How to Look Thinner in Photographs

Dressing Thinner

Mix baggier clothes with snugger ones to make a proportioned outfit. If you’re wearing wide-cut pants, pair them with a snug top. Or, wear a shorter skirt with a looser top tucked in. Wearing all tight clothes can highlight areas you may not want to draw attention to, while all baggy clothes can make you look fuller everywhere. If you’re trying to draw attention away from a certain area, wear looser clothes on that area.

Try a long cardigan or suit jacket to lengthen your torso. Cardigans and suit jackets that go past your hips create an illusion of a longer, leaner overall stature. Wear one of any color or pattern over a dark solid colored dress, blouse and skirt combo, or dress shirt and pants outfit.

Wear a belt to accentuate an hourglass shape. If your waist is the narrowest part of your torso, a belt will accentuate its slimness. Make sure the belt is in proportion with your overall stature—if you're taller, choose a wider belt, or wear a more narrow belt if you're shorter. Wide belts are great additions to dresses, blouse and skirt combos, dress shirts with pants, or any outfit combination.

Wear flat-fronted, straight-leg pants to lengthen your leg line. Try to avoid pants that are pleated in the front, because they tend to add bulk to your waist area. Pants that fall straight from your hips will create the illusion of a longer, leaner leg.slightly stretchy, flat-fronted, flared pants to flatter your curves. Try to avoid pants that are pleated in the front, because they tend to add bulk to your waist area. Choose pants in a dark shade, such as black, grey, or navy, for the most slimming effect.

Choose solid dark colors or vertical stripes to look slimmer overall. No matter what type of clothes you wear, choosing solid dark shades is always a good choice for looking thinner. And if you like patterns, vertical stripes are your best bet for looking slimmer. Other patterns can be okay too, as long as they are in darker colors and the print is low-contrast and in proportion with your overall size. Avoid all-over wide horizontal stripes, as they tend to make people look wider.

Striking a Flattering Pose

Angle your body instead of standing sideways. While facing the camera completely straightforward shows your widest view, turning completely sideways can highlight your stomach. Instead, stand facing the camera and put all your weight on 1 leg. Push the hip of that leg back as far as you can, and let the other leg hang loose in front of you and bent at the knee. Push the shoulder of the same side that your weight is on back as well, and let the shoulder on the side of the front leg come forward and down a bit.

Don’t press your arms close to your body. Pressing your arms to your sides can visually add some extra bulk to them. Instead, let them hang loose and limp.

Put your hands on your hips. To help your arms not be pressed into your sides, it’s a good idea to put your hands on your hips. Or, if you have pockets, try putting your hands in your pockets to move your arms away from your sides.

Tuck one side of your body behind someone in group shots. If you’re in a photo with a group, use other people to your advantage! Angle your body so that one side is behind someone else to instantly appear thinner. For really large groups with multiple rows, don’t stand in the front row if you’re concerned about looking thin. Stand in the middle or back rows, even if you’re not tall.

Sit with your shoulders back and don’t slouch. In photos where you’re sitting, you should be sure not to slouch to avoid showcasing your belly area. Keep your shoulders up and back, and your back straight. You can even try taking a deep breath to make sure your chest is up as much as possible.

Cross your ankles if you’re sitting. Another trick for sitting photos is to cross your ankles instead of your entire leg. Crossing your legs at the knees can highlight bigger thighs, especially if you’re wearing a skirt. You can also not cross any part of your legs while you’re sitting for a photo. Always be sure to sit up straight for photos where you’re sitting.

Making Your Face Look Thinner

Hold your chin up and out. Avoid looking like you have a double chin by keeping your head held high. Stick your chin out to make your neck look a bit longer. Practice holding your chin up and out in the mirror to see how the position looks best on you.

Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth while you’re smiling. Sometimes smiling in photos can cause your eyes to squint and your cheeks to look chubbier. A good way to avoid this is to stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth while you smile. Your smile won’t be as broad as it may normally be, but it will still look like a nice smile in the photo. Practice this smile in the mirror so you can see how it looks. You can adjust your technique by placing your tongue in a different part of the roof of your mouth if you think it looks too forced.

Keep some volume to your hair. If you wear your hair up, try a loose updo instead of a bun or slicked back ponytail. For down hairstyles, try adding waves or curls to draw attention to balance your face, or add some lift to straight hair by using volumizing powder at your roots. Hair with volume adds balance to the shape of your head and your face. Men can add volume by styling their hair in a pompadour or by adding volumizing powder at their roots.

Using Camera Tricks

Hold the camera above your eye level. When taking selfies, never hold the camera below your eyes. This angle is the least flattering and makes your face look larger than it really is. If you’re having your picture taken, have the photographer hold the camera high. The best angle for all photos is one that’s slightly above your eye level. You should never be looking down at the camera when having your picture taken or taking a selfie, to get the best angle.

Avoid direct sunlight for outdoor photos. The sun can cause you to squint when you’re taking pictures outside, which in turn makes your cheeks and jawline look wider. For outdoor pictures, try going out in the early evening to avoid the brightest light of the day. If you must take pictures during the brightest parts of the day, try standing with your back to the sun so you won’t squint as much.

Use a dark filter. Most smartphones and digital cameras have filters that allow you to change the brightness or contrast of your pictures. Experiment with filters that darken or bronze the images to see which ones are the most flattering for you.