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I always encourage women to wear clothing with shape as it makes them look much taller and slimmer. But this summer's trendiest items can be a little difficult to wear. So how do you look shapely in these items? Many women want to look fashionable, but they struggle to wear these styles without someone asking them "when are you expecting your baby?"
Here are some tips on how to wear these styles with shape, so you don't have to sacrifice dressing for your body shape for dressing for fashion.
The maxi dress: These are everywhere at the moment and are available in various colours, prints and price brackets. Most styles will make women look pregnant if worn on their own. Here are a few rescue methods to make this look work for you:
Less volume: Select a style with less volume. You can still create the maxi dress look with a long fitted dress. Remember that the more shape the dress has, the slimmer you look. If you are worried about revealing fleshy bits, select a dress in a print. A print fools the eye so you won't know what's fabric and what's flesh. Try it and you will see what I mean!
Sash it: One way of giving a voluminous dress some shape is to belt or sash it. If you find a belt uncomfortable, a soft fabric sash can be a great alternative. If your dress is printed in various colours, select one of the colours to highlight with a solid colour sash to add interest and shape. The key to belting effectively is to get the position and size of the belt right. In this case, wider belts work better than narrow belts. Remember, we are trying to create a waist, so the belt needs to be wide enough to do that.
If you have a big bust and a tummy: Belt just under your bust. This is your narrowest point and can look like your waist. Avoid having too much volume around your tummy. Select a dress with a little volume so you can position the volume to just above your tummy to disguise any bits that you want to keep out of sight. The belt will also place emphasis on the top part of your body and away from your tummy.
If you are short: Long voluminous dresses can make you look wider and shorter. Belt the dress high up on your waist and wear your dress full length with a wedge heel for extra height.
If you have a long body: Belting can be a great way to break up your long body and give you more of a waist. Wear the belt just above your natural waist to give you shape. It can create the illusion that your legs are longer than they are, as it makes your legs look like they start at the belt rather than at your hip.
Beware of empire line dresses: If you wear an empire line dress, the empire line needs to be just below your bust. If you have big breasts and the line cuts across your bust, it will make your bust look bigger. If you have small breasts and the empire line goes way below your bust, it will make your bust look even smaller. If you manage to get the empire line in the right place, you need to belt or sash on the empire line to get this look right.
Voluminous tops: These tend to either look like tents or fitted empire line tops that flair out giving the "preggie" look. They are great if you are pregnant, but difficult to wear if you are not. You can use some of the same belting tips I have listed above, however the length of the top is important if you are going to get this right. Women often wear their tops too long in the hope of covering their tummies, bums or hips when in fact wearing your tops too long will have the opposite effect.
If you have a big tummy: Wear your tops just below the widest point of your tummy. Wearing them longer will make your tummy look bigger that it really is.
If you have generous hips or bum: Curved hems are great for this as they take the emphasis away from the hips, while still giving the tum and bum a little coverage. If you have straight hem tops usually wearing the hem just above your widest point works best. If you wear wide-leg trousers or a-line skirts, you will find you have more flexibility with styles and lengths of tops and blouses.
Gladiator shoes: This style is hot and happening at the moment, but the way you wear them can either make or break your legs figuratively speaking.
If you have thick ankles, avoid them completely. Anything around your ankle will place emphasis on their width.
If you have short legs, these will also shorten your leg length. Select styles that tie around your ankles and criss-cross up your legs so they look like an extension of your leg rather than making your legs look shorter. Flesh colour will probably look best.
In both cases above, if you decide to wear this style of shoes, wear them with long dresses, skirts and trousers. That way you get to show off your fashionable shoes without showing your legs.
Leggings: Leggings have made a comeback from the '80s. Personally, I would hate to revisit this look, but if you are dying to wear it, consider a few things.
Wear them as stockings: They can be a great way to cover your legs if you are not mad about showing them off. Wear them under a mini skirt or knee-length dress or wear cropped tights to just below your knee to cover your knees without making your legs look shorter.
Just remember that fashion is meant to be a source of inspiration to create your own individual look that reflects who you are. Select the trends you love and learn to wear them in a way that suits your shape so you look fashionably fabulous this summer.
Check out fashion expert, Tracy Gold's blog here.
Here are some tips on how to wear these styles with shape, so you don't have to sacrifice dressing for your body shape for dressing for fashion.
The maxi dress: These are everywhere at the moment and are available in various colours, prints and price brackets. Most styles will make women look pregnant if worn on their own. Here are a few rescue methods to make this look work for you:
Less volume: Select a style with less volume. You can still create the maxi dress look with a long fitted dress. Remember that the more shape the dress has, the slimmer you look. If you are worried about revealing fleshy bits, select a dress in a print. A print fools the eye so you won't know what's fabric and what's flesh. Try it and you will see what I mean!
Sash it: One way of giving a voluminous dress some shape is to belt or sash it. If you find a belt uncomfortable, a soft fabric sash can be a great alternative. If your dress is printed in various colours, select one of the colours to highlight with a solid colour sash to add interest and shape. The key to belting effectively is to get the position and size of the belt right. In this case, wider belts work better than narrow belts. Remember, we are trying to create a waist, so the belt needs to be wide enough to do that.
If you have a big bust and a tummy: Belt just under your bust. This is your narrowest point and can look like your waist. Avoid having too much volume around your tummy. Select a dress with a little volume so you can position the volume to just above your tummy to disguise any bits that you want to keep out of sight. The belt will also place emphasis on the top part of your body and away from your tummy.
If you are short: Long voluminous dresses can make you look wider and shorter. Belt the dress high up on your waist and wear your dress full length with a wedge heel for extra height.
If you have a long body: Belting can be a great way to break up your long body and give you more of a waist. Wear the belt just above your natural waist to give you shape. It can create the illusion that your legs are longer than they are, as it makes your legs look like they start at the belt rather than at your hip.
Beware of empire line dresses: If you wear an empire line dress, the empire line needs to be just below your bust. If you have big breasts and the line cuts across your bust, it will make your bust look bigger. If you have small breasts and the empire line goes way below your bust, it will make your bust look even smaller. If you manage to get the empire line in the right place, you need to belt or sash on the empire line to get this look right.
Voluminous tops: These tend to either look like tents or fitted empire line tops that flair out giving the "preggie" look. They are great if you are pregnant, but difficult to wear if you are not. You can use some of the same belting tips I have listed above, however the length of the top is important if you are going to get this right. Women often wear their tops too long in the hope of covering their tummies, bums or hips when in fact wearing your tops too long will have the opposite effect. If you have a big tummy: Wear your tops just below the widest point of your tummy. Wearing them longer will make your tummy look bigger that it really is.
If you have generous hips or bum: Curved hems are great for this as they take the emphasis away from the hips, while still giving the tum and bum a little coverage. If you have straight hem tops usually wearing the hem just above your widest point works best. If you wear wide-leg trousers or a-line skirts, you will find you have more flexibility with styles and lengths of tops and blouses.
Gladiator shoes: This style is hot and happening at the moment, but the way you wear them can either make or break your legs figuratively speaking. If you have thick ankles, avoid them completely. Anything around your ankle will place emphasis on their width.
If you have short legs, these will also shorten your leg length. Select styles that tie around your ankles and criss-cross up your legs so they look like an extension of your leg rather than making your legs look shorter. Flesh colour will probably look best.
In both cases above, if you decide to wear this style of shoes, wear them with long dresses, skirts and trousers. That way you get to show off your fashionable shoes without showing your legs.
Leggings: Leggings have made a comeback from the '80s. Personally, I would hate to revisit this look, but if you are dying to wear it, consider a few things.Wear them as stockings: They can be a great way to cover your legs if you are not mad about showing them off. Wear them under a mini skirt or knee-length dress or wear cropped tights to just below your knee to cover your knees without making your legs look shorter.
Just remember that fashion is meant to be a source of inspiration to create your own individual look that reflects who you are. Select the trends you love and learn to wear them in a way that suits your shape so you look fashionably fabulous this summer.
Check out fashion expert, Tracy Gold's blog here.
