How to Minimize a Big Belly by Dressing Smarter
Pants and Skirt Styles to Disguise a Large Stomach
Oct 23, 2009
The onset of middle age often brings with it middle-aged spread – that excess flab around the stomach area which makes skirts too tight and gives an unsightly muffin top over the waistband of jeans and pants.
Although it may go against the grain, buying one-size up can actually make a woman's figure look smaller, provided that the style is not too loose and shapeless, which will then have the opposite effect. Rather than squeezing in a stomach in an effort to do up the waistband, a size larger will give less overhang and provde a better silhouette.
According to fashion expert and style guru Gok Wan, in How to Look Good Naked (Harper Collins,2007) 4 out of 5 British women wish they weren’t as big around their belly. However, with a bit of know how, some deceptive dressing can banish, or at least minimize, belly bulges.
Pants and Skirts to Flatter a Large Stomach
Jeans
For women with a large tummy, there’s one golden rule, don’t go low rise. A mid-to-high waist will hide, flatten and prevent a muffin top, while a thick or curved waistband in a soft denim will prevent uncomfortable pinching and tightness.
Squeezing into a pair of jeans which feels uncomfortable and tight round the stomach will create an unsightly excess of fat around the middle. This just serves to make a woman’s appearance bigger. Going one size larger can actually make the waist appear smaller.
When it comes to cuts, the trusted boot-cut will add shape to legs and balance out the belly. Ultra skinny-leg styles can make a stomach seem larger in comparison. Thicker, heavier denim will prove more flattering than a thin fabric as it serves to give more support. Darker indigo denim also slims, compared to whitewashed or stonewashed denim. Beware of any fading or whisker shading around the crotch area as this gives the illusion of widening the midriff.
Pants
Flat-fronted trousers will not add extra bulk and side zips will slim. Swallow pride and go for a size that actually fits the waist rather than squeezing everything into a tight waistband. Thick elasticated waists and drawstring ties, although comfortable, also add bulk.
Avoid pant styles with large pockets or pleating over the stomach area. Patterened pants are best avoided too, especially with detailing around the tummy. Dark colors will prove more flattering than pale ones as light hues tend to show lumps and bumps. That doesn’t mean it is necessary to stick with boring black, however, jewel tones such as deep reds, purples, blues are stylish and on-trend. Charcoal grey is a good alternative to black.
Leggings
There is nothing wrong with wearing a pair of comfortable leggings provided they are are not the main focus. Wear a longer top or dress to covers (and just grazes) the stomach, bottom and hips. Avoid high fashion styles like ultra clingy lycra, particularly wet look leggings.
Detract from the stomach area with a great pair of look at-me-shoes or boots. If in the same color as leggings this will lengthen the leg and balance out the silhouette.
Skirts
A high waisted pencil skirt will smooth out the tummy area. Be careful with hemlines, a skirt which finishes on the knee balances out the body and shows off legs. A tulip-style skirt which gently drapes over the midriff and narrows at the hemline means that fabric does not cling too tightly and flatters legs. Avoid full skirts with tiers and pleats; these simply serve to add bulk around the middle.
Whilst learning the correct styles to disguise stomach fat, when it comes to deceptive dressing, investing in some good support underwearcan work miracles. Body shapers can give the illusion of losing pounds and help minimize stomach overhang. There are many types of magic pants on the market, which do wonders for smoothing out lines and creating a sleeker silhouette.
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