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While there's no substitute for hard work in the gym and clean eating in the kitchen, our resident fashion expert Laura Stead-Churchill from The Style Report has a few trade secrets to help make your body look taller, leaner and maybe even a little younger!
I swear if I had a dollar for every time I'm styling someone and they ask me to make them taller, slimmer or younger I'd be a rich woman. It's what most of us want, and the good news is there are ways you can do it!
Younger is likely the trickiest, but there are even some tricks there I can share. Taller and slimmer can be achieved through dressing for your shape. And once you've nailed this, you can dress yourself to achieve the absolute best from your figure.
Here are my top 5 ways to look taller, slimmer and younger in the process:
For men, the way to look slimmer is to wear loose layers over a belly rather than tight tees, and layer darker colours (like a navy tee) under lighter ones (a grey jacket). For women, it's about creating long, lean lines especially over your bust and waist. This can be done with a long draping scarf, a necklace which falls past the bust line, or a draping jacket or vest that creates vertical panels across your waist, thereby breaking it up into narrower lines.
For women who are self-conscious about their tummy and tend to cover it up, this can be a confronting concept, but the key is to define your waist (with a waist belt or top/dress that has a seam or join) across your narrowest point, your natural waist, which is actually above your tummy. You can highlight this area and still have fabric skim across your stomach - showing your shape is a lot more flattering than covering it up, which will only make you look bigger. This also has the added benefit of making your legs appear as though they start from your waist - and are therefore longer!
Shapewear really works, and there isn't a celebrity on the red carpet that doesn't use it. If you're looking to trim your tummy choose high-waisted pants or a body suit. For hips and thighs, the bike shorts styles are best. A lot of people think shapewear is uncomfortable and yes, it is somewhat restrictive, but a good quality pair from Spanx or Nancy Ganz will fit well and work a treat.
Ladies, if you don't own a pair of nude shoes, get on board. They go with everything, and make your legs look longer because the near-match to your skin tone will extend the line of your leg to the floor instead of breaking it at the ankle, cutting you off (black shoes on a bare leg will do this). If you're wearing black stockings though, black shoes are appropriate for the same reasons.
Men, you can adopt a similar concept by wearing tonal colours for example navy pants or jeans with a brown shoe rather than black or (and especially not) trainers.
Black is slimming - this is a well-known fact. Dressing in head-to-toe black can make you look taller, but don't do this at the expense of style. It must be well-tailored, well-maintained and fitted - not baggy, faded black that looks just terrible. Not all complexions suit black, either. If it creates shadows under your eyes and dulls your complexion it will age you, not flatter you. Wearing the right colours will help you look younger and more vibrant.
Laura Churchill is a personal and editorial stylist who truly believes great style is attainable for anyone. Laura's business The Style Report specialises in corporate style workshops, personal styling and runway event production. Visit www.thestylereport.com.au.
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