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Minimizing bottom line

A fitted jacket plays up the waistline, and a T-shirt or a blouse that hits at the hips helps create balance; jeans with stretch gently shape the rear; pointy-toe shoes elongate the legs, which helps slim the silhouette. (Real Simple Magazine / The Spokesman-Review)
The Spokesman-Review
A fitted jacket plays up the waistline, and a T-shirt or a blouse that hits at the hips helps create balance; jeans with stretch gently shape the rear; pointy-toe shoes elongate the legs, which helps slim the silhouette. (Real Simple Magazine / The Spokesman-Review)

You can bet your bottom dollar that somewhere on this planet, at this very second, a frustrated female is asking, “Does my butt look big?” In fact, go ahead and bet another buck that it’s not merely one woman, but a chorus of females, all searching for clothing that gives the illusion of a diminutive derriere. (Evidently, the person who said that you can never have too much of a good thing spent very little time in a fitting room.) But shopping for rear-friendly fashions doesn’t have to be a bum deal. With a few visual tricks, along with forgiving fabrics and styles, you can minimize your gluteus maximus.

Pants

•Look for pants with medium-size back pockets. Styles with small, large or no pockets often call attention to a full bottom. •Select medium-rise pants with a slight flare. This rise is less likely to gap at the waist, and a boot-cut leg balances out proportions. •Pair a light-colored blouse with dark denim or black trousers to draw the eye upward.

To buy: Indigo Palms cotton-and-Lycra mandarin jacket, $138, 949-258-0688. American Apparel top, $22, www.americanapparelstore.com. Socialite cotton-and-Lycra jeans by Joe’s Jeans, $158, Panache, 480-836-7533. Sancia leather pumps by Cole Haan Collection, $385, www.colehaan.com.

Dresses

•Pick a dress with a full skirt or an A line. This way, you’ll leave room to move below.

•Look for a V-neck, which elongates the torso and calls attention to the upper body. And swap spaghetti straps for wider ones, which accent shoulders and balance out a heavier bottom.

•Avoid bold patterns. “They call attention to the large behind you’re hoping to hide,” says Ellen York, president and CEO of the Image Institute, an image-consulting firm, in Seattle.

To buy: Isaac Mizrahi for Target cotton dress, $35, www.target.com for store locations. Banana Republic fabric espadrilles, $78, www.bananarepublic.com.

Separates

•Choose full and A-line skirts, which will camouflage a large rear. Pair them with slim-fitting tops to emphasize the upper half.

•Look for tops with interesting beading or some other detail that draws the eye upward. A bold necklace will also direct attention up top.

•Steer clear of long, oversize shirts. They won’t hide your behind. Instead, select tops and blazers that are fitted at the waist and hit at the hip bone. To buy: Grassroots cotton-and-silk beaded shirt, $92, www.grassrootsglobal.com for store locations. Angelina cotton-and-ramie skirt by French Connection, $158, Copper Penny, 843-723-2999. Banana Republic leather espadrilles, $68, www.bananarepublic.com.