Q. During a very indulgent Christmas, I’ve put on more than a few pounds, which I’m desperate to shift. Have you any tips on how I can dress to disguise the extra weight I’ve gained during the festive season.
A. Deception is at the heart of fashion. Enhancing the waist, minimising the hips, and creating a cleavage where none exists are tricks that every designer has up their sleeve. Fashion is, in large part, an art of tromp l‘oeil: it can make people look thinner (head-to-toe black); more powerful (shoulder pads); and more prominent (red).Yet many women remain innocents in the game of deception, subjecting themselves to a succession of diet and exercise regimes and ignoring the easier ways to look good.
The world is populated by women of all shapes and sizes: from petite to Amazonian, from androgynous to curvaceous, the variety of voluptuous and feminine forms really is something to celebrate. Why make things difficult for yourself when a wardrobe of carefully chosen clothes can transform the body, making a size 16 figure look like a 12. If you‘d like to look slimmer here are a few tried and tested tricks to help you achieve that goal.
My favourite trick to disguise a pot belly is to wear a beautiful flowing scarf over, for example, a simple grey or black dress. The long line of the scarf will draw will make you appear taller and slimmer by drawing attention away from the midriff towards the vertical lines created by the scarf.
Make sure that your garments fit and flatter. The simple fact of it is that if you wear clothing that is slightly too big for you, you will look as if you‘ve lost weight. If your clothing is a bit small, you are going to look like you‘ve gained. So many women wear clothes that are too tight, honestly, I find it astonishing. You may wish you were a size 10 but if you are not - squeezing into a pair of too tight jeans will only serve to make you look enormous and, let‘s face it, none of us want that.
Also, it‘s important to remember that giant accessories will make you look small, so bin that teeny weenie clutch and opt instead for an oversized bag, because the bigger your handbag the smaller you will appear in comparison. That‘s why Victoria Beckham carries a Birkin bag wider than her waist and Grey‘s Anatomy‘s Katherine Heigl never leaves home without her enormous Valentino hold all. The same applies for other accessories; statement necklaces, oversized sunglasses and large earrings are in right now, so take advantage. The same advice also holds true when it comes to footwear.
The larger your shoe is the slimmer your leg will appear that‘s why many celebrities, such as Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston and Gwen Stefani are often pictured wearing wedge heels when they are pictured in glossy magazines. They are made to create the illusion that you are taller, your legs are longer and your bottom is perter than it really is. And that‘s why I love wedges. Unlike the common old pump (a poor excuse for a shoe); wedges do all of the above and more. Perfect.
