How to dress for your body type + flattering fit style guideHow to Dress for Your Body Type + Flattering Fit Style Guide 

Not everyone looks great in everything – not even models. The secret to style is understanding how to dress for your body type and discovering a flattering fit that works on YOU…. not the girl in the magazine!

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, NO body is perfect.

Creating the illusion of looking as close to your perfection as YOU can in what you wear is genius! Highlight your assets, camouflage your flaws, and celebrate what makes you unique.

>MORE: How to dress for your body type posts

I’ve curated some of our most popular posts in this style guide to help you discover your flattering fit and to understand how to dress for your body type. Ok, I threw a little stylist magic in there too!

When you want to learn more about a topic, all you have to do is click the headline to read the full post.

[signupboxtwo]Don’t miss out on style tips! Join my FREE newsletter, now![/signupboxtwo]

What to wear when your weight fluctuates
What to wear when your weight fluctuates

Shape Shifters: What to wear when your weight fluctuates

Help! My weight fluctuates! I have nothing to wear and too many clothes. Sounds familiar? Let’s help this reader figure out what to buy + what to wear when your weight fluctuates.

 Sweet sister of style, I get your drift. I can get puffy just looking at an oh-so-yummy carb. Many of us tend to put a bit of weight on here and there, and the older you get, the easier it is to pack on the pudge, even when you watch your diet and exercise.

When your weight fluctuates, even just 5 pounds, your closet becomes a constant reminder of what once was.

Don’t get stressed.

How to dress to look taller video
How to dress to look taller video

WATCH: How to Dress to Look Taller – Petite Fashion Tips

Petite Fashion Tips to Look Taller from the Sharon Haver for About.com at Lord & Taylor New York Petite Video Series…

Haven’t you ever seen a celebrity or met someone in the flesh and said to yourself, “Gee, they seem so much smaller in person?”

Well, it’s not that they “seem” smaller, they know how to dress to look taller. Different cuts can help create length and the appearance of height. See how petite ladies can appear taller by the way they dress.

 

How to accentuate cleavage- LA PERLA Fall 2013 Presentation

How to accentuate cleavage? Tips and tricks to bust out without surgery

Try a few insider stylist tricks to show off your girls with gusto!

First off, you need to be sure that it is an appropriate situation to be flaunting your lady bumps. The last you thing you want to do is be in a professional (unless that’s your profession, wink, wink) situation where your tits are doing the talking rather than your acumen.

That said, how to accentuate cleavage is all a matter of what your wear, both on the inside and outside.

Try some of these bust boosting tricks…

Celebrity Spanx- what shapewears do the stars wear on the red carpet
Celebrity Spanx- what shapewears do the stars wear on the red carpet

Celebrity Spanx moments…we’re spilling the sucking in beans on what stars wear what shapewear

And, the shapewear Oscar goes to… Celebrity Spanx Moments… Who sucks what in….

Shapewear, baby, it’s THE way to go!  Red carpet fashion can be a bit awe-inspiring and unreachable.  And, what about those killer bods underneath those gorgeous dresses? Well, many of the bodies that are worked out to an inch of their lives get a little extra “help” too.

Celebrity Spanx! There should be a red carpet for what is surely NOT your mama’s girdle.  

Thanks to a not so secret weapon against lumps and bumps, shapewear comes to the rescue– it’s something that we all can emulate, and maybe make our personal dressing look that much better for it.

We got the peeps at Spanx to dish on who wears what under those fab dresses to keep their bits and bobs in place & thought we’d like to share. Maybe , you even what to start guessing what style of shapewear someone is wearing under her red carpet gown rather than who made the dress… so much more devilish, don’t you think?

[signupboxtwo]Stylist tips in your inbox? ABSOLUTELY!!! Join my FREE newsletter, now![/signupboxtwo]

 

helmut lang petite1 
Help, I’m short and busty and need some clothing stylist advice

How to make this reader embrace her curvy petite figure with grace and style. Now doesn’t that sound better than short and busty?

 First of all, thee is no reason why anyone should drown themselves in clothes to hide their shape. Clothes are meant to enhance what we have and distract from what we don’t love as much.

If you look at many actresses, you will notice that they are on the petite side and go to great lengths (ah hem) to have a large bust. What you have is a classic starlet figure!

2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards - Arrivals

Stylist advice- dressing a very petite hourglass figure

When we start to struggle with our figure & style it’s best to discover a body type muse for some style inspiration…

I chose Salma Hayak as the muse for my reader who wants to know how to dress a petite hourglass figure. Read on-

 

H&M top plus size

From a plus size to not- what to wear when you’re losing weight 

You must be so proud of yourself for reaching this landmark and worked hard to get here. So start celebrating by subtly amping up your daily wardrobe with extras you might not have opted for in the past. Why not spoil yourself a little bit and show off your new figure?

Since you aren’t quite there, stick with cheap chic and tried & true retailers such as H & M (pictured here), as they’ll outfit you in on-trend finds to wear in between your weight loss without breaking the bank. Saving money makes the challenge of the in between and what to wear much more liberating, then daunting.

Jennifer Lopez, in a Gucci swimsuit, photographed for the June issue of Vogue by Mario Testino
Jennifer Lopez, in a Gucci swimsuit, photographed for the June issue of Vogue by Mario Testino

Flaunt This Not That: Jennifer Lopez Strategically Cut Out Swimsuits

I’ll Have a What She’s Having: A flattering swimsuit that camouflage figure flaws and spotlights positives

Call it a cut out swimsuit or a monokini, the strategically cut out swimsuit is the swimwear must-have this season. Just take a look at Jennifer Lopez photographed by Mario Testino for Vogue magazine, pictured above, looking more than fabulous.

Not quite as covered up as a one-piece swimsuit and not exposing too much flesh as in bikini, the cutout swimsuit is your figure’s secret weapon for not quite baring it all on the beach and a particularly stylish way to hide Mommy tummy.

Pippa Middleton with her Aruna Seth Romana Bag
Pippa Middleton with her Aruna Seth Romana Bag

Pippa Middleton’s Fashion Mistake- Color Blocks Her Legs To Look Shorter

I (Don’t) Want What She’s Having: Legs that look stumpy from poor fashion choices

Pippa Middleton, the every-girl style icon is looking decidedly edgy for herself. While the particular wash of her fuchsia jeans is not our favorite with its strange dye markings down the side, we appreciate her effort to spunk up a classic dark blazer with a burst of color paired with her go-to Aruna Seth Romina bag.

But, here’s where Pippa went wrong…

[signupboxtwo]Why get it wrong, when getting it right can be so simple?  Join my FREE newsletter& don’t miss one stylish tip![/signupboxtwo]

select sunglasses face shape

WATCH: How To Select Sunglasses For Your Face Shape – Video Tips

Eyewear Tips from the Women’s Sunglasses by Face Shape with Sharon Haver video series at Barney’s New York for About.com series…

Of course Barney’s New York has the most cutting-edge, fashion sunglasses around. What what good is a gorgeous pair of sunglasses when they don’t flatter your face? Do watch this installment of my how-to style series for about.com and learn the ins and out to select the best sunglasses for your face shape.

Shopping for sunglasses can be a daunting task with so many looks and trends on the racks. See what to look for in color and shape so that the sunglasses you buy compliment your face nicely.

 

Flattering fit large arms
What is a flattering fit for large arms

Guns vs girth, the upper arm dilemma! Whether your arms are large from bursting muscles, a little extra weightnot perfectly toned, or simply your basic body type finding the right style tops to flatter your figure can be irksome. The most elegant and flattering clothing fit has a lot to do with your total body shape rather than a specific area that you feel self-conscious about. Think of your overall figure as a gorgeous sum of its parts and make the most of what you’ve got!

[signupboxtwo]Don’t miss out on style tips! Join my FREE newsletter, now![/signupboxtwo]

Measuring Up- big guy clothes that fit right

Top 3 Men’s Style Tips for Stylish Big Guys Clothes That Fit Right

Ok, you may not like this, but… when you, or I, or anyone is heavier finding clothes that fit the lumps and bumps and protrusions is not so easy all the time. You need to know how to work it to your advantage.

Most people have what you call an “unnatural body shape,” which I would have to assume is not the perfect V-shape of a male model. But, HELLO, that’s why they are models who fit clothes rather easily (sometimes) and the rest of us have to find our fashion fit sweet spot.

maternity fashion tips
Maternity Fashion Tips: How to Master Showstopper Style When Pregnant

Q: I’m just about three months along and would love to keep my pregnancy private for a bit longer. I really need some maternity fashion tips to keep my bump under wraps until I’m ready to share it with the world.

A: Of course, you can constantly stand behind a large armchair, perpetually reposition a flower pot, or only be seen when peeking over a neighbor’s fence! These are some of the ways the fabulous world of television attempts to cover up an actor’s blooming belly when the character she plays doesn’t share the same condition.

But, there is some truth in all this wacky subterfuge?

The key to concealing or detracting from you bulging belly is to bring attention somewhere else. It seems that once you publicize your pregnancy, the entire universe has nothing to discuss with you besides baby-on-the-way. Which is great. Except while you are teetering on the precipice of your next upchuck, the only thing you crave is to be distracted.

MORE Free Fashion & Style Guides:

Click for more FocusOnStyle free online Fashion + Style Guides
Click for more FocusOnStyle free online Fashion + Style Guides

Follow my Stylist Advice Pinterest Board:

[pinterest]http://www.pinterest.com/focusonstyle/stylist-advice/[/pinterest]

First published on September 13, 2013

Scroll to Top