Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Sleeveless,

First of all, be sure to wear your size. Wearing shirts that are too big and baggy or squeezing into shirts that are too small will actually make you appear top-heavier. Try going up one size if shirts are too tight in the arms. The age-old advice about darker colors making you look slimmer still works! Pair dark-colored shirts with lighter-colored skirts, pants, or shorts to balance out your overall body shape. Vertical lines are slimming and will lengthen your torso. Look for vertical stripes or trims, and shirts with a long column of buttons down the front. For a better arm fit, avoid "set-in sleeves" that are separate pieces sewn to the bodice of the shirt. Instead, the sleeve style you should look for is the raglan. These sleeves are "all-in-one" with the shirt. There are no seams around the top of the upper arm, so they are roomier in that area. Raglan sleeves flow from the shoulder down the arm very gracefully, slimming the line. Most kimono shirts have these all-in-one sleeves and are definitely in style now. If you do wear shirts with set-in sleeves, like T-shirts, make sure the armhole seam doesn't fall below the top of your shoulder cap. This way you will avoid lowered sleeve seams that create a "measuring tape line" around your upper arm. Hope these tips help you out!

Sincerely,