How to dress your body type
Published 5:00 am Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Unless you’re an Olympian or a runway model, you probably have a zone.
A certain body bulge that bedevils you in dressing rooms and taunts you at the gym. “A very small percentage of women are perfect hourglasses; the vast majority have at least one trouble zone,” said Clinton Kelly, styling star of TLC’s “What Not to Wear.” “Some women think camouflaging means covering it up so no one can see it. That’s not always the best approach.”
So what is? Here are some wardrobe tips from Kelly and bicoastal stylist/wardrobe consultant Eric Himel, who adds that “your No. 1 thing is to find a good tailor.”
Rubenesque thighs
Kelly: “Hem your top to midhip and don’t cover the crotch. A straighter leg pant, a trouser leg jean, that goes straight down from the widest part of the hip down the leg, with a pointy toe heel, is the most lengthening.”
Himel: “Go up in size to accommodate that area and take the waist in. Stick with A-line skirts and dresses — so flattering.”
What not to wear: “Anything with skinny in the label,” Kelly said. “You don’t want something that’s vacuum-sealed to the thigh.”
A voluptuous tush
Kelly: “If you have a small waist, large tush, the best tool to have is a good tailor. Look for pants that fit your largest part. You can have two little darts put in if your tush is much larger, or a little nip in the back center.”
Himel: “The idea is to show your pluses. Show the waist or do it with a belt. … You always need to get jeans one size smaller than you think. Because if you have a big butt and have any kind of saggy material in the butt, it’s going to look worse. You don’t want to get a pant that’s too full, but a nice straight-leg pant. It comes in at the waist and should go straight down, you want the pant a half-inch off the ground to lengthen the whole leg.”
What not to wear: “Tuck,” said Kelly.
A robust bust
Kelly: “The best way to minimize is with a V-neck. This comes back to showing a little bit of skin. It’s about creating verticality. You want to make sure you aren’t showing too much skin; it can look a little trashy. You need an arsenal of camisoles. Do a nice V-neck with a cami to add a little coverage. You’re creating an illusion of a longer neck, and that creates a longer body overall.”
Himel: “A large bust can really shorten your torso. The No. 1 thing is, you’ve got to be fitted for a proper bra. They need to be up, the proper height. With tailoring, darts are your friend. Darts that go underneath and in toward your body will show you have a shape.”
What not to wear: “A turtleneck is the worst thing you can wear if you’re looking to de-emphasize a large bust,” Kelly said.
Big upper arms
Kelly: “Honestly, the best way to camouflage arms is with a sleeve. Look for kimono sleeves in summer or a microfiber jersey, three-quarter sleeve, with a print. Believe it or not, sometimes a little cap sleeve or a little bit of puff on the shoulder can help balance out narrow shoulders and big arms. And tailoring down from a larger size is definitely annoying, but sometimes it has to be done.”
Himel: “A lot of people are asking me about underpinnings, and I love a Wolford three-quarter-sleeve top because it’s form-fitting but the material is kind of thick. It’s almost like a Spanx for your arm. If you wear something that will accent your waist — a little shrug — your eye will be drawn there instead of to your arms.”
What not to wear: “What you definitely do not want is for a sleeve to cut across the widest part of the arm and bust,” Kelly said. “That just makes everything look bigger.”
A woman with a belly
Kelly: “The best way to camouflage a tummy is with a jacket, jacket, jacket, jacket. I’m not saying a suit jacket, I’m saying a denim jacket, cotton canvas, corduroy, velvet. Plus, jackets are what we call ‘completer’ pieces. They make you look like you’re wearing an outfit. They strengthen a shoulder — less emphasis on the midsection. If you wear it open, it creates a nice vertical line. Make sure it closes comfortably. Also, you want to be really careful about the rise on your pants. Aim for about an inch below the belly button.
Himel: “Obviously, Spanx and those types of body shapers do help. You don’t want anything too clingy, and you kind of need an optical illusion. That’s why wrap dresses and wrap tops work. They go around and cover.”
What not to wear: “If you have a small bust and big tummy, an empire waist is not going to work,” Kelly said. “That works best if your bust is slightly bigger.”
A guy with a gut
Kelly: “When I put on weight, it goes right to my tummy, so you hardly see me these days without a jacket on. … If you’re going to wear a shirt and pants, make sure the (untucked) shirt fits well and doesn’t cover the crotch.”
Himel: “You want a straight-leg kind of pant. Men love to put cuffs on pants, but you want to make your leg look fluid and streamlined. Also wear your pant longer, so you have a break in it, with the bottom a half-inch off the floor. If you can wear a dress shoe with a little heel, it’s going to elongate.”
What not to wear: “Men always think pleats help guts, and it’s the opposite,” Himel said. “Pleats create tenting.”
Figure fixes
Polly Ho models a dress with an empire waist to camouflage her tummy.
‘Show off your pluses’
GOT A GUT?
With a growing midsection at hand, a guy (or gal) should make sure the untucked shirt fits well and doesn’t cover the crotch. “The best way to camouflage a tummy is with a jacket, jacket, jacket, jacket,” said Clinton Kelly, co-host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear.”
BUSTING BUST?
Firstly, a well-fitting, supportive bra is essential. The best way to minimize a robust bust is with a V-neck. This comes back to showing a little bit of skin. “Do a nice V-neck with a cami to add a little coverage. You’re creating an illusion of a longer neck and that creates a longer body overall,” said Kelly.