Do you know that the clothe you wear could be making you look heavier? Dressing your body shape is a lot about illusion and proportion – whether for the better or worse. Half the battle is understanding what NOT to do.
There are some fairly common mistakes women make with clothing that make them look heavier, this list is diving in to some of those things so you have more knowledge to utilize for your wardrobe choices. If your goal is to look slimmer, avoid these by all cost and opt for clothing that can make you look more slender.
Table of Contents
Oversized sweatshirt
As trendy as oversized pieces are right now, they’re a tricky trend to wear because they do make the wearer look heavier.
As a whole, when there is a garment that is very oversized and loose in it’s going to widen your body shape – this is simply due to the fact that the more fabric there is, visually the larger the body looks.
Of course, if this is a trend that you really enjoy wearing no one is stopping you from enjoying to wear it. If you do choose to wear it, try to balance out the oversized fit with other pieces that are more form fitting.
Skinny belt
Ok, if this sounds surprising to you- let me explain.
Skinny belt, if used wisely, can be a great piece to elevate your look. But, in general, they are very hard to wear, the reason being they draw all the attention to your waist.
If you happen to have a tiny waist, sure, skinny belt works for you. But, most of us, especially as we age, lose some of our waist definition as we go through life. Even if you were an hourglass when you were younger, you may still get a tummy as you get older.
Worse yet, if you have a muffin top, skinny belt is only going to make your waist look even bigger, by forming a sharp contrast with your bulging stomach.
So, if you do not want your midriffs to look more noticeable, skinny belt is a no-go!
Billowy tops
Different from just an oversized silhouette is making an effort to actually hid behind clothing. This can be done various ways but the problem that often arises is you end up looking heavier than you are in an attempt to hide.
Most often when hiding behind clothes, people resort to wearing clothing that doesn’t fit close to the body and is very loose or flowy in its fit.
The intention, of course, is to hide the belly or the big bum.
However, all that ‘extra’ fabric ends up adding weight and bulk.
As difficult as it may be to step into more figure flattering options, clothing that (at the minimum) shows where your shape is at is always going to be a more flattering route.
Plus, it can be a great confidence boost that really allows you to step into embracing your body.
Chunky sweaters
This is another trend that can easily add 10 pounds to your body!
Even though these are very popular and they can come across as “cute”, if you are concerned about looking heavier, you should skip the chunky knits.
What makes it worse is that most of these chunky sweaters also come with super long sleeves- the aesthetic is a relaxed fit and casual look, but this is certainly not a good option for women who do not want to look bigger than they are.
Heavy Shoes
Yes, shoes can play a role in you looking heavier in your clothing.
Chunky, or heavy, shoes have a way of dragging the eye down on the body which is something that lends to the body looking drawn down and heavier.
Instead of super heavy shoes, stick with options that are more streamlined and in proportion to the rest of your body. Heavy shoes can be anything from sneakers to pumps and everything in between.
It’s common to see the heaviness in a shoe come from the sole, if you notice a very thick or ‘heavy’ sole that’s where you’ll want to proceed with caution.
Ill-fitting undergarments
Believe it or not, undergarments that don’t fit properly are one of the most common mistakes that lead to women looking heavier in their clothing.
Think of undergarments as the foundation to any outfit.
If the foundation is off so is the rest of the look. Because undergarments play such a big role in the way clothing fits and lays on the body, when that fit is ‘off’ it’s hard to get things to fit the body the way they’re intended – which is what causes a heavier look to occur.
Style experts have long preached the importance of getting fitted regularly for undergarments and this is a big reason why.
Not to mention because there are still so many women wearing the incorrect sizes.
If you haven’t before, head to a specialist to get sized for your undergarments. Keep in mind this isn’t something that’s done once in a lifetime. Because our bodies change as we age, getting refitted is something to make a point of doing at least once a year.
Body con dresses
On the opposite end of oversized clothes, clothing that’s too tight in fit can also cause you to appear heavier. Anytime a garment has pulling or tugging due to fitting too tight it that area of the body is going to be accentuated.
Focus on proper fit of clothing.
If there are areas where a clothing item prevents easy movement, scrunches or pulls – those are some good signs to look out for that something is fitting too tightly. Remember clothes should be comfortable when the fit is right.
High necklines
Drawing focus to the slimmest areas of the body is a stylist’s hack to creating a slimmer aesthetic.
This means, that when we close off those slimmer areas of the body we’re running the risk of appearing larger because they’re hidden behind clothes.
Turtlenecks, for example, are a tricky neckline to wear without looking heavier.
They not only hide the neck and chest area of the body but because it’s closed off it cuts the body and creates a heavier look.
Open necklines are often a much more flattering route to go that won’t have you looking heavier. No need to worry, deep necklines aren’t necessary to achieve this even just a slight open v-neck will do the trick.
Cropped tops
There are many tops that can fall under the “cropped length” category. If you style them correctly, they can be one of the most flattering pieces, especially if you happen to be short.
However, the problem arises when your cropped top is “too cropped”, i.e. they expose your stomach.
This is especially unflattering if you happen to have a midriff concern and the cropped top is bringing all the attention to what you don’t want others to notice.
Does that mean you need to skip all the crop tops if you want to look slimmer?
Not at all!
You just need to style them strategically, i.e. wearing with high waist pieces that counterbalance the short tops and elongate your legs. That can turn cropped tops into some of the greatest staples in your wardrobe.
Oversized jackets
Because the cut of the jacket is loose, it will inevitably make you look bigger than you actually are.
This gets even worse, if your underlayers are also bulky.
In general, if you want to look more slender, go for a jacket that is tailored and fits closer to your body.
Clinging fabrics
The interesting fact is as we gain weight, we tend to prefer stretchy fabrics, because they are more comfortable.
Stretchy fabrics come in many different kinds. The issue is if they are too flimsy and lack weight, they will be clinging to your body, making you look heavier.
So, if your goal is to look more slender, go for fabrics that are more structured and have enough weight to hold their own shape!
Busy prints and patterns
Colors, prints and patterns are all great ways to express yourself and play around with fashion. However, busy options can be a hard one to wear in a flattering way.
Anything that overwhelms the body, whether it’s the silhouette or print, gives the body the appearance of a larger proportion. This isn’t to say avoid prints and patterns at all costs though.
Definitely have fun with this area, just make sure the prints and/or patterns you’re wearing aren’t overwhelming you or the area of the body they’re on.
Try to keep the scale of the print proportionate to the rest of your body or slightly smaller. Steer clear of prints that are extra large in their scale.
Overdone layers
Layering is another really fun way to show off your personal style. However just like with anything it can be overdone. Too much layering can cause added bulk to the body. Keep layers streamlined and make sure that the outline of your body shape is still visible – this will prevent a lot of bulk from occurring.
Another great tip is to try creating balance with layered pieces.
For example, if you’re layering a heavy sweater add balance to that by layering it with a silk blouse underneath – this gives you the layered look without bulking up your frame.
Sheer fabrics
Sheer fabrics adds the illuminating effect to your outfit. Therefore, they can make you look bigger than you actually are.
They are good for certain occasions like parties but that’s pretty much it.
If you are looking for outfit to make you look more slender, especially if you happen to be on the curvy side, in general you should go with something that shrinks your mid section and avoid sheer fabrics which adds more volume to you overall.
