I guess this is something most women aim for every morning when dressing up for the day ahead. So here are a few simple things I have learned in the span of more than 20 summers I have walked this runway we call earth.. hopefully some of you might pick something up. =) They are loosely categorised.

General Tips:

• Know your best features and tune up the volume over there a bit to draw attention away from your “flaws.”
• Tanned skin looks slimmer than light skin.
• Going monochromatic slims you.
• Black is the name of one of your best friends. Black truly slims you down- the colour seems to shrink in the presence of bright and light colours. It may be impossible to wear black all the time but try to wear black during more important occasions and during any event where you surely will have photos taken. On the other hand, avoid white and bright colours. While black and dark colours contract, white and other bright colours on the other hand expands and makes you appear bloated.
• Do wear loose, properly cut clothes with drapy/flowy fabrics. They’re comfortable and forgiving.
• If you must wear snug-fitting/tailored clothes, avoid too-soft fabrics. They cling a lot so they show off your unwanted humps and lumps- which you don’t want. You’d be better off with fabrics that have structure of their own. Rather than hug your every curve, these fabrics will smooth out the unseemly contours.
• Deep necklines make you look slimmer.
• Tunics cover everything from the hips up.
• Solid, dark colours are your safest bets. Liven them up with fun necklaces.
• Prints are not always bad. Small prints are all right.. but stay away from large, loud prints.
• Right now there are lots of options for many flaws/problem areas when it comes to jeans. So it’s a no-no to wear an ill-fitting pair.
• No matter your build, avoid wearing skin-tight things that look ready to rip along the seams.
• Long dangling earrings make your face slimmer.
• You could wear bodyshapers beneath your clothes but NEVER ever let them show. Bodyshapers are undergarments designed to give your body a better shape and usually come in large pieces. They’re all right, for example, under sheath dresses but never under low waist jeans- they will show when you sit down.
• Don’t squeeze a large neck into a dainty choker. It. Just. Doesn’t. Work.
• Stick to matte fabrics. Shiny fabric highlights flab that stick out.
• When wearing white dresses, you’ll want vertical pintucks, vertical line details, wrinkles, creases and less of tiers and layers.
• Remember continuity. Don’t bisect your silhouette as much as possible.

Legs and thighs and hips:

• Dark denims are the best.
• One quick and sure way to add length to your lower limbs (which makes you look slimmer overall) is to wear heels. But not just any type, you must wear it right.
• Super thin heels (stiletto, pencil etc.) with skirts are no-nos if you have thick legs. They make your legs look chunkier and shorter. Go for platforms and other wide heels instead.
• You may wear the said thin heels (and any other kind for that matter) when you’re wearing long pants that can cover them up. Only the front tips of your shoes will be seen and you’ll instantly look taller, your legs longer.
• When wearing skirts, avoid dark coloured closed shoes. Instead of having a continuity from your legs to your feet, the stark difference in colour emphasises the shortness of your legs.
• Match stockings/nylons with shoe colour for a slimming silhouette.
• Anything around your ankle shortens your legs. (anklets, sandals with ankle straps, legging’s ends etc.)
• When wearing tights/leggings, go for solid, dark colours. Only really thin/tall women can pull off thick horizontal stripes, bright colours and busy patterns. And no matter what your figure, don’t overexpose yourself. Cover your rear end.
• Go for pinstripes rather than thick vertical stripes.
• Slim fit trousers and jeans should be avoided, go for flared designs to balance out your thighs.
• Ultra-wide leg trousers aren’t for petite women.
• Back pockets on your jeans should be high on your rear. Low pockets make you look dumpy. Back-pocketless jeans are the best. But for flat-bottomed girls, you need backpockets otherwise, your rear will look droopy.
• Flat-front, side-zip and pocketless pants minimizes full hips and rear.
• Cuffless, flat-front pants or cropped pants that end just below your knees with high wedges is a good look. A thigh high miniskirt with dark ankle boots is terrible.

Chest and tummy:

• Women with large chests should avoid wide belts- those will make you look like you’re all chest.
• To minimise your chest area: simple v-neckline, dark colour for tops and lighter for bottoms, bright jacket over a dark top.
• Match your belt colour with your jeans/trousers for an unbroken line.
• For not-so-flat tummies: tunic tops, roomy jackets and trousers with soft pleats.
• Super long tops scrunched up to make lots of creases on the area beneath your chest and above your hips will make your tummy look flatter. On the other hand, super fitted tops are evil.
• Always wear clothes that are in your size. Waistbands that are too small will push out unwanted flab. Bras that are too tight will dig into your skin and produce bumps.
• Solid coloured, high-necked, ribbed tops enhances your chest area.
• One word: corsets. Invest in a nice piece that you can wear underneath something else or by itself. You can always wear a same coloured shawl or bolero over it.
• Drop sleeved tops are fine if when you wear them and put your arms down, they still wrinkle around the armpit area and drape a little on the chest area where they’re supposed to. If they’re fitted on those areas, too, then forget it.
• V shapes down your front is slimming.
• Leaving a jacket or wrap top open down the middle gives an hourglass shape that’s slimming.

Arms:

• If you have flabby/saggy upperarms, avoid wearing sleeveless anything. Minisleeves are little better.
• Capsleeves square your shoulders and make your arms look straighter.
• Pouffy sleeves that provide covering until your elbows slim upper arms.
• Tops with wide v-shaped, off-the-shoulder or sabrina necklines and 3/4th sleeves will slim upper arms.
• Balloon sleeves provides a nice contrast that makes your exposed arms look thin.
• Another gem I just recently discovered: the gathered sleeve. Covers problem areas (near the armpits) while creating a slimming cut for the upperarms without having to wear longer sleeves.
• Again, wear clothes that are in your size. Too-tight sleeve edges creates bulges that wouldn’t be there otherwise.

Invest first in the classics and basics that you’re sure to look good in and try to avoid trendy clothes. It will be easier for you to find well-made classic clothing than well-made trendy clothing since the latter are often made for only a certain body type and the former have been around for a long time and are offered in all sorts of cuts to suit almost everyone.I’m typing things as I remember them so if I’ve missed something, feel free to ask or contribute. =)

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