Does This Make Me Look Fat? The Definitive Rules for Dressing Thin for Every Height, Size, and Shape

INTRODUCTION "I don't think the rules ever change. People want to look taller and thinner. No one says, "Ooh! Let me buy that dress because it makes me feel matronly!" -MICHAEL KORS, designer One day not too long ago, while I was in the dressing room of one of my favorite stores, trying to figure out just which, of the all black pants I had in there, was the perfect pair, I heard the woman next door chatting with her saleslady. Since I was rather preoccupied, their conversation was just background buzz until I heard the woman ask loud and clear, "Does this make me look fat?" Hey, I thought, that's just what I was thinking! Now, truly, I'm not what you'd call fat. Neither was the other woman. I sneaked a peek at her when I left, and she looked like a blond Julia Roberts. But you know what? When it comes to self-perception, size doesn't matter. We all feel fat, or think we look fat, at one time or another, no matter what size we are! I must have heard the phrase "Does this make me look fat" a gazillion times during my twenty-odd years in the fashion business-from every size woman imaginable. If you've picked up this book you've probably said, "Does this make me look fat?" too. And you might not even be close to fat! You could be one of those women who people think are totally nuts when they even mention the F-word. Or you could be average. Or you could be a plus size. It really doesn't matter-being fat or feeling fat-in a crazy way, it's all the some. We stare in the mirror and focus on every little bump, bulge, and protuberance until our body looks like a Himalayan landscape to us. We all know this is not particularly healthy, but we do it anyway. There's no sense in me trying to talk you out of your neurosis, as I've been trying to talk myself out of mine for years. It's a fruitless endeavor. (I'm fairly sure a twenty-five-year ascetic meditation retreat would set me straight, but who has the time?) So what to do? We switch to plan B and handle the problem in the time-honored American tradition-we cover up whatever's making us crazy. We disguise it. We make it go away. You can't be too neurotic about something that you can't see. All we have to do is choose the right clothes-clothes that camouflage any real or imagined figure flaws rather than highlighting them-and learn how to do it with style. That's what I call Camouflage Chic! When you think about it, there are really only two kinds of clothes in the world-those that make you look fat and those that don't. All the rest is just details. There are, of course, degrees within those two categories. In the fat-maker category, there are some clothes that will make you just a teensy weensy bit heftier and others that will pack on an extra five pounds. And in the nonfat category, there are clothes that are virtually neutral and those that can make you look five pounds skinnier. This book is about zeroing in on the last kind of clothing. Does This Make Me Look Fat? is dedicated to the proposition that we'd all rather wear clothes that render us slimmer as opposed to heavier-and while we're at it, taller rather than shorter. The fact is that tall and slim is a good look. Before I go any further, let me nip any potential dissention in the bud and slip in a disclaimer for any plus-size lobbyers out there who may be tempted to pick on me for not taking a total "Big Is Beautiful" stance here, as well as for any hard-line feminists who feel this entire subject is demeaning and that we women should be judged not by how we look but rather by our brains, character, and mettle. To the first group let me say that big may be beautiful, but it can be even more lovely with effective camouflaging. Nobody-be they size sixteen or size six--wants to look heavier than they actually are. That's just a given. I've dressed a lot of women over the years and not one has ever aFeldon, Leah is the author of 'Does This Make Me Look Fat? The Definitive Rules for Dressing Thin for Every Height, Size, and Shape' with ISBN 9780812967654 and ISBN 0812967658.