SHE is a professional stylist and blogger with over 275,000 followers on Instagram, so there’s no doubt that Kat Farmer has a lot of style secrets up her sleeve.
Kat, 49, fashion guru on ITV’s This Morning and BBC’s You Are What You Wear, insists in her new book Change Yourself: Finding the New You Through Fashion: “We’re all perfect” no matter what body shape.
Kat says, “It’s about getting to know our body shape, buying clothes that fit well, and buying clothes that slim.”
Today, in an exclusive snippet, stylist Abby McHale picks Kat’s top tips for each figure.
Table of Contents
Curvy: Kelly Brook
Find the perfect bra, fit the right chest and wear wide stripes
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PERFECT BRA
Kat says: “The first task for you should be to find the perfect bra for the logical reason that without a really good bra, your breasts won’t even be in the right place.
“And if it isn’t, no garment will fit well because it’s made to fit the chest in a certain position.”
AVOID HIGH NECKLINE
Kat says: “Cleavage is the easiest way to show off your best features.
“Typically, for a large bust, it’s a V-neck, a low square neckline, or a low neckline. Anything with a high neckline will be harder to wear.
“And anything that’s very loose, well, you risk looking like the prow of a ship.”
WEAR WIDE STRIPS
She adds: “You can wear stripes – and horizontal stripes if they are wide.
“If you’re wearing a pinstripe top, the stripe distorts as it expands and stretches over your assets.
“And as you can imagine, it just looks weird.”
Slim: Victoria Beckham
Accessories add texture and volume, then layer on.
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ACCESSORIES
If you have a slim figure, this can make your outfit appear “flat”. But Katya has a solution.
She says: “Curves that you don’t have, you can create with accessories.
“Big scarves add volume and texture. We are distracted again – bulky jewelry or layers of thinner, more delicate necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
CHOOSE POUFFER SLEEVES
“Think about creating the illusion of curves,” Kat says.
“While you won’t get any padding in barrel-leg trousers, the cut is more curvy. The same goes for puff sleeve tops.
LAYER UP
Kat says: “Imagine you are flying on a budget airline and your hand luggage is too big or too heavy.
Instead of selling a kidney to deposit, you decide to put on a whole bunch of your clothes, putting them in a pile.
“Okay, not really! There are more stylish ways to layer. But your goal is to increase mass. If you are tall and skinny, you can change your height by making natural breaks in layers.”
Apple: Paloma Elsesser
Don’t tuck in your tops and opt for dresses with fitted waists.
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T-SHIRTS WITH Slit
Kat recommends: “Look for looser t-shirts, but not too big. They should slide down the middle without catching.
“T-shirts with a split hem, where they have small slits on either side of the seam on each side, are a great idea.
Master the semi-assembly
She adds: “The main thing is not to tuck all your outerwear.
It can be just the front half, leaving the back free. Or it could be half of one side so you have the same half inside and half outside.”
MAKE FRIENDS WITH OVERALLS
Kat says: “Jumpsuits, like dresses, are the best friends of the apple figure.
“Loose above the waist, loose at the bottom, but either a fixed waist or a drawstring waist gives you the most amazing shape.”
But if you want to wear a dress, then Kat recommends: “A dress with a fitted waist creates a seamless dress for you.
“It wraps around you exactly where it wouldn’t normally be, and voila, you have a waist.”
Pear: Ashley Graham
Flared skirts, shirt dresses and belts accentuate the waist.
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WEAR THE TOP HALF
Kat says: “Distraction can be the easiest weapon in your arsenal. The color, the print, the frills, the details on the sleeves can be as outrageous as you want. Off-the-shoulder is a great shape to widen your upper body. Or consider taking the spotlight off of earrings, necklaces, or hair accessories as bold as you want for your style.”
WEAR A-LINE SKIRTS
Kat says that dresses are “the easiest bottoms for those who are pear-shaped.” She adds, “A-line or full skirts are ideal, while pleats can work if you take into account the shape of your belly.” As for the pants, Kat says, “In terms of shape, if you don’t want to show off your butt, pants and jeans that are wider at the legs are better.”
INVEST IN BELTS
Cat says, “Most pear-shaped bodies have the most incredible waist, so take advantage of belts that can be accessorized with anything.” Fashion can even be comfortable! Kat says: “The obvious choice is an elastic waistband, which doesn’t have to be ‘nursing home’ as it sounds, or drawstring.”
Petite: Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Keep prints small and draw attention with vertical stripes.
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CHILDREN’S ASSORTMENT SHOP
Kat says: “Don’t discount the children’s landfills. They’re a lot cheaper, and the teen kits aren’t what they were when we were growing up.
“Great wardrobe items can be found in the youth collection: classic denim jackets, jeans, cargo pants, simple T-shirts, amazing sweatshirts and hoodies.”
WEAR SMALL PRINTS
Kat advises not to use large prints to keep proportions.
She says: “To make it look flattering, the font needs to be small.
“Big print will get the better of you. Repeating lots of tiny flowers or paisley is more flattering. Vertical stripes are your friend. They draw the eye upward, automatically making you taller.”
CHOOSE A HIGH WAIST
Kat says: “High waisted clothes are your friend. They create the illusion of a longer leg, making you appear taller.
The lower the neckline, the prettier it is. The more space you create between your neck and clothing, the more your neck will stretch, creating a beautiful illusion of length and height.”
Tall: Vogue Williams
Arm yourself with candy and raid the menswear departments
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MEN’S CLOTHING SHOP
Kat says, “Be open-minded about shopping in the men’s department. Think ultra-thin merino knits, cashmere, turtlenecks, denim jackets and shirts. Reduce the size.”
HUG your ankle
Kat says: “Find retailers who cut things more generously. These days, the internet often lists the height of a model wearing this outfit.
“Be creative with what you have to work with. Skinnies and leggings can always be shortened a bit.”
WEAR ARM CANDIES
She adds: “Use hand lozenges. Whether it’s a chunky watch, a cuff or a set of thin layered bracelets, they’re perfect for bridging the gap between cuff and arm.
“The embellishment on your wrist takes away excess flesh that would normally be in plain sight, and—voila—no one notices that your sleeves are too short.”
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