Are you in a fashion rut? Do you hate to shop for clothes? Do you think everyone looks cuter than you do? Do you have to fish for compliments on your fashion? Are you wearing the same clothes you owned ten years ago? Are your clothes making you look old, fat and out of date?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might be in need of a wardrobe makeover. You don’t have to be a super model to look great. It’s really not about your size or shape; it’s about the clothes you choose.

Basic Pieces

There are some basic wardrobe pieces that most women wear, but often they choose the wrong cuts and styles for their figure. These simple guidelines for skirts, jeans, jackets and capris will help you look younger, thinner and cuter!

Skirts

First of all, if you never wear skirts, you should start. Nearly all women look attractive in skirts, as long as they choose the right shape and length.

A classic A-line skirt compliments nearly every female body. Because it is only fitted at the waist and then gently skims away from the body over those "difficult" areas around the hips and thighs, it creates a flattering silhouette. The look is feminine yet comfortable because nothing is binding. The great news is that A-lines are a super hot fashion piece right now, so you have many choices to pick from.

Never allow the hem of your skirt to fall at the widest part of your leg – be it your calf or your thigh. A good target for your hem is between your knee and your calf where your leg is narrower. This will give the illusion of thinner legs overall. Experiment with various skirt lengths to determine which is most attractive on you. Just because ankle-length skirts are in fashion doesn’t mean they work for your body. Also, unless you are twenty and weigh 125 pounds, do not wear a mini skirt – ever! A slightly longer hemline is always more attractive than a too short skirt.

Jeans

There are so many different style of jeans today, how do you know what looks right on you? Try them all on! Let go of all of your preconceived, outdated notions of what jeans should look and feel like. In the 80’s and 90’s we wore high-waisted, tight fitting, tapered jeans and thought we looked good. Look back at a picture of yourself wearing those jeans – does it look good? Probably not, because that style didn’t really suit anyone very well. Mostly it just made everybody look like they had longer bottoms and shorter legs.

While the best way to find your most flattering jean is to test out as many styles as possible, there are some basic aspects that look good on most women. First, ditch that light blue acid-washed color and look for darker denims, which elongate your leg. Choose a straight leg or boot cut style, but never, ever wear a tapered leg. The straight or boot cut creates a sleeker line for the eye, again, making you appear longer-legged. Also, make sure that your jeans just cover the heel of your shoe so the line of your leg continues all the way to the floor.

Other slimming tricks for jeans: Watch out for slanted pockets at the hips if you are fuller in that region. Stay away from snaps or buttons or other hardware on your back pockets unless you have a very slight bottom. Never wear jeans with pleats at the waistline because it makes your belly look fuller. Most women over age 18 should not wear low-rise hipster jeans because we tend to ooze over the top. Choose a mid-rise that’s not too high and not too low instead. Above all else, do not choose jeans that are too tight fitting or too baggy. Pick out jeans that leave room for breathing and moving without hiding all of your curves, especially in the rear.

Jackets and Blazers

Wearing a jacket or blazer is very trendy right now plus they can hide a multitude of problems. The main thing to look for in a jacket or blazer is a smooth, tailored fit. It should fit around your curves, not be a big box over your figure. Single-breasted styles are also less bulky than the double-breasted. Like hemlines, the bottom of the jacket should not fall at the widest part of your hip area because it will make it look even wider there. Pockets with flaps or buttons will also accentuate the breast or waist area, so be aware of what you are accentuating. Generally, solid neutral colors for jackets look best on most women. Small, simple prints may be OK, but stay away from very large, bright prints. Finally, wearing your jacket open with a contrasting solid color beneath can help elongate and narrow the body as well.

Capri Pants

Capris may be cool and comfortable to wear, but unfortunately, they make many women look short and chunky. The main problem is that they often end at the widest part of the calf. In general, taller, leaner women look best in capris. However, if you are shorter but have skinny calves and ankles, you can also wear capris. Just consider wearing them with a heel to lengthen your line. Choose a straight line with no flared or cuffed bottoms. Also, stay away from bold prints and textures as they can visually add pounds where you don’t want them. Like the guidelines for jeans, choose flat front, mid-rise capris. Stay away from drawstring or elasticized waistbands if you want to minimize your tummy and hip zone.

General Wardrobe Advice

Now that you know which pieces to choose, there are a few more things to consider when you’re shopping for clothing.

Stripes

Stripes can be very unflattering if they are the wrong size or going the wrong direction. Nobody looks good in a vertical stripe. It just draws the eyes across your body, accentuating width and stunting the vertical line of your body. If you like stripes, choose very narrow ones in simple colors that run horizontally on your body instead. Or, consider stripes that run diagonally and meet in the center of your body. This draws the eye downward and inwards, making you appear slimmer and longer.

Fit

Finding clothes that fit your body as it is right now is extremely important. We would all prefer to wear a smaller size, but we must choose clothes in our current size to look best right now. Do not fool yourself into believing that buying clothes in a smaller size will motivate you to diet. In reality, you will look like you’re wearing too tight clothing and you won’t be comfortable so you won’t wear then. On the other hand, do not try to camouflage your size with baggy clothes. The bigger the clothes, the bigger you look. When choosing your wardrobe basics try to find things that lightly skim over your figure, rather than cling to it. If it’s a tiny bit loose you’ll feel comfortable and your look will be sleeker.

Dark Colors

Darker colors tend to minimize larger body parts so choose darker hues for the areas you want to downplay. Darker does not only have to mean black, brown or drab, however. Try out some of the more saturated tones of blue, purple, green, and red.

Shoes

Shoes are everybody’s favorite wardrobe accessories, but you cannot just wear anything on your feet because they can ruin an otherwise great looking outfit. Heels are always more flattering than flats because they increase that visual line we like, but you do not have to wear stilettos to get a complimentary effect. Even a nice half-inch to one kitten heel creates a better visual impact. However, you must give up the chunky thick heels that have been popular. These just create weight at the bottom of your frame, making your lower legs look wider. Opt for shoes that have a narrow heel, and a pointier toe. Be careful with ankle straps because they break the visual line of your leg and make your ankles appear thick.

Leggings

Always avoid spandex and stretch leggings. First, they just are not in style today, but more importantly, they are just unattractive. They cling to everything, showing off every bump or dimple or panty line that you have, particularly in your bottom and thigh zone. Also, like tapered jeans, because they cling to your ankles, and you end up looking cropped.

Undergarments

Finally, make sure your undergarments are not detracting from the sleek look of your outfit. Panty lines cut a visual line on your rear, making you appear to have more than two cheeks, which is clearly unattractive. If the elastic from your bra shows through your top, it may not be properly fitted. Most women unknowingly wear the wrong size bra, so it is worth it to get a professional sizing done at an upscale lingerie or department store.

Final Tip

Even if you do not follow any of the advice here, one thing you must do, no matter what, to improve your wardrobe is try on your clothes before you buy them. Just because it is a size ten on the label does not guarantee that the dimensions of it are the same as the next size ten. Plus, you must see how the shape, texture and color look like on you rather than on the hanger. Only buy clothes that flatter and enhance your figure. It may feel a little like finding a needle in a haystack, but there are clothes out there that fit you. You just have to be willing to experiment and try on lots of different pieces to find what makes you look younger, thinner and cuter!