Use These Fashion Tips to Look Leaner and Taller
Small changes in your wardrobe can immediately make you seem pounds thinner.
Image by Peter Plashkin on Unsplash
You’re unhappy with your body. Maybe you want a smaller waist. Maybe you want slimmer hips or less bulky thighs. Or maybe you’re like me, a five-foot-two shorty that wants to look taller and less dumpy.
Everyone wants to feel good in their clothes, and those who can’t accomplish this are sick and tired of playing the “How much can I cover?” and “How big can I wear my clothes, so I don’t feel the fat?” game.
However, what you need to understand is dressing in what looks like a garbage bag every day only lowers your self-esteem further.
After all, the more beautiful you feel, the more your confidence rises. The more your confidence increases, the more likely you are to take steps to tame some of those bad eating habits you’ve picked up.
And even if the scale doesn’t budge, you deserve to feel good about yourself. Period.
Here’s where the power of clothes can help.
For example, you can trick the eye and look pounds thinner by using the fashion tips below.
Look for high-waisted bottoms.
You may not be aware that eighties’ fashions are back with a vengeance. And though you’ll not see this woman wearing shoulder pads ever again, high-waisted pants are a fabulous way to appear longer and leaner.
For example, high-waisted jeans flatter the body in several ways. Here are just a few of them.
They give the illusion of longer legs.
They have a waist-cinching effect.
They minimize the looks of rolls and bulges in the stomach area.
Though high-waisted pants are usually associated with jeans, they can also be found in dress pants and career wear.
And if you really want to maximize the body benefits of high waisted pants, The Trend Spotter recommends wearing them in black, making the following statement:
“No matter whether they’re skinny, straight, slim, or cropped, a pair of black high-waisted jeans are the wardrobe basic every girl should own. The leg-lengthening style can be dressed up or down to suit almost every occasion. Plus, with such a figure-hugging silhouette, they really are perfect for any shape or size.”
Make black a wardrobe staple.
It’s not just black high-waisted jeans that make you look more slender. It’s any piece of clothing in this dark color.
The power of black lies in its ability to absorb light. Clothes in softer colors actually reflect light, drawing the eye to whatever body part they’re on.
Now just because black seems to make the pounds disappear, it doesn’t mean you should dress like you’re attending a funeral every day.
The key is to know where to wear black, and the answer is whatever body part you think is most unbecoming.
For example, if you have a thick waist, add a black belt to a lighter-colored dress. If you’re extremely top-heavy, wear a black shirt with lighter-colored pants. If you’re bottom-heavy, wear black pants with a pastel shirt.
And though black is the most slimming color, any dark color will create a similar effect, so incorporate colors like navy or dark grey into your wardrobe as well.
Buy a pair of nude pumps or heels.
Just as high-waisted jeans give you a longer, taller look, so do nude or flesh-colored heels. Women’s Weekly gives the following advice on how to use this fact to your advantage. The publication states:
“Nude pumps should be your go-to shoes for when you’re looking to get the illusion of slimmer legs. Be sure to pick a nude that’s closest to your skin tone to enhance the slimming and lengthening effect it has on your stems.”
The magic of nude-colored heels is that when you’re wearing a dress, your eye doesn’t stop at the shoe color, so it tricks the eye into perceiving that the shoes are part of your legs.
Invest in the right bra.
If you’re trying to look leaner, what you wear under your clothes is just as important as what you wear over them.
For example, ill-fitting bras negatively affect the appearance of your body. For instance, a too-loose bra can make your breasts sag, and a too-tight bra can emphasize back fat.
Ask any bra expert, and they’ll tell you the best way to find a bra that fits properly is to get a professional fitting. Many department stores such as JCPenney and Macy’s offer these in-person fittings; however, Budget Fashionista recommends getting fitted in stores that specialize in undergarments.
Not keen on giving a complete stranger access to your lady friends? There are other ways to find a bra fit that works in your figure’s favor.
For example, The Daily News interviewed lingerie expert Jené Luciani who gives the following tips:
Make sure you tighten your bra straps so your breasts are midway between your shoulder and elbow.
Throw out bras that have “gaps, [spillage], or [dug in] areas.”
Pay special attention to your bra band. Luciani comments that many women choose a bra band that’s too large, preventing them from using their body’s natural contours to create a thinning effect. She explains the benefits of choosing the right size band in the quote below.
“For most of us, the section immediately below our breasts is the narrowest part of the body. Wearing the right size band emphasizes this narrowness, helping to draw the eye to this point and creating the impression of an hourglass figure.”
And you might not like it, but there’s simply no way of getting around trying on bras if you want them to fit perfectly. However, some online sites will allow you to input your measurements and receive recommendations on sizes that may work well. For example, check out Kohl’s bra size calculator.
Please understand that calculators like this are imperfect, so don’t take their suggested size and order six bras online. Instead, take their answers and use them as a starting point when you hit the racks.
Think monochromatic.
When it comes to looking like you’ve shaved off pounds, think monochromatic colors. Even though it sounds like a fancy term, dressing in monochromatic clothing simply means wearing shades in the same color family.
Shop It To Me explains the slimming benefits of dressing monochromatically, stating:
“Monochromatic [outfits create] a slimmer, longer body line by moving the eye down the body, from head to toe.”
Now dressing this way doesn’t mean you wear the same color red from head to toe. While that particular choice might be slimming, it would also be incredibly boring.
And that’s certainly not the look I’m sure you’re going for.
To make the most of dressing monochromatically, take different hues and depths of the same color and add style by carefully using different textures, fabrics, or prints. For example, Stylishly Me uses the example of “[pairing] charcoal gray wool pants, [topping] it off with a dove gray blouse, and [adding] a pair of dark grey slingbacks” to work the look.
One final note.
Style Craze advises against using extremely bright colors, suggesting colors like black, blue, or gray will be more figure-friendly.
Try V-necks.
I’ve never favored V-necks, but according to the experts, I’m making the wrong choice if I want to look leaner.
For example, Styled by Sally, a fashion publication by Melbourne’s top personal stylists, reports that V-necks are incredibly flattering for those who lack a defined waistline or hold their weight in their middle.
They explain the advantages of this neckline in the following statement.
“A V-neck visually points to the shoulders and waist, drawing the eye in and up.”
They also advise you to search for V-necks in the form of wrap dresses or shirts, styles they cite are extra flattering.
Wear vertical stripes.
Curvy Plus explains the power of using vertical stripes to enhance a fuller figure. They reveal these lines “draw the eye down the body, creating an elongated view.”
The publication offers the following tips on using stripes to address specific body concerns, stating:
“Choose striped pants to lengthen your legs, a striped dress to slim out the torso, or a vertical striped skirt to slim down the hips and thighs.”
And as to the thickness of the stripe, go for small ones instead of thick ones. Glamour gives specifics, advising wearers to choose stripes no wider than two inches.
Consider shapewear.
Whenever I think of shapewear, I think of one event: my brother’s wedding.
My mother picked out a beautiful dress for the occasion. She’s not a large woman, but like all of us approaching middle age, her weight was concentrated around the tummy. As a result, she bought a girdle to smooth out any runaway rolls in hopes of looking extra wonderful.
However, when she had to go to the restroom at the wedding, she texted me and told me to meet her there.
She couldn’t get the girdle off, so I had to pull and tug to get her out of it. It was the most hilarious lesson I’ve learned thus far concerning ways not to flatter my figure.
However, it wasn’t actually the belly slimmer that was the problem. Instead, it was the fact she’d chosen one entirely too tight.
Good Housekeeping shares the advice of Tiny Zimmerman, the head of alterations at the famous Kleinfield’s bridal salon in New York. She states “shapewear should enhance your figure, and if it fits well, it should feel like your own skin. You should be able to bend and move, and if you can’t breathe, it’s not the right fit for you.”
The publication also cites fashion stylist Lauren Messiah, who makes it clear that the goal of shapewear is “to smooth and slightly reshape your silhouette.”
There’s no doubt that, when worn correctly, shapewear can hide many flaws.
It can flatten bulges.
It can whittle waistlines.
It can lift sagging bottoms.
It can enhance the look of thighs and hips.
However, just as with bras, ordering online won’t cut it. You need to try on different styles and brands, and before you make a purchase, you need to follow the general guidelines below.
Choose lighter shapewear that allows for gentle compression instead of uncomfortable and overly constrictive styles.
Ditch the idea that you have to have a “cover everything” girdle that goes from thighs to breasts. Only purchase shapewear that addresses your problem areas. For example, if your middle is your problem, buy panty-style girdles that don’t restrict your thighs.
Find a girdle in your size. Don’t go down a size hoping for more dramatic results. Besides feeling like you can’t move, choices like this can lead to health problems such as the compression of vital organs and poor circulation.
The bottom line:
Your body is a fantastic thing. That’s why you should find a way to love it, no matter your shape or size. However, if you feel beautiful in what you’re wearing, you’ll love it a lot quicker.
So do some closet scouring. Maybe plan a “girl’s day shopping” where you share tips and try new styles with your friends. And when your coworkers ask you how you lost the weight, say you’re not quite sure.
Then, walk away smiling. Smiling and feeling like a million bucks.