by Jessica Syrjala

Created on: July 31, 2009   Last Updated: August 01, 2009

Women's arms can often times be a cause for a traumatic shopping experience. Unlike members of the opposite sex, we women don't have the genetic luxury of natural definition in our arms. Even slender women can have problems with this area. If you are one of the many whose arms create difficulty and frustration when trying on clothes, dry your tears. There are many things that you can do to camouflage this area and bring your body into proper proportions.

First of all, what you want to do is create an illusion of a longer, leaner line. By bringing the focal point to your face, the narrow part of your waist and lengthening the leg line, you will draw the focus away from your arms. To slim and elongate your torso and arms, go for structured fabric, avoiding any kind of clingy, thin or synthetic fabrics. Avoid boxy styles as they add bulk. By drawing focus to the bottom half of your body, you will create the illusion of proportion as well as draw attention away from your problem area. This can be done by choosing colors for your bottom half that are lighter than the top. Even if you are going for the not-so-secret monochromatic look, which is always slimming, pick a shade or two lighter than what is on top.

When buying jackets, there are some things that will be beneficial for you to look for. Choose structured jackets that are cut so that the hem is right where your hips begin to curve out. This draws attention to the narrowest part of your torso-your waist. Single-breasted styles should always be chosen over double-breasted styles, which widen the body. Also, look for the stance (the height) of the top button to fall just below the bustline. Again, this draws attention to the narrow part of your torso. Vertical seams on the front of the jacket as well as long, thin lapels create a longer, more vertical line. However, lapel size should be relative to your overall body size. If you are built with a larger frame, do not choose lapels that are too thin, as they will give the illusion of a larger appearance. Avoid cropped jackets, piping, high necklines, shoulder pads and pockets, as all of these will add dimension horizontally.

Shirts and blouses follow much of the same guidelines as jackets. In general, the collar size should match should match your features. A large collar on somebody with delicate features can be overpowering. The shape of the collar should be opposite your face shape. For example, if your face in long and narrow, a rounded

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