Renu Dalal-Jain
is a certified image consultant and owner of
Flair Consulting
in Philadelphia, PA. She is a graduate of The Image Maker Inc. School and a member of the Association of Image Consultants International. Before returning to her first love of fashion and style, Renu completed her graduate studies with Honors, in International Marketing, and worked in the pharmaceutical market research industry. Renu has also worked in the Indian fashion industry in India as a model, fashion show choreographer and clothing designer.
One of the most common requests I get from my image consulting clients is to help them look slimmer, thinner, 10 pounds lighter, or any variation of “skinny”! Especially around the holidays, when you will meet family and friends after a long time, you want to look your best – while still getting to eat all the usual holiday goodies like cakes and pies and mashed potatoes!
My first tip is this: DON’T DIET! The time when diets fail most is through the holiday season, so if you feel you’re heavier than you should be, make it your resolution to eat healthy – but don’t set yourself up for failure at this time of the year! Try to exercise as much as you can, watch your alcohol consumption (alcohol causes bloating) and drink lots of water. But if you want that piece of chocolate cake or apple pie, go ahead and have a little bit.
In my experience as an image consultant, the face and upper body (especially the hands) is usually the focal point of a person, so to minimize people’s unwanted attention to other body parts, make sure that your hair, cosmetics, jewelry, and hands are well-kept, clean, and groomed. Have your hair cut and styled just before the holidays, and go through your cosmetics, making sure to keep only what looks good on you and what is new – as old makeup tends to fade, run, and even smell funny! Take the time to get a manicure – this is a good time to experiment with wearing brighter nail-polish as it will look festive, not garish. Men should also get their nails cleaned and buffed, and make sure to use hand lotion; dry, ashy hands are not attractive and will be noticed.
Here are some general principles for dressing slimmer for the holidays:
-Do not wear large patterns or prints. A large pattern makes the body look larger overall, and is distracting. Instead, wear solid colors or very small, muted patterns. A little sparkle goes a long way – don’t go over the top with the Blinking Christmas Sweaters! They look good on pets and babies, but not on anyone over the age of 13!
-For the best slimming effect, choose tops and bottoms in one solid color, or same color family. One of the best outfits for women is pants with tunic tops in a matte jersey material, which is highly slimming.
-Pants are more slimming than skirts because skirts can give the illusion of cutting you in half. The only exception is a slim pencil skirt with a longer top which will create a sinuous, lean line.
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-Choose your outfits in fairly dark colors, such as dark green, blue, burgundy, black, charcoal, and dark purple. Very light pastel colors tend to add weight and will show every curve!
-Avoid heavy materials such as tweed, cable knits, and breast pockets or bulky collars, as they add pounds and width to your body. Stick with matte jersey, chiffons, spun silks, which are lighter and will skim the body gracefully.
