5 Clothes to Avoid Wearing if You Have a Curvy Body Type
My goal with these “Do’s & Don’ts” posts is to help you see how the clothes you wear and the way you style them can either enhance or detract from your natural beauty.
I’ll show you 5 ways to flatter your curves with these fashion styling tips to transform bulky outfits to chic and stylish. We’ll start with fall-winter clothing like sweaters and coats and move to dresses, blouses, and handbags.
1. Bulky clothing at your waist and hips
- Tunic-length tops and sweaters with no waist-defining feature like a belt or tailoring at the waist. I recommend adding a belt around the top to cinch your waist.
- Peplum-style tops if the cinch doesn’t line up with your natural waist.
- Cocoon style coats can look too bulky. Instead, try a double-breasted coat, a single-breasted coat, or a trench coat. If you already own a baggier coat, try cinching in your waist with a thick belt, at least 2″ wide. For extra spice, use a belt that doesn’t perfectly match the coat, but complements it.
2. Too tight from head to toe
Not only is this not chic, but it’s also outdated, circa the 2010s. You may have noticed that skinny jeans aren’t popular anymore. In fact, the current trends aim toward looser fitting clothing. To update your outfit, choose just one
3. Itty bitty handbags
Do you remember when Lizzo wore than Valentino micro-bag on the runway? And then all the designers rushed to create micro-bags.
But what I’m referring to is a handbag that is so small that by contrast, you look larger. And the opposite is true, too. If a handbag is way too large for your frame, you will look small — and even childish. It’s best to opt for a medium-sized handbag, comparative to your frame.
4. Dresses at unflattering lengths
Dresses at knee-length are universally flattering on most women.
Be careful with midi-length dresses, as they drape differently on each person depending on your height and proportions. You want to make sure it isn’t ending right at the widest part of your calf. Instead, aim 2″ below the widest part of your calf.
5. Shoulder seams at the wrong placement
Currently, dolman-style tops are trending, especially with sweaters. Dolman style means it has a dropped shoulder seam. This style visually widens your torso and looks a bit messier. For loungewear, I think it looks fine, because comfort matters more than style. But for a chic outfit, make sure the shoulder seam matches the corner of your shoulder.
If you enjoyed this post and want to see more on this topic, watch the video below! I elaborate and offer more examples of chic looks for curvy body types.
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