What to Wear

Low-Fat Dressing

• Ditch the sack. Body-conscious—but not tight—clothes are always best, whatever your size. A figure hidden in yards of fabric always looks bigger.
  
  
• Think vertical. Seams, stripes, piping, or a deep V-neck all stretch you out. Be wary of anything horizontal.
  
  
• Equalize your proportions. Pear shapes should offset a bigger lower half with details that broaden the upper body (flutter sleeves, boat necks); well-endowed women can downsize their busts with simple tops.
  
  
• Disguise thighs. Minis can be tough because they bisect the leg where it's biggest. I'm a firm believer in skirts that hit at midknee, where your leg is slimmer.
  
  
• Emphasize your waist. In fact, emphasize all your strongest features. Use color and pattern to bring the gaze to shoulders or good legs (and divert it from other areas).
  
  
• Avoid flimsy fabrics. Materials like gabardine or stretch cotton—especially in tailored form—give the body structure. Thin fabrics show every bulge.
  
  
• Invest in shapewear. Suck-you-in lingerie can take off five pounds. And yes, you can breathe with it on.