Sometimes all it takes is a small change in the way we wear everyday pieces to look instantly slimmer. For example, a few years ago I started buying longer-length jeans so I could wear heels with them. Small change, huge difference. I not only looked thinner and longer legged, I also looked more dressed up in heels and jeans.
Here are more easy ideas to look thinner:
- Use the new shapewear. If the thought of constricting girdles from years past have kept you from trying the new shapewear, you'll be amazed at how far body slimmers have come. I love camisole shapers to wear under knits and Spanx for a super sleek line under dresses and pants.
- Buy the right bra. If everything isn't exactly, um, where it used to be, the quickest way to get that slim torso back is to lift everything back into place. The right way to do this is by choosing the perfect bra for your body. If you've never been fitted for a bra before, it can be a little awkward but well worth it to get the right bra. You need a bra wardrobe – exercise, casual, t-shirt, strapless, etc. – so that you can have something for every outfit.
- Dress in monochromatic colors head-to-toe. You may know that head-to-toe black is slimming, but did you know that head-to-toe anything will give you a slimmer look than chopping it up in blocks of color? Even head-to-toe white can be slimming.
- Opt for constructed pieces instead of loose knits. I don't know where the myth began that long, loose knit layers were flattering, but they are tremendously unflattering to overweight women. Instead, opt for pants that hang straight from the hip (no fuller, no skinnier), jackets with some construction and shirts with some tailoring. The overall effect should be to skim your body – never tight – but still much more flattering than flimsy knits.
- Wear dark colors on your largest areas. Big bottom? Wear black pants or dark jeans with a print top. Top heavy? Wear a black jacket with light pants. You get the idea. Camouflage your heaviest part with a dark item to make it recede, and bring your slimmer section into focus by wearing a bright or print.
- Wear heels. The taller you are, the slimmer you'll look. So add a few inches to legs with heels. If you have heavy legs, make sure you pick a substantial-looking heel. I like wedges because they are more comfortable, trendy and even work for women with curvy calves.
- Opt for back pockets on your pants, jeans-style. The worst thing you can do for a broad backside is to go pocketless. Back pockets – the flat, jean-style patch ones – break up the expanse of bottom and make you look smaller.
- Wear jewelry close to your face. Bring all the attention to your face with earrings and/or a necklace. I like long, layered chains to give the entire body a longer, leaner line.
- Choose the right prints. The wrong print is anything that makes you look wider: polka dots, thick horizontal lines or widely spaced florals. The right prints give you visual height – like pinstripes – or provide camouflage (like florals that are medium-to-large size and are tightly spaced together to show very little background.)
- Use makeup to make your face look thinner. Double chins are especially prominent as we age. My best friend uses this trick: find a powder one shade or so darker than your skin tone. Use upward sweeping strokes to apply it under your chin to help that area recede. I use a bronzing powder (applied with a very light hand, and with only touching the ends – not brushing) along cheekbones and on the temples.
