The Old Rule: “Bright Colors and Prints Will Call Unnecessary Attention to Your Shape and Make You Look Bigger”
The New Rule: There are no rules when it comes to color—just make sure it compliments your complexion. Even wearing bright red can be slimming when the cut and fit flatters your shape and with complimenting accessories. If you’re still nervous about jumping into the technicolor waters, dip a toe in first: Start with small, vibrant details—shoes, jewelry, or bags—before trying bigger pieces. As for prints, “make sure they’re proportionate to the scale of the body. If a larger woman wears a tiny print, it may get lost but paired with a solid bottom adds balance to the look.” An especially forgiving option, watercolor prints. One color melts into the other and it’s really flattering with solid colored shoes.
The New Rule: If it floats your boat, by all means, go for it. The trick is to adapt a trend in a way that works for your shape. Dying to wear a crop top? Opt for one that’s cut longer and pair it with a high-waisted pencil skirt or pants. Want to give color-blocking a go? Wearing multi-toned pieces can be slimming if the vertical panels and darker shades are positioned on the areas that you want to downplay. Even hard-to-pull-off harem pants get the green light. “Find a pair with stretch and draping, keep in mind that women who carry their weight on top, look especially good in this cut because the pants balance the silhouette. “Women with larger tops tend to say "oh, I could never wear that." Well, how do you know if you haven’t tried?" You might have already dismissed something that could be your best friend.
The Old Rule: “Dressing in Monochrome Is Always Slimming”
The New Rule: Use it, don’t abuse it. Monochrome can indeed work wonders by creating one long, lean, continuous line; but simply throwing on random pieces in the same shade can also make you look sloppy and adds no definition. To avoid that trap, “play around with different fabrics. Add an item with texture or a material like chiffon—and accessorize with a pop of color—rather than wearing the same fabric from head to toe. The hue also matters: People love nudes, but it shouldn’t be the exact same color as your skin tone or there will be no delineation between where your clothes end and you begin. Belts make great accessories that help define the waistline and can be matched with your shoes or bags.
The Old Rule: “Stripes Are the Enemy”
The New Rule: Don’t indiscriminately draw the line at stripes. They’ve gotten a bad rap, and—truth be told—with some justification: Chunky, straight-across horizontal bands won’t do anybody any favors. But there’s a whole world of stripes that are using their powers of optical illusion for good. “Many designers are now making stripes that are asymmetrical, making you appear smaller these days. Look for stripes that angle inward to help slim your waistline. More trade secrets: Thinner stripes tend to make you look more svelte than thick ones do, and a dark background with lighter-colored stripes is far superior to the other way around.
The Old Rule: “Following Trends Is Too Risky, Just Stick to the Basics”