Curves Rule and Flat Is Fabulous:. Rita Mauceri

You can also experiment with ribbed fabrics or vertical patterns that give the illusion of long lines—empire tops with ties that hang down can achieve the same effect.

      FABULOUS FEMMES

      Deena:

      Pure Italian, from her dark locks to her sun-kissed olive skin, Deena is a Dainty who decks out her delicate frame in feminine pieces with funky, eclectic touches. “For years, I’ve been insisting that I must be built completely unlike anyone else…I’m curvy and petite, barely over five foot one. Of course, thanks to the three-inch heels I wear, I really consider myself to be more like five foot four!”

      Jeans (always with heels) “are one of the most important staples in my closet,” she says. She favors a mid-to-low waist with boot- or slim-cuts in darker rinses, which she says “tend to be most flattering.”

      Over the years, Deena has learned how to max out her petite frame. “I realized if I wore really high heels but kept my jeans as long as possible (so they just graze the floor), I could make my legs appear much longer than they really are, especially with a more fitted thigh and slight flare at the ankle. I do this with all of my pants, too…it’s key for girls with short legs.” Deena proves that you don’t have to be built like a runway model to wear super-slim-cuts. “I especially like to wear them with heels and a tunic or sexy off-the-shoulder top that hits just below my hips to create one lean line. All of my slim jeans have a bit of stretch. I live in them!”

      Britt:

      Britt rocks. Literally. The only girl in the popular Los Angeles–based band Guilt by Association, she holds her own against the guys onstage and off. Blond, busty, and leggy (she stands five foot eleven), we love her laid-back style, which includes lots of jeans, layered tees or tanks, and Converse sneakers or flip-flops.

      But finding the right jeans isn’t so easy. “Let me describe my shopping nightmares: a tiny dressing room filled to the brim with jeans in any size from 8 to 12, because designers just aren’t consistent. I also have to search for everything in long or extra long, which very few stores carry.” Finding flattering tops can also be a challenge because of her athletic torso (her arms are buff from years of surfing). “For shirts to fit over my breasts and not squeeze too tight around my arms, I usually have to buy a size large, which makes the shirt stick out around my tummy with a very boxy look. To fix this, I usually choose a soft, stretchy material.”

      Among Britt’s favorites are empire-waist tops. To avoid a blousy, tent effect, she looks for styles that sit low on her chest and accentuate her cleavage but “in a nontrashy way.” Most flattering are hemlines that fall right at the middle of her tush, paired with fitted jeans. By pulling focus to her chest (not boobs) and shoulders and choosing a streamlined bottom, she balances the flowing style of the shirt. “When I shop for clothes, the first things I check are my butt and my boobs. If they look good, then I will consider the rest. It can be challenging to find the right fit but when I do it is super cute!” We couldn’t agree more. Rock on, Britt!

      Barb:

      Deliciously down-to-earth, Barb is a girl’s girl through and through. This entrepreneurial mother of three loves to cook, so how apropos that she whipped up her very own line of homemade brown sugar body scrubs and lotions, which are now selling like hotcakes! Always on the go, Barb’s everyday look is purely clean and classic. “I used to want to believe I was an ‘hourglass,’” she says, “but whenever I tried to follow the ‘rules,’ I would end up looking goofy.” After much experimenting, she now characterizes her figure as “athletic with a twist of femme fatale. I have a ‘petite’ torso and regular legs, broad shoulders, and a round rib cage that makes me appear larger in a side view.”

      Barb loves to pair modern, curve-hugging jeans with dark neutrals such as black and brown—and of course, an amazing pair of heels! “No matter what your height, jeans should be worn with heels—otherwise curvy can look dumpy.” Since she has what she calls “a bit of a hook in the back,” some jeans tend to have an unsightly gap there. To remedy the problem, she has her mother “toddlerize” them by opening the waistband and adding a six-inch nonrolling elastic band. “They look like toddler pants when they are not on your body, but they fit perfectly.”

      Barb never tucks in her tops and favors styles that fit her hips and waist—stretchy button-down blouses that are tailored at the waist, along with form-fitting crewneck, boatneck, and V-neck tees. Even in the simplest jeans and top, she’s one hot mama!

      Maya:

      Artsy and beautiful with a bohemian flair, Maya glows without a stitch of makeup and has perfected the art of being supercomfy and stylish. Whether she’s making an appearance at one of the hip boutiques that sell her line of jewelry, Maya Brenner Designs, or hitting the farmers’ market with her kids, she is always pulled together in the most effortless way. When asked to describe her body, she says, “My figure now or before having two kids?!” Although motherhood may have blessed her with a little “flesh apron” on her tummy, her thin legs, curvy chest, and toned shoulders are her favorite spots to flaunt.

      A native of California, Maya has been a jeans lover all her life. These days, she likes them “roomy in the hips, tighter on the legs, hitting right below the belly button. The best fitting pant—every time I wear them, everyone says that I look so skinny—are the ‘Angel’ cords by AG. Very tight in the legs, but roomier in the butt and waist.” She pairs them with fluttery feminine blouses or structured cotton tops with lace or embroidered details…and usually a pretty-but-practical shoe, such as a modern clog or flip-flop. Who knew casual could look so irresistible!