Bracelets: Dailylook Galaxy Spike (buy), Dailylook Crystal Flower (buy)
Necklace: Poppy ‘Betty’ (giveaway win) (buy – 1 left!, similar, similar in pink)
- Keep Top Layers Thin and Unstructured. Structured blazers and jackets will define the shoulders even more so stick with cardigans and simple layers that don’t have this additional bulk. I certainly don’t adhere to this guideline very often as I love my structured blazers. So if you are like me, at least choose blazers and jackets that are very fitted in the shoulders (don’t extend past the width of your shoulders at all) and have minimal, if any, padding.
- V-Neckline. V-necklines are almost universally flattering and create a more elongated face and shoulder area. I have a pretty square face so even without the broad shoulders, I look for v-necks to taper my jawline too!
- Solid Color Top. A solid color will draw less attention to this area. If you’re looking for an even more slimming look, go with dark colors as they will recede in the background more.
- Layers Extend Past Waist. I learned this lesson again just recently when I had my top layers both ending at my waist. It created a bulky-looking outfit instead of one that was more streamlined had I chosen to have one of those layers extend past my waist. By doing so, it creates a more lengthening effect and prevents the infamous “football player” look.
- Prints On Bottom. Be it a pair of pants or a skirt, choose to have the more colorful piece of your outfit on the bottom. This will draw attention towards this area and personally I love choosing fun prints and colors for my bottoms!
- Widening Stripes / Flared Styles. Flared skirts obviously create volume that will balance out wider shoulders and they are an easy go-to when it comes to pairing tops. On the other hand, even with a slim pencil skirt, the horizontal stripes on this one still helped create a widening effect to balance out the upper half.
Keep in mind that these are just guidelines and certainly not rules. I’ve always been one to wear what I like but sometimes when I find a certain outfit isn’t working, it’s nice to refer back to these tips.
I hope you found these helpful and please share any suggestions of your own in the comments!
P.S. In case you missed it:
- Graphic Tee + Leather Ponte Pants – Half leather, half ponte — these pants were a real Target find!
- VeganCuts Beauty Box Review – Did you see the bacon-flavored lip balm??
SweetCandyDreamer says
Great post! You look beautiful in this outfit!
Tara says
Your skirt is gorgeous, love it with the pink!
ellen ross says
These are fantastic tips, especially since it's a common problem 🙂
Vain & Simple says
Great post! Definitely following. I'm 5"2' and could use all these petite tricks! Looking forward to future posts.
Stephanie
http://www.vainandsimple.com/
WE says
Fantastic tips!! Love the color combo Kileen..the skirt is fabulous.. but may be I would have paired it with a nude pump? Thats just me :D.
Kileen says
thanks for the suggestion! i think a nude pump would have worked really well with the lighter colors too!
Alex says
This is a perfect post for me because I have very broad shoulders. I think mine are 16.5 across and my chest measurement is bigger than my hip measurement, too. I definitely love the long layers on top trick– only problem is this season everything is cropped!
WE says
Aww, you are welcome..I am still smitten by the colors though. They are absolutely gorg!
Kileen says
oh i know about the cropped situation! i've generally avoided crop tops but will sometimes go for a jacket that's a bit more cropped as i can layer it with longer pieces underneath and still balance out the proportions. it's definitely a tricky situation! 🙂
Rathana @FabFashionaire.com says
Thanks for the tips, dear! They are perfect for me, cause I have broad shoulders, too 🙂
Rathana xo