It’s a catty kind of season with dramatic cat eyes entering this season front and center. If you’ve check the catwalk, no pun intended, this season –catty is certainly in. Gucci, Sass & Bride gave cat eyes a whole new meaning. Estee Lauder is calling the look the “new Cleopatra.” Very retro and certain to make a statement as this look has great impact!

You’re a gal who has confidence in her style and you want to be “in” with this seasons “cat eyes.” How do you accomplish this futuristic feline look at home?

First make sure you have a black eyeliner pencil in your make up repertoire . Maybelline Cool Effect is an eyeliner eye shadow combination, Cover Girl has there eyeslicks gel eyecolors, and Estee Lauder has the Softsmudge Black. There are plenty of other good ones on the market.

Apply foundation, make sure it’s flawlessly applied and then highlight temples and cheekbones ever so slightly. Add light lip color – remember your eyes are the focus.

Cover under the eye with concealer. This will prevent smudging.

Define your eyes with a light shadow covering the entire lid, blend softly up to the brow bone – soft grey, cream, beige, off white, taupe, soft pink, soft lavender all work great.

Work a deep dark shade into the contour to define, then blend along the crease

Next apply a your black eyeliner nice and thick along the lash line. Draw the bottom line thick and up towards the ear.

To open the eye up you can line inside the lash line with a white pencil Or for every day wear draw thin lines using a soft gray shadow or pencil

Add mascara and if you wish a touch of sparkle and your done. Pretty simple!

Like organizing our closets we must from time to time clean out our makeup cabinets and make sure what we have is still working for us. If you want flawless makeup and professional looking results you must use the correct makeup tools. The right blush brush for example, will make it possible that your blush gives you a perfect glow rather than a harsh streak or blob. Also, the right tools are necessary to do the job correctly – to define and conceal.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS:

Sponge: A sponge makes it possible to get into difficult spots and controls makeup application; used correctly a sponge will give your foundation an even finish. A sponge is great for touch-ups and is less likely to pull on the skin. Buy them in bulk and change them often.

Brushes: A good blush brush is soft with bristles that are about 1½ inches. Don’t use the small, hard brushes that come in compacts because it will be difficult to get a nice even finish. An eye shadow brush should also be soft. Look for a lipstick brush that is retractable. It helps keep the brush clean and in great shape. A blending brush should be about ½ wide and will help blend the different color eye shadows together to create a natural look. Use a brow brush to keep eyebrows under control and give them a smooth look. Your powder brush should be large, soft, firm and fluffy.

Eyelash curler: An eyelash curler is a must if you have short, straight eyelashes or just straight eyelashes. An eyelash curler (along with mascara) will give your eyelashes the appearance of being longer.

Tweezers: Have tweezers close by to keep your eyebrows well groomed. Well-groomed eyebrows will open the eye.

ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS

Cleanser: To have radiant skin you must keep it clean. A cleanser that is compatible with your skin type will do that and keep it moisturized.

Moisturizer: Moisturizers will keep your face feeling fresh and will help foundation glide on. Choose one that is compatible with your skin type.

Exfoliant: Exfoliants do a great job keeping dry patches to a minimum and will get rid of flaky skin.

Foundation: Foundations give the skin an even look and will protect it from the elements. You should be able to see your skin through your foundation. It shouldn’t look like a mask.

Powder: Whether you choose loose powder or a powder compact powder will give your face the final touch, keep your makeup in place and get rid of shine.

Mascara: The best mascara brush has wide spaces and does not cause mascara to clump. Only wear waterproof when you plan to get wet and change your mascara every 3 months to avoid it drying out or attracting bacteria.

Blush: Blush can be powdered or cream. A cream blush is harder to apply and is best for those with dry skin. A powder blush will go on much easier.

Eyebrow Pencil: Use an eyebrow pencil if your eyebrows are thin or to fill in gaps. Choose a color that is a shade lighter than your hair.

Eyeliner: Keep the edges rounded for a softer look; when applying make sure the eyeliner is in the lash line.

Eye shadow: Powder shadows are easier to apply than creams. Use a matte shadow if you have wrinkles around the eyes and keep eye shadow light.

Lip liner: To outline the lips choose a shade that complements your lipstick.

Lipstick: Use a shade that complements your skin tone.

The first thing you need to do before picking out colors is to decide if you have a Warm, Neutral or Cool skin tone. One way to do this is to take a good look at yourself in a mirror in natural sunlight. Decide if your skin color has more Blue or Yellow to it, or if they are pretty well even.

More Blue = Cool
More Yellow = Warm
Equal = Neutral

Another way to find out what skin tone you have is to compare your skin to the colors Silver and Gold. Generally if your skin looks good with Gold, you have a warm skin tone, Silver means cool, and if it looks good with both, then you have Neutral.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell on yourself, so you may want to ask a friend to help you decide.

Once you have decided your skin tone, it is time to choose a Concealer, Foundation and Powder. Depending on where you buy your cosmetics from, you may have a hard time figuring out which one looks best on your skin tone. Avon products are labeled with a W, C or N to decipher which skin tone they are best for. After this, the best way to choose a Concealer, foundation and powder is to try it out! Generally for concealer, you should pick one that is a shade lighter than your natural skin tone, so that when you use it to cover dark areas and imperfections it will blend and look natural. If you have a lot of red spots (acne, scars, etc.) then you should also look into getting a Green spot neutralizer, you use this under concealer to neutralize the red spot and make it look natural. After you have chosen the right concealer for yourself, you should choose a liquid foundation that matches your skin tone as closely as possible. If you have freckles it is recommended to match the color with your lightest freckles to help even out your skin color. Your powder should match your liquid foundation as closely as possible and be used last out of the 3.

After this you should choose an eye shadow. Again, depending on where you purchase your cosmetics you may have trouble finding shades that look good on you as they arent always labeled for skin tones. From my experience I have found that for Cool skin tones, Pinks, Berries and Blue/greys seem to look best, for Warm skin tones Earth tones tend to look best (greens & browns and some reds ESPECIALLY for redheads), and for Neutral Skin tones, I try to combine the 2.

After you have chosen and applied the appropriate eyeshadow, you should apply an eyeliner and Mascara. For people with light colored hair, brown or brown/black is an excellent choice of eyeliner and mascara. For people with Darker hair, Black is best, Although black looks very dramatic on anyone, it is a great choice for evening time.

After eyeliner and mascara it is time to choose and apply a lipstick. Generally you should match your lipstick to your eyeshadow, keep it in the same general color family, so if you are wearing pink eyeshadow, try a similar color lipstick, maybe a shade darker or lighter. Grey eyeshadow looks great with different shades of red lipstick! As a rule of thumb, if your eyeshadow is shimmery, you should avoid shimmery lipsticks, and vice-versa. I recommend to all of my clients to DAB lipstick on, not to swipe it across their lips. By dabbing you have more control over the intensity of the color and you can make a more natural or bold look.

As with everything, this is just a guideline, play around with your makeup, take whatever seems helpful and leave the rest, this is just meant to give some suggestions, the best way to find out what looks best on you, is to try different things out! Good luck!

Jessica Tracy is a work at home mom of 2 little boys, and currently runs 2 home based businesses. One as an Avon Beauty Advisor and Leadership Representative, and another as a distributor for Enchanted Potions. You can contact Jessica through her website http://enchantedscents.cjb.cc

This article may be reprinted so long as the Author Bio is attached.

Eyes have been called the windows of the soul because of how much they communicate. Eyes give your face energy and individuality. They do not have to be a certain size or shape to be considered pretty - all eyes have their own unique beauty. When makeup is applied to look natural it will bring out the eye’s true color and enhance the eye’s beauty. When you feel good about your makeup you will be more confident and will have one less thing to worry about.

A subtle application of eyeliner, shadows and mascara work together to create magic and make your eyes look their best.

Eye Shadow

Eye shadow is meant to highlight and define the eyes. Eye shadow is used to create depth to bring out the beauty of the eyes. A dark color used on the lid will make the eye appear smaller, while a lighter color will make it appear larger. That is what eye shadow is about creating illusions. These are the basic techniques for the following eye shapes:

Small eyes: Don’t use too much shadow or liner – it will make you eyes look smaller. Apply a light color on eyelid, use a darker color in the crease and use a highlighter under the brow.

Large eyes: Wear darker shadow on the lid and extend it to the crease. Use a flat color under the brow to highlight.

Deep-set eyes: Use light colors on the eyelid and under the brow. Use a medium color in the crease. Emphasize the outer corners with shadow.

Wide-set eyes: Use darker colors on the inner corners of the eye.

Hooded eyes: Apply light colors on the lid. Use darker colors from the center of the eyelid to the outer corners and blend.

Round eyes: Make round eyes longer by using color all around and extending toward the outer corners.

Asian eyes: Apply highlighter under the brow. Use light shadow on the inner half of the lid and a darker color on the outer half.

1. Light colors cause the eyes to open, dark colors will cause the eyes to recede

2. If you have very light skin avoid dark shades

3. Be careful with shimmer – they will bring attention to imperfections and wrinkles.

4. The eye area is the first to show age don’t tug on the skin.

Eyeliners:

Eyeliners are meant to define the eyes so they should do just that, not be the focal point of your makeup. Eyeliners come in various colors and forms liquid, pencil etc. Keep the eyeliner natural. Pencils are available in many colors (for the best look stick to black or brown) and can be sharpened for a fine line. For a smudged effect use a sponge tip shadow applicator or an eye shadow brush. When your pencils are too soft refrigerate them. When they are too hard soften them by holding them between your fingers.

To line the eye, start on the lower lid, just beneath the lashes. When you are finished always smudge the line with your sponge. Stay as close to the lash line as possible. On the upper lid, draw a line form the inner corner to the outer corner, thickening the line toward the outer corner. After the age of 40 keep the line in between the lashes.

Mascara and the creation of beautiful lashes:

Mascara frames your eyes and can make your face come alive. Mascara softly accentuates the eye while thickening and darkening the lashes; it is the finishing touch for eyes. There are several different types to choose from, thickening, and waterproof to smudge proof. Waterproof will need a special remover and smudge proof will wash off easily. It is not a good idea to wear waterproof mascara for extended periods of time since it has a tendency to dry the lashes.

Select a shade of mascara that complements your coloring. Dark shades on pale eyes with brown lashes will darken them and will look harsh. Stay away from blues and other colors since they will ruin your look.

Lashes that are hard to curl may need the help of an eyelash curler. Curl your lashes before you apply mascara – hold for ten to twenty seconds.

To apply mascara look straight into your mirror with your chin slightly lifted so you can see your lashes. Insert the wand only once and twist, don’t pump. Pumping can break the brush bristles and distribute the mascara unevenly and will dry out the mascara faster. Start by rolling the wand from root to tip in an upward motion. Reinsert the brush and apply again. If your eyelashes are thick and long they may clunk together. If this happens let them dry and then separate them with the corner of an eyebrow brush.

Who hasn’t looked at the perfect beauty of a model on the cover of a magazine or seen the flawless beauty of movie star on the red carpet and wished that they too could possess such ultimate beauty? Now with these surprisingly simple secret techniques used by Hollywood’s top makeup artist on some of the world’s most famous celebrity faces you can discover your own star quality and possess flawless beauty as well.

Model High Cheekbones – To create model high cheekbones after applying your foundation apply a very thin line of highlighter in a diagonal line on the top of your cheekbones starting at the center of your pupil and ending at the end of your cheekbone, blend thoroughly. Next apply a very thin line of contour shadow or cream in a diagonal line directly underneath your cheekbones starting at the center of your pupil and ending at the end of your cheekbone, blend thoroughly.

Ready For Your Close Up Flawless Complexion – To create a flawless perfect complexion that can stand up to the closest close up, mix color correctors with your concealer apply after moisturizer and before foundation. Color correctors counteract specific flaws in facial complexions, hides imperfections, evens out skin tones, and covers blemishes. Mint Green Correctors neutralizes redness. Lavender Correctors covers sallowness. Orange Correctors covers blue tones such as veins, dark circles, and bruises.

Cover Girl Perfect Brows - To create cover girl perfect brows pluck clean the area underneath the brow bone and shape the brow with widest part of the brow at the inner corner of your eye and the brow getting thinner has it goes out toward your temple. The highest part of the arch should be just above the outer edge of your pupil.

Dramatic Movie-Star Eyes – To create dramatic movie-star eyes apply a matte nude eye shadow over the entire eyelid. Next apply dark brown eyeliner to highlight your upper and lower eyelids from the inner corner to the outer corner. Finally apply another layer of eye shadow two shades darker to the crease of your eye and blend it upwards to your eyebrow.

Sexy Starlet Lips – To create sexy starlet lips trace the outer edge of your mouth with a lip pencil that matches your lips. Next, apply a slightly lighter lip color over your lips, and then blot. Finally, purse your lips and dab a little white eye shadow right in the center of them

Many men and women do not have much idea about Mens Fashion. Very often the advice I have been approached on are what men can wear to appear professional or what men should wear so that they do not look outdated but overtly trendy.

I would greatly suggest understanding the basics of men’s fashion and put this knowledge into a permanent mens fashion style. There would not be anymore worry about following trends but perpetually looking stylish.

The basics of men’s fashion boil down to knowing what each piece of apparel is made up of. The fabrics used determine a lot on the quality of the apparel. Good fabrics allow the apparel to withstand wear and tear.

If any men’s clothing or accessories that wear out fast would naturally make it look old and badly cared. This does not reflect well of the men wearing it and easily put most men out of style just by looking shaggy.

The next important point we need to note are the details found in every apparel and accessories. Details can be subtle but it creates a very big impact in the eventual outlook of the styling.

So before we start playing with details, the knowledge of each detail’s responsibility and how it helps in holding up the item or even gives significance to it in style can assist us in choosing the best men’s clothing.

Learning how to coordinate is another tough thing for many men. It does not need to be if they just understand about the various concepts of coordination. Starting from differentiating the type skin complexion they belong to would be the most basic knowledge to acquire.

Then they just need to put on the right color clothing against their complexion that perks up their facial skin tone and brings the attention to their face.

After that, coordinating colors between the various men’s clothing is another method. There are various ways to match different and similar or same hues as well as the shades of hues to achieve the nicest blend of colors.

If they are adventurous, then there are more that they can create that puts two very contrasting colors and yet a harmonious fusion of such colors without looking weird or clownish.

Putting patterns against each other is another challenging task in mens fashion. It is through the play of patterns that can make many men look very trendy and stylish.

If not properly done, those clashing patterns would be a very trying and poorly executed attempt. It boils down in knowing the types of patterns and their scale before choosing how to put them together.

Men can go for two to four similar or different patterns coordination without even looking overdoing the matching. It is fundamental to keep the flow of patterns as natural as possible and create a relaxing look from the combination.

It is good to have an idea of how to put all these mens clothing and accessories together. From there we can develop a permanent styling and never have to worry about the next trend or whether it is unprofessional. At least all aspects of men’s fashion have been touched on. Therefore, if you are daring enough it is always possible to transform it into fashionable styling.

Celebrity fashion is something that we all pay attention to, whether we realize it or not. We all check out the magazines at the grocery store checkout and we all take notice of what is in the windows of our favorite clothing stores in the malls and what models and celebrities are wearing on television. Celebrity fashion paves the way for every day people to develop a style all their own, and even to stay on top of the trends. Unlike most of us, celebrities have fashion advisors that can tell them what is hot and what is not, and most of them listen! All we have to do is follow the cue of most celebrities and we can be just as trendy and as hip as they are.

Hair Every year there are new hair styles that celebrities make popular. Jennifer Aniston is one of the most popular as we have all been mimicking her beautiful hair for the last fifteen years or so since she was better known as Rachel. In 2005 most of the hairstyles were straight and those that didn’t have the straight locks got them by using sedu hair straighteners. The sedu hair straightener is a ceramic device that can straighten one’s hair without damaging it. Jennifer Aniston, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Paris Hilton have sported these hairstyles. Though it would be easy to assume that all of these celebrities have beautiful hair that is straight, all of them wear these fashions with the help of the sedu style straightener.

Accessories Accessories are another fashion cue that we often take from celebrities. For a long time personalized necklaces were the thing, but now simple is better. Simple diamond necklaces are really popular, as are the “o” pendants and three stone diamond pendants. Simple and elegant are the jewels that will be worn in the form of necklaces, but rings and BRAcelets are becoming more and chunkier when you look at what your favorite celebrities are wearing right now. Big bags and small bags, there don’t seem to be much in between. Big bags and small bags are the extremes that are in right now and everyone seems to be doing the sequined purses and belts, which can dress up a pair of jeans or make a more formal outfit flashier. Leg warmers! Leg warmers are back, although not everyone can pull these 80s fashion accessories back, but you may just see some of your favorite celebrities sporting them in those candid shots that we all love so much!

Shoes We get many of our cues for shoes from celebrity fashion plates as well. It doesn’t seem to matter what season we are in; we are all flipping through magazines to see what the stars are wearing. Again, the stars have advisors to tell them what is hot, but we can simply buy a two or three dollar magazine and check in with our favorite stars. Casual definitely seems to be in right now with our favorite celebrities sporting fashions such as flip-flops for the spring and summer! Many celebrity fashion gurus say you needn’t go any further than Payless to get some great shoes. Payless shoes was even mentioned as being a great place to buy shoes on a recent episode of America’s Next Top Model.

Clothes You’ll typically find that celebrity fashion isn’t unlike what you or I would wear on an every day basis. Jeans, t-shirts, they’re all the rage. Bootleg jeans and capris are in again this year as well as low rise and super lose rise jeans, and you’ll definitely see your favorite stars wearing them in the magazines. Tank tops and peasant tops will be in again, as well as lacy tops. If you’re looking for something to wear to the beach, remember that the bikini is in! It’s important to remember that you don’t have to spend as much as the stars do to copy celebrity fashion. While they may be able to afford to spend $500 on a pair of jeans, you can spend much, much less and create the same look!

Celebrity fashion is always changing. From month to month and season to season what is in definitely changes. While celebrity fashion is interesting, it should be used only as a guide to help you develop your own sense of style. You’ll see stars such as Demi Moore and Sharon Stone that always have their own celebrity fashion and they don’t really care what other people think. You can look at what the stars are wearing and take what you like and leave what you don’t. Either way, the magazines and television shows are a great guide for you to learn what is popular right now and what is not, what you do with it is up to you!

Every man should know the mens dress shoes details before even considering buying their dress shoes. It is important to understand that these details define the quality in the shoes.

Instead of repeated spending on replacing damaged dress shoes, it pays to have a few quality ones that can last for years. The high quality mens dress shoes are eventually going to be more cost efficient than the cheap poor quality ones that are not made to last.

Mens dress shoes details are the foundation in building and shaping the dress shoes. It provides the comfort and firmness within that men are always sensitive about. Let us begin going through the mens dress shoes details:

Leather
Most mens dress shoes are made of leather. It is important to know what constitutes good leather since this material covers about 80 – 90% of the dress shoe.

Leather quality is graded from 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest quality. However, we can never find these grading on the dress shoes and neither would the sales personnel at the shoe department know.

Generally, base on laymen’s sight and touch, we focus on a smooth with consistent fine grain on the leather for mens dress shoes details. The leather should feel rich and supple.

A good example of good quality leather would be napa, a type of calfskin. Calfskin are fine leather from skin of young calf or even lambs. These hides have fine grains and shines with high polish.

All leather hides naturally have blemishes or scars on them. The high quality leather will have little scars on it and hence the higher price. The difference in durability for high and low quality leather is small in variation so it is not a determinant in the pricing for leather mens dress shoes.

Blemishes on leather dress shoes can be hidden by using sealant products. It smoothens the leather and cover-up the blemishes. Therefore, if the leather itself has less polished finishing (i.e. glassy finish) or as naked as it is, it represents lesser possible concealment of blemishes.

One of the most important mens dress shoes details lies on having high quality leather that has minimum blemishes and also barely touched-up with any artificial sealants.

Still it is difficult for any layman to assess the quality of leather unless you really know leather very well. Instead of trying to assess the leather itself, the focus should be more on the construction of the mens dress shoes.

Mens dress shoes details start from the inside since dress shoes are made from inside out. Blemishes and faulty workmanship are usually concealed on the outside. So focusing on the inside will allow us to find difficult areas of cover-ups.

An important point of focus is the insole. High quality mens dress shoes have insoles made from leather rather than layers of cardboards. These leather insoles are durable and prevents unnecessary foot odor because it allows the foot to breathe and absorb perspiration.

It can also be easily replaced when worn out as well as helps in shaping the bottom of the dress shoes which are not possible with cardboard insoles.

Lining
Leather is still the focus here. High quality leather should still be used to work on the lining. A good example of such leather would be calfskin.

Make sure that the lining is smooth at the folds around the seams and edges. Fine stitch is important along the lining because a fine binding and clean finishing defines the workmanship of the mens dress shoes details.

Stitching
Stitching is something that is not usually noticed among mens dress shoes details. We would recommend careful inspection of it.

Good quality stitching on mens dress shoes should be as inconspicuous as possible. It should be concealed from the top to the bottom of the dress shoes.

Remember to ensure that the inside of mens dress shoes do not have any exposed knots because these can cause a lot of discomfort for the wearer.

On the sole, a welt finishing involves stitching the leather in between the edge of the sole and the turned-in edge of the upper. These stitching should be hidden within the leather and should not have any loose ends revealed.

Soles
Soles are the foundation of mens dress shoes details. It is the easiest to wear out from walking.

A good investment for mens dress shoes would be having leather soles. One good point about leather soles is that it is definitely more formal and refined looking than rubber soles.

Leather soles are usually tanned to make it more lasting. The light tanned hue on the sole avoids possible cover-up of blemishes and scars.

It also avoids exposed stitching. The stitching along the soles should be well-hidden under the channels cut within the soles. These represents the quality required for mens dress shoes details.

The soles can be made into various layers, from single to three, and it all depends one’s personal choice, or to fit the formal dressing.

Make sure these soles are shaped as closely as possible to the foot to assure comfort for the wearer. Dress shoes soles should never be glued to the shoe. We should expect stitching around this area. It allows possible changing of the soles when worn out but not for those with glued soles.

Heels
Another important aspect about mens dress shoes details is the heel. Leather comes into play again. The heels are actually layered with leather and nailed together with brass pins.

This creates a tight reinforcement for the leather layers to create a cushion effect as well as sustainable support around the heels.

Make sure the heels are not oversized as this disrupts the balance for the mens dress shoes and can make walking with such heels very uncomfortable. For added durability, some heels are further attached with brass tacks to the sole.

We all want to look our best, whether we’re short and slim or tall and heavier. Here are a few tips I’ve collected for plus size women that will help us look our best.

Pants

Choose pants that are long enough for you. If your pants are too short, it visually cuts the length of your legs. The longer your legs look, the slimmer they’ll appear.

Also choose pants that fit you well, not too tight or clingy. Fabrics that are too thin tend to cling to your legs and reveal bumps we’d rather keep out of sight.

Choose pants that are either boot cut, wider legged or flared at the bottom. The boot cut is slimming, while the wider cuts also add a slimming effect by keeping a visual straight line from our hips to our ankles. The worst choice would be a tight, tapered pant leg bottom as this enhances the width of your hips and thighs.

Capri pants are very slimming as well if they’re the right length. Choose a style where the bottom of the pant ends a few inches above your ankles but below the widest part of your calves.

Skirts

Choose skirts that rest just above your knees. A mid-calf skirt cuts the length of your legs and draws eyes to the thickest part of your lower legs.

Again, proper fit is key here. Something too tight will visually enhance and draw attention to bulges that we’d rather not publicize. Also look for skirts that fit below the waistline if you have a thick waist.

Bras

A well fitted bra is a must for every woman. Not only to give support and comfort, but a too tight bra can pop out those back rolls like nobody’s business!

If your cup size is not too large, consider trying a sports bra for a comfier fit that has adequate support. No wires here ladies!

Colors

Choose darker colors for areas you don’t want the eyes to focus on and brighter colors for places you want to accentuate. Darker colors such as black and navy are very slimming and should be in every woman’s closet.

Dressing from head to toe in one color is also very slimming as it makes a person look taller. Matching your pantyhose to the color of your shoes and skirts helps achieve this look.

Patterns

Stay away from large patterns and look for vertical stripes - thin is best. Thin stripes help give the illusion of length. Adding length helps give the illusion of a longer body, which helps you look thinner. Small, delicate prints can also be very flattering.

Fit

If your clothing is too tight, it accentuates and magnifies all flaws. If our clothing is too loose and baggy, we think we’re hiding our size but the opposite actually happens: we magnify our size.

So many tips to keep in mind when shopping for new clothes! But the key points to remember are proper fit and visually lengthening fashions. We have so many options now in plus size fashions that we can find exactly what works best for our body types.

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There are certain basic guidelines every women should observe when selecting clothing and accessories. You should first determine your basic body type and use this as a basis for making clothing choices. Just remember that these are general guidelines and not hard and fast rules. You must be the final judge of what looks best on you and also remember, that if a piece of clothing doesn’t feel comfortable to you, then it doesn’t matter how flattering or stylish it is!

Your first priority should be choosing clothing that is of high quality and is offered at a reasonable price. It’s all about value. With these points in mind, below are several guidelines for selecting plus size clothing that will bring out the best in your individual body type:

1. Don’t Let Clothing Hang Off Your Body

The entire point of new plus size clothing fashions today is the wide selection of great fitting styles for plus size women. Gone are the days of tent-like frocks and other unflattering garments. Of course, a lot depends on your size and body type, but you should be able to find clothing that flatters your figure without completely draping over you. Even a loose, flowing summer dress with short sleeves that reveals nicely tanned arms and well-turned ankles can be both extremely flattering and comfortable. Also consider loose tops such tunic tops.

2. Be Careful With Skin Tight Clothing

There’s certainly no rule that says plus size women shouldn’t wear tight clothing. It’s really a matter of comfort — even in petite sizes, skintight clothing can be uncomfortable. Spandex is a remarkable fabric and it is found in a lot of plus size clothing. A little give to a garment is a great thing. Ultimately it’s up to you if you’re comfortable going to the gym in Spandex tights or out to a club in a cat suit.

3. Consider High Waisted Dresses

A dress with a high waistline, sometimes referred to as an “empire waist”, can greatly flatter your figure by making your waist appear much smaller. A wide range of dress styles from casual to formal are offered with empire waist lines. Decorative bodices and stripes below the bust line further accentuate the impression of a small waistline. They should be a part of every plus size women’s wardrobe.

4. Be Careful With Swim Skirts

There are lots of great swimsuits to choose from in plus sizes. A common style in plus size swim wear is the swim skirt and swim dress. The swim skirt can draw attention away from your waist and rear, but this style also harkens back to swim fashions from the 1920s.

Often times a slimming one-piece suit can work very well depending on your size and body type. Where swim skirts can be effective is in 2-piece suits or tankinis.

5. Consider Wraps

If your upper arms are not as firm as you’d like you may wish to consider wearing cover-ups. Wraps and cover-ups are also a great way for adding a touch of elegance to formal wear and gowns and will also provide warmth to your shoulders on cool evenings. Remember that long sleeves can be very sexy in plus sizes!

By keeping this short list of plus size fashion tips in mind you can put together an amazing wardrobe for all seasons and occasions.