How to Buy Flattering Clothes for Women
For some women, shopping for new clothing is a stressful experience as they struggle to find outfits that flatter their bodies. Fortunately, spending some time researching styles and your body type before heading out to the mall can prevent a lot of dressing room distress. The key to finding flattering clothing is figuring out what body type you have and then learning about the styles fashion experts recommend for your figure. Remember to try to draw the eye toward your positive features and away from the negative.
Instructions
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Determine your body type by measuring your waist, bust and hips using the tape measure. In addition to taking measurements, evaluate your figure in the mirror, or ask a friend's opinion, to try to determine which shape best describes you. There are five basic shapes used to define women's figures. An apple figure has a larger midsection, an hourglass figure is curvy with a small waist, a rectangle figure is balanced with a medium waist, a strawberry figure has a large bust with small hips and a pear figure has large hips with a small bust.
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Research style choices recommended for your body type. For example, ladies with hourglass figures should accentuate their waists with wrap dresses and belts but they should avoid baggy and shapeless dresses. Women with strawberry figures should wear full and brightly-colored skirts to balance out their large busts, but they should avoid shoulder pads and tapered pant legs.
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Research other famous fashionistas with your body type and see what styles they are wearing. For example, Oprah Winfrey has an apple figure and Rachel Hunter has a rectangle. Keep in mind these women often employ stylists who know the latest trends and the best tricks to flatter any figure.
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Try on clothing, keeping in mind what is flattering for you and trendy with women who have similar body types. Focus on finding a style that works for you and pieces that fit. Sizes are often inconsistent from designer to designer, so try on every article of clothing before purchasing to ensure it fits right, and bump the size up or down as needed. You may have to get items tailored to ensure they fit properly, so an item that is too large in some areas is preferable over that one that is too small.
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Visit a tailor to shorten pants, take in busts or take in the waist of your new clothing. This is the best way to be sure the items fit like you want them.
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Tips & Warnings
As you find designers who make clothing that really suits you, try shopping online to see if they can customize items for you.
Play with color as you shop, wearing bright colors that accentuate positive features and muted colors that draw the eye away from unflattering areas.
References
Resources
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