What Are the Best Clothes to Wear If You Have a Fat Belly?

If you have a bit of excess fat around your belly, the chances are you will not be gracing a New York runway anytime soon!

However this should not condemn you to a life of jogging bottoms and oversized t-shirts - far from it! There are a magnitude of fashion tips that can help hide that flabby belly you hate, and emphasise those bits you love.

Firstly, girls with a podgy tummy should avoid tight fitting, low rise jeans, as they have the unfortunate affect of creating a muffin top! Hipster, or even this season's must-have, the high-wasted jeans are fantastic for making your tummy look trim.

Secondly, avoid skin-tight tops. This goes for men and women. Men especially should avoid tucking shirts into trousers as this really will emphasise your belly bulge! Ladies can add a tummy clinching belt, or even a corset belt to an outfit to create the effect of a trim tummy.

Both ladies and gents with belly fat should avoid wearing tops with horizontal stripes. Yes, this tip is as old as the hills, but it really does work. Dark colours like black and navy create a slimming effect.

Ladies should consider wearing a pair of high heels with skinny jeans. This draws attention to your legs (which, thanks to the stilettos, will appear longer and slimmer) and away from your tummy. Tops with lots of detail (think frills, bows and buttons) also draw attention away from problem tummies! For work wear, experiment with a pinstriped suit, and neck scarves.

Gentlemen with excess fat round their tummies should avoid wearing fancy belts which are visible under shirts. A physical representation of your circumference will not add anything to your outfit. If you have long legs, invest in a pair of pinstriped trousers, to emphasise your height.

So, to sum up. Clothes to avoid are tight fitting, low rider jeans; skin tight tops, shirts tucked into trousers, horizontal stripes and (for gents) visible belts. Stock up on high wasted jeans (ladies), clinching belts (ladies), dark colours, high heels (ladies), tops with lots of detail and pinstripe suits!

If you take my tips on board, there's no reason why you shouldn't love your tummy. And if you do, then the rest of the world will follow!