Whether or not we'd like to admit it, we all have silhouette-subversive items lurking in our closets. The truth is even the most seasoned fashionista can fall victim to fattening accessories. Here, Danica Lo, author of How Not to Look Fat offers fashion tips about how to accessorize according to your body type.
Hats
Tip your hat: For centuries, painters have relied on the technique of chiaroscuro, Italian for "light and shadow," to define the human face on canvas. And, for almost as long, milliners have used the interplay of light and shadow to enhance the human face. Sadly, the popularity of the hat has been declining steadily since the 1950s, but the good news is that hats are back — and now there are dozens of great designers and hundreds of great styles to choose from.
Peering out from under a jauntily angled brim adds a touch of mystery and instant sophistication to even the most casual outfit. And what's more, strategic tilting emphasizes the delicate lines of your cheekbones and, when worn correctly, can simultaneously mirror and define your jawline.
Stay Away From: Skullcaps. You'll look like a tube of toothpaste with a tight skullcap on — everything from the ears down will look relatively huge in comparison. This is one of those trends that only models, with their spindly limbs, doe eyes, and elongated figures, can pull off. Do not attempt under any circumstances — unless of course, you're the civilian version of Naomi Campbell, who looks like a goddess in crystal-studded skullcaps. Are you Naomi Campbell?
Get: A fedora. Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones, two really important British milliners, make some of the sexiest and best-proportioned fedoras on earth. But you can find fedoras anywhere — you father's closet (perhaps a gift from his father), or at any decent hat shop or vintage store. I strongly recommend picking up a girl fedora, as the men's versions tend to come in hokey colors and are a bit flat and mundane. Women's fedoras are more likely to be sexy and full of that too-cool-for-school attitude we should all work toward cultivating. Bonus: The brim protects you from harmful UV rays, thereby preventing wrinkles and making you look both thinner and younger in the long run. Can't beat that with a stick!
