We’ve teamed up with stylists and wardrobe coaches Alicia Kite and Kay Davidson of Alicia|Kay Style to bring you their top tips.
With wearing the wrong size or style to suit your shape a huge culprit for adding unnecessary pounds, Alicia and Kay talk us through their top 7 ways to pick the right clothing for you.
- The bra
Choose the correct size bra – where your entire breast is contained within the cup and the band is secure around your back – as this will keep your breasts in the right place. When wearing the correct bra the fullest part of your bust should be in line with the middle of your upper arm, not sagging towards your elbow or pointing to your tummy. By ensuring your breasts are in the right place you will look slimmer and even taller.
- Avoid clingy materials
There is a fine line between showing off what you have and showing too much and this can often be down to fabric choice as well as garment styling. Stretchy knitted fabrics only need 2% or 3% lycra content to give comfort when worn. Once the stretch yarn content creeps up to 5 or 6% (check the label inside the garment if you are unsure), beware as these fabrics will cling and show all.
- The importance of a heel
This season wide leg trousers are making a big come back! They can have the effect of making you look bigger than you are, so to counteract this wear a heel to lengthen and slim legs. Make sure the length of the trouser just clears the floor when wearing your preferred heel height. A wide leg trouser that is too short will make your legs look bigger than you are and shorter!
- Pick the perfect length
You will see different lengths every season but more and more the fashion world seem to like the length that cuts across your calf. This is fine if you have long legs that go on forever, however for the rest of us this length will only make your legs look shorter than they are. Choose skirts which are just below the knee, where your leg goes in, is the most flattering length for the majority of women.
- Go darker
Darker colours will always make you look slimmer but get the style wrong and a big shapeless item could look like you are wearing a bin liner.
- Love your clothes
Spend time trying on the clothes you already have and decide what it is about each item you love or equally dislike. You will have clothes in your wardrobe that will make you feel great, while some make you feel frumpy – this is an ideal starting point to identify what you want to wear. Style is about having confidence in your look!
- Acceptance is key to style
Don’t keep looking back and saying ‘When I was slimmer I used to wear…’ or ‘When I am slimmer I will wear…’
If you look back when you were possibly slimmer, (before Mother Nature dished out age, children, life etc.) there’s a good chance you moaned about your appearance then too, as women we are good at being negative about themselves! We hear all too often, ‘If only I knew how fab I was at 30, or 40.’ You are fab, you just need to accept who you are today and learn how to make clothes work for you and your body now.