The Three Piece Outfit

The Three Piece Outfit

by Sheryl Reardon

Just as "one size fits all" simply does not work for the Plus Size Woman, we need our own set of standards to find the styles that will make us feel and look terrific. So in addition to pants, tops, dresses and accessories, we need to know which colors, prints and fabrics will help us achieve our illusion of looking 'balanced' top to bottom. The three piece outfit works beautifully in the illusion wardrobe.

Here Are A Few Ideas

1. One Color Magic: Dressing in one color from shoulder to foot gives the overall appearance of being taller.

2. Big Shirt Magic: If you are a person who likes bright colors, like I do, but don't want to walk down the street looking like a flashing neon light, I have found that putting a bright colored big shirt over darker tank and matching pants works well. The dark colors give you the slimmer look as well as being taller when using the same color top and bottom. The bright colored over shirt or light jacket draws attention to your face and away from hips and abdomen.

You can also reverse the one color look, by using a bright color shoulder to foot and a darker loose over shirt or light jacket.

Make sure your tank top is long enough and loose enough to cover your hip area and bottom without clinging to those bulges. It is not a pretty sight to see a belly roll when you raise your arms or reach for something.

Proper fit is so important. It's just as important to avoid the "baggy" look as it is to avoid wearing the "cling to your skin" look. A proper fit will FLOW over your body accenting your beautiful curves and hiding imperfections.

For the over shirt choose a light fabric so you don't get to warm. Loose or flared sleeves give the appearance of a slender arm underneath. The print must never be horizontal (gives a wider look). Vertical prints are OK if you don't have wide hips. However, avoid vertical prints if wider hips causes your shirt to open in an A-line ending at your hips. Its like pointing multiple arrows at the very part you want to minimize. In an over shirt, I prefer to look for an abstract design or a large print that is well spaced on the fabric. Personally, I avoid tiny prints, but that is my own preference. For the person with narrow hips, vertical prints work very well and give the appearance of being taller.

3. Pants That Fit: For the pants, the general rule is proper fit, not clingy fit. Stay away from tights, even if the shops say they are "in". Its the person with perfect legs (not to fat or not too skinny) that can wear those. Otherwise they emphasize what you are trying to eliminate. Elastic waistbands are comfortable if the gathers don't show. Make sure your top goes down to your hips to cover gathers. I prefer never to wear the zipper in front. It ruins the flat (slimmer) look you want to have and bulges under your top. The best choice is a side zipper and elastic back, flat tailored front and straight legs with a slight flare to the bottom.

4. No Pocket Pants: Pockets are missing from pants for a reason. They tend to draw extra attention to your hips and bottom. Casual jeans with the pockets at the side of the knee work. The same goes for embroidery or trim. Put the decorations lower on the leg for the balanced look and to draw the eye away from less attractive areas.

Summary: The 3 piece look is very sophisticated and pulls together nicely when done in colors that compliment your skin tone (another issue). I think it makes any size woman a Smashingly Beautiful Babe!

Happy Thoughts:

Attitude is everything. I recently read in a good book, that you can actually change your health and appearance by what you think about yourself. Write down everything your can that is positive about your life and train yourself to think on those positive things. It will change the way you look. :)

Have a happy day. You look GREAT!