Do you want to lose a few pounds but haven’t got the time or the inclination to go on a diet? Keep reading for our brilliantly simple but super effective:
Top Tips For Dressing Slimmer
When we look at someone we are literally looking them up and down. Therefore, the key to looking slimmer is to create vertical lines with your outfits and the eye will travel up and down your body to make you look taller and more slender magic!
Conversely, the opposite happens when you create a horizontal line with seams, patterns, etc. In this case, the eye will stop looking up and down and go from side to side. Therefore, you should wear any horizontal lines across your slimmest parts only to draw attention to them.
Vertical and horizontal lines can be created in a number of ways by artfully using seams, pleats, tiers, patterns, jewellery, scarves, epaulettes, detailing, pockets, turn ups, changes in colour, hemlines, etc.
Here are some fabulously effective ways to keep the eye travelling up and down and making you look lovely and slim:
- Wear a dark cardigan or jacket over a lighter or printed top or dress your eye will be drawn to the slim strip of colour or print underneath.
Burberry Prorsum @ Net-A-Porter
M & S
- Wear a long pendant or slimline scarf which will create a vertical line to visually break up your top half. Use this trick particularly if you are top heavy and dont have much of a waist.
Day, Birger et Mikkelsen @ Net-A-Porter
M & S
- Wear a deep V-neck which will again draw a vertical line down your top half.
Ringspun
Jigsaw
- Wear a skirt with vertical seams. This is great if youre pear shaped ie. have a slimmer top and a wider bottom. This will help to narrow the bottom half so it looks more balanced with the top half, leading to a fabulous silhouette.
Coast
- Wear a pair of dark jeans and look for side seams that are set slightly towards the front of your thighs which will make them look slimmer.
Citizens of Humanity
- Wear the same colour skirt, tights and shoes this will keep the eye moving continuously and will make you look taller and therefore slimmer.
- Shoes that are cut lower down your foot will elongate your legs. And shoes with a more pointed toe will lengthen your legs further.
Kurt Geiger
Faith
- Wear a swimsuit with darker panels at the sides. This also works with tracksuit bottoms and other sportswear.
Figleaves
Net-A-Porter
- A single-breasted jacket with slim lapels and a deep V-neck will lengthen your body, and create that all important V-shape. A great look if you have a larger chest.
Coast
Vanessa Bruno @ Net-A-Porter
- Wear your clothes a little more fitted – many people make themselves look bigger by hiding beneath baggy clothes.
But dont wear them too tight either as this will also make you look bigger. Aim for something fitted that gently skims your body.
- Wear something with a patterned panel down the front this will bring your eye inwards.
This shape (below) is great if youre an apple shape with a large bust and tummy, and narrower hips. It will pull you in just under the bust (where you are likely to be slimmer) and has gentle gathers over your tummy area, and stops at your slimmer hip area.
Hey presto! You’ve instantly dropped a dress size!
East
Monsoon
- Make sure your underwear fits you properly. A good bra will take pounds off you and give you a better figure instantly. Always get fitted professionally for a bra, and if you feel like treating yourself, go to Rigby and Peller where theyll take one look at you and miraculously come back with perfectly fitting bras!
- Posture – stand up straight! Your tummy will look flatter the minute you pull those shoulders back!
- Wear matt fabrics, and if you want to add some oomph to your outfit, add it in with your accessories. Shine and metallics reflect the light and draw attention so avoid wearing them on the areas you dont like.
- Prints can be very useful in confusing the eye. Especially helpful if youre wearing a clingy jersey dress to enhance your figure.
Oasis
And here are some things to avoid:
- Baggy shirts buttoned up to the neck especially if youre bigger on top as this will give you a block shape and make you look as if you havent got a neck.
- Whiskering on jeans this is where jeans are already faded to give the illusion they have been worn in. A definite “no-no” if you have large thighs as its like wearing an arrow pointing to your widest point.
The same goes for embellishment and detailing at the pockets and side seams.
Citizens of Humanity
- Double-breasted jackets because the eye will be diverted from side to side to the two rows of buttons. Single-breasted is far more flattering especially if youre large breasted.
M & S
- Tiered skirts, especially if youre pear shaped as they draw multiple horizontal lines across your widest area.
East
- Cargo pants with the extra leg pockets will add width to the legs.
- Short scarves tied tightly at the neck will only emphasise a plump neck by drawing a line straight across it. Opt instead for an open neckline and long scarf tied loosely and youll have a far more graceful line and swanlike neck.
- Many of you will be familiar with this rule, but here it is again anyway. If you have big or shapeless ankles, never wear ankle straps on your shoes as it will only draw attention to your problem area.
Kurt Geiger
Dorothy Perkins
- If you have a very straight up and down waist, avoid belts. Use other accessories instead to divert attention away from this area. Eg. corsages will draw attention up to bust area, or wear bracelets to show off pretty wrists and nice hands, or choose patterned tights if you have great legs.
Kind Regards,
Nina Cooke
