Look Thin

If you’re on the heavy side, shopping for a dress can often be more toxic than fun. You have a harder time shopping because plus sizes are limited at the mall. And if you buy a badly fitting but nice dress, having the seamstress alter it often produces disastrous results. Avoid such boo-boos with these five fashion rules guaranteed to make the plus size look slimmer.

ACCENTUATE.

• Your plus-size figure will benefit from a dress that highlights and flatters your best assets.

• Choose a style that flaunts your most attractive body part – cleavage, shoulder blades, smooth skin, svelte waist or long legs.

• Show off pearly skin with sleeveless tanks and shells, but opt for broader straps. Avoid spaghetti straps which spotlight broad shoulders and a wide décolletage.

• Empire-waist dresses can emphasize the bust, being tight around the chest and waist but flaring slightly to cover a flabby gut.

• To define your waist, wear wrap-arounds and sash-tie styles to create slimmer curves, but stay away from pleats and detailing near the waist/hips because they widen your middle. A better option: styles that skim your curves nicely without being too tight on your body

• To flaunt well-proportioned legs, get dresses that end just above the knee.

BE BLACK.

• The little black dress is truly slimming, but guess what: You don’t have to stick to that color all the time.

• Dark colors like navy and charcoal takes inches off your frame.

• To break the monotony of black, get a dress that’s darker at the bottom but lighter on top/vice-versa.

• Go also for a black dress with unique trims and prints.

CAMOUFLAGE.

• Look for outfits that hide your flaws and cover up extra-curves.

• Even with great skin, you may have to cover up big arms with sleeves. If you insist on going sleeveless, wear a bolero.

• Go for structured or stiffer shirtdress-tailored dresses patterned after a shirt and having buttons down the front – because they flatter pear-shaped bodies

• Empire-waist and A-line styles can camouflage a wide rear and hide a bulging tummy.

• For a formal event, a full ball gown can put those hips nicely out of sight.

• If the flab on your upper body makes you self-conscious, a soft, flowing chiffon dress can cover problem areas and make you look feminine to boot.

• Break up the expanse of a large chest with a bust minimizer and reduce inches from your midsection with elastic girdles.

DIVERT.

• If you have bog hips, rear and thighs, and a smaller torso, your dress should divert attention from your problematic bottom and raise the eye upward to your more flattering upper part.

• To draw the eye away from your heavy bottom to your trimmer shoulders and waist, get empire dresses or halter styles.

• Another diversionary tactic is to have busy details or patterns on top. V-neck and low-cut styles also help draw the eye upward.

ELONGATE.

• Dresses that make you look longer also make you look thinner.

• Thin vertical or diagonal stripes are slimming, as are vertical details like front zips.

• An empire-cut dress also makes the torso appear longer.

• Styles that lengthen the neck are flattering. Try V-neck, boat neck, open collars and deep –scoop necklines. For an even slimmer effect, add a long necklace.