Too often we hear and see messages that tell us that we need to lose some pounds to look fantastic.  Honestly, I can’t even count the number of times I’ve heard of people getting all “down in the dumps” about their fabulous-selves because they saw images of thin, attractive people looking amazing.  First of all, some people have the resources to make themselves look perfect every day and second of all, YOU can look fabulous just the way you are!

Guess what?  Whether you have an extra roll or two (or not), how you dress for your shape can do wonders to make you look amazing, regardless of how you look today (and not in 5 months when you think you’re going to lose 20, 40, 60 pounds – or more).  Here are a few key things that you can do TODAY to make you look and feel amazing:

It’s all about balance

• You’ll need to really consider your body’s proportions to follow this tip.  For example, if you are broad in the shoulders, wearing a really skinny or tapers pant will only make you look like an ice cream cone on the bottom.  Instead, consider wearing a pant that falls from the widest part of your hip straight down to the ground (just grazing above the ground).  I’d also suggest wearing a jacket or blazer with very structured shoulders- to balance your proportions.  You can top this look off with some killer heels and 1-2 fun accessories (now don’t go crazy accessorizing).

Not everyone has supermodel long legs… but we can pretend

• So some of us (me included) don’t have ridiculously long legs but it IS possible for us to create the illusion that we have long legs.  How you ask?  There are 2 really easy, quick things you can do right away.
  1. Wear heels with a pointed toe-box (and obviously look for shoes that are comfortable and don’t crush your toes… ouch!).  This creates the illusion of a longer, leaner leg.  To really emphasize this look, opt for heels that are nude or skin colour.
  2. In addition to wearing heels with more of a point, opt for skirts and dresses that end at the narrowest part of your leg (and we’re not talking the ankle here).  Rather than have your hemline end at your mid-thigh or mid-calf – which will make your legs look THICKER – wear skirts or dresses that end at/just above/just below the knee.

Define your waist

• Most of us have some “chubba chubb” around our midsections that we wish wasn’t there- but it is there so deal with it!  One way to create the illusion of a thinner waistline is to define the smallest part of your waist.  Your natural waistline is somewhere between your bustline and your belly button – I like to call it your sweet spot!  You can define your sweet spot by:

1. Adding a trendy or feminine belt: add either a colour that complements your outfit (not one that is too matchy matchy) or a belt that is a similar tone as the rest of your outfit (a tone-on-tone look).
2. Wearing a high-waisted skirt: wearing a high-waisted skirt, with a lot of structure, provides coverage to many of your “chubba chubb” areas and magically brings the eye to the smallest part of you waist (and not the areas you’re sensitive about).

If you’re not sure how to put these tips into practice, just send an email or leave a comment.  I’d be happy to help out!
There are MANY more tips to come so stay tuned…