Mrs. Roper made them famous (or infamous, as the case may be). Today's designers have made them fabulous. In the right silhouette, splashy prints can really flatter, whatever your body type.
TROPICAL SENSATION
This palm-leaf mini is a natural fit for petite or straight frames, but anybody can sample a taste of the tropics in the form of a toucan clutch or raffia bangles.
To Buy: Cameo dress, Piperlime.com, $170
Serpui Maria straw clutch, $195
R.J. Graziano raffia bracelets, shopabientot.com, $45 to $55 each
Kate Spade enamel necklace, $248
DV by Dolce Vita faux-leather sandals, dolcevita.com, $59
If You Have a Straight Figure
This body type can get away with all sorts of bold patterns, but keep one rule in mind: Avoid anything shapeless or oversize. That can further diminish small hips.
How to wear it: Embrace the peplum to transform a boyish frame into va-va-voom curves. Emblazoned with a sinuous print, the peplum here is twice as effective. Everywhere else, go sleek.
To buy: Cameo top, Anthropologie, $178
Boden pants, Bodenusa.com, $88
Jene Despain earrings, jenedespain.com, $198
Kayu straw clutch, kayudesign.com, $185
Nina Originals heels, ninashoes, $148
Tropical Romper for Straight Figures
This romper is drapey and relaxed, but the cinched waist carves out an hourglass silhouette. Looks exotic with metallic sandals.
To buy: Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen, Capulet, $161
Tropical Skirt for Straight Figures
Swishy pleats in a standout floral bring dimension to slight hips. Wear with a chambray button-down.
To buy: Darling Clothes skirt, darlingsclothes.com, $79
If You Have a Tummy
Island dressing is a breeze with a few fail-safe visual tricks: Use busy prints to keep the eye moving (not zeroing in on your middle), disguise the stomach with ruching, and downplay bulges with a colored or dark background.
How to wear it: Create the illusion of an hourglass shape with a style that uses fabric gathers near the stomach. The knot in the center of this dress cinches the waistline; neutral accessories with hints of green pull together the look.
To buy: BCBGMaxAzria dress, $248
Elizabeth Cole earrings, elizabethcolejewelry.com, $168
Deux Lux clutch, deuxlux.com, $85
A.V. Max gold bangles, avmaxaccessories.com, $45 for five
Stuart Weitzman sandals, $275
Tummy-Disguising Tropical Print Skirt
Any hint of a pooch gets lost in the dark, while the flowery border makes the palette summery. Looks lean with a black top.
To buy: Rhyme Los Angeles skirt, piperlime.com, $59
Tummy-Disguising Tropical Print Top
A loose, boxy top excels at hiding love handles. Pair it with high-waisted slim pants.
To buy: Sam & Lavi top, $138
If You Have Full Hips and Thighs
Play up the upper body with a fun print. For patterns below the waist, skip one that are vibrant or large in scale, which exaggerate hips.
How to wear it:
A collard shirt brings structure to the top half and evens out hips. It's okay to opt for a bright color on the lower body, as long as the cut is forgiving, as with this hides-all-sins flowy skirt. Pale accessories match without battling for attention.
To buy: The Limited blouse, $50
Miss Selfridge skirt
Gemma Simone earrings, gemmasimone.com, $28
ZAC Zac Posen leather bag, $295
Zara leather sandals, zara.com, $36
Tropical Belt and Top for Full Hips and Thighs
A floral belt highlights the waist. Balance out curves with flared jeans.
To buy: Swash London belt, swash.co.uk, $350
Amour Vert top, amourvert.com, $170
If You Have a Large Bust
It's best to stick to prints on the bottom half. But if you decide to go for it above the waist, make sure the design is elongating and doesn't accentuate your size. A simple flower can easily turn into a bull's-eye.
How to wear it
Offset punchy pants with a tucked-in basic to avoid looking boxy. No need to match accessories perfectly. Even a pop of red swings with this jungle motif.
To buy: Finder Keepers pants
Calvin Klein blouse, Macy's, $59
Ann Taylor necklace, $80
Mar y Sol clutch, shopmarysol.com, $85
Coach sandals, $248
Tropical Top for Large Busts
The vertical lines of the feather help minimize the chest, and the cut up top is wide enough to conceal bra straps. Make it work-worthy with a pencil skirt.
To buy: Longchamp blouse, $255
Tropical Shorts for Large Busts
Divert focus from the chest by emphasizing other assets, like great legs. Make them Palm Beach chic with a white tee.
To buy: JCP shorts, JCPenney, $26
No comments:
Post a Comment