Secrets of Plus Size Dressing

Candice Huffine

If you're a size 12 or larger (like many American women), you don't need to hide your body in boring, shapeless black.  Here's how to work those curves:

1. Show a little skin.
Being totally covered can make you look larger than you are.  A sheer hemline or sleeves suggest bareness without revealing too much.

2. Embrace color.

Think monochromatic in jewel tones.  Deep shades of emerald, sapphire or amethyst can be just as flattering as black.  A gem-colored dress with slightly darker opaque tights will slim down legs.

3. Try on some patterns.
An all over print keeps the eyes moving, which distracts from shape issues.  Another tip: Dark backgrounds have slenderizing superpowers.

4. Repeat after me: Flow is your friend.

A double-knit ponte or thick matte jersey will skim over your curves.

5. Use Your Baubles: Choose Drops That Pop.

Multifaceted drop earrings, like bold sparkling necklaces, focus eyes where you want them.

Here are three looks to rock if you're a plus-size beauty.

Work

A chic silk top paired with a slinky pencil skirt suits just fine for work.  Why it works?  The proportions are spot on.  A relaxed, loose-fitting shirt tucked into a slender skirt makes the waist look inches smaller. Contrasting colors- light on top, dark on the bottom- and three quarter-length sleeves enhance the hourglass effect.  Top it off with pointy nude shoes to extend the line of your leg, making them go on forever.

Eyeshadow, Macys

Le Suit, Macys

Sole Society



Saint Laurent

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Evening

A girl can never have too many LBDs.  Black may be slimming, but it doesn't guarantee a flattering fit.  What will? The right material: This dress, made from jersey, slides over curves for a sexy look that isn't sausage tight; Clever construction: A sheer neckline provides just enough sexiness, while keeping you contained and a hemline that lands at the ideal spot (just above the knee).

Giuseppe Zanotti

Marina Rinaldi

NINA

Forzieri

Weekend

Find your best feature and flaunt it.  For example, skinny jeans and comfy stacked heels show off great legs.  Skinnies scary? Nah.  These slim-cut, dark wash jeans don't just make limbs look narrow; they have a bit of stretch for extra comfort.  A long-ish moto jacket with vertical detailing (zippers) draws the eye up and down to elongate the torso while adding an element of cool.

Aqua

Michael Kors

Eileen Fisher

James Jeans

Asos

Saint Laurent