How to Look Thinner

Co-authored by Jordan Stolch

Last Updated: September 11, 2023 Approved

Want to look thinner without going to the gym? Of course you do! There are lots of ways to look instantly appealing without a dangerous crash diet or drastic plastic surgery, if you're willing to plan and be strategic. Get started with Step 1 below to start slimming down.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Choosing Flattering Clothes

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1
Wear clothes that fit. You should always start by wearing clothes that fit. Clothes that are too small or too big will both make you look bigger than you are. ^{[1]
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Expert Source

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Interview. 27 May 2021.} Clothes should not be tight because this creates and emphasizes the appearance of fat rolls. Clothes should also not be too loose, because the added bulk and hiding of your form will only make it look like you're got more under there than you do. Instead, just wear clothes that fit: your clothes should lightly hug your form without squeezing.
- This goes for underclothes too. You want to wear underwear and bras that fit. Many women, for example, wear a bra that is the wrong size. Underwear should not bite into your hips and bras should keep your chest supported and firmly in place without creating rolls at your sides or causing your breasts to spill out over the edge of your bra.
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Wear items that draw in at your waist. An easy clothing fix to make you look instantly thinner is to draw attention to your natural waist. ^{[2]
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Research source} This is the part of your waist that is thinnest. Choose fitted shirts that nip in at the waist and styles that include belts, patterns, texture or stitching that draws in your eye at the waist.
- Shirts, for example, that have gathers and twisted material that swoops in at the waist can make you look smaller.
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You can make your waist look even smaller by emphasizing the size of your chest and hips. Wear shirts, skirts and dresses that flare out at the hips (if you're a guy, try wearing your shirt untucked, when you can). You'll also want to wear tops that make your chest look bigger. Women can wear shirts with ruffles or a cowl neck in the front, for example.
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Tailor your cut-off lines. You can create a lot of illusions regarding your size by tailoring where you're visually cut off. The hem line of skirts, jackets, shirts, and other pieces of clothing can all change how you look. Generally, you want crisp lines at your hips or chest and waist, and keep cut-off lines and outlines as close to those spots as possible.
- For example, you'll want to avoid the clichéd "tourist" clothes, since most of these add bulk and bad lines: capris, calf-length skirts, and long, baggy shorts will do you no favors.
- Straight leg, boot-cut jeans are the best choice for creating good lines. Women can also wear A-line skirts that hit at the knee or just above.
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Find flattering accessories. You can also carefully choose accessories that get the look you want. Certain accessories will change how a persons eye moves around your body, creating the illusion that you are taller and thinner than you really are. Long necklaces will easily create a long, slim look, for example. ^{[3]
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Expert Source

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Interview. 27 May 2021.} Bold accessories, like large, brightly colored bracelets will draw attention to your slim wrists, making your whole body smaller by comparison.
- Earrings and headbands also make great distractions, drawing attention away from parts of your figure that you don't like. These are especially useful if you feel like your head looks small when compared to the rest of your body.
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Use colors and patterns to create the illusion of a thinner form. You can use colors and patterns to create a slimmer look as well. Of course, the standard advice is the truest: wear black. Black is your friend. Black, and other dark colors, reduce the amount of shadows that can be seen on your body. ^{[4]
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Research source} This creates an optical illusion that makes you look thinner. Pair with bright accents and accessories at your waist, wrists, neck, and feet. This will make you look thinner. There are also a few pattern choices you will want to make:
- Wear vertical stripes. Thin, vertical stripes will create a visual illusion which makes you look thinner and taller (making the two sides of your body appear to be closer together). ^{[5]
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  Research source} ^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jordan Stolch
  Image Consultant & Style Advisor
  
  Expert Interview. 27 May 2021.}
- Avoid big patterns (and most other patterns really), as these can easily make you look bigger instead of smaller. Finding patterns that don't make you bigger is challenging, so err on the side of none at all.
- Clothes with vertical panels also work very well. ^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jordan Stolch
  Image Consultant & Style Advisor
  
  Expert Interview. 27 May 2021.}
You'll want to avoid clothes that add bulk in the wrong places. ^{[8]
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Research source} Clothes that don't fit will obviously do this, but there are certain clothing styles that will also make you look bigger. Empire waist tops, for example, will make your waist look bigger and for many women will actually make them look pregnant. Thick sweaters are another example of clothes that add inches visually, distracting from a smaller form.
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Use shapewear to get an actually smaller body. You can actually make yourself look much slimmer by wearing underclothes called shapewear. These may be known colloquially as Spanx, which is a common brand. These are shirts, shorts, or bodysuits which are may of elastic fibers that hold in your body in key locations. You can get them to deal with or enhance all sorts of different parts of your body. While they are tight and often uncomfortable, they will work amazingly well. You can find them at most department stores, as well as online stores like Amazon.
- You can also find these shapewear items for men, usually for the chest but also for the lower body as well.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Adjusting Your Body

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1
Use good posture. Standing with proper posture will pull in your tummy and make you look easily 10 pounds lighter or more. Keep your back straight and your shoulders back. Sometimes this can be very uncomfortable, if you're used to standing with poor posture, but it can make a huge difference visually.
- Sleeping flat on your back can help you keep a straighter back during the day.
- You can find more help with improving your posture here .
When you wear heels, your posture naturally changes, rotating your hips to tuck in your bottom and helping to keep your back and shoulders straight. It will also lengthen your legs, making you look proportionally thinner by comparison. If you're a woman, wear high heels when you can to look thinner. If you're a guy, many dress shoes will have a bit of a heel, and you can get a minor version of the same benefits.
You'll want to hold your head high, in addition to standing straight. This will keep fat from pooling around your chin (instead stretching it out across your face), making you look thinner overall. Chin rolls can make even a thin person look like they're carry more pounds than they really are.
Take a page from fashion models and carefully angle your arms and legs to create a slimmer appearance. Crossing your legs, for example, when you're sitting down will taper the visual lines you create, making you look slimmer. Holding your arms out from your body, like with your hands on your hips, will also draw the eye to your thinner waist and break up a boxy shape that can add visual pounds to your frame.
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Make adjustments to look better in photographs . If you're wanting to take photographs, there are other things that you can do to combat the camera adding those dreaded pounds. Choosing a better angle, such as from above you, will make you look slimmer by cutting off how much of your body is visible. You'll also want to adjust the lighting of your photograph. Avoid setting up the photo in a way that leads to dark shadows around bulges. You might want to experiment with taking the photo from different locations if you don't know how to adjust the lighting, so that you can choose the best photos later.
- Avoid taking photos from too high above you, however. This will give the clear "selfie" look and people will think you're trying too hard.
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Avoid salty foods. You can also make your body actually thinner by avoiding salty foods. When you have too much salt in your body, your body will try to compensate by retaining more water. This will make you look bloated and chubbier, even if you're actually pretty thin. Of course, this is something that needs to be done in advance, since it will take a few days for your body to return to normal. ^{[9]
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- Foods to avoid include cured meats, bacon, chips, soup broth, and lots of restaurant and fast food.
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Avoid bloating foods. There are also some foods which create gas as they break down in your system, making you bloated and adding the appearance of extra pounds. Avoid these foods in order to make yourself look actually slimmer.
- Bloating foods include beans, lentils, garlic, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and other foods.

Ways to Change Your Posture, Style, and Diet to Look Thinner

Posture Tips for Looking Thinner

Styling Suggestions to Look Thinner

Foods to Avoid when Trying to Look Thinner

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What clothes and accessories make you look thinner?

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Jordan Stolch is an Image Strategist, Style Advisor, and the Founder of MiKADO - a concierge personal styling firm. With over a decade of experience, Jordan specializes in helping people eliminate the confusion and insecurities associated with how to dress in order to build a powerful image and use clothing to their strategic advantage. Jordan trains entrepreneurs, business leaders, and corporate executives in the foundations of "power dressing", from some of the country's preeminent companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Berkshire Hathaway, Universal Music Group, Starbucks, and Disney. She works with clients both in-person and virtually, teaching them how to take the confusion out of style so they can operate at a higher level. Jordan earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and studied Merchandise Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIDM).

Jordan Stolch

Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Answer

Wrap dresses are a great option. Also, opt for clothes that create an illusion of length, like vertical stripes and panels, V-necks, and long necklaces.

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Is being thinner the same as being fit?

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Not necessarily. If you are thin, you are just skinny. You may not necessarily have well-toned muscles or good endurance; you may run out of breath while exercising. If you are fit, then you have a healthy, toned body, and you have decent endurance. Most fit people are also thin because they do a lot of cardio exercise and eat well.

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Do I have to exercise in order to lose weight, or is healthy eating enough?

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You don't HAVE to exercise, but exercise can help you become more toned and build your endurance. Eating healthy will assist you in losing weight. However, if you want to gain muscle and become stronger, exercise is a good option for you.

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Tips

If you are wearing a tight or form-fitting shirt, avoid slouching when you sit down. Slouching can emphasize any stomach bulge or bloating.

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Cut down on soda. Soda beverages contain excessive sugar and calories and make you look bloated.

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Try cycling or daily walking to start shaping your body in the right way. Exercise can be fun with the right mindset, especially once you start to see results.

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If you use makeup, contour any areas where you can define an angle. Your collarbone, cheekbones, and jaw are all great options. The more angular your features are, the less wide your body will appear. (collarbone, cheek bones, etc.) Many skinny people have protruding bones and contouring with makeup will make them more visible.

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Warnings

Stop doing things and hanging with people who make you feel inferior. Models are airbrushed. Don't fret over ways you can look like them

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Diet carefully, don't overdo it. Vow to eat more nutritiously. Eat the correct portions, and yes, you can have chocolate, but go light on it.

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If you are going to a gym to try to lose the weight, don't overdo it. You could end up hurting yourself. Results take time, so don't push yourself.

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If you are going to exercise, see a qualified physician before you start any exercise programs. Intense workouts are particularly unsuitable for those with a high body mass index, as they place extra strain on the heart. Your physician should be able to guide you into an exercise program that is suitable for you.

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How to Look Thinner

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Choosing Flattering Clothes

Adjusting Your Body

Ways to Change Your Posture, Style, and Diet to Look Thinner

Expert Q&A

Tips

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Warnings

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