Hide that gut and show that butt off this summer

Summer is finally here – and so is the weight you packed on while hiding away from the winter’s cold and spring’s showers. More than half of the U.S. population is facing this problem where they have gained extra, unwanted weight during the off-season. However, with summer being the season to wear as little clothes as possible and showing off your confidence with your summer body, what do you do with the excess weight? The easiest solution would be to exercise and change your diet. But – for those who want to walk fierce down the street now, that won’t be the fastest solution.

Certified image consultant and DAMstyle owner, David A. McKnight believes people can feel good about their body image if they find the right type of styles to hide those flaws and compliment the assets they love. McKnight owns his own image and lifestyle consulting agency DAMstyle where he consults with several clients who want to look good in current trends but don’t have that model image.

“Looking good isn’t about being the skinniest girl or the most muscular guy, it’s about wearing clothes with confidence,” says McKnight. “An average shaped woman, wearing a tight green neon tank with a mini skirt can make that fashion statement look fierce if she wears it with confidence, not cockiness. Some people just need my help to find the right looks to give them that boost of confidence that will help them appreciate their bodies more this summer.”

But what about bathing suits since you can’t technically hide your imperfections in a two piece suit?

McKnight says selecting the right swim suit is all about understanding and manipulating the discipline of optical illusion. Here are some basic guidelines everyone can follow:

• Flat chest - wear a ruffle top swim suit or a swim suit with formed breast or cup inserts. This will give the illusion of a fuller bust. A swim suit with a ruche top will also work well. In addition, you should try to select suits that are bright or light in color because light colors gives the illusion of expanding, while and dark colors recede.
• Round in the middle (tummy) - Wear a cross over swim suit. the diagonal lines will camouflage the midsection and create the illusion of an hourglass silhouette, similar to a wrap dress.
• Fuller figure - Darker colored piece swim suits will be most flattering and comfortable. A bikini is not an optimal style for this body type.

He also says add a statement jewelry piece to stand out in the crowd. Forget the old saying that less is better. This summer, wear some pieces to accentuate your swimsuit.

Besides, a woman shall never be without her jewelry, even while swimming. It’s just a matter of what you wear and how you wear it. Try accessorizing with delicate pieces that can compliment your swimsuit. You will still show off your laid back summer style, just with a little dose of bling!

Whiteflash.com, an online diamond boutique, offers a great selection for people to choose from.

Here are some of the tips Whiteflash.com creative director and CEO Debi Wexler dishes out about swimsuits and jewelry:

Tips to find flattering big earrings-
Longer or thin faces do best with dangle earrings which bell at the bottom to create width.

Round or fuller faces fare better with oblong earrings that create the illusion of less facial fullness.

Women with a small or receding chin should opt for shorter earrings that bring the eye up.

The big earrings trend works so well from BoHo hippie fashion to full-out glam, so it might be just the right time to start adding to your jewelry box.

To see which pieces look best on you in your outfit, visit www.whiteflash.com to see their entire collection for your summer swimsuit. Hope to see you on the beaches, standing out and not blending in!

You Can Be A “Beach-ista”…Sometimes: A guide on how to accessories from the sand and beach café to looking sexy for the night under $150

Sales, sales, sales! This is a common thing people are on the look out for this year - even the Upper Eastsiders, who once occupied designer, luxury department stores, are looking for the best deals. With summer right around the corner, you can expect to see fashionistas, budgetistas and now “beachistas” predicting the “haute-est” outfits that you can get without spending your whole paycheck.

So how do we wear this summer’s trends without spending more than $150 that will let you frolic on the sand at the beach and then let you become a lady of the evening?

“Looks that incorporate subtle design patterns and animal print is one of the hottest trends this summer,” David A. McKnight, a certified image consultant and owner of DAMStyle, an image and lifestyle consulting firm, says regarding what you should incorporate in your summer beachwear. “The best thing is you can incorporate these designs for daywear and nightwear. Also – you don’t have to shop at designer boutiques for these styles. There are great stores, such as Forever 21, American Eagle and even Marshall’s, that offer amazing clothes and accessories for low prices.”

If you prefer relaxing on the beach over swimming, the following styles are recommended:

• Sunglasses - $19.50
• H81 Paisley Floral Printed Top - $16.90
• Tote Bag - $24.80
• HULK-Jelly Gladiator Sandal - $10.00

To transition to nightwear, you can’t go wrong with a simple, chic black dress with minimal accessories such bangles, earrings with rhinestone and a clutch with an animal print. Here are suggestions for a lady looking to be in style for nightlife fun in her beach city:

• Black Dress - $24.80
• Rhinestone Wire Wrapped Hoop Earrings - $4.00
• Bangle Bracelets - $6.50
• Zebra Print Clutch - $26.96

If you bought everything listed, you would have spent $133.46 (pre-tax) total on an outfit you can wear to the beach this summer and one you can wear to live the nightlife of any beach town.

So shopping for deals on designer outfits can be fun. The hunt for the best deal for the hottest outfit can be a form of retail therapy to help relieve stress. One of the biggest off-price stores, TJ Maxx actually sponsored a study last year that revealed that you experience a euphoric feeling when you find a good bargain while shopping, so who knew shopping really has medical benefits? And with the recession, everyone could use a little retail therapy to become a “beach-ista”.