Hourglass, apple, or pear…no matter what your shape, you can work your waist.
Studio 5 Beauty and Style Contributor Holly Stone says the trick to a long, lean appearance is illusion dressing.
Hourglass, square, apple, pear. No matter what you think your figure shape is, the fact is we all have a waist. And whether you think yours is obvious or not, the trick to a longer leaner appearance is illusion dressing. Find your waist and create the illusion that it indents and curves by applying simple wardrobe techniques. Do not be afraid of accentuating your waist because this is the one area of your figure than can help slenderize your overall appearance. And we often forget it is even there.
How to find your true waistline
Place your hands on both sides of your waist where you think it is. Bend from side to side moving your hands up or down slightly to where your torso actually creases when you bend. Meet your waistline!
Mistakes to avoid
Horizontal lines
By wearing a line that visibly adds width, you are wasting your waistline and can possibly look wider than you actually are.
Boxy Shapes
Wearing clothing that has no shape in it parameters will cause you to look like you have no shape. Pay attention to the outer shape of your blouses, sweaters and jackets. If they look boxy, so might your overall shape.
Thoughtful Practices
Think Tailor
When you purchase a jacket, make a mental note to the cost of that jacket that you will most likely need the extra services of a tailor. Jackets are made to accommodate larger hips and therefore typically look more square in the middle. You will need to have the jacket altered to create the slimming illusion of a waistline. With the slightest adjustments, you can take a boxy jacket into an hourglass statement piece.
Banana Republic
Jacket- $99
Shirt $39
Think Darts
Look for blouses or sweaters with darts that accentuate the waistline. Even the slightest stitching can take the eye inward at the waistline. Be cautious as stitching illusions work best with solid colors. If you are wearing a print, make sure the print somehow indents or casually emphasizes the waistline. Bringing the eye in at the waist, even if the waist really does not indent is the best magic trick of all.
Shirt Express $39
Jewelry TJ Maxx $19
Think Peeking
Belts are the ultimate weapon for drawing the eye in at the waistline. When wearing a jacket, belt your shirt under the jacket. With a belt peeking out from under your jacket, you have made your audience see remnants of a waistline. This is the greatest illusion for creating a waistline that typically may not be otherwise noticeable. The peek is a perfect glance inward.
Kohl’s
Jacket $59
Shirt $29
Belt $12
Jewelry $22
Think Purposeful
Belt placement can also lengthen your torso and draw the eye in at the waistline. If you hang the belt at a slight angle, this takes the eye inward and down which opens the space visually inside the torso. If you have a longer waist and you wear a wider belt, this naturally slims the longer area. Same applies with a shorter waist. Wear a thin belt right at your waistline to force the eye inward create the illusion of a more curvy waistline.
Maurices
Shirts $19, 39
Belts $14, 17
Necklace $9
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