Welcome Allison McGevna, 31, of Inside Allie’s World, who is joining us as our resident curvy-girl style blogger. She was featured in the December/January issue of PEOPLE StyleWatch and contributes her thoughts on finding the perfect outfit to the site each week. This week, she shares her secrets for playing up your shape in winter white. (And if her items are sold out, we’ve linked to similar styles below — happy shopping!)
Courtesy Allison McGevna
Last week we talked about brights — this week, I wanted to chat with you guys about another challenging shade for us curvy girls: white. As much as I love wearing white, I totally understand the curvy girl hesitation to wear it. It’s not exactly at the top of the slimming colors list. When I want to incorporate white into an outfit, I always think strategically. I’m a pear shape and I don’t want to draw too much attention to my hips, so white pants are something I pretty much avoid altogether. They pull the eye down and also tend to be a little bit sheer (no wardrobe malfunctions, please!). For me, white on top paired with something more toned down on bottom is best. I know you’ve heard this before, but I can’t say it enough: Know your body, work with it and use it to your advantage.
RELATED: See even more wardrobe tips from Allison here!
With this Forever 21 sleeveless white tuxedo vest, it was love at first sight. Long vests like these are having a total moment and this one was super affordable, yet so sophisticated. I’d seen much more expensive versions that I didn’t like as much. The length is perfect for my pear shape — it gives an elongated look to my upper half and sits right at my hips. Layering pieces, like vests and jackets, that dip below my hips can make me look much shorter than I actually am, but this length was spot-on. Plus, the vest has really flattering seaming, cinching in a bit at my natural waist and highlighting my smallest point. No belting necessary. White clothing comes in all cuts and shapes — you need to find the silhouettes that complement you best.
In coming up with ways to style the vest, I realized that pairing it with darker colors underneath looked a little doctor-y, so I went for a lightweight white Bar III sweater from Macy’s. I wanted both shades of white to be the same — that really crisp white that looks so lovely in the winter. I also found that the white-on-white combo gave a really nice, column-like look to my top half. It felt really streamlined. I liked that the sweater had little lacy cutout details at the shoulders — they added a nice pop of texture to the monochromatic look. Lastly, the length of the sweater worked really well with the outfit. I got to deflect attention away from my hips with the vest, but still show off the line of my legs under the shorter sweater.
Let’s talk about these jeans. They’re also from Forever 21 and fit like a glove. I love skinnies. Bootcuts are great, too, but I find that they just don’t work as well on curvy shapes. They tend to make my entire lower half look wider. When I shop for skinnies, I go for a darker wash with subtle fading, like this. It’s great for giving you that long, lean look. My leopard Alloy Apparel shoes (similar style) add a fun pop to the outfit, but don’t overpower. The clutch is another amazing vintage find of mine (similar style), this time from Etsy, and my necklaces are from Thistle & Bee (similar style here and here). Plus ladies, if you haven’t heard of Thistle & Bee, definitely check them out. They’ve been making fine jewelry and selling it to retailers for forever, and now they have their very own store in Manhattan where you can buy their jewelry and (best part) get it customized for your size! So, if you have a thicker neck, wider wrists, bigger fingers, they can make beautiful pieces that will fit you perfectly.
My point here? Bust out your winter white, curvy girls! Use it to show off your best assets, and have a blast styling it up with accessories you love. I promise, it’s not so scary.
Do you experiment with white? If so, how do you wear it? Sound off below!
