Dress your way to slimmer-looking legs

The first rule in plus-size fashion is this: Know how to highlight the positives of your body while downplaying the areas you aren’t so crazy about.

That’s why it’s so important for women to understand their body type and be able to focus on the best aspects of their shape. Every woman has different areas they want to downplay, and for many women, it’s their legs. If (like a lot of curvy women) you want to downplay wider thighs or calves, take a look at these style rules to keep in mind:

Wear the right length

Getting the length of your bottoms right is one of the best ways to slim down your overall appearance and create the illusion of thinner legs. For pants, this means opting for longer styles that extend past the bottom of your ankle, whether they’re slim-cut or wide-leg. For skirts and shorter capri-style pants, make sure they hit right at the slimmest part of your legs. Look for skirts that end around the knee (or just above or below them) or underneath the calf muscle where the leg begins to narrow.

Woman in zebra top, black skirt and black heels

Try a slight heel

Even shorter heels can make legs appear longer and leaner in an instant, so they’re a great way to downplay thicker legs. Nude and light-colored pumps and wedges are ultra-flattering when paired with skirts and dresses.

Choose shapes that flatter a curvy body type

The most flattering styles for women who want to downplay wider hips, thighs and calves are wide-leg pants and A-line skirts and dresses. These create a more balanced and proportionate body shape, and A-line styles have the added benefit of highlighting a small waistline. That said, pencil skirts can also look amazing on curvy ladies, so don’t feel like you should avoid them. To make sure a pencil skirt will look great, keep its length in mind and choose one that hits right around your knees.

Woman in yellow jacket over orange A-line dress and orange pumps

Opt for shorter tops

Tops that fall below your hips and end at your thighs can make your torso look extra long and your legs look shorter. Plus, the longer hemline may draw attention to the wider points of your hips and thighs. On the other hand, tops that hit just at your hips make your legs appear longer, which has an instant slimming affect. If you love longer tunic-style tops, try options with asymmetrical hemlines which will keep the length of the shirts flattering.

Woman in multi-colored top, jeans and black thongs

Use patterns

Busy patterns with dark backgrounds act as stylish camouflage for your body, making you appear slimmer. Have fun with patterned skirts and pants that you’ll look great in and love to wear.

Plus size black woman in bright patterned dress

Draw attention upward

Use the opposite focus technique to draw attention away from wider legs and toward your upper body. You can do this in a number of ways: Try using brighter colors on top and darker colors on the bottom to draw people’s eyes upward. You can also use exciting textures, patterns, details (like ruching or ruffles), interesting necklines and fun accessories to draw attention to your upper body.

Do you have some ideas on creating slimmer-looking legs? Tell us in the comments below!