I’m writing this article because I know I can’t be the only one who wishes they had wider hips, not smaller hips. Many Asians have this issue: our narrow hips make us have a very boyish figure. I know I don’t want to look like a boy! I want womanly curves. You’ll probably find many more apple-shaped Asians than pear-shaped Asians, and I definitely fit into the apple shaped category when I gain weight. Plus, I have wide shoulders and I think that wider hips balance out my body, bringing me closer to the coveted ideal of having an hourglass figure. Wider hips also create the illusion of a smaller waist. These are the styles that I wear to give me the appearance of wider hips, or rather a wider pelvic area.

1. Anything that has a wide panel of color or horizontal stripes right in the pelvic area:

I bought these two pants at Target a couple of months ago. They’re made by Mossimo. I love how the horizontal stripes fall right where I want to create the illusion of wider hips. I bought them in a peachy/pink shade and a navy blue shade. The important thing is that the stripes or color panel should not sit on your waist, but below your waist, in your pelvic region.

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I have to give some props for those ladies with little waists. It’s no easy feat maintaining a tiny waist, at least after a certain age. These looks are my favorite to showcase a tiny waist. Celebrate and flaunt your hard work! You deserve it!

1. Baby T-shirt with cap sleeves in white paired with low rise jeans

This look is so simple. So American. And it’s oh so sexy and casual/laid back. This one’s from Victoria’s Secret:

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Forget showing cleavage. It’s can so easily turn from classy to trashy. And it’s such a cliche way of showing off the female form. Too expected. If you want to add an element of subtle seductiveness to your look, a bare back, or semi-bare back will do the trick. These are some of my favorite back showcasing styles.
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Sad to say, I was not blessed with this trait; instead, mine is like a really sad cut off tree trunk. But I do know a good neck when I see one. The neck is quite overlooked in our society. It is given more attention in eastern cultures. It’s not nearly given enough attention as say legs, chests and buttocks, but long, graceful necks are beautiful! They make women look ladylike, poised and confident. I’m all about accentuating what goods you’ve got, and not focusing on what you don’t like. So if you were blessed with this trait, flaunt it! If I had a long neck, this is what I’d do:
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Finally, a subject I know through personal experience! I like my pert derriere. Thank you J. Lo for bringing the booty back in vogue! Celebrate and showcase your round tush in these styles.

1. The pencil skirt with back details

Remember that scene in Some Like It Hot when Marilyn Monroe goes to the train station? She’s infamous for wearing those pencil skirts showing off her behind. If you haven’t seen it before, here’s a clip. The part I’m talking about starts at 5:00.

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Celebrities who have found their perfect jeans: (lucky them!)

Kate Hudson

Unfortunately, I have yet to find mine. Like finding your soul mate, it’s a lifelong quest I’m told. I just recently began my search, not knowing there was such a thing! But one of my best friends has known all along that the search for the perfect jeans was not a futile one. It started to make sense. When you find your perfect jeans, you’ll want to wear them everyday! You can’t imagine your wardrobe without them! They simplify your life. The perfect fit means you can be yourself (you don’t have to suck in. You don’t have to sacrifice comfort for looking fabulous). The more I listened, I realized I had been using her advice, but in another area of my life, in dating! For the sake of this metaphor, we’ll name Prince Charming, Mr Perfect Fit.

Here’s what I learned:

1. Every relationship with a man who later becomes an ex served a purpose. They reveal traits in a person you may not be willing to live with. If you’re not watchful, you’re bound to repeat the same mistake and fall for another guy with the same traits.

Same with Jeans… Every ill-fitting pair you’ve owned served a purpose—in showing you exactly what you don’t want: too short, too tight, gave you a pouch, made your upper body look uneven… If you’re not watchful, you’re bound to repeat the same mistake and fall for another pair with things that you know didn’t fit well with you the first time around.

Here they are, the jeans you never wear. What’s wrong with them?

2. On the same note, every ex had great qualities that drew you to him. You liked how Sam was a great listener and loved to cuddle. You liked how Tom was ambitious and upbeat. You loved that Marcus treated you like a lady and always prioritized you. You think about these wonderful traits and from them you learn what traits in a man you don’t want to live without.

Same with Jeans… every pair of jeans, although you know in your heart they weren’t the perfect fit, had redeeming qualities. Maybe you like the low rise on one pair, the way one slims your hips, the way the waist on another falls right where you want it too. Think about what traits in jeans your perfect pair will have.

Hmm… What did I like about this pair? And this one? And that one?

3. You never know where you’ll meet Mr. Perfect Fit. You can’t limit yourself to just your “type.” Think about it. If you’ve only dated only your “type” in the past, and you still haven’t found Mr. Perfect Fit… this saying comes to mind, If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got. You have to be open to meeting guys in different ways through different avenues. If you only expect to meet guys in the locations you frequent, you’re limiting your options.

Same with Jeans. You’ll never know where you’ll find your perfect jeans. You can’t limit yourself to shopping only where you’ve gone before. Don’t be a brand snob. You have to be open to trying on jeans in stores you’ve never shopped at before.

Where, oh where are you, perfect jeans?

4. How do you know he is the One? Everybody tells me, they just knew. Because they knew what they were looking for and knew what they couldn’t live with, when they met Mr. Perfect Fit… when they spent lazy Sunday afternoons with him… went to baseball games with him…brought him to meet their parents, they noticed something about themselves. They were always comfortable and at ease, yet at the same time, always excited to be with him. They were proud to be seen with him. They would spend every waking minute with him if they had a choice. Though they couldn’t have envisioned everything about him, all the important things added up. They felt like the man they were with was what they had been looking for this whole time, plus some and they felt like eth luckiest girl alive because their search was over. They just fit together; there was no questioning whether or not someone else was a better fit for them. You don’t know you’ve found the one until you do.

Same with Jeans… You don’t know you’ve found the one until you do. You’ll just know. Nobody will be able to tell you from the outside, because nobody else has your body. You’ll feel so lucky because you’ll notice that you’re soo comfortable and at ease, but at the same time, you look hot! You’ll know when your search is over because if you had a choice, you’d live in these jeans. They fit you like no other pair ever has, and they have all the traits you’ve been looking for in your search, maybe even more!

ahhhh… lazy Sunday afternoons in your perfect jeans.

5. He’s Mr. Perfect Fit right? Yeah, notice how I never called him Mr. Perfect. He isn’t perfect. You know with some other girl, the equation wouldn’t be just right, but somehow, thank God, in this imperfect world, you found the perfect fit for you.

Same with Jeans…My wonderful amazing friend wanted to let me try her perfect jeans. You guessed it, it wasn’t a real life Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ending. Our bodies are different. Her perfect jeans were not my perfect jeans. (Notice how all the celebrities above had favorite jeans with different brands)

6. Even though one guy who’s Mr. Perfect Fit for your friend isn’t Mr. Perfect Fit for you, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from her choice. Listen to her talk about what she loves about him. You can learn a lot from the successful relationships of your girlfriends. You might learn a trait that she found that you discover is a trait that you should be looking for too, but have never thought of. Don’t be jealous of the happiness of a friend who’s found her match, remember there’s a Mr. Perfect Fit who’s waiting for someone who fits him just right too. I’d be more apt to take advice from a friend who has found her Mr. Perfect Fit rather than a friend who’s in my same predicament, still searching.

Same with Jeans… I learned from my friend’s choice. She didn’t have my perfect pair of jeans but I did learn to look for the opposite of some of the things she was looking for because we have different body types:

This is what she told me, pretty much word for word and works for those who are pear shaped: (She learned to look for certain elements to decrease the appearance of her thighs)
1. Flare at the bottom, not just boot cut, and not too much flare like a bell bottom, just a big line at the bottom so that the eyes are not immediately drawn to the thighs as the biggest area
2. Low-rise cut, but not butt crack low.
3. The pockets need to be simple with as few embellishments as possible and not tilted side ways. They cannot be small pockets; the simpler the better.
4. The length is important, depending on what type of shoe. The jeans need to be touching the floor or just above the floor when you try them on.
5. Not stretchy
6. The area across the thigh has to look a certain way–not too together and not jutting out. (This one is something only a trained eye can identify with. The more you search and have a discerning eye, the better you will be at it!)

Since I started my search, I’ve modified things to fit my apple shape. This is what I look for:
1. Light colored jeans- light colors make things appear larger so this works to balance out my heavier top half.
2. Jeans with fading “whiskers” in the pelvic area. They are usually horizontal and they give the appearance of wider hips, again to balance out top half.
(marked with red arrows in the picture on the right)
3. Low-rise cut and a short crotch area. (marked out in black)
4. Pockets tilted sideways (opposite of what my friend is looking for) to play on the horizontal line.
5. Stretchy (opposite of what my friend is looking for)

Enlist your successful friends in your search for the perfect jeans!

7. You’ll be more likely to find Mr. Perfect Fit if you’re fit. I know most women don’t want to hear this, but men are visual creatures. Add to that a society that throws unrealistic perfect airbrushed advertising images to men everywhere they look. Add to that all the women who are willing to get fit and look their best. You can fight it all you want, and go on a whole, “He has to love me exactly the way I look!” rampage, but it will not change the fact. Let me ask you, the same question. Do you love yourself exactly the way you look? If your honest reply is in the affirmative, then brazenly go forth! Men love women who love themselves. Confidence is hot. If you’re being really honest and there are things you want to change and you know it’s in your power to change them naturally, do it. I’m not saying get skinny. I’m saying get fit. Whatever that means for your body. I’m telling you, unless your idea of Mr Perfect Fit is someone who isn’t fit, then you too need to be fit. We’re all attracted to healthy physiques.

Same with Jeans… You’re more likely to find your perfect pair of jeans if you’re fit. You’ll have more options to choose from. When you love your body just the way it is, your perfect jeans will hug at your curves just right. When you don’t love your body and know there are things that you want to change, then do it! Yes, some perfect jeans can conceal flaws, but they aren’t magic jeans. If you already like your body, it’ll be easier to find jeans you like. That’s just the way it is. Jeans can enhance your shape, but they can’t change your shape. So get in the best possible shape you can naturally, and you’ll notice that you’ll be closer to finding your perfect jeans! Again, it’s not about being skinny. It’s about being fit. My fit friend says no matter how fit she gets, she still has saddlebags. That’s okay, that’s where your perfect jeans can help. Perfect jeans can do tricks to conceal parts you don’t like, but again, they can’t change your shape, just enhance it.

This is how you’ll feel when you find your perfect jeans! (or Mr. Perfect Fit)

I never would have guessed finding my perfect jeans had anything to do with finding Mr. Perfect Fit! Happy searching!

Most women have some sort of issue with this part of their body. Especially if you’re pear-shaped, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
For those lucky few with slim thighs, these are my favorite looks that showcase them!

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Ever had that thought, “I want to I find an outfit that shows off my legs, but hides all my body’s imperfect parts.” Would be nice, huh? I know I had this thought a couple of days ago, anticipating a wedding I have coming up. In reality, most dresses that showcase a specific body part also require you to showcase other parts as well. Along with nice legs, you have to have toned arms, a cinched waist, beautiful shoulders, a flat tummy. Unfortunately, these aren’t my assets!

After a couple of days of research, I found exactly what I wanted: dresses that showcased my goods while minimizing everything else! Tada! Wish granted. Here’s what I found:

This piece was designed by Project Runway’s season 2 winner, Cloe Doa.

She features this piece in her Spring 2005 collection at Lot 8, her boutique. For those of us with not so svelte figures, the print might not be the best choice, but I absolutely heart this style of dress. I haven’t been able to find this style anywhere else, which is sad because it is so simple!

What I love about this style:

1. The detailing on the hem of the skirt to the end of the sleeve, gives this simple style a little spunk.

2. V-neck. I cannot reiterate this enough! Everyone and their mother looks good in V-necks. It draws the eye upward to the face, elongates the neck, gives the illusion of a smaller waist, proportions out the shoulders. What’s not to love?

3. 3/4 Sleeves. Again, just like the V-neck, 3/4 sleeves are the most flattering length on any figure. I don’t know exactly what makes them so miraculous, but if you have never owned a 3/4 sleeved item of clothing, you’re missing out! If you do own one, (or a couple, or a closet full) you know exactly what I mean.

Now if I could just find this dress in a peach or navy blue monochromatic color for this upcoming wedding, I’d be set!

Ahh, Jennifer Aniston, the refreshing American beauty with classic, everyday style. So much to learn from this woman. Let’s start with this dress. Now this dress is doing exactly what I’m looking for: showcasing the legs. I never knew Ms. Aniston had such beautiful legs! Notice how she has incorporated the last two elements from the previous dress. She knows the power of a V-neck. She knows the miraculous benefits of 3/4 sleeves.

Here’s what else she knows:

1. Black (or dark colors) are key when you want to showcase your legs! When you first looked at this picture, weren’t your eyes automatically drawn to her legs? I really believe she knew exactly what she was trying to accomplish by wearing this number…

2. Because she also incorporated nude, strappy heels! That’s another key if you want to highlight your legs. By wearing a dark color dress up top and wearing tall, skin-toned heels, you elongate the legs and draw the eye down toward the legs! Brilliant!

3. Choosing a belt the same color as your dress in a different material cinches your waist.

How do I feel about women with toned arms and sexy shoulders? A bit jealous to be honest. There are so many cute dresses meant for women with these assets. The maxi seems to be a favorite right now. Here is my favorite:

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