There's more to the bum than shape alone. Other pesky conditions, such as sagging and cellulite, can rear their ugly heads. We've got fashion solutions for those too.
If you have a sagging butt, do wear:
• Jeans with colour highlights on top: Wearing lighter shades close to your waistband above your pocket draws the eye up so your butt actually looks higher. Paige's tip: Watch out for highlights that are too extreme – they'll make you look like you sat on some white paint!
• Jeans that are 2 percent Lycra and 98 percent cotton: This mixture of cotton and Lycra, especially in a nice tight-weave fabric that's more fitted through the hip and thigh area, helps lift and separate your bum as if it were a butt bra. Paige's tip: Be careful that there isn't too much Lycra (more that 2 percent) or the texture can be too spongy and won't hold you up at all. The fabric may start to ripple like a pair of leggings. Also, if there isn't ample cotton (at least 98 percent), then there won't be enough structure to hold you up.
• Trousers with flap pockets: Look for trousers in nice woven fabrics that have back-flap pockets. The pockets draw the eye up, giving you more bulk where you need it, while the characteristic of the fabric help boost your booty.
If you have a sagging butt, don't wear:
• Low pockets: Make sure the bottoms of the back pockets don't extend lower than you butt cheeks. The lower pockets only make your butt look saggier.
The c word
Chances are, you have butt dimples. Most of us have them. Even supermodels have cellulite – they just have a team of fabulous photographers who airbrush every photo. Wouldn't that be nice! But magically erasing our flaws isn't realistic. Even if you feel like you have more cottage cheese than a grocery store, try to remember that the way you store fat is genetic. Woman tend to store fat in their butt and thighs, resulting in larger fat cells in those areas, which push up against the connective tissue and cause dimpling. Here are some tips that give the illusion of instant airbrushing.
If you have a dimply butt, do wear:
• Jeans that are 2 percent Lycra and 98 percent cotton or jeans with polyester blends: The composition of the fabric is a plus for you and holds your butt in. Paige's tip: Look for heavier denim. The thicker, tighter weave sucks and holds you in, masking any ripples. Don't be fooled by magic fixes such as "anticellulite jeans" that claim to reduce cellulite the longer you wear them. If that were true, we'd eat, sleep, and shower in them.
• Undies with Lycra or spandex: These undergarments hold in your rear much more effectively than a G-string or thong.
If you have a dimply butt, don't wear:
• Sheer fabrics: Avoid these at all costs, unless you want every bump, dot, and dimple on display. Nude, beige, or white sheer fabrics are particularly revealing. You might feel overexposed.
Page 4 of 4
Read more:
9 ways to look good in photos
The worst fashion don'ts and how to avoid them
10 sexy pieces every woman needs in her wardrobe
Excerpted from Your Perfect Fit, copyright 2008 by Paige Adams-Geller and Ashley Borden. Excerpted with permission from McGraw-Hill. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
