7 Simple Ways to Dress to Flatter Your Figure ...

One of the best ways to dress to flatter your figure, is to be happy with your shape and who you are. Loving yourself will make you look confident and amazing in the process. By holding your head up (not too high) when you walk, you will look instantly taller and wearing a smile is probably the most important way to flatter your figure, as people will be instantly dazzled by it!

How many people are conscious about their behinds? J-Lo has done wonders for women's derrières and made the curvaceous booty something to be proud of. There are however, those who are conscious about it. If you would rather minimise than embrace it, wear wide-leg trousers and try to avoid back pockets. Go instead for front pleats and pockets to draw the attention away. Another trick if you're conscious, is to pair your clothes carefully. For example, wear a short jacket with a long skirt and a longer jacket with a shorter skirt. Not at the same time though. That would just look weird.

If you're unhappy with your lower half, you can also draw attention away from the bottom to the top, by wearing brightly coloured tops and accessories. Jackets which are slightly fitted and tapered will also attract the attention to your top half.

If you're conscious about your stomach, as many woman are, there are some little tricks you can use to minimise it. For example, tunic style tops and jumpers will cover the stomach area. You can also direct the attention away from it by choosing tops with detailing above the breast and around the neckline. Trousers with tapered or narrow legs are another great way to disguise a stomach you're conscious of.

Whilst some women may opt for a breast enlargement, which let's face it, is expensive and painful, if you're conscious of having smaller breasts, then one simple way to make your breasts appear larger is to stand up straight. Seriously. You'll look taller too! Another trick is to apply blusher between the breasts to give the appearance of shadows and therefore a cleavage. An extra layer over your bra, like a tight lycra top will also add bulk.

There are many ways to get a slimmer silhouette. Don't be fooled by thinking looser fits will make you look slimmer either. Looser clothing can often make you look bulkier. Choose tailored fits and wear shoulder pads and wide neck lines. Be careful though. You don't want to look like you've just stepped out of a Duran Duran video. Trousers with narrow or tapered legs will also give the illusion of a more slender physique. And if you want longer legs, you don't have to resort to painful limb lengthening surgery, as Christian Laboutin's new Nudes collection seems to have solved the problem. With a shade for every skin tone, these sexy stilettos are designed to make your legs look longer by blurring the boundaries between shoe and leg. No doubt other shoe designers will be quickly following suit!

You can also use colour for some fashion trickery. For example, we know that black can be slimming but navy, charcoal and dark brown are also slimming colours. Another trick is to wear blocks of colour, which can draw the attention away from an area you're not happy with. Use vertical stripes which can make you look leaner and taller or you could wear just one colour to give yourself a long and leaner look.

These are just a few ways to feel fabulous in your clothes by using some simple little tricks. What types of things do you do to highlight your best features and assets?