Feeling confident about your midsection is far less about your body and far more about the fabric and cut of what you’re wearing. The right pieces skim and flatter effortlessly, while the wrong ones cling and frustrate. Here’s how to choose fabrics and cuts that make you feel great.

It’s the Clothes, Not You

How flattering an outfit is over the midsection comes down to fabric and cut, not your body. The right pieces make all the difference. This shift in thinking is freeing.

Choose Fabrics That Skim

Medium-weight fabrics with a little structure skim over the midsection, while thin, clingy ones cling to everything. Skimming is the goal. Structure is your friend.

Embrace the A-Line and Wrap

A-line shapes and wrap styles gently define the waist and flow away from the midsection. These cuts flatter almost everyone. They’re reliable go-tos.

Define the Highest Point

Emphasizing your waist at its narrowest, often just under the bust, creates a flattering line. Empire and high-waisted cuts do this well. Draw the eye up.

Avoid the Cling Trap

Steering clear of stiff waistbands and thin, clingy fabrics prevents the discomfort and self-consciousness they cause. Comfort and confidence go together. Choose pieces that let you forget about it.

A flattering midsection is about smart fabric and cut, not your body. Choose fabrics that skim, embrace A-line and wrap shapes, define your narrowest point, and avoid the cling trap — you’ll feel comfortable and confident, because the right clothes do the work for you.