The Ideas Behind Looking Slimmer
Clothes can't change your body, but they decide the outline people see. A clean, defined outline with long lines reads slimmer; a shapeless or clingy outline with lots of horizontal breaks reads wider. Here are 10 tricks.
1. Wear Clothes That Fit
Oversized clothes add bulk; tight clothes show every line. Fit through the shoulders and enough ease to skim the body is the slimming sweet spot.
2. Use Darker Colours Strategically
Darker colours recede. Wear them where you want less presence and lighter colours where you want more.
3. Create Vertical Lines
V-necks, open jackets and cardigans, long necklaces, plackets and pinstripes draw the eye up and down.
Read more: How to Dress for Your Body Type: The Simple Rules
4. Choose Structured Fabrics
Thicker, structured fabrics like ponte, denim and wool hold their own shape. Thin, clingy knits follow every curve.
5. Pick the Right Rise
Mid- and high-rise trousers smooth the stomach and lengthen the legs; low rise cuts across the middle.
6. Go Monochrome
One colour or close shades from top to bottom makes one long, unbroken line.
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7. Keep Prints Small and Spread Out
Small or medium prints work; large, bold prints and horizontal stripes add width where they sit.
8. Define a Waist (or Create One)
A wrap, a belt in the right place or a tailored jacket gives shape. If your waist isn't your narrowest point, define just under the bust or skip the belt.
9. Tailor Your Clothes
Shortening sleeves, hemming trousers and taking in the sides of shirts makes clothes look made for you. Untucked shirts should end around the middle of the fly.
10. Mind Your Underwear and Posture
Well-fitting underwear smooths the outline under clothes. Standing tall, shoulders back, is the quickest slimming change there is.
See It on Your Build
In Ollie Stylist you can set the free model to your build and height and see how a piece sits before you buy. See also apple body shape and how to dress for your body type.