1. Style

Discuss in my forum

Dress to Flatter Your Rectangle Shaped Figure

By , About.com Guide

Pants to Flatter Your Rectangle Shaped Figure
Dress to Flatter Your Rectangle Shaped Figure

Pants with straight legs from Petite Sophisticate

Image Courtesy of Petite Sophisticate
Dark-colored pants with straight legs work best for most petites because they will enhance the illusion of a leaner, longer body. If you're 5'0" or under, you may also need to find pants with a shorter inseam than regular petite pants have.

Keep in mind that your main strategy to create the illusion of a curvy figure will be to find a way to define your waistline, and this definition should be not be at the hipline, so look for pants or jeans with at least a mid-rise or even high waisted pants that can be cinched with a belt to create the look of a narrower waistline. Alternatively, you can create the appearance of a waistline with the type of top you wear. When you use this strategy, make sure that your pants are not bulky at the top.

When selecting pants or jeans, avoid:

  • print designs.
  • plaid
  • low-rise waistlines.
  • belting your pants or jeans at the hip.
  • pleated styles
  • cargo pants
In our example above, the classic fit straight leg pants (Vendor's Site) from Petite Sophisticate create a vertical line, which helps petites look taller. Although they're available in several colors, a dark color, such as charcoal or navy creates the thinnest appearance. Another benefit: these pants for petites come in two inseam lengths.

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.