How to Wear a Peplum

Here are some things that are patently, ridiculously false:

A) You can't wear white after Labor Day.

B) You can't mix black and brown.

C) You can't wear a peplum if your body's not shaped like Karlie Kloss's.

Regarding the latter, I get why they seem scary. I do. But instead of assuming that a peplum's extra fabric widens you, think about it this way:

You know when you slip on a poufy, A-line skirt and your legs look thinner by comparison? It's like that. The exaggerated shape diminishes the other body parts around it. (In the peplum's case, that's your waist.)

It's a way to fake an hourglass figure that's much more ladylike and sophisticated than the clingy bandage dress route. Which is probably why so many designers love it (Jason Wu, Burberry, Michael Kors) and celebs both teeny (Emma Stone, above) and more curvy (Jennifer Hudson) call themselves fans.

With a few simple guidelines, that waist-whittling effect can work on almost anyone:

More on Luckymag.com:

• Dream Designer Collaborations
• 10 Items You Need to Own in 2012
• Jason Wu for Target: The Complete Lookbook
• The Most Expensive Shoes in the World
• Get More Lucky
  

Keep up with the Lucky team on Twitter: Follow @LuckyMagazine