“Pay attention to the designs, patterns in clothes, accessories and lines. They should be correctly scaled. A fuller figure person in small prints will only accentuate [her shape]. Likewise, a petite frame can be overpowered by large, bold prints. Scale is important and the whole silhouette should be well proportioned.”

Women want to look slimmer, most of the time at least. Perhaps it is because we know that there will be an event where we know photographs will be taken and don’t want the extra ten camera-pounds to show.

So, the question now is: “How can you pick out clothes that make you look slimmer?”

“It is all about using illusion techniques to play tricks on the eyes,” says Alexis Wan, Chief Image Consultant - D’ New Image Chapter.

Guinevere Ho points out, “The eye travels more slowly horizontally across the body than vertically.” She adds, “When we want to deceive the eye about a figure fault, draw the eye vertically past that area. If you wish to emphasise an asset, then draw the eye horizontally.”

Here are more tips:

1. For trousers, choose those that are slightly tapered or slight bootcut. Do not get slim-cut trousers and avoid stretchable fabrics, as they cling a lot so they show off your unwanted humps and lumps. As for skirts, go for length skirts with centre pattern, colour or design.

2. Emphasise the areas you like to “show off” and disguise those which you are least comfortable with. If you are worried about the size of your hips, try wearing a pair of plain black pants with a fitted red top. The bright color will draw attention upwards, away from your hips. Add a nice accessory to the top, and the eye is drawn even further upward, to your face. (Natural accessories help as well of course.)

3. Pick dresses with a bit of an “A-line cut.” A dress or skirt silhouette that is narrower at the top, flaring gently wider toward the bottom thereby resembling the letter A. An A-line cut basically works well on most figure types, which is good for disguising bottom-heavy figures.

4. You want to look tall not wide. Avoid horizontal stripes. Vertical stripes give a “slimmer” illusion as they draw the eye up and down. In fact, even an elongated necklace or a lengthy scarf can create a slimming vertical look. As for color, the worst thing you can do if you want to appear slimmer is to dress in bright colours and large prints. Dress in monochromatic colours or dress in similar shades for tops and bottoms.

5. Get a shape or wear clothing that creates that illusion. Wear clothes that fit, even if you don’t like the number on the label! Clothes that are either too loose or too tight will definitely create problems -- too loose add pounds by adding bulk to your figure and too tight create fat where none may exist. If you wear one baggy piece, make sure that the other piece is fitted. Baggy, shapeless clothes will make even a runway model look as though she has gained fifty pounds. If a runway model can’t compliment the clothes on her back, none of us can.

The best thing to do is to experiment and see what works for you. After all, what works for some, might not exactly do as well for others. Beauty involves investment so does fashion. Pick a couple of labels that best fit you and until you physically reduce in size, stick to them.

DISCUSS IT: Have you got any revolutionary tips on how to dress slimmer?