Here’s the question: Does a pleated skirt, in general, make you look bigger? YES.
Should I avoid wearing a pleated skirt as a plus-size? NO! It’s true that designs of pleated skirt add bulks to our waist and makes us look fatter.
However, let’s not forget there are different types of fabric and designs when it comes to pleated dresses!
If you choose it wisely, a pleated skirt can make you look slim and truly flatters your body!
So here are the 8 ways to wear a pleated skirt as a plus-size!
Enjoy my ladies!
1. Avoid pleated skirts with big prints
With the pleats, it does add volume to our tummy area. But ladies, no worries.
The volume is manageable but what’s not is wearing a pleated skirt with some big prints.
Tropical floral prints are cute but big prints tend to have an enlarging effect and make your lower body looks bigger.
If you still want some prints to spice things up, the small print is an alternative choice!
Personally, I do love to stick with the plain color to showcase the plates!
DISCLAIMER:
The truth is, we are all perfect imperfections.
You want to learn these outfit hacks ONLY if you feel like it but are not pressured by others. Remember, we never have the need to “fix” our bodies!
You don’t have to be pretty like HER, you can be pretty like YOU.
And believe it or not, there’s still NOT ENOUGH plus-size content around Pinterest and other places on the internet …at all.
So ladies, before reading the tips, please help pin the pin below & support plus-size ladies ♥!
2. Stay away from the pleated skirt with high saturation colors
Second, avoid all the high saturation colors like classic red, neon green, bright blue, and so on.
These colors are visually more eye-catching and thus people are just naturally drawn to more attention to the lower part body instead of the overall figure.
Plus, these colors act the same ways as the big prints, they will appear to make your body look bigger.
This is why with the same body, wearing black jeans and white jeans has such a huge difference!
But is that mean you can only wear colors like black or dark blue? Of course not! Despite dark colors, low saturation colors can look elegant and flattering as well.
Pastel colors like baby pink, light blue, and lavender… are all great choices to look classy in a pleated dress.
These soft colors balance the straight defined lining of the pleats and make the bulkiness less noticeable.
3. Choose the fabric wisely to look less bulky
More often or not, we care but don’t pay much attention to the fabric of our pleated dress. They matter a lot. Here are a few examples.
- Raw silk and satin: They are elegant fabrics however the shiny surfaces of the silk and bulks to your body and make the body look slimmer. Instead, you can always choose silk chiffon fabric for a matte look, still looks great!
- Twill: As a thick fabric, it makes the pleated dress looks more structured and acts as a great surface to hide our tummy! I have a tweed pleated dress, to my surprise, it creates an A-line shape effortlessly and truly flatters my waist!
- Cotton: It depends. It can looks good but for most of them, they are just too thin and fail to hug our lower body curves. Every time I wear a cotton pleated dress I feel like pregnant! That’s a big No-no.
There are so many different fabrics out there, but what I am trying to say is, that the fabric is way more important than you thought!
Don’t go online shopping and always try it on to see which fabric is supportive enough to flatter your figure. Trust me, it is worth your time!
4. Wear monochromic tops with a pleated skirt
Not only wearing a monochromic outfit is so in trend these days, but it also makes your outfits look taller and slimmer.
The design of a pleated skirt can be quite attention-grabbing.
If you wearing a shirt with a pleated skirt, I’m sure people will still subconsciously look at your belly areas.
However, if you pair it with the same tone as the top, you make the outfits look united and completed as a whole.
You then appear to be taller and slimmer naturally.
So ladies, when in doubt, go monochrome to blend in your pleated skirt!
5. Creating a slimming effect with a half pleated skirt
Half pleated skirt is one of the best things ever and I wish more people know about this!
There are two types of half-pleated skirts.
For the first type, it means half of the dress is structured as the “A-line” cutting while the other half is the pleated skirt.
For the second type, only 2/3 of the dress shows pleats, and there are no pleats for the belly area.
I just can’t express how I adore half a pleated skirt, it greatly reduces the volume of our belly yet still keep the pleats for uniqueness.
For a long period of time, I only wear a long pleated skirt as I can tell a short one will look horrendous on me.
However, with half a pleated skirt, I can now wear a short skirt confidently as it just gives me the perfect A-line for the lower body.
It’s true that some of the half-pleated may look a bit bold or youthful like a school uniform in the past.
However, when I do my research about this type of dress now, I am pleasantly surprised by the high-class designs!
So ladies, never say never, you will be shocked at how slim you look in half pleated skirt!
6. Wear a long cardigan and blazer to lengthen your body figure
If you want to style your pleated skirts in autumn, let’s not forget about the cardigan and blazer.
Not only do they give you more layering to the look, but the long straight-lining of the clothes helps balance the puffiness of the pleated dress and makes your whole outfit looks more balanced!
My personality favorite look is the style of a simple V-neck tee and my light pink pleated dress with a deeper shade of pink blazer. All I can say is I feel so put together and chic!
By the way, ladies, don’t have chunky necklaces that cut our necklines or round neck shirt, always opt for a V neck to make our face looks slimmer!
This is so random… BUT
hey ladies, why not quickly do an affirmation and feel instantly better?
This new year, I’m trying not only to share fashion tips but come up with ways to instill body positivity in all women who are reading my articles – aka YOU!
Instead of just reading it, say it loud or murmur the quotes (if you are in public) to maximize the effect.
Ready? Here we go.
I love my body. She is my forever home and sanctuary.
Sassy isn’t a shape, it’s an attitude.
Work out because I love my body – not because I hate it.
I can love myself and change my body at the same time. No guilt about that.
It is completely normal to have tummy rolls. I come to realize that social media isn’t showing the reality… at all.
My happiest moments in life had nothing to do with the way my body looked.
I don’t have to be pretty like her, I can be pretty like …ME.
I AM perfect imperfection.
What are your thoughts on that? I hope that makes you feel better (as you deserved).
Please help me pass the body positivity message in your community. #womenhelpwomen
Alright, now keep on reading!
7. Wear a peplum top with a pleated skirt
I know some people recommend tucking the shirt or sweater into the pleated skirt, I don’t really recommend this as this styling is not really suitable for plus-size ladies obviously.
That makes my tummy looks even bulkier and look like I am exploding.
Instead, wearing a peplum top looks amazing with a high waist pleated skirt as the peplum top can cover our belly area.
If you don’t have a peplum top, a belted top works fine as well as it outlines your waist and makes you look slimmer actually!
8. Style your pleated skirt in heels or pointed flats to lengthen your legs
Last but not least, let’s talk the shoes!
Different kind of heels is fine as long as they are not thick ankle strappy heels.
The thick straps cut the ankle area and make our legs look shorter.
If you still want to wear straps, you can always opt for the thinner straps or straps with skin tone color to make it less obvious!
If you are not a heel person, flat can looks flattering too.
For me, I do think pointed flats look nicer than round-toe flats as they again, create a V line and elongate our legs and create a slimmer effect!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
So there you go ladies – 8 tips on how to wear a pleated skirt as a plus-size? Let’s have a quick checklist first.
- Avoid pleated skirts with big prints
- Stay away from the pleated skirt with high-saturation colors
- Choose the fabric wisely to look less bulky
- Wear monochromic tops with a pleated skirt
- Creating a slimming effect with half pleated skirt
- Wear a long cardigan and blazer to lengthen your body figure
- Wear a peplum top with a pleated skirt
- Style your pleated skirt in heels or pointed flats to lengthen your legs
If you are interested in other plus-size dressing, here are some reads!
It’s my belief that no matter what size we are, we can dress whatever we want with some clever styling and tricks! Enjoy!
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