Who doesn’t want a dress that makes them look smaller?

Even my pug wants that. This hoodie ain’t cuttin’ it.

I’ve written about pattern camouflage dresses before and how they can help you cover up a multitude of sins.

Artists play with areas of light and dark to direct and trick your eyes into believing something that isn’t true. Dark areas recede, light areas pop. Dark areas appear further away, light areas closer. These same techniques can be applied to clothing.

I bought this Desigual dress years ago and found it again when I went through one of my closets of dresses. Yes, I have two closets for dresses. I have long since passed the regular “wardrobe” and crossed into collector territory with my dresses. Don’t judge. This is a discussion for another day, when I’ve got a big bottle of vodka,  a jar of olives, ten family sized chocolate bars, a box of kleenex, a pug on my lap, a hot male masseuse rubbing my shoulders and a therapist beside me.

My husband persuaded me to buy this dress. I’m married to an enabler and surround myself with enabler friends.  I take none of the responsibility whatsoever for my addiction and weakness. My therapist is shaking her head right now, the pug threw up on my lap and the masseuse walked away in a hissy fit.

My real therapist is up there in the hoodie. She’s got her own problems.

As an illustrator and designer who created patterns for many years I’m always drawn to bold bright patterns.  What I wasn’t so crazy about was the “mime” stripes on the arms.

The dress may have crossed over into Cirque du Soleil territory.

It wasn’t enough clownish enough to dissuade me from buying it.

I bought the dress in the end because it made me look 10 lbs thinner thanks to the contrast in patterns and the clever mix of dark and light areas.

The fact that it elongated my legs because of the high waist and shorter hemline wasn’t lost on me either.

The dress is 100% cotton, so comfortable and a welcome change from synthetic fabrics.

It also looks great in my office. I become one with my wall art.

Just so long as my therapist doesn’t shed all over my black leggings I’m good.

Examples of dresses that make you look smaller

 

Do you own any dresses that make you look smaller?

Or are you one of the lucky ones, very happy with the size you are?

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