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Best Ways to Hide Weight Gain in Summer

Look stylish with slimming silhouettes and flattering hues

Lois Joy Johnson,

AARP

Published July 31, 2025

(From left) The right colors, cuts and patterns can make you look and feel your best: Donna Karan New York Plus-Size Polka-Dot Belted Midi Dress in Russet Canvas; Style & Co Plus Size Printed Pintuck Blouse in Fauna Industrial Blue; Old Navy Women High-Waisted Linen-Blend Wide-Leg Pants in Black Jack.

AARP (Macy’s, 2; Old Navy)

With all the buzz surrounding it, you’d think everyone is on Ozempic or Wegovy this summer. Well, they’re not, and those who are know the pounds don’t melt away overnight. This leaves some mature women who are not taking weight-loss meds worried about revealing flab, bulges and weight gain in their clothes.

But let’s be honest, the “dress slim” topic has not been PC for a while, as size-inclusive fashion sizing and body positivity have tried to make weight a nonissue style-wise. Well … “dress slim” is back, but whether you’re a size 10 or 14, 16W or 2X, the goal now is to look trim but shapely — more farfalle than spaghetti. How do I know? I’m a fashion editor and personal shopper for women over 50. Here’s how to fool the scale and stay stylish.

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people modeling clothing with vertical stripes

(From left) Stripes done right: Lands’ End Women’s Poplin Oversized Puff Sleeve Midi Shirt Dress in Burgundy Spritz Stripe; Chico’s No Iron Linen Tunic in Indigo; Cupshe Women’s Striped Button-Down Cinched Waist Shirt Dress in Gray.

AARP (Lands’ End, Chico’s, Target)

1. Keep it crisp.

One of the best reasons to wear tailored clothes now is their wrinkle-proof structure and no-slouch fabrics that defy heat and humidity. But tailored dresses, pants and shirts have another value: giving curves and bulges a sleeker, sharper silhouette. The tucked-in formality is gone, and in its place are pound-paring pieces with a relaxed fit that float over problem spots.

Shirtdresses like Lands’ End Women’s Poplin Oversized Puff Sleeve Midi Shirt Dress in Burgundy Spritz Stripe or Blue/White Shadow Stripe ($48, landsend.com) with a removable belt for extra ease on call; Cupshe Women’s Striped Button-Down Cinched Waist Shirt Dress in Gray ($47, target.com) in a fit-and-flare look; and long shirt-tunics like Chico’s No Iron Linen Tunic in Indigo ($25, chicos.com) provide a double dose of dress-slim thanks to their crisp shape and elongating vertical stripes.

people modeling clothing with bold patterns

(From left) Figure-flattering prints: Donna Karan New York Plus-Size Polka-Dot Belted Midi Dress in Russet Canvas; Sonoma Goods For Life Women’s Button-Front Midi in Coral Painted Floral; Style & Co Plus Size Printed Pintuck Blouse in Fauna Industrial Blue.

AARP (Macy’s, 2; Kohl’s)

2. Make prints your ally.

There are many ways to hide weight, but prints are the masters of disguise. It’s a visual trick, but all-over florals, dots, leopard and swirly artsy patterns keep the eye moving instead of focused on a particular spot, like the bust or belly.

For example, take a look at the dots on the Donna Karan New York Plus-Size Polka-Dot Belted Midi Dress in Russet Canvas ($159, macys.com); leopard spots on the Gap Factory Women’s Linen-Blend Easy Shirt in Leopard ($24, gapfactory.com); mini florals like the Style & Co Plus Size Printed Pintuck Blouse in Fauna Industrial Blue ($70, macys.com); and bolder ones like Sonoma Goods For Life Women’s Button-Front Midi in Coral Painted Floral ($28, kohls.com). There’s an extra summer benefit to prints: They effectively hide perspiration stains, a common effect of the combo of heat, humidity, sweat and extra pounds.

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(From left) Black is never basic: Banana Republic Women’s Linen V-Neck Jumpsuit in Black; Gap Women Crochet Mixed Media Maxi Dress in True Black; Old Navy Women Button-Down Linen Blend Shirt in Black Jack.

AARP (Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy)

3. Wear black, head to toe.

Black is the ultimate weight manager. It blanks out extra pounds with fashionable authority. Most women have enough black in their summer wardrobe to pull together several outfits. The point of going matchy-matchy (or nearly) is to prevent a high-contrast color break, like a white top and black pants.

For example, you might pair Old Navy Women High-Waisted Linen-Blend Wide-Leg Pants in Black Jack ($24, oldnavy.gap.com) with the Old Navy Women Button-Down Linen Blend Shirt in Black Jack ($24, oldnavy.gap.com). Don’t try to turn this into a “skinnier” look by choosing skinny jeans, a clingy tee or a bodysuit that will only emphasize bulges and pounds. You can tell if your outfit is doing the “dress slim” job by standing about five feet from a full-length mirror and squinting. If the look “melts” into one fluid vertical line of color, mission accomplished!

Of course, you can also take the easy way out and choose a black midi or maxi dress like the Gap Women Crochet Mixed Media Maxi Dress in Black ($49, gap.com), or a black jumpsuit like Banana Republic Women’s Linen V-Neck Jumpsuit in Black ($150, bananarepublic.gap.com) — the quickest way to go monochromatic.

dresses and a shirt that define the waist

(From left) Create a waist in a cinch: Inspire Chic Women’s Summer Boho Beach V Neck Sleeveless Floral Flow Tiered Midi Dress With Pockets in Blue; Ann Taylor Striped Collared Tie Waist Top in Burnt Mauve; Banana Republic Women’s Cotton Poplin Tie-Waist Midi Dress in Bright Lime Green.

AARP (Target, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic)

4. Try defining your waist.

If you're a woman concerned about your weight, defining your waist can restore a sense of shape to your middle … even if your waist “indent” is minimal or you have a short torso or a big bosom. It prevents your breasts and belly from merging into one chunky, blocklike unit.

You might think, “A belt, when I gain weight in my belly?” While leather belts are shape-makers, two other faux waist-makers do that without a rigid boundary line. The first is an elastic or smocked waist, a feature on many midi dresses like the Inspire Chic Women’s Summer Boho Beach V Neck Sleeveless Floral Flow Tiered Midi Dress With Pockets in Blue or Red ($40, target.com) and Madewell Women’s The Melody Smocked Midi Dress in Daisy Print in Dusty Plum ($158, madewell.com). You won’t feel crunched for space; no muffin-top overspill, either.

The second solution: Wrap-style shirts — like the Ann Taylor Striped Collared Tie Waist Top in Burnt Mauve ($67, anntaylor.com) and the Loft Poplin Wrap Shirt in Dresden Blue ($42, loft.com) — work like wrap dresses to gently contour an hourglass look, while the draped or ruched effect blurs away belly bulge. Magic!

a person modeling a white tank top, a pair of white wide-leg trousers and a pink button-down shirt

(From left) Develop an easy summer uniform: Jockey Women’s 100% Cotton Rib Tank in White; SpanxShape EveryWear Cropped Wide Leg Jeans in White; Gap Women 100% Linen Oversized Shirt in Pink Stripe.

AARP (Target, Spanx, Gap)

5. Learn to layer summer “lite.”

The trend toward voluminous midi skirts, sundresses and shirtdresses is ideal for women bothered by weight gain. It’s easy to ignore the pounds beneath all that floaty fabric. However, not everyone wears that polished a look every day.

6. Show off the good stuff.

Don’t be shy! Every woman, regardless of her weight, has a touch of vanity. Use it to create a focal point and divert attention. Maybe your “good stuff” is a new bob that will get an admirable lift from boatnecks and V-necks; fabulous shoulders that can handle one-shoulder and off-the-shoulder tops and halters with ease; great legs and toned arms that make sleeveless dresses and shorter dress lengths your thing; or a beautiful, even skin tone that lets loose dresses in bright colors turn heads. Sometimes accenting the positive is the best way to keep the negative to yourself.

Lois Joy Johnson is a beauty and style editor who focuses on women 50 and older. She was the beauty and style editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and a founding editor of More magazine. She has written three books: The Makeup Wakeup, The Wardrobe Wakeup and The Woman's Wakeup.

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