That’s right.  You can literally drop pounds instantly by just getting your clothing tailored.  If you look more full-bodied than you should in your clothes, it may be because of your how your clothes are fitting. When your clothes visually add pounds to your appearance, you are experiencing a situation I refer to as visual bulk.  Visual bulk can weigh down how you look, and adversely affect your non-verbal communication, including the appearance of your posture and body language.

Next time you pass in front of a mirror, stop and take a good look at yourself.  Instead of just checking out things like your hair, take the time to evaluate just how your clothes drape on your body.

As you look at yourself, envision a circle around your body that represents a footprint of how much space your body takes up.  When you’re wearing clothes that add visual bulk, those clothes add to the circumference of that circle, and visually give the appearance that you are heavier than you are.

Everyone has his or her own path and priorities toward seeing a healthy self-image. I believe wearing clothing that fits the body you have is very important, whether or not you’re into physical fitness and healthy nutrition.  Not only does it help you feel better to respect your body, but also seeing a healthy, positive image encourages healthy nutritional and fitness behaviors.  When you see how good you look in clothes that fit well, imagine the positive impressions it sends to those who observe you looking so great!

So how can you reduce your visual bulk so you are not a hulk? Here are some ideas:

Men
Tuck in your shirts. When your untucked shirts tend to flair away from the body they make your body look fuller than it is.  Whether your body is average or is that of an Adonis, a shirt worn tucked in makes your body look fit. I never understand why men leave their shirts untucked, especially those who work out a lot and are hiding their bodies under these tent-like shirts.  It does not look confident at all.

Shorten your sleeves. When your sleeves are at your side and they seem excessively long, you may want to consider adjusting the length.  If they are too long, they also can add to the visual bulk.  Sounds like a small thing, but shortening sleeves to the proper length can effectively shed pounds off how you look in the mirror.

Women
Adjust your sleeve length. Unlike the guys’ sleeve situation, you can actually adjust the sleeve length of shirts and knits so that they do not end up at the widest place on your body.  It takes a good eye to see this and a good seamstress to make alterations to knitwear, but the result is well worth the effort.

Men and Women
Shorten your shirts. If you’re shorter, you might find it challenging to tuck lots of shirt fabric into your pants and jeans.  This excessive fabric creates bulk around areas of the body that should not be lumpy, for obvious reasons.  When your shirt is shortened it’s easier to tuck in and you look better.

Fit jackets and shirts to your body. It is amazing how fuller cut shirts and jackets will make your body appear larger than it really is.  Not only may it be helpful to appropriately taper a shirt to your body, but evaluating the fit of your jackets make a similarly impressive difference to the shape of your body in clothes.  Separately, check out how the shoulders of your jackets fit.  While it may be necessary to have some padding in the shoulders to even out unbalanced shoulders, too much padding will add unnatural looking visual bulk.

Wear the right trousers. Usually the concern is making sure trousers, and even jeans, fit the waist area properly.  But what’s also important is to be certain that they be flattering down the length of your legs.  Pant legs that are unnecessarily wide and out of proportion to the rest of you and what you’re wearing can also create visual bulk, making you appear squat instead of giving you the look of strength and stature.

How are you going to lose the bulk?

Joseph Rosenfeld helps high-profile individuals revitalize, manage, and be secure in their personal visual brand. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.