For anyone who wants to lose weight, it doesn’t really have to do with shedding some pounds. The truth is you’d just like to one day walk into the office or just hang with friends and not be self-conscious about your body. It would be fantastic just to have a moment free of the nagging thoughts about whether people notice your rolls, or to stop wondering why you can’t look more like your gorgeous cousin.

Your health and wellbeing are the most important reasons for managing your weight. But the vast majority of people lose weight do so because they want to feel better about their appearance. And that can backfire when you choose ‘crash’ diets and unhealthy calorie cutting to get results as fast as you can.

The Fastest Way to Look Slimmer

Luckily for you, there are ways – at least four of them actually – for you to look instantly thinner by wearing the right clothing – and none of them are ‘wear black’, (but that’s a good one!) Here they are:

1. Wear One Colour

Black doesn’t work just because it’s black. Wearing the same-coloured jacket and pants creates a continuous vertical line, which makes you look taller, and slimmer.

2. Use Vertical Stripes

Hopefully we didn’t give this one away with the previous point. The beauty of clothing and fashion is that it creates perceptions and changes how people see us. The height-inducing perception of vertical stripes is a great example.

3. Get Properly Sized for Your Underwear

Even the slimmest person can sport ‘rolls’ through their clothing if their underwear doesn’t fit properly. It’s believed that over 80% of women wear the wrong-sized bra. Go to a specialized store and get a proper fitting. You’ll look slimmer – and be more comfortable. And you’re worth the extra cost.

4. Discover Shapewear

First, it’s far more comfortable than you think. Second, unlike ‘vertical stripes’ it doesn’t ‘trick’ anyone into seeing you as slimmer – you will really look slimmer – in anything you wear. Shapewear not just enhances your shape but it’s a great way to take care of ‘problem areas’, like hiding belly fat.

From choosing the right jewelry, to wearing unadorned jeans, there are lots of other ways for you to ‘dress slimmer’. It may not be the complete answer to your health and wellbeing, but there’s nothing wrong with feeling better about yourself.