What to Wear so You Look Slimmer

Hello gals. Today I thought we’d talk about dressing our bodies so that we appear our slimmest. Regardless of whether or not you are happy with your weight and size, most of us still want to dress in that way that best flatters our silhouettes. So let’s discover some sure fire ways to dress so we appear slimmer.

Add a top layer

One of the easiest ways to appear our slimmest is simply to add a top layer that helps to minimize width or bulging tummies. You can add a draping cardigan like this one or a cinched jacket like this one.

Wear high rise jeans

The best way to keep the dreaded muffin top at bay is to wear pants with a high rise or waistband. Very, very, very few of us are small enough in the waist and hips to wear low riding pants without at least a bit of a bulge above the waistband. And even if you are short waisted and are trying to elongate your torso, you’ll fair better with a higher rise pant. Just wear your top untucked to elongate your body.

Fortunately high rise jeans are back in and looking better than ever. Look for jeans with a 9-10″ rise.

Here are some high rise jeans to choose from at various price points:

Create a column of color or dress monochromatically

You will generally look slimmer when you wear one color throughout, especially if that color is dark or black. But you can also create a column of color underneath a completer piece for an even more slenderizing effect.

Wear clothes that fit

Many women make the mistake of thinking that they can hide unwanted pounds by wearing loose fitting clothing. But in fact, oversized clothes add pounds. We actually look more slender when we wear clothes that fit, clothing that is tailored well and pieces that accentuate our curves.

So don’t dismiss fitted waistbands, belts, body hugging tops, skinny jeans or tailored jackets. These pieces create a slimmer silhouette than loose fitted clothing. You might want to read my blog post about how clothes are to fit if you haven’t already.

Wear the proper shapewear

Foundations are important when it comes to creating a slim silhouette. Not only can they hold things in, but they also lift “things” up and smooth things out!

Here are some pieces that need to be in most women’s drawers:

Utilize ruching

Ah, the bliss of ruching! And fortunately for us, ruching is really on trend right now, too. Well placed ruching on a dress or top can camouflage a tummy or hips and create pleasant, more desirable curves.

Wear a v-neck shirt or dress

It’s tempting to hide your neck when you feel a little full in the chest or bosom. Or if you’re just a little fuller figured all over. But actually a v-neck is one of the most flattering necklines on most women. It creates a visually appealing line and actually raises the eyes to the face.

Watch your lines

Vertical lines play tricks on the eye, making you look slimmer. While horizontal lines draw attention to width. This doesn’t mean you never wear horizontal lines, but choose these pieces carefully.

If you do wear horizontal lines, you probably don’t want to wear them across the widest part of your body, such as your hips. And you can also fool the eye by sandwiching the vertical lines within a jacket or cardigan, as shown below.

Tuck or half tuck

Sometimes you’ll actually create a more slenderizing silhouette by tucking your shirt in. Or you can also do a half tuck, either in the front or a little to the side.

If your shirt is full and just hangs, it will actually make you look full, too. So it’s often better to make your clothes look more fitted and proportional by doing some sort of tuck at the waist. Of course, if you feel like your body proportions just don’t allow for a tuck, then you’ll probably want to stick with tops that hit you at the right place for your proportions and that fit fairly close to the body.

Wear dark wash jeans

Jeans made of a dark wash denim will always make you look slimmer than light washes will. Also, beware of jeans that feature fading in the areas where you are fuller, such as thighs or rear.

Choose fabrics that are more forgiving

Fabrics such as ponte knit are generally very forgiving. Choose fabrics that are thick enough to conceal dimpling and bulges. Heavy knits are generally a great bet.

Wear heels and/or pointy toes

High heels will elongate the leg and create a more slender silhouette…every time. Whether you’re wearing pants or a dress, heels will always make you look more slender than flats.

Also, pointy toes continue that long line. So, yes, even your shoes affect how wide your hips look! If you can’t wear heels and must wear flats, try to choose pointy toes still.

Have you used these tricks, or shall we say “skills,” to create a slimmer appearance? Which do you utilize most often? Have you been surprised at the results?

For more great tips on creating outfits that help us put our best foot forward, you might want to read 7 Ways to Elevate Your Outfit from Simple to Stylish, What to Wear so Your Eyes Pop or 7 Styling Details Essential to Every Outfit.

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Blessed for My Day

Sometimes our feelings overwhelm us don’t they? Our emotions can start bossing us around and determine our behavior. But did you know that our thoughts are actually the boss of our emotions?

Yeah, our emotions act bossier! They’re loud and pushy and sometimes lead us to say and do things we later regret. But our feelings are based on how we think about things. If our thinking is off, our emotions will lead us down a bad path. Today let’s try to manage our emotions by checking our thoughts. Is what we are believing about the person or situation true? That’s where we begin the evaluation.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.