These Fashion Mistakes Can Add 10 Pounds to Your Look

This article appeared in thefashionball.com and has been published here with permission.

The Loose Sweater and Skirt Combo

While loose sweaters are a go-to winter essential that provides great comfort to us all, this item of clothing also hides our waistline and makes our lower body appear shorter. So, when pairing our sweaters with skirts, it is imperative that we tuck the garment in.

Otherwise, we will look frumpy like the woman in the left picture here. Also, a good trick to remember would be to pair the loose long-sleeve with a tighter skirt, in order to flatter your figure.

The Waistline Cinch

The waistline is most women's smallest area, so it's important not to hide this part of our bodies but rather to embrace it. As seen in the image on the left, when we wear garments that are loose and unflattering it can be deceiving and make us look bigger than we actually are.

That's why we suggest either to add a belt to cinch in your waist or get your clothes altered tighter as this woman did (right-side).

Avoid Bulging

When an article of clothing causes bulging, it means that it makes you appear swollen or lumpier than you actually are. This is a look that nobody actively wants so try to avoid buying clothes that have this effect on you.

As seen here, this black cocktail dress is making the woman appear as if she has stomach rolls and the mom jeans on the right are also guilty of the same thing.

Tuck in Your Shirt

When wearing a long-sleeve tee with a skirt like pictured here, pulling down the shirt immediately adds on imaginative extra pounds (see the left-side). This is because you have divided your figure into two pieces and given the effect of stomach rolls.

This is not a look that we want to promote as it is most unflattering and doesn't show off the skirt well. Rather tuck in the shirt and let the skirt's waistband give you a good cinch in.

The Best Belt for You

When it comes to trying to flatter the figure, a good rule of thumb is to opt for a thicker belt. The wideness of a chunkier belt is better for cinching in your waist.

Also, you can wear belts that are light in color but it depends on what clothing you wear with it. If your coat is darker than the belt you are wearing, then this could make your waistline appear larger.