Yesterday, the lovely Sara Jessica from Fashinny let us go on her lovely blog and share with her readers a few tips on peplums, one of our favorite trends! The article had to be tweaked a little to fit her blog and what her readers love, but we decided to share the original post with nine tips with our readers here at Fashion Wolves. However, be sure to visit Sara Jessica's blog, as there are hundreds of tips there! Let's show some love!
We're pretty sure all of you fashionistas out there are well informed and know exactly what a peplum is, but just in case you need a reminder, a peplum is just a short overskirt, generally cut as a circle skirt to add movement and volume. Here's how to wear it:
1 - Peplums can add volume to your mid-section and/or hips. That's clearly a problem area for a vast number of women... Should women who don't exactly look like a model not wear the peplum trend at all? No! Much on the contrary - anyone can rock a peplum! A perfectly placed peplum can hide that little extra tummy and even make your waist look a lot smaller. It's all about placement! So the tip here is to try as many different outfits as you possibly can and see what you prefer.
2 - If you need to emphasize your waist, chose a peplum that starts bellow the smallest part of your torso and add a belt, preferably of a color that is darker than the rest of your outfit and make it a wide belt rather than a skinny one if possible. You'll be drawing attention to your smallest part because you're wearing an accessory there and you'll be slimming it down due to the visual effect of a darker color. There - instant hourglass figure! You're welcome.
3 - If, however, your problem area is your belly as whole instead of just waist definition, search for a peplum that starts a little higher up and that is a little longer, thus covering most of what you want to conceal. The volume of the extra peplum fabric won't let any lumps and bumps show, while at the same time tricking the eye into thinking that the volume that there may be is all from the fabric. Generally you'll find longer peplums when you pick a top with a peplum instead of a dress or a skirt with this feature.
4 - Wide hips? No problem! You have three alternatives here. Either you wear a softer fabric that creates the effect without the stiffness of the overskirt and consequent added volume or you go for a really short peplum on a knee lenght skirt so the volume is above your hips and thus not widening them or...
 |
| Can you tell I'm loving white for Summer? Peplum Embroidered Top |
5 - Opt for peplum skirts instead of dresses or tops if you have wider hips. May seem totally counterproductive but if you wear a lighter top and a darker bottom, it will all even out. Always remember, the human eye sees shape and proportion much better and much quicker than it sees actual size. Human eyes (and especially men's) are very easy to trick - scientifically proven!
6 - If you're curvier, go for a longer skirt. Just bellow the knee is usually as long as you can go when it comes to a peplum. This is a good idea because you're widening your figure with a peplum and with a short skirt you risk making yourself look shorter and boxy - it does not sound like a recipe for success, does it? If you feel the need to show a little skin, go for cap sleeves or go sleeveless. A nice cleavage is also a good bet!
 |
| Pink and plus size! Daisy lace makes life prettier! |
7 - Beware of patterns and shiny fabrics! Especially when it comes to a dress. You are tampering with proportions and adding further visual distractions can be just too much if not chosen carefully! If you feel you must go with a pattern, choose something small or only as an accent. As for shiny fabrics... Well... A peplum in a shiny fabric (polyester, lurex, raw silk) looks like it just belongs in the 90's. Trust us, it's not the right way of going vintage.
8 - Make sure the rest of your outfit is fitted. This will make sure you don't look bigger than you really are. Skinny or straight pants and pencil skirts are the perfect solution, as well as more fitted tops. Actually, bonus tip, keep your look monochromatic (all in one color) and it will make you look taller!
9 - If all else fails... Wear what you love, whenever and however you want to wear it. Other people have the option of looking away if they don't like it! But they won't be able to, you know why? Because there is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is confident and comfortable with her fashion choices and isn't afraid to be a little daring! Like my grandma used to say "Let them look, sweetheart! All pretty things were made to be looked at."
What about you? Have you tried a peplum before?
No comments:
Post a Comment