One of my favorite things about clothing is that it can be manipulated to create illusions on the body, and can transform your appearance. “Creating illusions” may sound like you’re trying to hide behind clothing, but what I mean by this is to actually enhance your body and embrace what you’ve got to work with. I’ve already talked about how a cinched waist can benefit everyone, but another one of my favorite tricks is to look for clothing with clear sections or panels. You might be surprised at the power of a paneled dress and how it well it flattered every body type.
This may sound confusing, but think of a corset, and how the boning creates different panels throughout it. Picking a piece like the dress shown, which has a dark base color, but a pop of color or pattern in a panel down the middle creates the illusion of a slimmer frame. This particular dress has curve to the panel, highlighting an hourglass shape, making the body appear both overall slimmer and curvier at the same time. Who doesn’t want that?!
The stand out middle panel is also a great trick to elongate the body and appear taller, perfect for someone like me who’s only 5 feet small. To take this elongating trick to the next level, go for a nude shoe to extend the leg.
Embrace your body, try this out, and let me know what you think!