Ask Kimmy: How Do I Look Curvier?

While everyone in the world is trying to look skinnier, my problem is the complete opposite…I am very naturally skinny. It sounds great, but I feel like I have the body of a 14 year old boy. I’m 110 lbs, but not nearly tall enough to pull off that “Oh don’t mind my embarrassingly skinny arms, hips, and legs…I’m a model” thing. I thankfully have some cleavage, but the rest of me is a straight line. I’m 18 and want to look like the young woman that I am! Do you have any tips for clothing to wear to look looking curvier?

Doll! I do have some tips and I’m happy to help!  What’s so exciting about clothes is that they really are transformational and illusional – meaning you can make yourself look how you want, even if you aren’t naturally that way.

The trick for girls who don’t have curvy hips, or are more straight, and shaped like a rectangle from the boobs down, is to draw the eye to where your waist would be, if you had one that was more indented. To do that, you find A-line cuts, invest in some cool belts, and get to wear awesome tent-y pieces with skinnies, to create an awesome silhouette.
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The model above doesn’t have much of curve either, but you can see how pleats and a high waist can help create an illusion that she has them. Think Dior’s “New Look.”

As this look shows, wearing a brighter or lighter color on your top half draws the eye up, espesh in ever-classic white and black. But to be a little more relevant to today’s trends, half-tuck a cute neon pink silk blouse into a high-waisted pair of bell bottoms and pop on a flatform sandal. Here’s a list of more clothing features that can help you create a curvier look:
Pleats
High waisted A-line skirts
A-line dresses
Tent maxi dresses
High waisted flare jeans
Tight-fitting scoop-neck or deep-v neck tees
Flatforms and flats
Finally, I’d like to leave you with a little celeb style inspiration! There are two lovely ladies I’d recommend you study. Firstly, Claudia Schiffer. I know she’s way taller than you, but you can at least see how she deals with proportion. Plus, Claudia has incredible everyday, casual style.

Second, and closer to your kind of body, is Carey Mulligan.  Nearly all of her red carpet dresses are cinched at the waist, sometimes with belts, sometimes not. But when you know your body type, you go with what works! Her red carpet pics are great inspiration for any dressy events you’ll be heading out to!  (btdubs, the Prada dress Carey wore to the 2010 Oscars  in the pic shown left? One of my all time favorite red carpet dresses ever. EVER.)

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Any other q’s? Leave them in the comments below or hit me up on the AskKimmy tab above.  And, please tweet me pics of your adorable high waisted, curve-inducing ensembles! Can’t wait to see.

And P.S. I totally wish I could wear some of the things I mentioned, but they’re not right for my body type. So who is the lucky one now?!!?