Dress to Flatter Your Body Type

Hippie
Wear A-line skirts and dresses that don't cling to your hips and that emphasize a narrower waste.

Choose wide-leg pants that form a straight line from your hips to your ankle.

Wear shirts and pants that cut across the middle of your hips, rather than trying to wear long shirts or high-rise pants that cover them up.

Balance the top and bottom parts of your body. Wear prints on top to make your trunk and shoulders look in proportion to the bottom half of you.

Watch pockets. Depending on the placement of pockets, they may open up or bulge when you twist or sit. Buy pants that have pockets in better spots, or sew pockets shut.

Pin stripes or pants with a vertical texture make your legs look long; crazy patterns, like plaid or flowers, make your butt look big.

Poochy Tummy
Choose shirts and dresses with an empire waist that emphasizes a high waist and is looser around your stomach.

Structure around the stomach helps hide any bulging.

Use a belt or the feature of the clothing piece to create a visually strong waist.

Keep layers vertical. Wear a camisole with an open button-down shirt over it to create vertical lines.

Avoid ribbed fabrics that cling to every curve.

Vertical stripes are okay in a pattern, but avoid horizontal stripes.

Large Bust
Forgo frills around the chest; they just add weight without really disguising anything.

Avoid screenprint, embroidery, and so forth that stretches across the bust. It calls attention to your volume.

Layer camisoles to minimize cleavage. Boobs hanging out of you shirt do nothing but draw negative attention.

Find a good bra. Be prepared to spend a little more money for larger sizes, but it's better to have a few good bras than a bunch of worthless ones.

Buy jackets that button and fit everywhere; a bulging jacket calls attention to the reasons for the bulge.

Wear a pencil skirt or wide-legged pants on the bottom to balance out top and bottom of your body.

Avoid bulky shoulder pads or tops with a lot of extra fabric.

If you buy an empire shirt or dress, make sure it fits. The waist should lie flat against your stomach under your bust without pulling the fabric.

Small Bust
Wear shirts and jackets that come together right under the bust but split apart over it.

Wear a good bra. A push-up bra helps increase cleavage, and a padded bra adds volume.

Show off a narrow waist to emphasize your proportions. Cinch your waist with a belt or buy shirts or dresses that cut in dramatically.

An empire waist accentuates your bust and makes it seem larger.