How to Hide Love Handles

They might be called "love handles," but nobody loves them. Even worse, it's very difficult to burn them into oblivion, especially when that plate of cookies beckons ever so temptingly. Fortunately, the right clothing can disguise those handles o' love like nobody's business.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Banish any overly snug clothes from your closet. Pants that are too tight can cause your hip and belly fat to spill over the waistband, creating the infamous "muffin top" look. Shirts too tight will cling to love handles. Although an 8 rather than a 10 might make you feel thinner, you might not look it if it isn't your real size.

2. Consider the layered look. Choose a loose, open cardigan or tunic with a fitted tee on top and properly fitted pants to give you a trim middle.

3. Move the waistline. An empire waist tunic or dress highlights the slimmest part of your body--the area right below the bustline, allowing the "not so slim" parts to disappear under the fabric beneath.

4. Choose the weight and quality of the fabrics in your wardrobe wisely. Cheap, thin knits tend to cling in all the wrong places, while a fabric with more heft falls more forgivingly.

5. Wear black. It's a cliché that black is a "slimming" color, but it's not a lie. A little black dress that fits well and is the right cut and fabric takes inches off your figure.

6. Invest in a body slimmer or shaper if all else fails. These stretchy and surprisingly comfortable undergarments whittle down your mid-section.

Tips & Warnings

• Go shopping with an honest, compassionate friend who will tell you how the clothes look before you purchase them.
• Avoid wearing baggy attire. Many people turn to baggy clothes to hide bulges, but this actually increases a person's perceived girth, rather than streamlining the silhouette.

Resources

• Find body slimmers to disguise those love handles.