by Kimberley Heit

Created on: August 11, 2009

Your clothing choices are not the only element that can have a dramatic influence on your overall appearance. Accessories can play a large role in helping to create a proportional look. If you are an apple shaped woman, the right accessories can be used to take emphasize off your full stomach, whilst creating a more defined waist.

Top accessories for an apple shaped woman:

Jewelry

Apple shaped women are blessed with many jewelry choices because most pieces of jewelry focus the attention somewhere other then the stomach region. As an apple shaped woman, you want to select jewelry that highlights your face or thinner limbs. Feel free to have lots of fun with bangles, bracelets and earrings. However, steer clear of long necklaces that end below the bust as these will draw the focus to your stomach.

Shoes

Apple shaped women have a tendency to look rounder then they do long, therefore shoes can be used to help elongate the overall body. Look for pointy toe styles, sling backs and low cut toe styles. Also consider wearing a moderate heel. Avoid anything with a round or square toe.

Handbags

You want to make sure that your handbag ends at bust level or above, or below the hip down. If you wear a handbag that ends at your middle, you'll only be drawing attention to your fullest area. Hand held bags that you carry down around your knees are a great option for the apple shaped woman. You can try clutches that tuck under the arms, or totes that have long straps that carry the bulk of the bag past the hips.

Scarves

Scarves typically don't go hand in hand with an apple shaped woman's figure. They have a tendency to sit out over the stomach, adding even more volume to this region. If you'd like to wear a scarf it's best to stick to short silk square styles that end at bust level or above.

Other accessories

Consider drawing attention to your pins by wearing eye catching hosiery. Try fishnets, or textured and patterned hosiery. As an added bonus many pairs of pantyhose now come with tummy control panels that can help create a smoother line through your stomach region.

Belts are typically a big no, no for apple shaped women because they focus on the area that needs to be played down. However, there are two styles that can help create a waistline. The first is a corset style belt, a properly made under bust corset style belt can take centimeters off your waistline. You need to look for a style that uses good quality boning and a steel busk, otherwise it will not offer the necessary support to hold you in. Alternatively try wearing a very high waisted belt around your ribcage region, over a top that flares over your tummy line. You ribcage is usually one of your smallest points.

There are lots of clever lingerie pieces that can help make an apple shaped woman look fabulous. Consider wearing padded bras that add to your chest, magic knickers that suck in your tummy, and if you have a flatter bottom consider padded bottoms. In combining these undergarments you can recreate a figure that much more closely resembles an hourglass shape.

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