I am truly in love with buying fashion books, whether they are coffee table books or fiction novels, or style advice books I love them all. Today we are borrowing tips and tricks on dressing your body type from two favourite style books off my bookshelf: Style Clinic by Paula Reed and WhoWhatWear by Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power.
Body Type: Full-Figured
Tips From Style Clinic
1. A narrow tunic-style top worn over slim pants will create an illusion of overall slimness and draw the eye away from your tummy. (No smocks, please!)
2. Asymmetry, particularly draping, is a great way to smooth out unwanted curves. A bias-cut dress in a substantial fabric, such as a good jersey, is a good tummy tamer. All soft A-lines are good tummy flatterers.
Tips From WhoWhatWear
1. V-neck sweaters: Outerwear with a v-neck or a scoop will slim while it shows off what you've got on top
2. Pencil Skirts: A slim skirt (either high-waisted or standard rise) with a tucked-in blouse is perennially feminine and modern - without showing too much skin.
Body Type: Pear-Shaped
Tips From Style Clinic
1. Never try to make a straight line out of ample curves. Voluminous clothes that drop from the shoulder will not camouflage extra pounds; they'll make you look shapeless and bigger than you are. Try to go in and out a bit: thinner at the waist and narrower at the knee.
2. An off-shoulder neckline, or seaming across the upper back of a dress or shirt that reaches from shoulder to shoulder, will minimize the waist by widening the shoulders.
Tips From WhoWhatWear
1. Straight-Leg Jeans: While you can wear skinny jeans with longer, layered tops, it's best to stick with non-tapered, straight-leg jeans. Look for a hem that's at least 14" around.
2. Vests: Throw a menswear-inspired vest over a tighter top to balance your curves and highlight your waist.
Body Type: Petite
Tips From Style Clinic
1. Petite women should avoid wearing clothes at their natural waistline. Drop-waist trousers, skirts, and dresses look sharper. If you lower the waistline even by an inch, the torso will look longer and narrower.
2. A very short woman in very high heels looks ridiculous. A medium-height heel is best.
Tips from WhoWhatWear
1. Wide-leg Trousers or Jeans: Properly tailored pants like this will lengthen your legs.
2. Skinny Belts: Go for 2" wide or less, instead of one that takes up most of your middle - and makes you look shorter.
Body Type: Boyish Figure/Athletic
Tips From Style Clinic
1. For women with no curves who want some va va voom, the waist is a pivotal point. A top with volume tucked into a figure-skimming skirt will create sexy curves where none exist. What you lose in height with volume can be countered with a wide belt on the waist.
2. Pleated trousers will give you curves if you have no hips, but to be able to carry them off you must be tall (at least 5'7") and have a flat tummy. If you don't, flat-front trousers are best, every time.
Tips from WhoWhatWear
1. Cropped Jackets: These jackets, especially double-breasted styles, look great on broad shoulders and a smaller chest. They create shape and show off your sleek torso.
2. Racerback Tops and Dresses: Where most women are less-than-toned (cough: flabby), you are fit and muscular. You should show this off, so why not try a racerback cut? Everyone will envy you.
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