Welcome folks. It’s YourLifeChoices’ podcast Mind Your Own Retirement with me John Deeks and the founder of YourLifeChoices Kaye Fallick. And today we talk with style guru and founder of Smart Casual Classic fashion website Rebecca O’Hearn about how to ‘dress slim.
Kaye Fallick: The question today is how to dress slimmer. So rather than having to lose weight, you’re going to talk us through how to look slimmer by choosing the right outfit.
Rebecca O’Hearn: Yes, that’s right. So, you know, it’s a little bit easier work than actual dieting, but you can do things like, look at your colour choices. You know the old saying that black is slimming, but really that’s got a lot to do with just the darker tone to sort of hide shadowing and things like that. So you could opt for navy, that’s a bit more flattering. Also on tone, things like making sure the top half connects to the bottom half. So dressing tonally from top to bottom will elongate the look of you, and therefore make you look a little bit slimmer in the process. So there’s lots of little visual tricks you can do. Long lines is a good one, especially with this weather at the moment, like a long line cardigan over top of your outfit. It just gives this little optical illusion that it’s lengthening you. And again, trims you down in the process.
KF: Does jewellery work also in that field?
RO: Definitely. So if you were to wear beads – wear them a little longer. Using long lines and some kinds of symmetry work or a little bit off centre. It’s the same with a scarf which is a good one especially at this time of year. Simply drape a scarf over your all-black outfit – that’s a nice way of jazzing it up anyway, but it also uses those long lines to give the lengthening illusion. And also, if you are just draping a scarf over your neck, it’s best to actually place that, not evenly, the length not evenly, because it will chop you off a bit, it creates halves in your body. So if you just have one side a little longer than the other, then that actually gives you that little diagonal illusion as well. Which again, makes you taller, feel a bit slimmer. It actually happens a lot, a lot of people will fix it up and make it even, you’re actually cutting yourself in half by doing that.
John Deeks: It’s sort of interesting, because way back in the day, Maggie Tabberer was one of the first folks who came and said, “this is my body, love it or, you know, drop off a cliff or I don’t care. I’m going to wear this and to heck with you all.” Yeah. All the colours and everything else. So there’s kind of two ways of approaching it. Isn’t it?
RO: Definitely. Yeah. And, you know, she was a model and gorgeous and had confidence in fashion. And she did a lot of layering, like the way the fabric sat on her, it might not have looked fitted, but it actually would have fit her in the right places. And if she wore her signature white shirt as well, her pants would have been more slimline. So you have to balance out your silhouette. You ‘re not going to wear loose pants with a loose top. Or if you’re going to wear a wide skirt, you want to nip it in with a nice little niche or a fitted shirt, depending on where you’re going. So, yeah, she definitely understands her silhouette very well.
KF: So Rebecca, thinking of our members, YourLifeChoices members who are right now in Queensland, Northern Territory, Broome and lucky them, it’s probably about 30 degrees. They’re not probably going to layer a scarf. Have you got any T-shirty tricks or hot weather?
RO: I would make sure you take a look at the fabric, which I think everybody in those states is already pretty well aware of. The one thing I would say is avoid synthetic, obviously because of heating, but also because they give off a bit of a shine. So the fabric that you’re wearing will reflect light or absorb light. So if you’re wearing a beautiful linen shell top, then that will also have some structure to it and it won’t cling in the wrong places. So I would say some of the tips with that is be aware of the fabric, which I think they already are for heating and cooling, but it also plays a role in clinging.
KF: Yeah. So is that a general rule – wear natural fibres like cotton, linen and wool.
JD: I love linen. Love it.
RO: Me too.
KF: And silk.
RO: Definitely. Yeah, silk is a tough one obviously, it clings or it’s just a bit staticky, and as a care factor. But yes, it is a general rule and I’ve noticed, I feel like as we get older, you just become so much more aware of what fabrics work for you and what don’t. And then the next step after that is looking at your budget, because these 100 per cent linen styles are dearer, but you can get linen blends now, very affordable styles. And although yes sure they crease or whatever, they won’t reflect light, they absorb light and they won’t cling the way that something that’s extremely cheap will show up all the wrong parts, or cling to the wrong part.
JD: Ah I remember wearing my Brian Nylon Gloweave shirts. It was always a problem.
KF: So investing in quality, buy one of something good as supposed to two sugar-hit fashion items. The other question I wanted to ask you, it’s very hard to generalise because of body shape. So do you have any short tips about body shapes or even how to work out what your body shape is?
RO: So if you do have small waist, or if it’s the smallest part of your body, always remember to try and nip that in a little bit. It doesn’t have to be with a belt or something heavy, because they can just be a bit cumbersome, but buy a style that does come in a little bit and accentuate you at the waist. If that smallest part of you is closer to under your bust or at your tummy, and the same goes for men too, don’t buy oversize. I know it’s comfortable. And you think you look slimmer, but you actually should nip it in a little bit to give your silhouette. You have to think about your silhouette as if you were a shadow.
JD: They go with my black muumuus.
RO: Some fabulous muumuus out there though.
KF: So Rebecca, that’s been really handy. We’re going to put your website smart, casual, classic up on the podcast page. And I know you’re working a lot with the team, so we’re looking forward to more tips from you over the coming months.
RO: Thank you. It’s been fun.
