Let’s Get to the Bottom of This: Do Empire Waist Tops Hide or Accentuate Our Bellies?

I used to think that empire waist tops–you know, the type that cinch up just under your boobs and flow out from there–were the ultimate flatter-the-belly-and-body attire. Then I saw a photo of myself in one, and I’m second-guessing this age-old “slimming” look. Let’s get to the bottom of this fashion question…

Erin, over at Single-ish, wrote this funny post about empire waist tops (and why guys hate them!). It’s a subject I’ve been mulling for a long time, myself.

Haven’t we all seen Stacy and Clinton steering their fashion pupils into empire tops and dresses on What Not to Wear? We’re sort of conditioned to think that empire = slimming. But wait, is it?

I saw a photo of myself recently–which I am not posting (that bad)–in something empire-y, and yikes, I looked like I was pregnant. With twins. After that, I instantly wanted to go to my closet and pack up my (large) collection of empire-wasted clothing and give it all to charity.

I decided against it, but I am taking a little empire-waist breather.

I asked Tracey from Slaves to Fashion for her opinion on the empire waist, and here’s what she had to say:

“I am not the biggest fan of the empire waist–the best way for a girl to really look slim is to define her shape in the most flattering places, not obscure it! We saw so many seasons of sack dresses and tent shirts and shapeless garments that really did nothing for the wearer, a defined waist is definitely back in for fall and I couldn’t be happier! Choose your best asset and flaunt it–if you’ve got great boobs, wear a low-cut top, if your legs and long and lean, go for a miniskirt–but please, don’t hide out under an empire waist! It really does make so many girls look pregnant and that is not cool!”

Great advice. Thank you, Tracey!

Tell me what you think: Are you a fan of empire tops/dresses? Do you think they make you look good or not? How do you feel in them? More comfortable? Less?

Photo: Old Navy