Fitting in the Knits

Fall has officially arrived, at least according to the calendar, so very soon most of us will be our time trying to stay fashionable and fashionably warm. We may still have some warm days left, so until the weather settles in one direction, it won’t be strange to leave the house with one type of weather and come home in another. One ideal textile for this time of year is knit fabric.

Knit fabrics are great because they let you breathe if it happens to get warm, but they will keep you warm and toasty in the cooler weather. The only hiccup is that knit fabrics are often too clingy or overly boxy in all the wrong places when they are on your body.

Each year, I usually just skip over this issue by sticking with knit fabrics in the form of hats, wraps, gloves, and stockings, but then I miss out on a lot of very cool garments like knit dresses, skirts, tops, and slacks. It’s debatable if I could spare a few pounds and I may just be a little self-conscious, but even if you’re in the best of shape, when it comes to wearing clingy fabrics, sometimes we can all use a little help. I mean, even Kim Kardashian wears Spanx!

There are a whole slew of magical devices to hug and hold just about every inch of you, but if you’re not into all of the body shapers and definers on the market, here are a few suggestions on which knit dress style looks best on bodies with “problem” areas:

 1. Wide hips – An empire waist creates a slimming effect, and the bell-shaped skirt just barely skims the body.

2. Tummy – Waistless trapeze cuts are the best because they hang in a simple pretty way.

3. Large bust – Look for a smooth fit in the middle and a slightly flared hem.

I also found a site with outfit and styling ideas for wearing your knit dresses. What’s interesting is it’s dated 2011, but some of the tips are right on trend and will work for 2012.

There is something in a comfy, cozy knit fabric to flatter most figures, or you can always go my route and keep your eyes peeled for fabulous hat, gloves, and scarf combo.