3 Secret Styling Hacks I’ve Learnt As a Curve Model

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I’ve always been a lover of fashion. Growing up reading many a fashion magazine, I’ve always been pretty confident in dressing myself. That was until I started developing curves.

I grew up in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and back then, fashion mags didn’t teach us how to dress a body that wasn’t thin. So, when my European bod started to get curvier and curvier, I started to panic; would I not know how to dress myself anymore?

Since then, I’ve come to love dressing my curves. It’s really fun to play around with what looks good and what doesn’t, and my work as a curve model has certainly helped me on this journey. I’ve worked with heaps of top-notch stylists that have given me tips on dressing for curves, so I thought I’d share some of them with you.

Below, are 3 secret style hacks I’ve learnt as a curve model.

Don’t Shy Away From Form-Fitting

Although I can proudly say that I almost always love the body I’m in, I do often find myself the most comfortable in something loose-fitting. It’s hard to know whether it’s an ingrained instinct to hide my jiggly bits or if loose-fitting is just the most comfortable for every occasion, but it’s a habit I find myself in regularly.

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The funny thing is that loose clothes are often the least flattering on curvy bodies because they accentuate our biggest bits. At shoots, I’m always the model they style in something figure-hugging, which didn’t make sense until I saw the photos. Things that hug my figure in a flattering way, such as knit or ribbed dresses, show off my curves beautifully and actually make me look much more in proportion than something loose-fitting or baggy.

A stylist once said to me that people with curves should always wear figure-hugging clothes because we “actually have something the fabric can hug”, which looks good. Something like this ST MRLO Pescara Knit Dress ($129.95) would look super hot on curves.

You can find some of the best dresses for curvy bodies here.

Cinch That Waist, Queen

If you’re like me and have a small waist in comparison to your hips and bust, then you gotta cinch that waist wherever possible.

Stylists are always coming through with belts on top of baggy jumper dresses, shirts or dresses with drawstrings around the waist, or even a bit of ruching, because bringing in the smallest part of your body shows off your curves, even when you want to wear something a little baggier.

This Dazie Sin City Faux Leather Shirt ($99) is super clever in how it’s ruched in between the middle buttons, to give the illusion of a cinched waist. This style would be super flattering on anyone with curves because it would accentuate their smallest part, which in turn shows off your juicy bits in the best light.

Dress for Your Height

For people with curves, it’s even more important that we dress for our height; so that we look in proportion.

I am quite tall, which means that long hemlines look good on me. Stylists have told me that by elongating my body, dressing in long-hemmed high-waisted pants or skirts, maxi dresses and wide-leg jeans, my curves even out to look more in proportion with my body.

Let’s be real, you’re perfect just as you are. Your body was created just the way it is, and it’s there to work for you, not against you. So if you’re tall, celebrate that by wearing long hemlines, and look like the towering goddess of beauty that you are. Or, if you’re short, try not to wear super baggy clothes, too many layers or cropped pants, because they’ll cut you off and make you look shorter.

This Supre Kaia Ruched Long Sleeve Mesh Dress ($45) would really suit a short curvy person, because it would celebrate their curves and elongate their torso. While these Atmos&Here Darla Wide Leg Pants ($69.99) would look fab on someone tall and curvy, with a short torso and long legs, because they would really show off their legs and height (especially with a heel).

At the end of the day, if you feel good wearing it, you’ll look f***ing fab.