bling boutique: August 2008

Figure Flatterer

It's an age-old question that women everywhere ask themselves every day, usually while staring into a packed closet: Why can't I find anything to wear? But there is another way. Instead of hating your clothes, and possibly parts of your body, you can find the clothes that work for you by unlocking the secrets for your figure.

Big Arms
What Tops Can I Wear?

When you go shopping for blouses, you should always inspect the arms to see if there is elastic band in the sleeves. If there is, and the sleeve is shorter than three-quarter length, put the shirt back immediately. Most kinds of puff sleeve are disasters waiting to happen for thick-limbed women, because no matter how good the blouse looks on you, those bands are going to cut right into your upper arms. You also want to avoid sleeveless tops and halter necks. Both shirts create narrow necklines that end up making your arms look huge.
You can wear flimsy blouses that are long-sleeved with floating cuffs. The delicate fabric and airy cut will give your wrists a daintiness that extends all the way up the elbow. Nobody has to know what's hidden in the upper half.
There are shirts that have small puffs on the shoulder seams, and if the fit is right for you, these can be a great choice. The puff makes the whole arm look smaller, but again, only if the fit is just right. If the sleeves are too tight, or the puffs are a smidge too big, the elegance of the look is destroyed. Because large upper arms can be hard to accommodate with off-the-rack shirts, you must be diligent about trying things on.

Big Tummy
What Tops Can I Wear?

You know tummy bulge is a prevalent problem when you consider just how many shirts are cut to hide the stomach. You've got a lot of choices. The best is probably the shirttail hem, which is fashioned to ride low in the front, camouflaging the stomach, but also curves up just a bit on the hips, revealing a slimmer silhouette.
You can also wear any kind of top that stops in the middle of your tummy. That cut breaks up the bulge you are so frantic to hide. A nice peasant blouse is good to accentuate a full bustline while skimming over the tummy area. If the eye is pulled to the boob area, chances are nobody will focus on your stomach.
The only shirt you have to work hard at pulling off is a slim-fit shirt. Naturally, this poses some challenges. If you're slim everywhere else, you can get away with this shirt, but only when it doesn't fit so snugly that your bulge is revealed every time you move or sit. You've got to give yourself a little extra room to wear this style.
You don't want to go for a short shirt or a cropped top unless you like having your rolls exposed.

What about pants and shorts?

You need to avoid anything that rides too low. Hip-huggers are not your best friend. Put them down and move away. You also do not want any jeans or pants that constrict your waistline. They'll make your midsection look like a topographical map -- ridges and bulges everywhere.
Pick pants that are flat-fronted with side zips, a great urban look that pulls the tummy in and doesn't offer the eye any distractions. You can also invest in some control-top underwear. It doesn't sound all that fun, but it works wonders, and today's offerings are greatly advanced from the torturous devices women used to suffer through.
If you are a jeans addict and must have a pair, get low-waisted jeans that are a size too big for you, to create just a smidge of hang. This will minimize your belly and make your waist look all the leaner. Note that low-waisted jeans are not the same as hip-huggers. Your hipster days are, sadly, over.
What shorts you should wear will be determined predominantly by your legs -- how much are you willing to show? Pay attention to the tricks used for pants, such as side zippers and low waists, and apply them to whichever shorts do the most for your legs. Whatever you do, don't buy baggy shorts with pockets in the front -- you'll hate yourself later when you catch a glimpse in the storefront window. Bulges upon bulges. Not good.

Source: iVillage.com