How Can I Dress to Look Slimmer?
A lot of people crave to look thinner than they are. Do you wonder if wearing certain clothes will make you appear slimmer? Here how you can achieve a slimmer look simply by wearing certain types of clothes!
It's quite common for people to be carrying a few extra pounds of body weight these days and it can be more visible when certain clothes are worn.
Yet conversely, the extra size can actually be disguised rather well when different types of clothes are worn instead.
This article takes a look at this phenomenon and points out which clothes are best for creating a slimmer look without you having to do anything else.
Busting the Billowy Clothes Myth
One of the first things you should avoid doing is to wear over-large, billowy clothes in an attempt to hide the extra weight.
All you end up doing is advertising to the world, "Hey, look at me. I'm overweight and wearing baggy clothes to try and hide my unwanted lumps and bumps!"
People know as soon as they look at you!
While your actual size will play a big part in determining what you can and cannot get away with, it is generally better to wear slimmer clothes that fit you comfortably. How you present yourself will make a difference, so make a point of standing or sitting with the best posture you can manage.
However, this doesn't mean you should go out wearing really skin-tight clothes, especially if you are very overweight. There are few things as unsightly as a very fat woman waddling down the road wearing skin-tight leggings with a blubber-hugging long t-shirt over the top!
Be sensible and get a second opinion if you're not sure what you look like.
Choosing Stripes to Slim
Choosing what to wear can be difficult at the best of times, but narrowing down your choices can actually be beneficial.
There are two kinds of garment design using stripes and while one will definitely flatter you in a good way, the other will positively destroy you!
I'm talking vertical or horizontal striped!
Vertical stripes have a very pleasing effect because they trick the eyes into seeing a taller, slimmer person inside the garment. The more contrasting the stripes, the better the effect.
So the most powerful tall and slim stripy tops, pants or dresses and skirts are black and white with a fairly slim width stripe but not too thin.
If you want color in your stripes, then contrasting dark and light colors of the same hue go well together.
Cool or neutral colors are best, such as dark and light blue or green. You can also experiment with complimentary colors, such as dark blue/orange, blue/yellow, or dark green/yellow, deep purple/light pink.
Go Dark and Mysterious
If you prefer to go with solid color in clothing, then without a doubt, black is the best for making you look slim and hiding the bulges best. Other dark colors work almost as well, such as very dark blue or green, indigo, or dark gray.
That doesn't mean you have to look so sombre wherever you go. A dark suit or dress can be brightened up with brightly colored accessories to create a nice balance without altering your slimmer look.
Light colors tend to accentuate your body shape, so unless you are already thin enough for it not to matter, avoid them as main garments. This is why slim models always look amazing in a little red dress, or white sports tops and shorts.
Elevate and Diminish
If you habitually wear flats or low heeled shoes, try raising yourself up an inch or two with higher heels. Artificially looking taller can actually make you appear slimmer because of the perception change.
The trick is to wear dark clothes such as longer leg pants than partially cover your high heels, or a slimmer dress that comes down almost to the ground. When your pants or jeans are floor length, you seem like your not wearing heels because nobody can see them. This is a trick that will instantly give you height and apparent slenderness!
Most people will not notice your higher heels if they can’t easily see them so will perceive you as being slimmer than you really are!
Break Up the Lines
People often perceive your weight from a pre-formatted template in their instinctive memory patterns, so when they see you wearing a long sweater or dress they notice the bulges right away. But when you use some visual trickery to lead the eye away from the bulges and onto a more prominent feature, you can create the effect of looking slimmer.
Wearing a wide and distinctive belt with a dress or long sweater around the smallest part of your waist has the effect of drawing the eye to it and giving the impression that you are slimmer than you really are. This happens because the eye is tricked into seeing the slimmest part of you and while it will take in the whole of you, the brain focuses on the most distinctive feature, which is the belt!
The other clever bonus with a wide belt is that you can cinch your waist in a couple of inches to enhance the effect. This is great while you're standing up, but remember to let the belt out discreetly when you sit or you'll be uncomfortable.
Fit and Taper
When wearing a shirt or blouse, you can create a slimmer effect by making sure the garment fits perfectly at your shoulders, but then tapers in slightly at the waist. It doesn't need to be tight, and will actually be better for being slightly loose at the waist if possible. The important part is that it fits your shoulders.
The reason this can make you appear slimmer is that again, the eye is drawn to the perfect fit across your shoulders and the tapering provides the effect that you have a slimmer waist than you really have!
Cheat a Little
Of course, you can also cheat a little by wearing some shapewear beneath your clothes. You can actually pull off an amazing feat of trickery when you work with some of the suggestions above then further enhance your look by wearing body contouring clothing underneath.
The finished effect can actually be quite dramatic when you combine clever clothing with body cinching underwear! I have written quite extensively on the benefits of shapewear in this website, so please take some time and read some more of the articles in here!
How You Can Combine Effective Clothing for an Effective Look
The real clever thing to do is to now combine some or all of these tricks to ensure that what you are wearing makes you look slimmer and taller than you are. So here's how you can do it:
- Choose a dark color outfit with bright accessories
- Or choose clothes with contrasting dark and light vertical stripes
- Wear high heels and make sure a dress or pants go to the floor
- Wear a wide belt in a contrasting color to your outfit
- Wear a blouse or shirt that fits your shoulders and is tapered at the waist
- Stand with a good posture to further enhance the look
Mix and match these ideas and you will be able to get away with appearing thinner and taller wherever you go. Of course, there is no substitute for losing any excess weight through a healthy diet and some daily exercise.
But while you're waiting for nature to take its course, there's nothing wrong in giving it a little help by wearing clothes that will flatter you!