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Home / Personal Stylist / Dressing a Curvy Figure

Dressing a Curvy Figure

Let’s face it: few of us are 100 percent happy with our appearance. We’re constantly agonizing over our body shape, no matter what it is. And, by the way, we wish that muffin top would go away and never come back.

We hear this all the time. We ourselves say it all the time. Some of us have even dared to dream of waking up looking like Heidi Klum. (Not going to happen!)

Many women look at a curvy figure as the kiss of death. But we believe curves are feminine and should be embraced as a positive feature. Granted, the word “embrace” when speaking about our curves is a hard one to swallow. No one wants to “embrace” what they consider a shortcoming. We want to eliminate it all together! 

But the fact is every woman is unique and the sum of much more than her body features. And the good news is that with the right clothes, there are numerous ways to mitigate what we don’t like about our figures and emphasize what we do. Knowing what to wear for your particular figure is vital in allowing you a way to dress in your personal style with confidence. (Hint: curvy ladies should stay away from anything that’s too tight or too loose. Clothing that skims the body is better.)

Here are some simple guidelines to help turn your negative attitude about your curves into a positive one. Keep these in mind, and you’ll feel like a million bucks every time you walk out your door.

Go For:

Defined Waists

Waist-cinching and wrap dresses are very flattering. So are wrap tops. When your waist is defined in the clothing you wear, especially a dress, it draws the eye to your natural waistline, which gives a slimming and elongating effect. As someone who is curvy, it’s likely that you have a naturally defined and smaller waist. Add more emphasis to that waist by styling outfits to highlight that area of the body.

Avoid the Oversized

Many women think that a billowing sundress will cover all ills. Not true if you’re curvy because all that does is create a shapeless figure which will look fuller than it already is.  You don’t want to wear bulky items because they add unnecessary volume to your shape. If you are a curvy girl, make sure your clothes fit you just right and stay away from clothes that are.

No Voluminous Sleeves

While bell sleeves and other exaggerated styles can be fun to wear, the curvy gal should stay away from them. Once again, voluminous sleeves add unnecessary volume to your curvy shape.

Monochromatic Dressing

If you’re really curvy, this is the single best way to camouflage those curves. The color of the pieces does not have to match identically but be tonal in nature. Tonal means the colors may be “off” a little and not match exactly, but they should blend beautifully. Tone-on-tone.

Dark Solids

Piggybacking onto Monochromatic Dressing…don’t go for only black. Think navy, brown, magenta, or spruce green. You will find these colors in our current Carlisle and ETCETERA fall collections.

Color Block Styling

Choose a design with a mix of two contrasting colors in your separates, dresses, and jumpsuits. For separates, go for a dark color on the bottom (as mentioned above – think dark brown, navy, spruce green, magenta, and black) and a bright top if you’re concerned about your lower half. The bright color will draw attention to your face and upper body, and the darker bottom will camouflage a heavier behind. Do the same with dresses and jumpsuits.

High-Waisted Clothing

A pant or skirt with a high waist has a slimming effect on the Curvy Figure, as long as you’re not petite in stature. Petite in stature means if you’re high-waisted.

Cropped Tops and Jackets

Any short clothing item will make you look taller and thinner, but beware of where your waistline sits. If you are high-waisted (petite) you will not want to wear cropped tops or jackets.  It’s all about balancing those proportions that we preach about. Curvy Petites is a blog for another day.

 Wrap Tops

These are one of the most flattering items for curvy figures. The wrap feature cinches you in and hides problem areas.

General Guidelines

Wear Clothes that Fit Your Body

This is the most important advice I can give you and is the advice I give to all my clients. We have weekly “fit appointments” at a tailor’s shop to ensure that every item our clients purchase fits them perfectly. Wearing clothes that fit and hang properly on your body can make the difference between terrible and terrific or fantastic and frumpy. Just because you’re curvy doesn’t mean your outfit has to look like you just pulled it out of Little House on the Prairie.

A tailor will help you ensure that your clothes are not too tight or loose. There is a difference between squeezing yourself into an outfit and your outfit fitting your body perfectly. Look at your rear end. You don’t want to see any panty line. If you do, that dress, skirt, or pants are just too darn tight. One tip: check out vanishing edge-type panties.  Soma has a good choice of styles and colors for these magical items, which are smooth, seam-free, and carry no tags. Wearing clothes that are properly proportioned to your body is key. Again, not too small and not too big. Clothes should skim your body and accent your curves.

Shop Now

No matter if your weight fluctuates, don’t wait until you shed those extra pounds to look for clothes. We advise our clients to go shopping and invest in the essential pieces immediately. It is so important to wear clothes that fit while losing weight, so you’ll look and feel your absolute best. Good pieces, garments with seam allowances of ¾ of an inch or more, as well as seams and darts, can be easily altered as you lose weight. This is also where a talented tailor and a personal stylist come in handy. They’ll be able to guide you in purchasing the clothes that look good now but can also work for the future. Tip: if you don’t like high-waisted pants or skirts, a tailor can “notch” a V at the back waistline to release that high-waist and drop it down a bit.

Don’t Forget Undergarments

Every woman can do with a little cinching here, there, and anywhere at times, so be sure you have a body briefer in your shapewear arsenal. A body briefer works like a swimsuit and has strong structuring and elasticity that supports your curves while enhancing your shape.

Curvy Figures, Please Do Not!

Wear leggings as if they’re pants. They’re not. Keep the leggings for the gym or while relaxing at home.

We understand that there can be a lot that goes into dressing for your figure type. We know the ins and outs of dressing any body type, and we would be happy to help you understand what is best for your body type, personal style, and budget. Get in touch! Or complete our brief style profile and set up an initial call with a Personal Stylist. Click here for the Style Profile.

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