Where do you end your tops?
- Where they end because of how long they are when they come home from the store?
- Do you pull your tops down to hide your butt?
- Do you fiddle and adjust the length to find the perfect spot for you?
The Horizontal Line Rule
Because the hems of most tops are horizontal lines, you want to take this into consideration when making your choice about where to end your tops. As you'd be aware from this post, horizontal lines are broadening, so you generally want to end a top on a narrower point rather than a wider one as hips are often a wider point for many women (though if you are a V shape your rules will be different).
Where to End Tops to Slim Your Hips
Don't end tops at the widest point of your hips (see above left) as even though you may frequently pull down your tops to end here (or things just may be this long) what it does is not hide your bottom, instead it draws a horizontal line across your hips and makes them look wider. Plus unless you have very, very, very long legs, it creates a less than flattering proportional ratio of body to leg length as it makes your legs look shorter.
Instead, end your tops around your hip bone (or just below, no more than 1″ or 2cm) as this will keep your legs looking longer and still give your upper body enough length so it doesn't look short (unless of course, you have a super long body which I'll talk about in a moment).
Where to End Tops to Slim Your Tummy
If you've got the pouchy protruding stomach like I do, ending your tops at your waist is too high and short, as it exposes the tummy bulge.
Ending your tops past the bottom of the pooch isn't great either as the fabric tends to cup your tummy and actually make it appear more prominent.
Instead, end your tops just below the peak (but no lower) of your tummy pooch and you will find it's the most flattering point.
If you have a straighter waist, as I do (H shape, some V shape, and O shapes) ending tops at your waist draws that horizontal line across what we expect to be a narrower point and highlights it (which is why the defined waisted amongst us look great when we highlight our slim waists with belts or tuck in), just another reason why the waist length doesn't work on my body.
Take Body Proportions Into Consideration
Whenever you're making decisions about top lengths (actually the lengths of any hems) take your body proportions into consideration as this will impact on your decision.
Get some more tips on the right length for tops with skirts and pants here.
And watch the video here for some easy to remember guidelines.
More Tips on Top Hem Lengths
How to Find the Best Point to End Your Tops and Jackets
To Tuck or Not To Tuck - That is the Question
Body Proportions Explained - Long Rise
Bad Design Find - Horizontal Line Rule
Choosing Prints to Disguise Your Tummy