Plus Size Fashion Advice: The Golden Style Strategies
Courtesy of Fashion to Figure |
For this you need to pay attention to what details you put on your body frame and how you combine the colors of your outfit.
Compared to petites you have more space to work with and you can handle bigger details, however, it's extremely important that you select details that are scaled to your body size. Because if you for example put on a dainty necklace, you'll emphasize your large proportions.
But on the other hand, you can strategically put on a couple of extra necklace layers to create a fuller look that complements your body scale.
Basically, I recommend you to base your "plus size fashion mantra" on 3 basic golden strategies:
- Ensure proper fit. I know how tempting it is to hide your body in layers and oversized clothes, but they’ll only make you look bigger! Great fit makes sure nothing looks lumpy. Lumpy is frumpy. Your bra is especially important - it has to fit to keep your bust up and eliminate unevenness in your silhouette that will only distract the eye.
- Get the body scale right. Scaling prints and accessories with your size makes sure you won't look bigger in comparison.
- Strategically work with prints, shapes and details to make the eye go up and down. Vertical details are your best friends.
Now let's get the low-down on my plus size fashion advice to you - the basics on how to dress your plus size body frame:
Dress Your Body Shape
The first thing you need to do before shopping for womens plus clothing is to take a close look at the contours and proportions of your body figure.Plus size isn't a category by itself. There are both tall and short full figure women, and each and one of them has a different body shape that requires different set of styling and clothing strategies to look their best. For example, you might have wider shoulders compared to your hips, while your girlfriend who is also a plus size has wider hips than shoulders.
... So before you continue reading the fashion advice and styling tricks I'm about to share with you, I recommend that you check out the Guide to How to Dress Your Body Shape. There you'll learn the basics on how to build and solidify a wardrobe foundation based on your body figure and not just size.
Well-Balanced Proportions Can Make You Look Trimmer
By knowing what body shape you have, you'll be able to decide where and how to correctly place clothes and accessories, to create curves on the right places so that you'll make any prominent body part less obvious, but still keep your waist defined to help you look trim. These balanced proportions equal a proportional hourglass body shape.
Basically, downplaying any prominent areas of your body to achieve well-balanced body proportions, can help you look leaner and taller. Balanced outfit proportions de-emphasize and conceal any prominent body part you may have. Ever thought about why many pear shapes look shorter and "thicker" than they are? That's because their hips take the center-stage and make the eye go horizontally.
Do You Have Short or Long Legs?
Also, another key factor to dressing your full-figure size is your body frame's vertical line; meaning, how long your upper half is compared to your bottom half (torso versus hips and legs). You might have longer or shorter legs than your upper body or vice versa, which also requires a couple of outfit adjustments.Courtesy of Evans.co.uk
Despite that image consultants are preaching about balanced body proportions, having long legs is considered attractive - simply because it elongates your frame and can trick people into thinking you're taller and thinner. Short legs can make you look stumpy. However, super-long legs and a super-short torso may throw off your proportions. Click here for more fashion advice on how to dress your vertical body shape.
Plus Size Fashion Advice: Petite Plus Size Clothing
If you're a plus size at 5'4" (163 cm) or shorter then you need to look for petite plus size clothing, as well as work strategically with prints, shapes and other details - helping you look taller.Petite plus size clothes can be found at online stores such as:
- Woman Within
- One Stop Plus
- Jessica London
- Avenue
- Lane Bryant
- Fashion Bug
- Land's End
- Talbots
- Torrid
- ASOS (size 12 to 16)
Courtesy of Torrid |
Here are 3 tips on how to look trimmer with clothes and accessories:
- Wear heels. If you're not a high-heel gal, then an inch or two is enough to slim your legs and body figure
- Go for knee-length (or shorter) skirts and shorts. If you have muscular legs avoid garments that extend right on the thickest part of your legs - your calves. It brings attention to this area and can visually make you look stubby!
- Show more skin. Deep necklines and short (knee-length or shorter) skirts and dresses instantly slim down your full-figure stature. They might come off as tacky for conservative tastes, but as long as you keep the other part modestly clothed then you're safe! For example, wear a sweater with plunging neckline and go for a bit more conservative looking pants or skirt