Enhancing Your Features

We all have features we love and ones we don’t. Using a bit of trompe l’oeil, you can

create the body shape you want. Here with the use of color, texture, fabric, and touches

in the right place, the garment does all the work.

To play up your shoulders, use a brighter color, or utilize pleating or stitching at the top.

Epaulettes are also an easy enhancement. When used effectively, these details draw

the eye up, overshadowing the lower half.

Use draping or gathering along your top to add volume, if smaller chested. Here too,

brighter fabric with a sheen, a tone-on-tone design, or even a printed top calls the eye’s

attention. If you want to downplay a fuller chest, keep your tops simple with clean lines

and darker, solid colors than your bottoms.

If your neck is shorter, elongate it by wearing a V- or cowl neck. Stay away from boat or

square necklines as they tend to crop the neck, further shortening it. Stand-up collars

are also a great tool for lengthening.

To downplay hips, the lack of detail can make them appear smaller. Choose a flat-

fronted pant, or no pockets at all for a cleaner front. Additionally, the bottom of the pant

should be either a straight leg or a small boot leg to balance out the hip. If wearing

leggings or skinny jeans, consider wearing a knee-high boot to balance out the upper

fitted leg.

Overall, with the use of a garment’s elements, you can create the appearance of figure

you want, while reducing clothing mistakes.

Tammy’s Truism: When choosing a garment, remember it should be working for you,

not the other way around.