How to Dress to Look Slimmer: Body-Slimming Strategies

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of wearing a new outfit. The best part is knowing you look great while flaunting your unique style. One way to achieve this confidence is to wear clothes that really flatter your body. By incorporating the right patterns and accessories, you can do just that. Gentle draping and patterns both work to camouflage with elegance. Graceful lines in soft, flowing apparel create leanness, while patterns dominate the focus of the eyes to conceal cleverly.

Dressing slimmer in a dress: choosing the right colors and patterns

Style expert Bridgette Raes encourages women to think about colors and patterns as optical illusions to create body balance. Lines in clothing can greatly affect how slimming a piece of clothing looks. Whether vertical lines appear as creases in pants or stripes on a dress, they will make you look thinner, no matter what type of clothing you’re wearing. The closer together those vertical lines are, the slimmer you’ll look too.

When used correctly, horizontal lines do the same trick: They create a slimming look when placed at the thinnest part of your body. Be careful, though, that they’re not placed at the widest part of your body; they will draw attention to that area. And just make sure the horizontal lines aren’t sectioning off your body.

Dress to look slimmer and taller: Try a patterned tunic

Sometimes the most flattering articles of clothing are the most versatile. Long tunics are one such item, as they come in a variety of fabrics and colors and enable wearers to experiment with shape. A flowy blouse is figure-friendly, hides any insecurities around your midsection and can be worn with dark-wash women’s skinny jeans or belted over a slimming skirt. For an even more trimming option, try a patterned tunic in a small print.

Use light, dark, and colored accents

While dark colors should definitely play a part as you try to dress in a form-flattering way, so should light shades. The key is wearing your black, brown, and navy pieces on areas you’re nervous about, and your whites, tans, and light grays go on places you want to accentuate. Another good rule of thumb is light over dark for layering purposes. An embellished top in a light color over a dark pair of leggings or well-fitting dress capris are a great look that can be dressed up or down.

How should bigger sizes dress to look slimmer: Opposites attract!

Rather than focus on curvy areas for flattery, enhance them by focusing on opposite places. Curvy hips? Draw the eye to your upper half. Curvy on top? Try lighter colors below, or apparel with slight flare. “Opposite focus” creates pleasing symmetry and graceful lines. Empire waist styles elongate your body and gather in all the right places to narrow your silhouette and accentuate your best features. The result? You look 10 pounds thinner!

Using accessories as tools to look slimmer

From belts to handbags, you can think of accessories as tools to make you look slimmer. Take a clutch purse, for example. The Knot suggests attracting attention away from problem areas by using an oversized clutch. Tuck it under your arm to draw people’s eyes up, and hang it off the shoulder below the waist to pull the attention to your lower body. If you want your bottom half to appear slimmer, opt for a cross-body bag. It will cover your bottom so you feel more comfortable when walking. No matter what you’re looking to slim, a bag is a great way to go about it. Handbags work as a security blanket that can actually make you feel more confident.

Circular shapes can make you look rounder, so with any accessory, try to go for a linear look. Avoid round sunglasses or hoop earrings. Instead, use a dangling pair of earrings to thin out your face. The same idea applies to necklaces. Wear jewelry that drops down low as a simple way to elongate your body. Similar to vertical stripes, they will make your tummy look longer and leaner. In addition, the more layered the necklace is, the better. Knotted necklaces are an adorable way to slim you down and look chic.

Shoes are another easy accessory that can create a slimmer appearance. Tall heels will make your legs appear long and lean. However, stilettos aren’t always practical when you’re on your feet all day. If heels don’t fit your lifestyle, consider pointed-toe flats. The sharp angle of the shoes will flatter your body better than footwear with curves.

Wearing strategic shapewear

Monroe and Main offers plenty of options for slimming and toning a body, including girdles and body suits, among other shapewear. Magically make those lumps, bumps, and muffin tops disappear! You’ll also want to check out the guide to finding the right shapewear for your body type. These garments are comfortable, tighten your body, and are virtually undetectable under your clothing.

No matter what style you’re going for, and of these slimming ideas can help your wardrobe look chic and figure flattering!