Look Taller & Sleeker: Emphasize Your Shoulders

Another Instant Update for your wardrobe is to emphasize and enhance your shoulders! REALLY!  Don’t tune me out here.  Women complain to me all the time about their huge shoulders … but 99% of those complaints are simply WRONG.  (The other 1% are right about having strong shoulders, but mistaken that it’s a liability.)

A strong shoulder-line makes clothes hang better and minimizes any body areas you might wish were trimmer — hips, thighs, tummy, whatever.  It can also visually lift a bust that is – shall we say – being impacted by gravity.  And make you look taller (therefore sleeker).  And bring attention to your face.  Talk about a Win-Win-Win.

When you hear that shoulder pads are OUT,  that means the old 80’s look that Linda Evans and Joan Collins wore on Dynasty is – to say the least – no longer trending.

What I’m talking about, though, is subtle shoulder enhancement as a silhouette balancing tool.  Look at the examples below to see the dramatic change this simple strategy can create for women of all shapes and sizes.   Then read on for the how-to.

Melissa and Nancy (above) are wearing removable foam Shoulder Shapes in their left-hand photos and are shown without them on the right.

The first two women above have a Shoulder Shape on their left side and none on the right. Notice how the taller-and-lifted-bust effect makes it almost appear that they are leaning to one side?  The redhead is without Shapers in the left photo and is wearing them in the right-hand image. Obviously her hair is changed too, but for now, just focus on her shoulders.

So how can YOU achieve this same figure flattery?

1. If you are in the habit of cutting shoulder pads out of your washable tops, go right on doing it.  After one washing they tend to turn into grotesquely unflattering globs.

2. Order a pair – or 2 or 3 – of our textured removable foam Shoulder Shapes.  They move from one garment to another, and the texture helps them cling to the fabric a bit like Velcro so they don’t go slip-sliding around during the day .

3. When you open the package they may be squashed and mis-shapen; just set them aside while they regain their original shape.

4.  Place the two Shapers concave sides together with the edges aligned and trim the irregular thinner edge into a fairly even curve about the width of your shoulder seam.  Different garment necklines create longer and shorter shoulder seams; that’s why it’s nice to own several pairs of Shapers.

5. The molding process sometimes creates a little bump on the thicker edge of the Shaper; you can trim that too if needed.

6. Position the Shaper with the thicker edge curving right over the natural edge of your shoulder, inside the garment, with the thin edge (nearest to your neck) concealed.

7.  If you are wearing two-layer tops – a shell and cardigan for example – put the Shaper between the layers if you won’t be removing the cardigan, or between your skin and the shell if the cardigan may be removed.

8.  Now look in the mirror and appreciate the impact before you put the other one in place and head out the door looking great!

Yes, Shoulder Shapes are washable by hand or on gentle machine cycle, and they dry quickly.  And expect foam to gradually change from white to a more skin-like tan color with exposure to air.