If you’re looking for tips and tricks to help you learn how to dress to look thinner – and how to make yourself look skinny in pictures – you’ve come to the right place! As much as we all strive to follow the latest fad diets and workout regimes to help us shed excess body weight so we can look and feel our best, many of us don’t have the time or willpower to stick to our goals 100% of the time. And that’s completely okay! In order to live our best lives, we need to find a happy balance. Not all of us were meant to be a size 00, and the sooner we accept this and learn to love the bodies we’re in, the happier we’ll be.
So, whether you’re a voluptuous, plus-sized woman with a sexy hour-glass figure, a broad-shouldered gal with next to no curves, or a petite Colleen who’s fallen off track with her weight loss goals and feels bloated and swollen, we’re sharing 23 simple ideas to help you learn how to dress to look thinner and call out your most attractive features.
How to Dress to Look Thinner: 14 Tips that Work
Define your waist.
If you want to know how to dress to look thinner, finding ways to define your waist is a great first step. This helps create the illusion that you have an hourglass figure with curves in exactly the right places, even if you don’t. Opt for high-waisted bottoms made with structured fabrics, tuck loose-fitting shirts into pants and skirts, cinch dresses with a small belt, and consider wearing shapewear beneath your clothes for added definition.
Wear clothes that are the correct size.
Contrary to popular belief, wearing clothes that are a size too big or a size too small for your frame doesn’t always make you look slimmer. Bulky clothing is more likely to make you look bigger than you actually are, and sizing down tends to draw attention to problem areas like back fat, muffin tops, and cellulite, so always choose clothing that fits true to size.
Choose the right undergarments.
When it comes to finding clothes that make you look slimmer, your undergarments are just as, if not more important than your outfit. Tight bras draw attention to back fat, and tight panties can cause rolls, muffin tops, and cellulite to show through your clothes. Take the time to get fitted properly, and if you’re wearing an unforgiving fabric, don’t be afraid to ditch your underpants altogether. No one needs to know!
Avoid rounded shoes.
While they may look cute, rounded-toed shoes do nothing but make your legs look short and stumpy. Opt for pointed-toed shoes as they help elongate your legs and give the illusion that they are longer than they really are.
Wear heels with skinny jeans.
If you’re a fan of skinny jeans but feel self-conscious about the width of your legs, avoid flats and flip flops at all costs. You can make your legs look longer by ensuring your denim is ankle-length (or slightly longer) and pairing them with a sexy pair of pointed-toed heels.
Invest in shapewear.
If you want to know how to dress to look thinner, shapewear is about to become your new best friend. Most women save shapewear for special occasions, but there’s no reason it can’t become a daily staple. Shapewear offers more support than your average undergarments, hides bulges and imperfections like cellulite, and gives an overall slimmer appearance. Control camis offer seamless coverage from your breasts to your waistline, corsets help cinch your waist and accentuate the curves of your hips, and control tights will slim your tummy, bum, and thighs. There are heaps of other body shapers to consider, but in my experience, these 3 will cover all your bases!
Dress in one color.
When you dress in 2 contracting colors and/or prints, the eye is naturally drawn to the area in which the 2 come together, which is typically your waistline. This can be a good thing if you have a natural hourglass figure, but if you want to elongate an already boxy frame, dressing in one color is a simple way to lengthen your body by creating one, sweeping look.
Cover up with long outwear.
If you live in a cooler climate and want to find ways to stay warm without adding unnecessary bulk to your look, long sweeping outerwear will help lengthen your frame. Pair with skinny jeans and pointy-toed heels or boots and leave your coat open, or cinch at the waist for a more flattering look when you really need to bundle up.
Wear clothing with vertical stripes.
It’s no secret that horizontal stripes can make us look wider, but that doesn’t mean you need to avoid stripes completely. You just need to be a bit more strategic when wearing them. Remember that stripes tend to stand out, so if you’re trying to figure out how to dress to look thinner, opt for smaller, vertical stripes in dark colors and avoid dressing yourself in the same pattern from head-to-toe. While stripes can certainly be slimming, you want to accentuate your waistline. For example, a black top tucked into a pair of pin-striped pants can elongate your legs and make you look slimmer instantly.
Avoid pleated skirts and dresses.
While pleats can be sexy and feminine when worn correctly, the moment they start to part and open up, they immediately add bulk to your frame. There are certain things you can do to help avoid this, but many of these techniques have the potential to make your waist look thicker. So if you’re looking for clothes that make you look slimmer, my advice is to avoid pleats completely.
Swap skinny jeans for boot cut jeans.
If you want to draw attention away from your tummy and thighs, ditch your skinny denim in favor of bootcut jeans to add height to your frame. Choose a dark wash with a high waist, and pair with pointy-toed heeled shoes or boots, ensuring the bottom of the jeans hits your shoes for maximum effect.
Avoid light-colored jeans and pants.
White and light-washed jeans and pants have the potential to make your legs look thicker, so if you were blessed with big thighs, always choose darker colors as they have a slimming effect.
Wear v-neck tops.
Another simple but effective tip to teach you how to dress to look thinner is to wear v-neck tops as they help elongate your upper body by adding balance to your hips and thighs. This is an especially great tip for gals with a bigger bust as v-neck tops will naturally draw the eye away from problem areas and towards the cleavage instead. Don’t have big boobs? No worries! I speak from experience when I say a good push-up bra can go a long way!
Choose your accessories wisely.
My last tip to teach you how to dress to look thinner is to accessorize. Necklaces, earrings, belts, and bracelets can help draw the eye away from problem areas while accentuating your best features. For example, long necklaces take the focus away from the hips, big earrings draw attention away from the upper body and towards the face, big bracelets are great at hiding big upper arms by bringing the eye towards the wrists, and belts help define the waist. Just be sure to avoid thick belts as they can cut your torso in half and have the opposite effect you’re looking for!
How to Make Yourself Look Skinny in Pictures
They say the camera adds 10 lbs, but there are days when it feels more like 25 lbs to me. LOL. The good news is that in addition to figuring out how to dress to look thinner, there are certain things you can do to make yourself look skinny in pictures no matter what you’re wearing, or how bloated you’re feeling.
Stick your chin up and out.
If you’ve ever wondered why every single girl you know sticks her head up and out when someone’s taking a photo of her, it’s because she’s trying to avoid the appearance of a double chin. Give it a try!
Stand at a 45 degree angle.
If want to look skinny in pictures, do your best to avoid being photographed head-on. Instead, turn slightly to the side, put one foot in front of the other so your front foot is pointing toward the camera, and then lean your body weight on your back foot.
Put your hand on your hip.
Another thing a lot of gals do in photos is put their hand on their hip. This ensures their arm isn’t smooshed against their body, which can make the upper arms look chunky.
Photograph from above.
If you want to know how to make yourself look skinny in pictures, another trick to use is to angle your camera slightly above your face to help elongate your neck and body.
Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth while smiling.
I know it sounds weird, but when you position your tongue so it’s touching the roof of your mouth – preferably the area just beyond your teeth – while smiling, it will help tighten the area underneath your chin, giving you a more defined and chiseled look.
Use fake tanner and/or bronzer.
In case you aren’t already in the know, a darker complexion can help your body look tighter and more toned, and can also help hide imperfections like cellulite. Of course, applying fake tanner is a job in and of itself and not everyone has the time or funds for regular upkeep, but it’s amazing what a little bronzer can do. CLICK HERE for our best bronzer application tips and tutorials.
Stand (or sit) tall.
If you’ve ever needed a reason to stop slouching, this is it! Good posture has so many health benefits, with the added bonus of adding length to your frame!
Dress in darker colors.
While you don’t need to dress in black 24/7, opting for darker clothing can certainly make you look slimmer, especially in pictures.
Cross your legs at the ankles and not the knees.
Just as you don’t want your arms pressed against your body in pictures, you don’t want to smoosh your legs together either. Sitting on the edge of your seat and crossing your legs at the ankle will help make your legs look thinner and avoid the appearance of cellulite.
I hope this collection of tips to teach you how to dress to look thinner – and how to make yourself look skinny in pictures – helps you as much as it’s helped me! Be careful to choose clothes that are true to size, find ways to accentuate your waistline, avoid bold patterns and opt for darker colors, use accessories wisely to draw attention to your best features, photograph yourself from above, and remember that self-confidence is the best outfit you can ever wear. Love your look and own it!
