Lifestyle Choices

Choosing the right top can be a snap when you follow these helpful hints:

• Small bust?Wear a top with breast pockets, horizontal stripes, or gathers—all will add the illusion of more curves. Loosely draping tops are another good choice; they gracefully skim the bust without accentuating it. In cool weather, you can wear lots of layers, nubby textures, cuddly wools; they’ll flatter your figure and won’t look bulky on your delicate frame.

• Big Bust? Look for tops that gently drape or skim your curves. Snug sweaters and tightly fitted shirts are off limits for you. Stick to dark shades, small prints, vertical stripes with simple, unfussy detailing. Avoid wide waistbands or thick belts; you’ll only appear short-waisted. The perfect choice: a V-neck blouse or sweater to elongate the line of the throat, discreetly show off pretty curves.

• Average-Sized Bust?Lucky you—you can wear almost anything, from clingy knits that flatter your ideal proportions to loose, oversized shirts, which softly suggest your shape.

• Shoulder Pads—A Blast from the Past

While you may associate shoulder pads with black-and-white films and glamorous stars of the forties, they’ve been making a fashion comeback. Pads are great figure- and fashion-boosters; they help compensate for wide hips by evening out your proportions (so waist and hips look slimmer in contrast), and they can add a world of drama to coats, blazers, blouses, sweaters, and dresses.

Attachable pads give a more structured look to jackets and big cardigans. Buy pads with Velcro strips running lengthwise down the top so you can attach and detach easily. Insert the pad into the shoulder of the garment with the tapered end toward your neck, the blunt end flush to the edge of your shoulder. Note: pads don’t launder well—remove before washing!

Under blouses, look for pads covered in nylon or satin to avoid snagging delicate fabrics. Velcro strips should be attached to undersides—simply fix securely under bra straps. Want to protect fine fabrics from Velcro’s wear and tear? Opt for one of those new undershirts with pads built right in! Slip it on under a cashmere or angora sweater and you’re set.

 

Skirting the Issue

Skirts are terrific, versatile pieces that go from playtime casual to all-out glamorous without ever losing their ever-so-feminine appeal. These days, you’ll find that hemlines are long, short, and anything in between. Don’t look for the “right” hemline; look for the one that flatters you, and the situation, best.

• Don’t wear a tight or revealing (slits up sides or back) skirt to school. Save thigh-high slits and short, short numbers for outside the classroom.

• Don’t wear a knit skirt that clings to every curve and reveals every imperfection; knits are for the svelte, toned, and shapely only!

• Do wear a solid dark skirt if you’re heavy on the bottom; if you want a print, try a thin, vertical stripe. Wide horizontals and big, bold plaids are not for you.

• Don’t be overwhelmed by too much skirt; a long, full skirt with lots of flounce and bounce will overpower a small frame. Opt for a style and length in proportion to your height; have it altered if necessary.

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