8 Easy Tips To Make You Look Slimmer

Feeling "blah" and bloated? Does everything in your closet seem to make you look flabby? We asked insiders from the fashion industry—-a photographer, a model, a makeup artist and stylists—to share their tricks on how to look slimmer for those days when you feel nothing seems to fit you.

Change Your Stripes
This summer's trend features all kinds of stripes. Celebrity stylist Margaux Romero-Alampay teaches you where to draw the line. "You can wear figure-hugging summer stripes but vertical or diagonal lines make for a more flattering silhouette." The size of the stripes matters, too."Thinner stripes are also more slimming than thick ones," she adds.

Invest In Secret Helpers
Stylist and blogger Alyanna Martinez recommends keeping a secret weapon under your sheath. "Smoothening shapers are a good investment. Spanx is the best for me but it can be quite pricey, so look around the department stores for a cheaper alternative." Alyanna's slimming godsend is a black smoothening control tube which she uses on models when at work and even for herself. "It can be used under any garment for an instant slimming effect and is also perfect as a slip if you're wearing something sheer," she says. "The right undergarments can make or break the look, even if you're super fit or super skinny," she adds.

My Oh, Maillot
Hitting the beach? Alyanna recommends strutting in the sand in a maillot. "It's great that the maillot is back in fashion, so women don't have to dread the unforgiving bikini!" she exclaims. A maillot or a one-piece swimsuit with interesting details help you look sexy at the beach but helps conceal any trouble area. "A deep plunge neckline or a low back can help draw the attention away from typical trouble areas like thighs and the tummy," she adds.

Picture Yourself Slim
Photos don't lie (except when there's Photoshop involved) but photos don't have to tell the entire truth either. Fashion photographer Pat Dy shares the following tricks to help you look slim in your Facebook photos. "Never face your body in a frontal position to the camera and never drop your arms in a straight line beside your thighs. This adds bulk," he shares. Dy recommends angling your body instead in a quarter turn to the left or right (depending on your good side). "Putting your hands on your thighs and bending your elbows away from your waist helps create a slimmer silhouette," he adds. Contrary to popular belief, loose clothing can actually make you look bigger, especially in photos. "Baggy clothes tend to bring you down, and make your posture stooped," adds Dy. The extra fabric can also make you look voluminous so look for figure-skimming clothing in forgiving fabrics that drape well without clinging to jiggly bits, like jersey.

Nude Attitude
Model Kelly Misa-Fernandez shares tricks she's learned from modeling through the years that goes beyond the basic "black is slimming" trick. "Nude heeled sandals or pumps can make you appear longer and taller, thus slimmer," she says. "Look for a shoe style that doesn't cut you off at the ankles to make you look long-legged," she adds.

Create Length
No one ever thought giraffes were fat and for good reason. "Elongating your neck and chest area makes you look slimmer so make sure to have V-neck shirts and button-down shirts in your closet," shares Kelly. "A long, striking necklace worn with a plain dress/top helps elongate your upper body, too," says Margaux.

Accessorize Strategically
Accessories not only look pretty, they can contribute to your sartorial slimming strategy. "Summer trends are always about light colors and flowy pieces, which are not always slimming," says Margaux. If you want to stay on trend but still look trim, accessories are key to create shape and structure to flowing styles. "A bright-colored thin belt added to a flowy piece can help accentuate the waist," adds Margaux.

Sculpt Your Way To Slim
Makeup artist Jigs Mayuga says using sculpting creams underneath foundation or BB cream helps slim down your face without anyone being the wiser. Using a sculpting cream helps slim down your visage minus the harsh contour lines that look very dated. "Apply the cream on the hollows of the cheeks and along the jawline," Mayuga advises. This will help define your face and add shadows that can help make your face look slimmer, especially in pictures.