Stylin' in the summer

This chambray wrap dress with flattering V-neck and flared skirt is from The Gap.

Summer brings skimpier clothes. In Oklahoma, when temperatures often reach triple digits by late June, it’s ridiculous to try to cover up from head to toe. You have to show a little bit of skin to keep from sweating to death.

Showing more skin often means bringing attention to flaws and areas of our bodies we would prefer to keep under wraps.  Luckily, there are ways to camouflage and hide the flaws, or at least to make it look much more flattering.  

Bobbi Schwartz, founder and CEO of The Bobbi Schwartz Group, a Dallas-based personal styling company, says a lot of how you look this summer comes down to dressing to compliment your figure.

“Boot-cut or flare-leg pants are more flattering than narrow-leg pants, for those with hips. And, believe it or not, wide-leg pants are very flattering to the backside, no matter what size or shape your hips are,” says Schwartz. “Somehow, they make the backside look small and shapely. Go figure!”

 Clothing style makes a big impression on how someone looks, yet many people end up choosing items for the color or style, rather than finding something that will help create a more flattering image.  Here are some simple tips for using clothing to your advantage, this summer and all year:* For those with a tummy, there are T-shirts that are cut in an A-shape that will help hide and distract. Eileen Fischer is a designer that offer such shirts in a variety of colors, with a high-quality fabric and cut.  “The T-shirts will take pounds off those that are thicker in the middle,” adds Schwartz.