Tricks for Dressing for a Sleek and Streamlined Silhouette
I recently gave a talk about how to use and apply colour analysis when you shop and one attendee asked me, “As I’m ageing I am finding that black is a bit harsh and draining for me, but I’ve heard it’s the best colour to slim you too, so is there another way that I can dress to look slimmer without using black?” My answer was, of course! Although no woman should feel like they should have to dress in a way to be slimmer or taller, we all have our insecurities and using optical illusions when we dress can help to boost our confidence.
Is black the only colour that can make you look slimmer?
Black has traditionally been the go to for most of us when we feel we want to hide or cover up our body. It’s easy, there’s a lot of black clothing to choose from, it feels safe and doesn’t draw attention. By it’s nature black absorbs light and makes it less visible in dim light. The dark hue can help to conceal creases and fold in your body so is seen to hide perceived flaws.
However black is not the only colour to dress in if you’re feeling insecure about your body, in fact it can have a detrimental effect on your mood if you’re only wearing it because you think it’s your only option and you have no other choice.
What other colours are slimming?
Instead there are alternatives to consider, any dark colour will act the same way, shapes and proportions of clothes also have a huge impact on how your body appears visually, simply wearing the wrong shapes or lengths for your bodies unique proportions can give the illusion of a distorted frame- but that’s a huge topic for another time!
Utilise a Column of Colour
One easy technique that everyone can use to create a visual illusion to elongate your frame is a ‘Column of Colour’. It’s a really useful way to put together outfits that takes the same colour or tone through an outfit. By taking one colour or tone through an outfit, from top to bottom it will create a long vertical line that your eyes (and everyone else’s!) will follow, thus elongating your frame.
You can use any colour, they don’t need to match exactly but have to share a similar value, like both being light or dark. A solid dress or jumpsuit does this easily, but how can you can achieve the same look by using separates? There are two main formulas:
Wear the same colour top and bottom, add an additional colour or pattern in your outerwear.
Wear the same colour bottom and outer with a different colour top, like a suit.
Envisaging this in reality can be tricky, so here’s some bloggers who often use this technique:
Outfits That Create a Slimming Effect
Use Neutrals in the Same Tones
Jordan Bogigian @jobogigian
Loves to mix neutrals of black and brown to create a luxe using pieces in contemporary cuts and silhouettes. On the two images on the right, Jordan utilises both the formulas in her outfits to create outfits that are the same tones.
2. Elongate a Petite Frame
Brooke @pumpsandpushups
ives in warmer climates so predominantly wears summer clothing. She loves light colours, white, simple and pretty. She is a Petite blogger at 4’10”. In the two pictures on the left she uses a base colour of white in the print and bottoms. It works because the print is random and doesn’t create an obvious break in her outfit as a check or horizontal stripe would.
3. Don’t be Afraid of Brights
Rochelle Johnson @beauticurveoves
Loves bright, vibrant colour and print. Here she uses co-ordinating pieces to create a column of colour in a fun and fashionable way. Rochelle keeps her footwear neutral or ensures that we can sees her feet to further elongate her frame further.
4. Carry The Same Colour Through Your Outfit
Margarita Arguelles @margapau
Uses neutrals to create outfits that are polished and easy to mix and match. Margarita wears a lot of warm neutrals, especially cream and camel to create a glamorous look.
5. Contrast Your Outerwear
Jean Wang @ExtraPetite
Blogs her about her everyday classic workwear style, using a palette of neutrals that she can easily mix and match. On the two photos on the right, Jean uses the same colour in her top and bottom with a contrasting jacket to elongate her petite frame.
I hope this has given you some ideas and inspired you to give it a go! I’d love to hear from you with how you can try it in your own wardrobe.
