Slimming Sweater Styling Tips

Sweaters can be cozy, comfy and warm, and like a rich hot chocolate they have the potential to pack on the pounds.  I have a trick for a slimming hot chocolate - that tastes much better than the fat free beauty contestant variety shown in Miss Congeniality.  AND I know a few ways to make your cozy sweater look 100% more flattering. First the sweater magic...

Length matters! 
Watch the hem lengths on wrists and waist. A traditional sleeve length should end at the wrist bone when the arm is bent.  If too long or too short, push the sleeves up.  If the sleeves don’t want to stay pushed up, opt for another sweater or keep the sleeves in place with an elastic band. Put an elastic over the sleeve and billow the sweater over to camouflage it. If the sleeves are constantly hanging on your hand, you can risk looking like a child wearing your parent’s clothes. ​

Contrasting colors at your widest place will make you look wider. The eye is drawn to contrast, instead of the bottom hem hitting at the widest part of your hip, try a partial tuck at the waist, or wear a belt over the sweater and blouse slightly. Matching your pants with your sweater generally eliminates the contrast and will be figure-flattering as well.  Or choose a sweater that’s more fitted at the waist with built-in blousing, this style also works well to minimize a tummy bulge. 
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Texture matters!
Pay attention to the texture.  Wait what really is texture? (And when are we going to talk about color? lol) Texture describes the body and surface of fabric. Textures may be rough or smooth, coarse or fine, thin or bulky, heavy or light, or any combination of these characteristics. Heavy, bulky, rough, and/or coarse textures can add more visual weight. Fine, lighter-weight textures can reduce visual weight. 

The texture created by a pattern knitted into the fabric can also influence the visual affect. It has been said that vertical lines are slimming and wide lines make you look wider. This is not exactly true.  Wide lines, whether vertical or horizontal can add visual mass. If you tend to be bottom-heavy, this is a good thing! Go bold with a cable knit sweater or other pattern that includes horizontal textural lines knitted into the shoulders and chest. But as a general rule, and especially if you tend to be top-heavy, look for sweaters with narrower vertical lines, or diagonal lines are even better.  
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Color, of course, matters! 
In general, darker, duller colors will minimize and make you appear smaller. Lighter, brighter colors will have the opposite affect.  They can make you appear larger. 
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One last disclaimer, it's not only what you wear, it's how you wear it! Rules can be broken...the principles above may be adjusted slightly based on your figure type or body build. Not sure what that is? Let me enlighten you with my comprehensive Fab Fit course - now offered for men and women.  You will learn not only your figure type (what) but also the how and why to create your version of the ideal using classic styling principles so that you will know exactly how to start the new year looking taller, slimmer, and leaner. Happy New Year! 
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GEt Your Fabulous Fit here

​Slimmed Down Hot Chocolate, my FAVE!
And for the better than hot chocolate - hot chocolate…take a scoop of Mountain Ops chocolate protein powder, add one cup of warm water. Mix with a frother, (I know mind blown), until it’s frothy goodness nearly overflows the mug.  Then pop it back into the microwave for 30 seconds until it’s hot enough to drink but not too hot that proteins clump together. Enjoy your protein-packed reward for being smart and stylish.