Cinch Your Waist: How to Belt An Outfit Based on Your Body Type

If you take your body type into consideration, not all belts are created equal. Here are some tips on how you can cinch your waist based on your body type:

Petite:
If you’re like Eva Longoria or Natalie Portman, you have a petite body to work with. As a general rule for women with petite shapes, steer clear of busy patterns and multicolored fabrics, as this will make you look even smaller. Opt for “color-blocking” when it comes to dressing. Try to keep your clothes and accessories within the same color family. Monochromatic dressing will work best for you. For instance, if you are wearing a shift dress in a rich wine color, try a red belt. This way, you will be able to maintain the column of color in your outfit, making you look taller, while at the same time defining your waist, thereby giving you an hour-glass shape.

pic from people.com

Plus Size or Pear shaped:
If you’re plus sized like Queen Latifah, or if you are pear-shaped like Scarlett Johansson, you should use belts made of sturdier fabric or leather to accentuate your waist. But remember, as a general rule for plus size women, you cannot play around too much with prints. Try to stick to belts with smaller patterns, preferably of muted colors. And limit yourself to one great accessory.

Tall or Large-framed:
If you are tall like Cameron Diaz, or large-framed like Rebecca Romjin, you can be more adventurous and playful with your clothing. You are perfect for accessorizing with belts from braided leather belts to the fun printed fabric belts. But having a torso longer than most women, placement of the belts is key. As a general rule, you should place your belt around two inches below your navel, to mitigate the length of your torso.

Hope this helps. Please comment with other tips.