Dress to Look 10 Pounds Thinner
- How to Look Thinner Without Dieting or Exercise
1. Look Thinner in Clothing That Fits Well
Look 10 Pounds Thinner
One of the easiest ways to look 10 pounds thinner is to wear clothing that fits well. Two of the biggest fashion mistakes, which can add pounds, are wearing oversized, baggy clothing and wearing clothing that's too tight. Although achieving a great fit can be difficult, especially for petite women, and sometimes may require some clothing alterations, great fitting clothing will make any woman look thinner.
Oversized Clothing Makes for an Oversized Appearance
Clothing that's very loose, baggy, or saggy gives the illusion that the wearer is even bigger than she really is. So although it's tempting to wear oversized garments in an attempt to conceal a few extra pounds, this strategy doesn't work for the woman who wants to look thinner. For example, a single-breasted, well-fitting tailored jacket with a nipped-in waist or vertical seamlines will visually take off pounds, but a long, loose, oversized, shapeless jacket will add pounds.
Tight Clothing Reveals Figure Flaws
Tight clothing not only reveals figure flaws that can easily be concealed with well-cut clothing that fits properly, but it also makes a woman look bigger than she really is. A jacket worn open because it can't be buttoned, jeans that are almost impossible to zip, tops that are so tight they restrict arm movement, and horizontal wrinkles across the bust or hips are all signs that clothing is too tight, so any woman who wants to look thinner should avoid too-tight clothing.
Too often we're tempted to squeeze into clothing that's too small because of that little number on the tag. You know the one--it's the size. Getting hung up on a certain size, no matter whether it's a size 0 or a size 20, and refusing to wear any clothing labeled with a larger size frequently gets women into trouble with clothing fit. There's no law that says you have to leave the size tag in any article of clothing after you purchase it, so if that irritating size tag really bugs you, simply remove it before you wear the garment and congratulate yourself for having chosen a garment that truly fits.
2. Look Thinner in a V-Neckline
Wearing a top or dress with a V-neckline is a great way for short women to look thinner and taller. Five short celebrities each style their V-necklines differently, and they all look fantastic.
a. You may look thinner in a V-neck top with vertical trim detail below the V. Wearing vertical lines in combination with the V-neck emphasizes the longer look even more.
For an a) V-neck look, find garments with vertical lines extending from the neckline.
b. You may look glamorous in a V-neck cocktail dress with the ruffle detail surrounding the neckline that adds a bit of emphasis to the V-line.
For a b) V-neck look, look for garments that frame the neckline with short, ruffled lace.
c) Here's another great way to emphasize the V-neckline - wear a pendant necklace, which repeats the V-line and serves as a focal point of her look. Well proportioned for you, the pendant should neither be too big nor too small.
For a c) V-neck look, wear a pendant necklace that provides a focal point centered above the V.
d) Wear a V-neckline that emphasizes a lovely decolletage with just the right amount of cleavage appropriate for special occasion dressing. This way you may look pretty without being overexposed.
For a d) V-neck look, choose a dress with a medium V-neckline, neither too deep nor too shallow, and make sure you have the right bra, which gives a nice uplift without peeping out of the neckline.
e) Wearing a knit dress with a V-neckline, you can style it with a little collar around the back of your neck. Your knit dress drapes smoothly over your body.
For a e) V-neck look, pick out a knit top or dress with a little collar surrounding the back of the neckline, and make sure to wear a smoothing bra or shaper under it.
3. Look Thinner in a Tailored Jacket
Jacket Tips for Petites
Jackets belong in every petite woman's wardrobe because a jacket is a go-to garment for both work and weekend wear. Wearing a jacket is also a great way to hide midriff and tummy bulges. To get the maximum style boost from a jacket, petites should look for the jacket features that work best for short women.
Jacket Tip #1 - Choose single-breasted jackets, rather than double-breasted jackets. Petites don't need extra bulk in their clothing.
Jacket Tip #2 - Pick a classic jacket with a V-neckline. Classically styled jackets that form a V-neckline when buttoned flatter petites because they make us look taller.
Jacket Tip #3 - Buy fitted or semi-fitted jackets to create flattering, shapely lines. Petites can get lost in loose-fitted or oversized jackets.
Jacket Tip #4 - Make sure jackets fit in the bust. You should be able to button a jacket without any gaping or pulling across the bust line.
Jacket Tip #5 - Wear shorter jackets that end at the high hip and flatter most petites by creating the illusion of longer legs.
Jacket Tip #6 - Wear jackets with long sleeves or at least three quarter length sleeves. Short-sleeved jackets are fairly useless.
Jacket Tip #7 - Select jackets made of smooth, rather than thick, bulky fabric in order to create a longer, leaner line.
Jacket Tip #8 - Create the illusion of a slimmer and taller line by wearing jackets with vertical lines and seaming .
Jacket Tip #9 - Avoid patch pockets, no matter where they're placed on jackets, to maintain the sleekest line.
Jacket Tip #10 - Maximize wearability and create a leaner, taller look by selecting jackets in solid colors without embellishment. If you love prints, you can always wear a print blouse, dress, or skirt with your jacket. Jackets with subtle neutral designs, such as Glen plaid or pinstripes, will also work for petites.
4. Look Thinner in Dark-Wash Jeans
Short women face some special challenges when looking for jeans that fit and flatter them, both because of fitting issues and the availablility of fewer jeans in stores and online for petites. Here are some factors for short women to consider when selecting jeans.
a. Size
Select jeans by your hip size, rather than your waist size. In some cases, the waist will then need to be altered. Whether you do it yourself or have your jeans professionally altered, it's relatively easy to take in the waist, but it's difficult to let out side seams on jeans because the seam allowance is usually scant.
Don't worry about the number of you jeans' size. It's more important to wear jeans that fit well than to try to squeeze into a smaller size. Because jeans sizes and cuts can vary quite a bit from one manufacturer to another, the size that fits you best in one brand won't necessarily be the size you'll take in another brand. Try on jeans in both the petites and regular department to find out which fit you better.
b. Inseam
Short women usually need jeans with a shorter length, which is measured at the inseam. Because there's no standard for inseam length in petite jeans, there's a lot of variation, all the way from 25" in some extra-short styles for petites to 32" in some 7 For All Mankind petite jeans. No wonder it's difficult for short women to find the perfect inseam length. If you find a style that fits and flatters you, but it's too long, hemming the jeans may be the best solution. To find the inseam length that's best for you, measure the inseam on jeans that you have already that are the right length.
c. Rise
Rise is measured from the crotch seam on jeans. Although low-rise jeans continue in popularity, most short women will look better in jeans with a mid-rise or just-below-the waist rise. If even mid-rise jeans seem too low, you may want to try on jeans in a regular, rather than a petite size.
Wearing low-rise jeans, especially with a belt, makes short women's hips look bigger and their legs shorter. If you don't have a flat tummy, wearing low-rise jeans will emphasize the tummy that you want to de-emphasize. If you decide to opt for low-rise jeans, select a style that comes up more in the back than in the front.
d. Style
With so many jeans styles on the market and more manufacturers offering petite jeans, it's becoming a little easier to find a style of jeans that flatters. For most short women, jeans with straight legs work best, but there are other cuts that may work too, depending on figure type. Skinny jeans, tapered jeans, wide-leg jeans, and bootcut jeans are options that may look right on some petites but not on everybody.
Avoid cuffs, pleats, bell-bottoms, high-rises, and pockets with flaps or embellishment on areas you prefer to de-emphasize. Also avoid rolling up jeans at the hem if you want a longer, leaner look.
e. Color
Blue denim, which was originally dyed with natural indigo, is what most people think of when they think of jeans. There are so many color choices in blue denim now, from very light to very dark blue. For short women, the best blue denim color is the darkest blue because it will help short women look slimmer and taller.
Jeans in colors other than blue are also available. As with the blue hues, darker is better if you want to look longer and leaner. So although jeans in bright or pastel colors may be appealing, choosing a dark color, such as black or burgundy, will have the same effect as choosing a dark wash blue--a longer and leaner look for short women wearing jeans.
f. Fabric
Although you can find pants with jeans styling in many fabrics, traditionally jeans are made of denim fabric, a sturdy type of cotton twill with a distinctive diagonal pattern to the weave that you can see on the back of the fabric. What's new with the fabric of denim jeans now is that there's such a variety of fabric treatments, which can affect the hand of the fabric. Jeans may feel soft or stiff, depending on the pre-washing and other treatments done during the manufacturing process. Many jeans manufacturers blend spandex or lycra with cotton for a bit of forgiving stretch.
Jeans of 100% cotton will shrink in hot water or a hot dryer if the fabric hasn't been washed already, so always check tags for washing instructions.
g. Technology
Jeans' designers constantly look for ways to make their jeans more appealing, and the latest innovations include fabric blends, such as cotton/spandex for a touch of stretchiness, and engineered styling to help women look better in their jeans. With new jeans' technology, many manufacturers strive to achieve desired effects such as slimming the tummy, shaping the hips, and lifting the derriere. The good news here is that you don't have to buy premium denim to take advantage of jeans' technology because there are low-priced jeans that incorporate innovations designed to make women look better in their jeans.
5. Look Thinner in a Skirt to the Knees
To look thinner, create a longer leg line by wearing skirts around knee length. Skirts that fall just above, at, or just below the knee work best. Avoid mini-skirts and skirt that fall to the calves or ankles. Shapewise, either an A-line or a straight skirt will do the trick, but avoid full skirts, which add pounds.
6. Look Thinner in Pointed Toe High Heels
A long leg line creates the leanest, longest look, so for maximum slimming power, wear sleek, undecorated, high heels with pointed toes. The heel doesn't need to be extra-high. Even a heel height of a couple of inches will help a woman look thinner. Heels that are extremely high may make a woman look off-balance or out-of-proportion, so it works best to wear heels no higher than four inches.
7. Look Thinner in Vertical Lines
Short women can create a thinner, taller appearance by wearing clothing with vertical lines. Vertical lines draw the eye up and down rather than side to side, and thus make the wearer look leaner and longer. There are four ways that vertical lines may be created with clothing:
Stripes
Seams
Fashion details that appear vertical
Vertical panel of fabric
When wearing striped clothing, take into consideration that stripes that are too wide may not be in proportion with a petite frame. Also, too many stripes may appear too overwhelming for petites. You wouldn't want to wear a striped blouse with striped pants, for example. However, a striped dress, if the style is right for your body type, may work very well. Suits in neutral colors with pinstripes can be good investment pieces because you can wear the suit pieces either together or as separates to expand your work wardrobe.
Although vertical lines in clothing may be created by stripes, vertical lines can also be created by seam lines in clothing that run up and down. Look for seam lines, such as princess seaming, that are not interrupted by other fashion details unless the details, such as pockets, are well placed for emphasis on something you want to emphasize. For example, if you wear a jacket with vertical princess seams that end in pockets just below the waist, and your tummy area is something you want to conceal, rather than reveal, this style of jacket wouldn't be your best choice.
Sometimes fashion details, such as a print fabric or trim applied vertically to a garment, can create the illusion of vertical stripes. Ribbon, cord, lines of sequins or beads all may be applied effectively to create vertical lines on clothing.
A vertical panel of fabric sandwiched between other fabric panels can also create a vertical line. This type of panel frequently extends down the center of a dress or blouse and stands out because it's a different color, texture, or fabric. Maternity clothing often uses this technique because it distracts from focus on the baby bump, but this style is also used in other clothing, including elegant eveningwear.
Diagonal lines can also help create a flattering fashion illusion, although usually it's a softer, curvier feel, which can be very effective, depending on the style of the garment. Chevron stripes work well because they create a series of flattering V-shapes, which makes petites look longer and leaner.
We tend to follow the lines of the stripes so that with horizontal stripes, we're looking from side to side, rather than up and down. This results in the illusion of width. So it's usually a good idea to avoid horizontal stripes because, just as vertical stripes make a person look thinner, horizontal stripes make a person look wider. The only exception might be when the horizontal stripes are confined to a small area on a garment and are framed on each side by either solid color and vertical stripes. For example, a camisole with horizontal stripes might be worn under a solid colored V-neck sweater. Although very slender runway models and very tall women, such as Michelle Obama, can often get away with wearing horizontal stripes, short women will look better in clothing that emphasizes vertical lines.
8. Look Thinner in Monochrome
Q: What is monochromatic dressing?
A: Monochromatic dressing means dressing all in one color.
Q: Why consider monochromatic dressing?
A: The main reason petites should consider monochromatic dressing is that it's a styling technique that can make us look taller.
Q: How does it work?
A: When a woman dresses all in one color, she presents one coherent visual image to those who see her, and it's a vertical image.
Q: Which colors work best for monochromatic dressing?
A: Dark colors work best because dark colors recede, making the wearer look leaner, and when you look leaner, you look taller.
Q: So black is the best color for monochomatic dressing?
A: Black is probably the most common color for monochromatic dressing, but other dark colors work well too. Consider dressing in navy, charcoal, dark brown, burgundy, or deep green.
Q: I like black, but it doesn't like me. I look washed out when I wear black.
A: Many women have a problem with wearing black because it's quite stark and can make some women look ashen. If this is a problem, you can still wear black, but tweak your monochromatic look by wearing a scarf or blouse in one of your most flattering colors next to your face. You'll still get the benefit of looking longer and leaner, but without the dulling effect of black next to your face.
Q: I'm short, but it doesn't bother me. Why should I try to look taller?
A: There's absolutely nothing wrong with being short! But once in a while, there may be a reason that petites would like to look taller. For example, a short woman interviewing for a job actually is at a slight disadvantage compared to her taller friends and sisters. So in such a situation, using styling techniques, such as monochromatic dressing, to look a bit taller makes sense.
Q: But isn't monochromatic dressing dull?
A: Monochromatic dressing certainly has the potential to be very dull. To avoid this problem, tweak a monochromatic look with stylish cuts in the clothing and trendy accessories that will make your fashion statement look fresh, rather than dowdy.