10 Ways to Dress 5 kgs Thinner

So, you do not have a perfect figure? And who really does?

Courtesy of La'Qua Image


No matter what dress size or how much you weigh, magazines and celebrities’ bodies are hard to come by. Not many of us will wake up in the morning and say, “I want to look fat today!”

Since we all have challenge areas which we wish to minimise, to Dress for Slim Success we must learn The Art of Optical Illusion; that is, learn to camouflage but, most importantly, accentuate those natural assets which we all have. Our designer friend Coco Channel could have not said it better: “fashion is architecture; it is a matter of proportion”.

Quickly get a piece of paper and describe four areas of your body.

What areas did you write down? Were they your positives or were they your negatives? Most of us women are not aware of our beauty, but boy we are certainly aware of our defects!

The art of optical illusion is about learning how to dress for ‘your’ body proportions since you first need to know the shape of your body, before learning how to accentuate what nature has given you!”

In general, there are some tricks and tips for men and women that you can use to Dress Ten Pounds Thinner..

1. Accentuate the positives

What do you see as your best physical asset? You could do the brief exercise above and if you where only allowed to keep three features of your body, what would they be? Perhaps a flat tummy, a tiny waist, gorgeous legs, a long neck, beautiful face, and arms? Learn how to accentuate those assets and camouflage those less flattering areas, which we all have.

Do you have a great waist? Work it by choosing a jacket with gathers at the waist or add a belt to pull it in.

2. Inject Colour in your life

The ‘right’ colours are the quickest way to not only make you feel vibrant, but also reduce years off your complexion. The white of your eyes will stand out and eyes will sparkle, blemishes and imperfections tend to soften, and your face will look more vibrant, healthier and yes … younger. Knowing ‘your’ right colours will automatically reflect on the perfect hair colour, make-up and even accessories that will enhance your natural beauty.

For example, if you are a ‘Winter’ use your greys as your neutrals and wear a top in your complimentary clear pink to illuminate your complexion.

And let’s not forget that it also affects your mood, body shape, your outlook in life and the impression you cause on others. Wear ‘your’ complimentary colours near the face to draw the eye up and the rest of your body.

3. Stay away from ill fitted clothing

Both clothing extremes too tight and too loose have the opposite effect and add pounds to your figure. The common mistake is that bigger hides the most, when in reality, big clothes rob you of any shape, making you look like a trunk under a tent. Likely, wearing something too small for you can make you look a lot bigger than your actually are. Be brutal and always buy for the perfect fit.

Hide the tummy? Buy skirts (for the ladies) or pants with waistbands that cover across the tummy, not above or below it to avoid those ‘roll over’ effects.

4. Learn ‘The Art of Optical Illusion’

The general rule is to wear vertical lines on the parts of your body you wish to lengthen or narrow and horizontal lines on the parts you wish to widen or shorten. This applies to your patterns, seams, buttons, accessories, pockets and fabrics amongst many others.

If you wish to retract attention to your hips, avoid wearing large sleeves or cuffs on your shirts/blouses. When your arms rest on your side they will bring attention to this area, creating a horizontal line and creating a wider illusion.

5. Flex, point and stretch your body

If you are not very tall, like most of us are, you can create the illusion of being longer by dressing the same colour, i.e. matching skirt or trouser suit, hosiery and shoes. Make sure your pants cover your shoes and wear high pointed heels for the long-legged look. For you men, always stick to the same colour of pants, socks and shoes.

Stay away from rounded toes; they create a horizontal line at the end of your legs making them look stumpy.

We must not forget that every piece of clothing you put on your body is made up of four basic design elements: proportion, line, colour and texture. To look our slimmest we need to make sure that all these elements are working in harmony with each other. © 2004

There are more tricks up our sleeves. This and so much more is covered in a Personalised Style & Line Analysis. Find out more about our limited NZ Fitness Magazine special offer available.

If you wish to receive the five final tips to ‘10 Ways to Dress Ten Pounds Thinner’ click here.

Complimentary Colour is the correct colour that your image consultancy has recommended, which compliments your undertone and natural features. La'qua Image is a regular contributor to various print media.

Courtesy of La'Qua Image

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