5 Styling Tips for Minimizing and Emphasizing Your Curves
For ladies who grew up with curves, it seems that we spend a lifetime learning how to emphasize them when we want to, and tone them down when it feels right to do so
Photo: Instagram/@GabiFresh
For ladies who grew up with curves, it seems that we spend a lifetime learning how to emphasize them when we want to, and tone them down when it feels right to do so. It’s truly a science. We at HipLatina wanted to give you a quick and easy primer on how to emphasize, and minimize, your curvas with these handy styling tips.
Bust
Minimize: Don’t be scared to wear a fitted, low cut top. A deep v-neck and a slim fit will actually make your bust look less bulky by breaking up the space with skin and creating a balance. Deeper, angled necklines break up the space, balancing fullness. Showing a nipped in waist in tops like a wrap top will also make you look less full throughout. Make sure to look for longer versions – about 2 to 3 inches or longer past the hipbone – to elongate the area.
Emphasize: Things that will draw attention to the bust include shirt pockets, necklaces that are chunky or hang around chest level, super low cuts, and wide waistbands or belts. Wearing high-neck tops will also make everything look larger.
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Waist
Minimize: A snatched waist will instantly slenderize and enhance the bust, hips, backside and thighs. A belt is an instant fix, as well as clothes with diagonal lines (they slim), and stretchy tops. Similar to a belt, black bands at the waist on dresses will make the midsection look smaller than it actually is. If you want to hide a tummy, look for shirts, with ruching or gathers, that can still be close-fitting, but will camouflage any problem areas.
Emphasize: Nothing emphasizes the midsection like the on-trend crop top. Snug tops, in thin, stretchy fabrics will show every curve, and light colors in the midsection will create the illusion of a bigger area. Shiny fabrics in tops, dresses, or skirts will also make the midsection look more pronounced.
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Hips
Minimize: Shakira reminded us that our hips don’t lie. If you want to keep that to yourself, however, you can wear darker colors on your lower half, which will slim the hips. Bootcut pants, fit and flare skirts, and necklines that are wider or have voluminous sleeves will balance a larger bottom half. Bright tops and bold jewelry will bring the eye up, and wide leg pants that fall straight from the widest part of the hips will skim over curves.
Emphasize: Pencil skirts, horizontal stripes, miniskirts, and light or bright-colored skirts will emphasize hips. So will light colored jeans and pants. Lower slung pants will emphasize the curve of the hips, as will leggings, jeggings, and skinny jeans.
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Butt
Minimize: Just as with minimizing the hips, bootcut pants, longer jackets, shoulder pads/volume, and diagonal lines will slim the backside. Dark colors will also make it look smaller, as will larger back pockets.
Emphasize: Do the complete opposite if you want to draw attention to your butt. White pants, light-colored jeans, lighter spots on denim where all the curves go, and tiny pockets will give you the illusion of a larger badonkadonk. Slim fitting pants will draw the eye to the widest part of your bottom half; a good trick is to have your pants tailored so that they fit better in the waist, which will just draw more attention to your butt!
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Thighs
Minimize: A tip not mentioned earlier, but that will slim your figure overall is monochromatic dressing using dark colors. Wear colors like black, brown, or navy head to toe, and you will instantly look more streamlined. Use volume and width in your tops, and it will balance your top half with your bottom. Vertical lines automatically lengthen, creating the illusion of mile-long, slender legs. Use all the tips from the above-mentioned hips and butt styling sections, and add a pair of heels to your outfit (as they help lengthen the legs) and you’re set!
Emphasize: Tight pants that are fitted to the ankle will draw attention to the thighs. Think sleek leggings, white pants, jeans with whiskering on the thigh area, bright and light colors, and shiny fabrics. The use of pattern on a specific part of the body, especially wearing large prints, and horizontal stripes, will also visually add volume there.
