As you can probably guess, one of my favorite television shows is TLC’s What Not to Wear. One of Stacy and Clinton’s favorite mantras is when you wear clothes that fit your body, you look smaller. In other words, wearing loose or baggy clothes will make you look larger than you are.
Within the realm of “clothes that fit your body” there are many variations. One of the fits that flatters most bodies is semi-fitted. For today’s post, I want to sing the virtues of the semi-fitted top. “Semi-fitted” is just what it sounds like. It’s not tight and it’s not loose, a.k.a. baggy. These tops hint at your body shape without showing it off or flaunting it. Hence, this is a great style for business, too.
Semi-fitted tops best flatter women with a straighter waistline and women who have a tiny bit of a tummy. No matter what physical shape you’re in, if you have a boyish waist line, wearing tops that are tight or hug your torso only emphasizes your lack of curves. Likewise, wearing a tight top over your belly emphasizes the curve of your stomach. Alternatively, semi-fitted tops, as you can see in the photo, usually allow you to create a little ruching which always flatters your figure!
Now for the bad news… this style is kind of hard to find. The trend right now is toward loose fitting tops that totally hide your figure. My recommendation is to look in stores with relatively traditional clothing such as Talbot’s and Ann Taylor (also great stores for professional clothing.)
Before You Go…
At Last, a complete resource with all the stores with sizes and proportions to fit your unique shape!
No matter what your body type, in this guide, you'll find more shops and sites than you ever knew existed... that cater to just your size, height and shape!
