Welcome Allison Teng, 27, of Curvy Girl Chic, who is joining us as our resident plus-size style blogger. She was featured in the March issue of PEOPLE StyleWatch and contributes her thoughts on finding the perfect outfit to the site each week. This week, she gives great tips on how to create a long, lean look. (And if her items are sold out, we’ve linked to similar styles below — happy shopping!)
Courtesy Allison Teng
Looking longer and leaner is something anyone can achieve with the right outfit. A go-to, always-makes-me-look-taller piece is a maxi dress. On the flip side, maxis can be tricky — they’re made with a lot of fabric, making it easy to get swallowed up. This one by Rachel Pally circumvents that issue — its off-the-shoulder design actually draws the eye up and makes me look taller. It also has a sexy, easygoing feel without showing a lot of skin. The fabric is a drapey modal jersey, so it has really nice movement, and I love that the neckline shows a bit of my collarbone. Higher necklines tend to make my neck look short and my face look extra round, so I like to go for lower-cut options. I love the print on this dress — it’s graphic and bold, but the neutral color scheme keeps it from being over the top. It’s also a vertical print — another great tool for adding length to your frame. The elastic waist on the dress works on all sizes, and is so comfy. It pulls the dress in at the waist, so you don’t lose your shape, and creates a cute, blousy top.
RELATED: See even more wardrobe tips from Allison here!
I paired the maxi with really high heels to give my figure that long, column-like look. My goal when wearing a maxi is always to look as tall as possible. I chose a long, delicate Sparkling Sage necklace (similar style) because it draws the eye down and continues that long, lengthening line. The Marc Jacobs clutch (similar style) is a solid metallic shade without any prints or textures — I really wanted the maxi to speak for itself.
Adding height to your look can be so easy, and you don’t have to sacrifice showing your shape to get it. Try something that will give a lengthened illusion, but will also make you feel comfortable and confident. That’s the key!
How do you create a lengthened look? Sound off below!
