How to dress problem areas
When the chips are down, most of us would rather dress to flatter, than to show off the latest trends. But it’s surprising how many of us still don’t know what suits our figure. That’s why we resort to head to toe black, or a trusty long cardigan.
As a rule, if you have a favourite body part it’s easy to play it up. Just think tighter, brighter or printed – or draw attention to your best bits with jewellery and accessories. It’s the parts we aren’t so keen on that can be tricky. Here’s our advice for hiding the most common complexes…
Big bust
A big bust is a blessing, but any woman with one will tell you it makes dressing difficult. Antonia O’Brien, MT-TV Stylist and Presenter at my-wardrobe.com says: ‘When dressing an ample bosom keep the lines clean and simple, steer clear of anything too detailed and fussy because this will draw more attention and make a big bust look bigger.
When wearing prints, make sure you avoid large garish prints near to the neck, instead choose smaller, subtle designs so as not to draw too much attention.’ Don’t hide your assets away, though. To make the most of an ample bust choose scoop neck tops to accentuate your neck and décolletage, without revealing too much cleavage. High cut tops and polo necks are best avoided as they tend to make you look top heavy.
[See also: How does your body truly compare to the average woman?]
Heavy hips and thighs
Don’t aim to hide a bootylicious bottom, flatter it instead with layers and sharp tailoring. If you’re a classic English pear, it’s worth investing in a really well cut pair of jeans to lift and shape your silhouette. Choose a dark wash denim so as not to draw attention to your derriere. Make sure that the back pockets are in proportion to your bottom, if they are too big or small they’ll make your bum look bigger. And steer clear of detailing on the pockets, as this will emphasise the bit you’re trying to downplay.
Antonia O’Brien advises: ‘Bootcut jeans are universally flattering, plus they’re easier to dress up for work than skinnies. To make the most of their slimming powers, wear with a leg lengthening heel. J Brand Love Story jeans are a winner.’ If you have a small waist, go for high wasted jeans and trousers to play up your curvy silhouette. If your waist isn’t waspish, choose tops and jackets that sit just below your hips.
Tummy conscious
‘There are lots of savvy ways to disguise a big tummy,’ explains Antonia O’Brien. ‘Start with supportive underwear, yes that’s Spanx, which creates miracles through fierce elastic. Investing in the right underwear will really smooth out the bits that you want to hide. Just because your tummy is larger than you’d like doesn’t mean you should hide it in oversized tops.
Look for designs with a waterfall detail, or fabric that wraps around and ties on the front to distract from your problem area.’ Now work on dressing up your more toned areas, like your legs, arms and shoulders. A tailored blazer is a great way to create a sharper top half – try Whistles or Zara.
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