The holidays have passed, but pants that refuse to button and bellies that bulge are rich reminders of a season of high-calorie canapes and cocktails.
The fashion-savvy have a few tricks besides starting a strict diet or revving up their gym routine.
Women beyond their Britney years who discover the power of shaping undergarments describe it as something of an epiphany. “Look at this!” announced a co-worker one morning, showing off her sleek waist, uplifted derriere and absence of a VPL (visible panty line, to the uninitiated). “It’s Spanx!” she said in a revelatory tone. “I don’t know how I lived without them!”
With more smoothing power than control-top pantyhose, such undergarment brands as Spanx and Shape fx employ generous amounts of Lycra and/or spandex in the waist, stomach and hips and even extend to the knees or calves. Neither as bulky nor restricting as those relics known as girdles that our grandmothers wore, shaping tanks, bodysuits, shorts and capris help smooth out the lumps and bumps and shave a good 5 to 10 pounds off the silhouette.
Spiegel Brands’ Shape fx collection incorporates mesh liners into such garments as pants, dolman-sleeved sweaters and skirts to provide the slimming effect without the need to wear two pieces of clothing. “I get dressed in the dark every morning and don’t want to have to look for an extra piece if I don’t have to, says Sonya Hartland, spokeswoman for Spiegel, which sells the Shape fx line at Spiegel.com and Newport-news.com. “It gives you a smooth line without any extra bulk.”
Jeans makers have also jumped into the fray, with companies like Levi’s offering its Perfectly Slimming 512s in misses, petites and plus sizes for about $40 at JC Penney, Macy’s and Kohl’s stores. The jeans are a cotton-spandex blend with a control panel at the waist.
Designer Lisa Rudes-Sandel and her sister started their denim company Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (NYDJ for short) to address the need for denim styles for women with real curves. The company’s Tummy Tuck Jeans, which start at about $88 and sell at Nordstrom.com and specialty retailers, have a crisscross front panel and extra stretch (4 percent Lycra rather than the standard 2 percent).
Women looking for a guide to help them dress their best from head to toe will find it in fashion designer Bradley Bayou’s “The Science of Sexy,” (Gotham Books, $35).
The title is somewhat misleading, as the book offers plentiful practical advice on what day and evening clothes and accessories flatter each of 48 body types. There’s also a “Conceal and Reveal” section with tips on how to either hide or expose such figure characteristics as your waistline.
For example, if you want to create the illusion of a waist, wear tailored cuts, such as jackets with princess seams or peplum jackets. And if you want to show it off, wear wrap dresses that tie at the waist, or belts that cinch the midsection.
Among Hartland’s other tips for shedding a few pounds, visually, include:
Wear the same color from head to toe.
Choose pinstripes, as the vertical line is slimming.
Look for jeans with two-way stretch.
Tunics and other longer, flowing silhouettes can be more forgiving than clingy ones.
