Wear this; don’t wear that… if that’s the chorus ringing in your head every time you venture out shopping for plus size clothes, stop it right there. There is more to fashion than simply picking clothes that are large enough to cover your curves.
Know Your Body
If you instinctively pick a large or an extra-large size, you may want to rethink your shopping strategy by giving your body a more inclusive treatment. Do not hesitate to measure and check your bust, waist and hip size when you are building your wardrobe. What you choose ought to fit you right; you can build on that by ensuring that the prints and accessories you pick complement your body structure. Shapes, prints and little details all go in creating a harmonious look.
Conventional rules of fashion tell us that dark colours help in hiding unflattering features, while lighter shades accentuate them. That gives you a bigger canvas to pick and choose colours depending on what part of your body you want to draw attention to. So, if you have an enviable waist, wear a light coloured belt over a darker top; if you want to tone down the bottom half, wear a pair of dark pants and top it with a brightly coloured blouse or shirt.
Fashion Tips
Always try the clothes, even if you have picked one in your regular size, before rushing to the cash counter – sizes tend to vary from brand to brand
Identify the colours that complement your skin tone and give you a chic look
Large patterns, generally, give you a bigger look; look for clothes that have smaller patterns
Horizontal stripes tend to present an illusion of a big body; but if you are keen to give the striped style a try, balance the look with the right pairing
Ruffles are best left for cuffs, that is if you do not want to add more inches to your top or bottom
Tailored skirts and pants are best to cover large hips and legs: flared and wide-leg pants are not the most complementary
A-line and skater skirts (short, high-waist circle skirt with a hemline above the knee) are ideal to create a chic look
Skinny jeans are perfect if you plan on wearing a tunic-styled top
Pay attention while buying underclothes – wear only well-fitting ones
Do not fall prey to clothes that are designed to cover your body in a tent – plus or otherwise, you can rock any fashion trend with just a little attention to yourself
Accessories will create versatility to your look – chunky earrings and bangles, large pendants, big handbags…
