Long Torso:
When it comes to looking your best, no matter what your body type is, you always have to remember that everything must balance and be proportioned. That said, if you have a long torso (meaning your top half is quite long while your legs are much shorter in length in comparison) in order to look balanced, you need to visually cut off some of the length of your torso. Now before you break out the Harry Houdini tricks to saw yourself in half, check out these pieces of clothing designed to cut some of the length off your torso while making your legs appear longer:

More Ann Taylor…

Long Torso Dressing Tips

1. A cute belt is the long-torso gal’s best friend because it allows you to create a waistline at a higher point than your own naturally lies. A non-belt option is to choose a top or dress with cinching or banding high enough on the torso area.

2. High-waisted pants, jeans, and skirts also have similar balancing effects on longer torsos since they allow the legs to appear longer than they are.

3. Steer clear of drop-waist dresses as they will further elongate your torso.

If you have a Short Torso, you do the exact opposite. You wear bottom that are lower waisted and tops that extend past your natural waist line to create the illusion of a longer torso.

Big Tummy:

Dressing to cover up a tummy isn’t as simple as finding the biggest shirt you can find to cover it up—what you want to do is find clothing that brings the eye to other fab areas like your arms or chest and that don’t cling to the belly. Check out these options:

More French Connection…

Steer clear of shiny fabrics around the tummy area—they’ll add visual weight. Also avoid horizontal stripes on your midsection–they’ll make the area appear wider. Diagonal lines, however, have a way of visually cutting items in a flattering half.

Boyish Frame:
Looking to create some curves without having to go under the knife? Look for curve-creating details like ruffles, draping, and cinched waistlines. Further accentuate your bod with height-defying pumps.

More Steve Madden…

Small Chest:
If you want to vamp up a small chest, look for ruffles and other textures at the neckline to visually create more curves at your bust. Also, exposing the top of your cleavage can make your chest appear larger.

More Old Navy…

Big Chest:
If you want to deemphasize a big bust, look for open necklines like V-necks or U-necks to help “seperate” your boobs and make them visually smaller. Like these:

More Banana Republic…

Thick Thighs:
If you’re more Beyonce than Kelly, chances are you need some tips on how to dress your thick thighs. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a pair of juicy thighs (heck, I have ‘em!), but you gotta know how to dress them right.

Quick Tips:

1. Sleek, tapered styles work best on the bottom. Steer clear of pleats, ruching, horizontal patterns, etc. as they can over-emphasize the thighs. Make sure hemlines on skirts do not end at the widest part of your thighs—this will only make your thighs appear wider. Instead go for knee-length pencil skirts.

2. Wear lighter colors on the top and keep the bottom darker–you’ll visually balance your frame out this way. Or go for a solid monochromatic color on top and bottom.

3. The leg opening on your jeans and pants will need to be slightly wide in order to balance out the curve of your thighs (i.e. boot cuts, wide legs, and trouser cuts are great for thick thighs).

More Asos…

The next few are body sizes. You will need to understand your body shape first before going straight for size. Sometimes you’ll need to incorporate many body dressing tips to accommodate your frame i.e. if you’re tall, have thick thighs, and small breasts; or plus size with big breasts and a long torso. Make sense? Good!

Plus Size:
If you’re plus size, know your body shape (you can be a plus-sized boyish frame or a plus-sized hour glass, etc.). But stay away from fabrics that are too loose and hang away from the body to avoid adding on visual pounds.

1. Make BFFs with a tailor. If you find it difficult to find great pieces off the rack (many of us can’t) a tailor can easily alter those items so that they fit you perfectly.

2. High heels are a good, but not the only way, to add visual height. Platforms are great for those who wobble in heels because they offer more of a flat structure to walk on. If you want to wear a flat, go for something minimal that either matches your skin tone or the color of your bottom (skirt, pants, etc.). With a plus-size frame, as with any frame, adding height visually sheds a few pounds and gives you a lean physique.

3. Be mindful of how you use color: dressing in one color has a very elongating effect on your body, but isn’t the only way to get visual length. Nude pantyhose and nude shoes also have a similar elongating effect on the legs. The more of your legs you show, the longer your legs look. And the longer your legs look, the taller and slimmer you will appear. Understand that wearing monochromatic colors on your bottom half have a similar effect of “showing more leg”.

As a plus-size hottie, don’t be afraid of color. Be bold in a hot pink dress or a bright red coat in the fall. You will look confident and confidence is always your best accessory.

4. Vertical lines are slimming as well as elongating. Try to create a vertical line in your dressing wherever possible. Horizontal lines are widening and shortening. Try to avoid them below the waist line (i.e. never tuck your jeans into a pair of tall boots–doing so forms a horizontal line at the knees that cuts your legs off and makes you look shorter and wider).

5. Understand scale. Since your features are likely on the larger side, your accessories should also be on the larger side so they complement your frame. Oversized bags and jewelry will look chic on a plus-size frame. When choosing prints (like polka dots or stripes) go for those on a bigger scale.

Check out some plus-size options, but remember you still need to follow the rules for your body type:

More Z. Cavaricci…

Petite
First things first when it comes to petites–it’s not a “fits all” category. Petite refers to a size, not a shape so you’ll still need to follow the tips for your body type and then follow the petite dressing tips shown below:

1. Make BFFs with a tailor. If you find it difficult to find great pieces off the rack (many of us can’t) a tailor can easily alter those items so that they fit you perfectly.

2. High heels are a good, but not the only way, to add visual height. Platforms are great for those who wobble in heels because they offer more of a flat structure to walk on. If you want to wear a flat, go for something minimal that either matches your skin tone or the color of your bottom (skirt, pants, etc.).

3. Be mindful of how you use color: dressing in one color has a very elongating effect on your body, but isn’t the only way to get visual length. Nude pantyhose and nude shoes also have a similar elongating effect on the legs. The more of your legs you show, the longer your legs look. And the longer your legs look, the taller and slimmer you will appear. Understand that wearing monochromatic colors on your bottom half have a similar effect of “showing more leg”.

4. Vertical lines are slimming as well as elongating. Try to create a vertical line in your dressing wherever possible. Horizontal lines are widening and shortening. Try to avoid them below the waist line (i.e. never tuck your jeans into a pair of tall boots–doing so forms a horizontal line at the knees that cuts your legs off and makes you look shorter and wider). Avoid skirts that are more than about 2? below the knee (unless they’re floor length) as they shorten the frame. Also avoid wearing capri pants with anything but a strappy sandal. Pair a capri pant with sneakers or worse ankle boots and prepare to lose nearly 4 inches of visual length.

5. Understand scale. Since your features are likely on the smaller side, your accessories should also be on the smaller side so they don’t overpower your frame. An oversized bag may be stylish, but it can swallow a petite. When choosing prints (like polka dots or stripes) go for those on a smaller scale.

6. Look your age. If you’re a petite who often feels like your frame makes you look a lot younger than you actually are, be sure your clothing is always perfectly tailored. The quickest way to look like you’re playing in mommy’s wardrobe is to wear a garment that is too big or too long for you. Also steer clear of wearing too much of soft colors like pink, yellow, and baby blue. Darker clothes exude more sophistication than their lighter counterparts. Play around with accessories like dramatic sunglasses (think Jackie O) and to-scale statement bags. Avoid “kiddie” articles like sneakers (unless you’re at the gym).

Check out some cool looks that come in petite sizes–remember, you still need to follow the rules for your body type:

More Asos…

Tall:
Look for tips on your overall shape in this guide and then look for pants/jeans that have 34″ inseam or longer. Lucky for us tall drinks of water, many designer jeans come with long inseams by default. Look at retailers like J. Crew, Gap, Alloy, and Old Navy who offer clothing in tall sizes so that your long sleeves don’t get mistaken for a 3/4 sleeve one again.

More Rock & Republic…

Whether you’re big or small, I’ve got the 411 on what to wear to make your twins look great!

If you want to vamp up a small chest, look for ruffles and other textures at the neckline to visually created more curves at your bust. Also, exposing the top of your cleavage can make your chest appear larger.

Check out these examples:

If you want to deemphasize a big bust, look for open necklines like V-necks or U-necks to help “seperate” your boobs and make them visually smaller. Like these:

Not just for keeping your pants from falling off your waist, belts are multi-function, coveted fashion accessories. However, when done wrong a belt can make even those with good intentions look like a squeezed tube of Pillsbury biscuits (yikes!). So how do you wear a belt without looking like the Michelin Tire Man? I’ve compiled some style tips on how to wear a belt the right way. Read on!

1. Scale. First things first, scale is SUPER important to understand when it comes to wearing a belt. Generally, the larger your frame, the larger the belt. A super big and too-wide belt will drown a petite frame while a very thin skinny belt can add unnecessary visual poundage to a plus-size frame.

2. Positioning. Where you place your belt is also very important or you can risk looking a lot larger than you intended. Avoid placing a belt on the widest part of your body. The horizontal line belts form make anything placed on it appear bigger and wider.

To balance out a body with a short torso, place your belt lower on the body to give some visual balance. For a long torso, place the belt higher on the body to give the appearance of a balanced frame. The “ideal” shape to go for is the hourglass shape (shoulders and hips in proportion to a defined waist).

Also ladies, please, if you have ample sized breasts, avoid putting a wide belt directly underneath them.

3. Styling. There are times when adding a belt to an outfit is overkill. The idea is to keep your look balanced so the eye grazes over it easy as opposed to having too many things for the eye to focus on. For instance, if you’re wearing long, detailed earrings, it’s safe to say to nix the belt or vice versa. Also avoid being too matchy-matchy: red earrings with a red belt and red bracelets is overkill! Your belt also need not match your shoes, they just need to agree (i.e. complementary colors)

Big boobs: If you want to deemphasize a big bust, look for open necklines like V-necks or U-necks to help “seperate” your boobs and make them visually smaller.

Small boobs: If you want to vamp up a small chest, look for ruffles and other textures at the neckline to visually created more curves at your bust.

Big Tummy: Dressing to cover up a tummy isn’t as simple as finding the biggest shirt you can find to cover it up—what you want to do is find clothing that brings the eye to other fab areas like your arms or chest and that don’t cling to the belly.

Boyish Frame: To dress a slender frame, look for clothing that mimics curves like well-tailored jackets, cinching at the waist, and details like ruffles and pleating to visually create curves.

Long Torso: A cute belt is the long-torso gal’s best friend because it allows you to create a waistline at a higher point than your own naturally lies. A non-belt option is to choose a top or dress with cinching or banding high enough on the torso area. High-waisted pants, jeans, and skirts also have similar balancing effects on longer torsos since they allow the legs to appear longer than they are. Steer clear of drop-waist dresses as they will further elongate your torso.

Petite: High Heels and a Tailor are always your best friends. If you want to wear a flat, go for something minimal and strappy that shows off your skin. Be mindful of how you use color: dressing in one color from head-to-toe has a very elongating effect on your body. Nude panythose and nude shoes also have a similar elongating effect (i.e. Say you want to wear a cute pair of capri pants. In order to avoid making yourself look shorter, pair them with a shoe that shows off the most amount of skin as opposed to say a sneaker). Vertical lines are slimming as well as elongating. Try to create a vertical line in your dressing wherever possible. Horizontal lines are widening and shortening. Try to avoid them below the waist line.

Plus-Size: If you’re plus-sized, look for clothing that is close to the body; trying to hide your fabulous figure underneath baggy clothing will only make you appear larger. Keep clothing simple and add stylish accessories like bags and shoes to make an outfit pop. Keep proportion in mind when dressing your body–plus-sized bodies come in different categories, too (small/large breasts, short/long torsos, petite/tall, etc.) and dress for them accordingly. Check the categories (listed at the top) on this blog such as big breasts, big tummy, long torso, and what to wear if to get additional style tips that can also be used for plus-sizes.

Shopping online for full-figured fashions has become easy thanks to So What If: The Ultimate Guide to Plus-Size Fashion!

Thick Thighs: Sleek, tapered styles work best on the bottom. Steer clear of pleats, ruching, horizontal patterns, etc. as they can over-emphasize the thighs. Make sure hemlines on skirts do not end at the widest part of your thighs—this will only make your thighs appear wider. Instead go for knee-length pencil skirts. Wear lighter colors on the top and keep the bottom darker–you’ll visually balance your frame out this way. The leg opening on your jeans and pants will need to be slightly wide in order to balance out the curve of your thighs (i.e. boot cuts, wide legs, and trouser cuts are great for thick thighs).

Lindy sent me pictures to better illustrate and it turns out she’s more of an hourglass. Body shape has more to do with shoulder width to waist to hip width proportions. However you can be an hourglass with a big chest or a small chest, with a big rear or a small rear. And sometimes you’ll have to follow body dressing tips from several categories to look your best (i.e. big chest, small chest, big tummy, thick thighs, etc.).

So Lindy, in order to make your chest appear bigger, look for ruffles and other textures at the neckline to visually created more curves at your bust. Pockets placed on the bust area also help to create the illusion of curves. Double-breasted jackets also do the trick. Also, exposing the top of your cleavage can make your chest appear larger. Check out these examples:

Sleeveless Ruffle Top; Elite Stretch Military Shirt; Silence & Noise Fleece Motorcycle Jacket; Free People Petal Top.

A great push-up bra will also help to boost your bust:

Try Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy® Push-up bra with Gel-Curve®.

To make a thick thigh appear more slender, check out these tips:

1. Sleek, tapered styles work best on the bottom. Steer clear of pleats, ruching, horizontal patterns, etc. as they can over-emphasize the thighs. Make sure hemlines on skirts do not end at the widest part of your thighs—this will only make your thighs appear wider. Instead go for knee-length pencil skirts.

2. The leg opening on your jeans and pants will need to be slightly wide in order to balance out the curve of
your thighs (i.e. boot cuts, wide legs, and trouser cuts are great for thick thighs).

Check out these examples that all come in 37″ inseams (Rock & Republic and Alloy carry a variety of them):

Truck Jeans Essential Stretch Bootcut Jean; Spoon Jeans Extend-tab Stretch Trouser Jean; Rock & Republic Kassandra Bootcut Jeans; Charleston Trouser.

When looking for dresses, look for those with ruffles and other textures to add curve to the chest at the bodice but are plain and fitted through the bottom to slender the thighs. Check out these examples:

Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Ruffled Silk Dress; Nicole Miller Stretch Silk Twill Red Dress; Black Halo “Jackie O” Dress; Ruffle-front Contrast Dress.

If you have a style or beauty question, contact me. Your inquiry could appear on this site!