Layering for Camouflage

Maryland welcomed me back home from overseas with a real Spring!  Singapore - where heat and humidity is a year-round season - doesn't allow for wearing much more than one layer, preferably drip-dry!  Maryland, on the other hand (& side of the globe), has gifted us with an extended Spring this year! It's such a treat even on days when the temps creep into the 80's because the day always begins in the 60's or 70's! Therefore, we have greater opportunity to camouflage our body imperfections: balance those hips with a blazer, wear long pants that elongate our legs, even put on our tummy-tucking jeans! Enjoy it now, because the Summer challenge won't be far away!

Conceal & Reveal Tips

Bust

Conceal: Semi-fitted styles, darted tops, V-necks, sweetheart cuts and single-breasted jackets will help a big bust look best. Steer clear of high crew necks and turtlenecks with horizontal patterns, which can create a "uniboob" and make your torso look thick.

Reveal: Ruffles and ruching will add texture to a top and give you a more voluptuous appearance. Horizontal and empire-waist cuts will also make a small bust look best.

Conceal & Reveal Tips

Shoulders

Conceal: If you want to appear narrower in the shoulders, wear dark colors on top. Raglan sleeves on shirts also make your shoulders seem slimmer by drawing your eye inward. Avoid wearing anything boxy since this adds weight and does not draw the eye to a defined waist.

Reveal: Wide lapels or epaulets on your jackets will widen the look of your shoulders. Also, wearing anything with strong shoulders and a nipped waist will accentuate your shoulders.

Neck

Conceal: Audrey Hepburn was admired for her lovely long neck, but if you feel that yours is a little too long, there are ways to conceal it by wearing high crew-neck tops or turtlenecks.

Reveal: If you want the opposite effect, wearing V-necks and wide U-necks will elongate the appearance of your neck by drawing the eye down toward the décolletage.

Conceal & Reveal Strategies

I've dressed some of the most famous women in the world and promise you that every single one of them has told me that she would like to conceal a few things. The best-dressed women and the most sexy women are those who show off their assets and hide their flaws. One of the most important tips I can give you is to be comfortable in your clothes, because if you are comfortable and confident, you will be sexy! Therefore, you should only wear clothing you feel comfortable and confident in; clothing that hides your flaws and highlights your best features. Every woman's body has flaws she might want to hide, and every woman's body has assets she should want to flaunt. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in our flaws, but don't let them distract you from remembering your good parts! I suggest that you pick the three body parts that you consider "flawed" and pick the three body parts that you love most. Use these choices and refer to the "Conceal and Reveal Strategies" I will list next to get some tips on how to hide flaws and accentuate assets to become your most sexy self.

Bradley Bayou's Sexy Science: The Best Fashion for Your Shape and Size
A couture fashion designer with an atelier in Beverly Hills, Bradley Bayou is taking the same formula he uses on his celebrity clients to make women of all shapes and sizes look their best with his book The Science of Sexy.

7 Ways to Not Look Fat in a Swimsuit

• Buy bigger. A common mistake is to go too small, especially with bikini or tankini bottoms. (Don't be distressed if you need a larger suit—swimwear often runs a size or two smaller than streetwear.)
  
  
• Brighten up gradually. Although dark-skinned women can wear bold colors right away, paler types should start summer with a neutral like mocha or chocolate (less stark than black), working up to juicier shades as they get some sun.
  
  
• Accentuate the positive. Put color and pattern where you want attention, dark solids where you don't.
  
  
• Know your body. Each figure type imposes its own limits. Some helpful innovations: bikini tops with fixed cups (like a T-shirt bra for the beach) to support larger breasts, one-pieces with cutaway backs—they cover the stomach but look like sexy two-pieces from behind.
  
  
• Psych up for trying on. Shop in the morning, on a relatively empty stomach; avoid bloat-prone days. Self-tanning beforehand makes women feel more confident, Borish says—and arms and legs look slimmer.
  
  
• Don't rush. Block out a few hours for shopping, and try on at least ten suits. If the changing room doesn't have a three-way mirror, leave.
  
  
• Explore online options. Make sure the website has free returns so you can order several suits and sizes without risk—essentially, your home becomes your try-on room. O, The Oprah Magazine | June 15, 2006 advice from Lauren Borish, senior buyer for FigLeaves.com, a lingerie and swimsuit website

Timeless Wardrobe Picks

Invest in Classics and they'll see you thru the years! With choices like these you can't go wrong - add your own style trends of the moment to update from year to year (or decade to decade)!

1. A little black dress made forever popular by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. You don't need a Givenchy, just one that fits well and suits your own figure! Dress it down for day, glam it up for evening!

2. A neutral shoe sounds simpler than it may be to find in some seasons. I'm referring to a leather shoe in your own skin color (not beige or tan) which will visually extend the line of your leg. Any vertical line extended helps slim you!

3. A touch of animal print can be fun without overbearing when done in a bag or a shoe. I have a purse of my grandmother's from the 40's and a pair of heels from the 80's which are perfect to use today with neutrals or contrasting prints.

4. A pencil skirt can be sexy without revealing and appropriate at any age. If you have a boyish shape, it gives the impression of curves; if you're curvy, it plays up your figure; and it's more flattering to a plus size than a full skirt.

5. A blazer, "borrowed from the boys" oversized or feminine-fitted and shapely, is a staple that can extend your wardrobe options and carry you from morning to night!

Amazing Body-Shaping Jeans

FORWARD-SHIFTED SIDE SEAMS

The vertical seams on these bootcuts are repositioned to give the impression of a longer, narrower line.

Calvin Klein Jeans Shape, $70;CalvinKleinJeans.com

SUPER-HOLD TUMMY PANEL

From one of my favorite figure-flattering brands: The perfect Spandex-denim blend takes off ten pounds.

Miraclebody by Miraclesuit, $110, Nordstrom

BUILT-IN SHAPEWEAR

These incorporate a power-mesh panty that smooths the stomach while lifting and molding your butt. Though white, the thick fabric conceals flaws.

$59; ShapeFX.com

COVERAGE FOR PETITES

Short, plus-size women can find affordable, great fitting pairs from Just My Size. This pair offers width and fullness, as well as its signature tummy control panel, and comes in a shorter length.

"The Short," $18; Walmart.com