans. I have found certain brands flatter the derriere better than others. My personal preference for the most flattering fit of jeans, especially if you want your booty to look spectacular regardless of its size, is Seven for All Mankind jeans. They will cost more than the average jean, but they will flatter your figure better than more economically priced jeans.

Step 2: Exploring the Fashions and Trends in Jeans

Again, don’t let your age dictate your fashion preference in jeans. In choosing a wash or color of jeans, the lighter colors or washes are more informal, and the darker blue washes and black jeans are generally more elegant and worn for somewhat dressier occasions. That’s correct; I used the words “dressier occasions” and “jeans” in the same sentence because they can be simpatico. While you can dress down a light wash jean with a trendy or vintage tee shirt, you can also dress up a darker wash jean with a nice tailored oxford cloth shirt, a soft cashmere sweater, or even an elegant silk blouse. Darker washes are more slimming and a better option for you if you are a fuller figured women. Some jeans have a color wash that allows for streak designs in the fabric. If you have wide hips, you will want to avoid a color wash that has horizontal streaks across the front hip portion of the jeans as this will make your hips look broader.

Most jeans have some sort of logo, design or embellishment on the back pockets. Choose jeans that have an embellishment or design that suits your fashion sense and artistic preference – whether it would be the crystal swirls on some of the styles from Seven for All Mankind to the tattoo designs of the famed tattoo artist Ed Hardy replicated on the jeans created by Christian Audigier.  However, if you have wide hips and a bountiful booty, you might want to avoid a back pocket embellishment that is very large and overwhelming, as it will make your derriere look even larger.

Step 3: Choosing Flattering Jeans that Make a Fashion Statement and Make You Feel Good About Yourself

The low rise, boot cut style is especially sexy and flattering. Be willing to invest more in designer jeans if you truly want a better fit and a more flattering, sexy appearance. Certainly it’s true that you will be paying for the designer name, but the investment will also give you better quality, structure, style and fit.

If you have a difficult to fit figure, even with the more expensive designer jeans, you have another last resort option. The Interactive Custom Clothes Company is a web-based company that custom designs jeans for their customers. The website address is www.ic3d.com.  They use a computer program to create a pattern either from a customer’s measurements or by copying the design of a favorite pair of jeans provided by the customer.

You know now what constitutes “the right fit” and how to choose a cut, rise and style to flatter your figure. You have explored a galaxy of jean fashions and designs available to women today. All that remains is making a choice. A survey done by the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor showed that the majority of women cited appearance, rather than practicality, as the foremost concern when purchasing jeans. So let appearance dictate. No matter your age, choose jeans that fit well, that make a fashion statement, that flatter your figure, and that make you feel sexy and beautifully youthful. And, As Bob Dylan musically stated, “May you stay forever young.”

Remember, regardless of your age, you can make a stylish and spectacular fashion statement in jeans that fit and flatter your figure. As Yves Saint Laurent, famed French fashion designer, once said, “I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes.”

Picture credit:  Scott Snyder