Pro Tips: How to Dress 10 Pounds Slimmer Now

We don’t have the stats on how many of us added a few pounds over the very intense, stressful, stay-at-home year that was 2020… BUT raise your hand if you’ve been living in loungewear and pouring yourself a glass or two of wine with dinner on the daily. Yeah, we thought so…. us too. While our communities opening up and returning to some semblance of normal is still a ways off, we are starting to mentally prep for the idea of getting dressed in regular (read: non-stretchy) clothes again. Our gift to you is DON’T worry about the extra pounds right now, instead think LEAN! And, hide your overindulgence by styling outfits that flatter and have the effect of a slimmer figure. Read on for all our stylist tips and tricks for dressing 10 pounds slimmer now.

LENGTHEN

-Elongate your legs by wearing nude pumps (on a budget or designer splurge) that match your skin tone when going bare OR black tights with black shoes or boots. Avoid shoes that cut you off at the ankle.

-Skirts and dresses that hit above the knee lengthen; skirts that hit mid-calf must be worn with a heel and if you are thicker through the middle just say “no.”

-V-necklines do a phenomenal job of drawing the eye down and lengthening your body.

-If you love prints, look for vertical, elongating graphic prints. Avoid prints with small patterns.

EMBELLISH

– A statement necklace, from sparkly gemstones to chunky gold links, or a pendant has the marvelous effect of drawing the eye up to your face and neck. Plus, if it’s longer it will draw the eye down, creating a vertical line.

– Wear lighter colors and embellishments in areas where you want the eye to focus, and darker tones where you want to draw attention away. In other words, accentuate your smaller areas. One way to do this is to add a color-blocked top or dress that highlights your best features.

ALTER

–Get spanxed. If you have yet to invest, waist-whittling Spanx truly is a wonder product. Determine which area you want to suck in and purchase one of the many styles that work to enhance different areas of your figure. Celebrities do it, so can you. Want to cover up your arms? Check out Spanx Arm Tights or layer a blouse with sheer sleeves underneath a sleeveless dress.

-Find a great tailor. If your clothes don’t fit perfectly, you are adding pounds. Repeat after me — baggy clothes do NOT hide weight. Well-tailored clothes that skim your shape will make you appear slimmer and more pulled together.

–Wear the proper length skirt and pants. Your tailor can help in this area. Cropped pants and capris will make you look shorter, so wear them with a wedge or heel.

NEUTRALIZE

-It’s no secret that black slims and trims — why do you think the perfect LBD (at a steal or designer splurge) is the most coveted item in our closet? But if you are so over wearing black everyday, navy, charcoal gray, burgundy, dark purple and chocolate brown have a similar slimming effect.

-Monochromatic colors are slimming and fashion-forward. Add a pop of color the form of a jacket or an accessory, such as a belt, handbag, jewelry or shoes.