Shiny Little Things

I’m always tempted to wear black and white, or black and gray, or even just black.  But I worry that it’ll come across looking too drab or boring.  This photo reminds me that when you’re wearing few shades or colors, you need to concentrate on shapes, proportions and textures.  Those are the elements that will keep your look interesting.

Another lovely idea is to switch out pieces that would normally be black or brown, and make them a color.  Novel, right? 

photo cred: Scott Schuman

Does anyone call undergarments “foundations” anymore?  That makes me chuckle. 

 Anyhoo, if you just read my post about neutral clothing or you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that is actually experiencing Spring weather, you may be doing the annual dig through the underwear drawer to figure out what you can wear under your Spring/Summer clothes. 

White dresses, pants and t-shirts require a little pre-planning in the underwear department.   Lots of us are left wondering which pair of undies we can wear under these garments without having the dreaded visible panty line (VPL), or the equally chilling color show-through.  While it is tempting to just throw on your white bra and underwear, that isn’t the best solution.  Nude colored undergarments really do a better job when you’re wearing white clothing. 

To keep from having panty lines, you could wear a nude thong.  However, sometimes thongs leave that ugly T-shaped panty line that sort of defeats the purpose.  If you’re wearing white jeans, you probably won’t have any trouble with the thong, but if its a softer fabric pant or a dress, you may want to try a boy short or seamless brief.  The ultimate shaper and panty line avoider is the nude colored, high-waisted, brief/shorts concoction that most shapewear brands carry now.  Especially if you’re wearing a cute white dress that is somewhat fitted and you want to hold in your tummy and minimize the butt jiggle, these are truly a Godsend.

Bras are a little simpler because so many companies are making a good t-shirt bra these days.  If you stick to a nude color, you’ll be able to wear it under almost anything.

 Here are some great products that are all available on the Figleaves website:

I recently had a request from a reader asking that I do a post about finding flattering pants for those of us who have, er, more than our fair share below the waist. I consider myself to be a part of this camp, so I happily took on the challenge. I realize that some of you already have this figured out, but hopefully this will be helpful. Let’s start with some basics, shall we? If you’re larger on the bottom and small on the top, it makes sense to draw attention upward to your best assets. A great way to do that is by wearing, a solid darker color on the bottom and reserving your prints for the top. Simple. There are plenty of fabulous dark wash jeans out there and those are likely to be your best bets for denim. But, even within the dark denim pool, there are some foes to be wary of. Behold exhibits “A” and “B”

“A” is really the worst travesty of all. Pleats?! No, back away from the pleats. Those of us with full thighs should really refrain from endorsing the unnecessary pleat trend. Adding that extra bulk in the thigh region just isn’t going to do you any favors. What makes Exhibit “A” truly heinous however is the combination of pleats with thigh-lightening. By lightening, I mean color, not poundage. The lightened area on the thigh there just serves to highlight the area that most women would like to camouflage. Exhibit “B” is suffering the same malady with the added problem of cheap-looking whiskering. I’m not saying you should never buy a whiskered jean, but do some soul searching before you do. This is a particularly nasty case of whiskering. There are plenty of times when whiskering looks more natural.Exhibit “C”

Its subtle and the integrity of the dark wash is left intact. Some of you may prefer not to have the worn areas, but that’s probably dependent on where you wear your denim, I suppose.Moving on, let’s talk about shape and fit. The photo above depicts the shape that is probably the most universally flattering: the bootcut or slight flare. The pant is fitted through the thigh and right at about the knee, it flares slightly. It is not a bell bottom, which would actually make the legs seem shorter and stumpier. The length on these jeans is good too. See how they come just to right above the floor? That’s what we’re looking for. Really my only bone of contention with these jeans is that they appear to be very low waisted. On a person with a normal percentage of body fat, this can lead to a heartbraking case of muffin-top. We definitely don’t want that. Right now, there is a resurgence of the high waisted pants trend going on. They can be hard to pull off if you tuck your shirt into them. In fact, that is a whole other topic, but you can actually buy a pant with a higher rise and wear them just as you would wear your old low waisted fugly pants. I know, right. Its hard to believe. Exhibit “D”

These are pretty high, but they follow all the rules nicely and I guarantee you will be muffin-top free in a pair of pants like these. Oh and no one will have to see your thong or butt cleavage. Hallelujah!That reminds me, some of you seem to have an issue with finding pants that gape in the waist if they fit you in the butt and thighs. (Since my waist is shaped more like a man’s than a woman’s, I don’t have this issue) I hate to say it, but you’re going to have to buy that size and have a tailor nip in the waist for you. It’s a pretty cheap, but highly worthwhile alteration actually.Now the question is “Can I wear skinny jeans? They are still so trendy and cute.” The answer is a resounding yes! One of the keys with skinny jeans, and pretty much any other form of denim, is to look for the ones with about 2-3% lycra or spandex in them. They will hold their shape better and they will fit your particular body best. Also, skinny jeans look their absolute best when paired with heels. Sorry, but it’s true. If you want to wear your cute ballet flats, go with the flares instead.One last important thing to remember: only you know what size your jeans are so, for God’s sake, buy the size that actually fits your body. I promise you will actually look like you’re smaller. If you look at yourself in the mirror from the side and you see a horizontal line or pucker below your booty, those suckers are too tight!There are a couple of great websites that can help you pick the perfect pants for you. Check these out and see what you think: www.truejeans.com www.zafu.com If you have an issue you’d like me to investigate, add a comment to this post with your request. Thanks!