To look taller
DO:
- If you are under 5’3” consider shopping in the petite department
- Create a longer line with vertical design features like front plackets, V necklines, narrow jacket lapels, jackets worn open, creased pant legs
- Wear similar color values head to toe to create an unbroken lengthwise flow
- Color-blend shoes and hosiery to avoid distracting color break at the ankle
- Choose narrow body-skimming silhouettes. Wear fuller styles only in soft fabrics that fall close to the body
- Choose shoes with at least one-inch heels
DON’T:
- Create widening horizontal lines with color contrast between top and bottom garments
To look shorter
DO:
- Create horizontal emphasis with hip yokes, pocket flaps, trouser cuffs, wider lapels, bold belts, and horizontal stripes
- Select contrasting colors for top and bottom garments
DON’T:
- Choose styles with too many vertical design lines
- Wear one color head to toe
- Choose style details, print motifs or accessories that are too tiny for your body stature
- Ever, ever wear pants or long sleeves that are too short
To Look Thinner
DO:
- Use vertical design lines to lengthen and slenderize
- Match or blend colors head to toe, including shoes and hosiery when feasible
- Choose medium and darker colors, with brighter accents near the face to create a focal point
- Strengthen your shoulder line with subtle shoulder padding to balance fullness lower on the body
- Subtly taper slim skirts and pants for a narrower line
- Choose softer fuller skirts only in longer lengths and soft drapable fabrics
DON’T:
- Use widening horizontal lines lower than shoulder level
- Wear anything too baggy – it adds bulk and looks sloppy
- Wear anything too tight – it accentuates body fullness
To Look Heavier
DO:
- Choose horizontal details like yokes, wide belts, bold stripes, pocket flaps, trouser cuffs
- Use gathers and soft fullness to create the illusion of added body bulk
- Look for bulkier or highly textured fabrics like sweater knits, velour, tweeds, and wide wale corduroy
- Use multiple layers to create both fashion interest and body fullness
DON’T:
- Use too many vertical design lines
- Choose clingy fabrics or body- hugging style
- Wear clothes too tight
- Wear clothes too baggy – it accentuates the gap between your frame and the garment
To Minimize Broad/Square Shoulders
DO:
- Create a vertical at the center of your torso with a V-neckline, placket detail, narrow lapels of a jacket worn open
DON’T:
- Choose puffed sleeves or wide ruffled collars
To Minimize Broad/Square Shoulders
DO:
- Make a good pair of shoulder pads your fashion “best friend”
- Select details like yokes, epaulets, bateau necklines, set-in-sleeves, or wide collars to maintain a horizontal shoulder emphasis
DON’T:
- Choose raglan sleeve styles or halter tops
- Select tent or swing styles that flare out from the shoulder line
To Enhance a Small Bus
DO:
- Invest in a maximizer bra
- Use layered tops to create visual fullness (sweater over shirt over turtleneck)
- Wear bodices in lighter, brighter colors, with horizontal trims and breast pockets
DON’T:
- Wear blouse styles that are tight fitting or too low cut
To Minimize a Full Bust
DO:
- Invest in a professionally fitted minimizer bra to distribute fullness side-to side, reducing forward projection.
- Add subtle shoulder padding to balance bust fullness and eliminate downward drag lines in blouses and jackets
- Shift focus upward with interesting necklines, scarves or jewelry. Or lower the focus with colorful skirt prints.
- Choose tapering jackets or over-blouses that end below full hip
- Try blouson styles with just enough fabric to skim over body fullness
DON’T:
- Use horizontal bodice details like breast pockets or short sleeves with contrasting cuffs
- Choose tight or clingy styles or wide belts or waistbands
To Lengthen a Short-Waisted Body
DO:
- Conceal the natural waist with dropped, raised or no waist line styles
- Choose jackets or blouses that cover or blouse over the waist
- Try skirt and pant styles with waist facings instead of bands
- Match a belt color to bodice rather than bottoms
DON’T:
- Use horizontal bodice details (yokes, pockets) that visually shorten torso
- Select full skirts that balloon out form waist
- Create a strong color break at your waist by tucking shirts and sweaters into your waistband
To Shorten a Long-Waisted Body
DO:
- Choose shorter jackets in bold, advancing colors, often with horizontal details in the lapels, pockets and trim
- Use lengthening vertical details on the lower body for balance
- Try raised-waistline skirt/pant styles or wider waistbands
- Color-match belts to trousers or skirt, not to bodice
DON’T:
- Choose low-rise styles or faced waistlines instead of bands
To Lengthen a Short Neck
DO:
- Wear V-necklines or open collars to elongate the neck
- Keep earrings close to the ear, not dangling
- Wear longer necklaces to expose more neckline area
- Keep hairstyles short or up-swept
DON’T:
- Wear turtlenecks or other high necklines
- Choose choker necklaces or tie scarves high on the neck
To Shorten a Long Neck
DO:
- Long necks are often a fashion asset
- Enjoy wearing turtlenecks, choker necklaces, and other accessories close to the neck
- Fill in the neckline area with longer, fuller hair
DON’T:
- Exaggerate the length with severe V Necks in garments or jewelry
- Choose earring styles that are very long and narrow
To Lengthen or Slenderize Arms
DO:
- Choose tapered set-in sleeves or raglan styles
- Use shoulder pads and details like epaulets to further enhance length
- Keep cuffs moderate in size and color-matched to sleeve
DON’T:
- Choose sleeves that either too tight or too full
- Wear short sleeves, especially ones with fitted cuffs
To Camouflage Long, Thin Arms
DO:
- Choose horizontal sleeve details like puffed, dropped shoulder, push up, or short, cuffed sleeves
- Find long sleeves with wide or contrasting cuffs
- Be sure long sleeves are not too short; alter if necessary
DON’T:
- Wear raglan-sleeve styling
- Choose very tight sleeves
To Diminish a Prominent Tummy
DO:
- Create a prominent shoulder line with shoulder pads, yokes, wide lapels, or horizontal collar styles
- Wear styles that skim over the abdomen and taper at the hemline
- Wear cardigans, swing jackets or shirt jackets that conceal, pair with tapered skirts or pants
- Try longer blouson tops softly banded or tied below the tummy
- Choose gently gathered skirts in soft fabrics
- Draw attention upward with eye catching scarves or necklaces that end above bust level
- Wear elastic waist pants and skirts to fit your waist with minimum fullness in the hips and thighs
DON’T:
- Use bulky, stiff or shiny fabrics on the lower body
- Choose front closure styles, full gathers, trouser pockets or bold belts
To Minimize a Thick Waist
DO:
- Keep belts and waistbands narrow and inconspicuous
- Look for straight, body-skimming styles that obscure the waist, tapered at the hemline
- Choose semi fitted jackets with shoulder emphasis for balance, wear them unbuttoned, for a slenderizing
- vertical band or blouse color underneath
DON’T:
- Wear A-shapes in dresses or skirts
- Wear wide or contrast-color belts
To Lengthen Short Legs
DO:
- Keep skirt lengths flattering, just below the knee and just below the full calf are safe spots
- Choose trouser style with vertical details like fly-front closure, pleats or creases
- Look for skirts and pants with wider waistbands to elongate the look
- Create an upward focus with eye-catching jewelry and bright tops
- Shop for skirts and pants in the petite department even if you need regular size tops and jackets
DON’T:
- Wear pants/skirts with horizontal details (cuffs, yokes, patch pockets, border prints)
To Shorten Long Legs
DO:
- Wear sweaters tunics or jackets that end at mid-thigh or lower
- Match belt color to top garment, not skirt or pants
- Choose pants with horizontal yokes, faced waistlines and cuffs
- Hem fuller skirts to mid-calf length
- Keep waistbands narrow or choose bottoms with a narrow binding or facing at the waist
DON’T:
- Tuck fitted blouses into high-rise waistlines
To Enhance Narrow Hips/Derriere
DO:
- Choose flared or gathered skirts in moderately crisp fabrics
- Try jackets with peplums or swing styles to add hipline fullness
DON’T:
- Wear pants or skirts with baggy fullness below the derriere. Alter if necessary for proper fit.
To Slenderize Heavy Hips/Thighs/Derriere
DO:
- Broaden shoulder with shoulder pads, yokes, and wide collars to balance hips
- Use brightly colored tops with eye-catching details to focus attention on the upper body
- Select dark-colored skirts or pants that skim over the hips and taper at the hemline for a narrower look
- Look for skirts with center-front pleats or plackets to draw the eye toward the center of the figure
- Choose jackets that end above or below the widest part of hips
- Tuck in shirts and choose jackets that end between the waist and high hip.
DON’T:
- Position eye catching details at the hip-line
- Wear pants too tight, buy to fit the hips and alter the waist