8 Slimming Summer Outfits That Are So Easy to Copy

•

Published Jun 15, 2017

As much as we’d love to wear tent dresses exclusively for the next three months, we admit they’re not the most flattering pieces in our closet. For times when we want to show off our shape a little bit more, we’ll be copying the following eight outfits.

Gal Meets Glam

Belt A Loose Midi Or Maxi Dress

Not to over-simplify, but if you want to look slimmer, start by highlighting your waist. Belting the dresses and skirts you already wear creates a more slender silhouette and fine-tunes your proportions with very little effort.

Get the look: Raga dress ($138); Loft belt ($40)

Pretty in the Pines

Show Off Your Legs In A Shift Dress

But, if you’re more into flaunting your legs than your waist, consider the shift dress. Especially if you’re self-conscious about your midsection, this style is quite forgiving, since it glosses over areas you might want to conceal without being too clingy. In a shorter length, it also highlights your toned legs, even more so if you wear flattering wedges.

Get the look: Banana Republic dress ($109); Soludos wedges ($95)

Girl with Curves

Tuck A Fitted Top Into An A-line Skirt

Regardless of the season, a snug-fitting top tucked into a high-waist skirt that floats away from the body is an outfit combination that will never let you down. This skirt style is universally flattering, and the addition of a tighter top further highlights your proportions (or creates an hourglass if you’re naturally straighter).

Get the look: Everlane T-shirt ($35); J.Crew skirt ($128)

Wait, You Need This

Match Your Top To Your Bottoms

Monochromatic dressing, or wearing the same color from head to toe, is a major key to appearing slimmer, because it creates a sleek, streamlined look from head to toe. It’s also consistently sophisticated and way easier to put together than coordinating shades and prints.

Get the look: Aday top ($65); Ayr pants ($245)

Gorgeous in Grey

Define Your Waist With Wrap Silhouettes

There’s a reason wrap dresses have been so popular for so long: They work on all bodies. Update this waist-whittling classic for summer by trying a wrap romper. Since the hemline here is a bit higher, stick to flat sandals or even cool sneakers, which ground the look (literally and figuratively) more than a heel would.

Get the look: DVF romper ($428); Nike sneakers ($150)

slimming summer outfits vertical striped pants

Meagan's Moda

Create Longer Lines With Vertical Stripes

When it comes to looking sleek, we’re not above employing a little visual trickery. While horizontal stripes can make you look wider, vertical stripes lean out your body by creating a longer line from top to bottom. Choose a high-waist pair for a doubly flattering effect, and tuck in a crisp button-down to complete the ensemble.

Get the look: Gap top ($36); Zara pants ($36)

See Anna Jane

Don't Be Afraid Of Crop Tops

Crop tops are slimming? Blasphemy, right? Wrong. Styled the right way and tailored impeccably, midriff-baring pieces can actually be really flattering. A few things to keep in mind: Make sure your bottoms (whether a skirt, pants or shorts) hit above your belly button, and show only about two fingers’ worth of skin (any more and you’re verging into teenybopper territory).

Get the look: Madewell top ($50) and skirt ($98)

Ciao Christiana

Flaunt Your Favorite Features

Dressing to flatter your figure in the summer is no different than any other season. Pick a part of your body you’re particularly fond of, and build an outfit around that. For example, if you love showing off your décolletage but aren’t so into your thighs, wear a dress that highlights your chest with a deep V-neck but conceals your hips and thighs with a more voluminous skirt.

Get the look: T by Alexander Wang dress ($375)

RELATED: Your Official Summer Wardrobe Checklist