No! No! No! Back away! (What to avoid)

For tops or dresses, anything with a wide horizontal neckline is a bad idea, as are puffy short sleeves. The eye will be drawn up and out, which makes your body look shorter and wider. Pretty much exactly the OPPOSITE of what we're going for. With dresses, you want to make sure that the waistline doesn't hit your actual waist. A really fitted, tube style will also show your short torso, so even if you have a rockin' shape, you might do better to find something a bit flowier. We already talked about staying away from high-waisted pants and swimsuits that shorten the torso. In large part, make sure you're being objective -- even if you love a style, it might not be the best option for your body type, so bring an honest friend along shopping to make sure you're flattering your figure the best you can!