How to Hide Love Handles

Co-authored by Sahra Brandt

Last Updated: March 9, 2023 References

Love handles occur when the extra fat around your stomach bulges out at the sides, and these can be accentuated by the wrong clothing choices. Sometimes, wearing the wrong clothes can even be so unflattering that it makes you look like you have love handles when you don’t! Love handles can be very difficult to get rid of through exercise, but luckily, they can be hidden through a combination of wearing the right clothes, avoiding the wrong clothes, and drawing attention away from your problem areas.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Choosing the Right Clothes

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Wear bottoms with high waists.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Sahra Brandt
Image Architect
Expert Interview. 12 October 2021.} Most people tend to be smaller at the waist than at the hips, so wearing high-waisted bottoms will stop your pants from unnaturally dividing your hips and waist.^{[2]
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Research source} Moreover, this will stop your waistband from cutting you off where you're bigger and creating a bulge.^{[3]
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- Look for paper bag pants that's gonna sit higher on your waist, it's gonna highlight that hourglass figure.^{[4]
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  Sahra Brandt
  Image Architect
  Expert Interview. 12 October 2021.}
- Also, look for bottoms that have thicker waistbands—ones with at least two buttons—and that sit higher in the back than the front, as these won’t cut you off in an awkward area.^{[5]
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Opt for empire waistlines and A-line tops. Clothes with empire waists are tighter at the waist and then flare out and down from there, and these garments are flattering because they accentuate the waist and hide tummies and love handles.
- Try wearing a pleated skirt that hits at your natural waist, this is going to lay nicely on your hips and kind of gives the illusion that you have hips without them making you look like you have love handles.^{[6]
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  Sahra Brandt
  Image Architect
  Expert Interview. 12 October 2021.}
- Similarly, A-line clothes are thinner at the top and flare out at the bottom, so skirts and dresses with this cut balance out larger torsos and make love handles less noticeable.^{[7]
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Wear slimming colors. While the old advice says that wearing darker colors is always more slimming, this isn't entirely true. Instead of wearing all black to hide your love handles and look slimmer, wear a darker color where you’re heaviest and a light color where you're smaller.^{[8]
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- For instance, if you want to make a large tummy look smaller, wear black around your middle and a pop of color on top. You can achieve this by wearing a high-waisted A-line skirt paired with a bright top tucked in, for example.
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Experiment with different shirt styles. There are a few shirt types that are more flattering for people who need some extra room in the middle, and they’ll also draw attention away from the love handles. Flattering shirts tend to have a little more flow to them, and these include:^{[9]
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- Kimono-style shirts
- Kaftans
- Wrap shirts and dresses
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Wear tops with loud prints and designs. Another way to hide love handles is to bury them under a bold print or pattern, or to cover them up with a ruffled design that will obscure what's underneath.^{[10]
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- Look for tops with ruching on the sides or some subtle ruffles
- Experiment with intricate patterns, diagonal stripes, and eye-catching prints
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Use foundation garments. Foundation garments, also called shaping garments, are arguably the most successful way to hide love handles, because they're actually designed to shape and smooth parts of your body. These garments are meant to be worn under your clothes, and ones that will hide love handles include:^{[11]
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- Full bodysuits and body control dresses, which are great for when you're wearing a slimming dress.
- Waist cinchers and control briefs, which are perfect for when you want to wear skinny jeans or tighter fitting pants or skirts.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Avoiding Clothes That Accentuate Love Handles

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Stay away from body-hugging clothes. When it comes to hiding love handles, avoiding the wrong clothes is just as important as choosing the right ones. Tops that are tight and clingy without being shaping will only serve to show off your love handles, especially when paired with overly tight and unflattering bottoms.^{[12]
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- Fabrics to avoid include satin, full polyester, and elastane (Spandex and Lycra), all of which cling to your body and accentuate your silhouette.^{[13]
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Avoid straight-cut clothes. Unlike empires and A-lines, straight-cut clothing emphasizes your middle and stomach area, and this will draw all the attention to your love handles.^{[14]
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- This applies to pants, tops, skirts, and dresses.
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Steer clear of belts. There are lots of recommendations out there saying to use belts to hide love handles, but even thick and oversized belts can cut into your sides and make love handles even bigger.^{[15]
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- If you want to wear an oversized belt, choose one that’s loose fitting, wear it around your lower hips, and pair it with a loose top.
- Otherwise, stick with skinny belts that don’t cut into your waist.
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Don’t wear underwear that’s too tight. Tight underwear, especially ones with thin waistbands or straps, can cut into your flesh and make love handles bigger. In fact, thin, tight straps on underwear can even make you look like you have love handles when you don’t.
- Like with bottoms, choose underwear with a higher waist and thicker waistband.^{[16]
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Avoid pants that don’t fit your waist properly. This includes bottoms that are too tight and ones that don’t sit where they should.^{[17]
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Research source} Don’t try to squeeze into bottoms that don’t fit, especially if they're tight at the waist.
- For example, skinny jeans may be all the rage right now, but if you're bigger around the middle and choose skinny jeans with a low waist, your love handles are going to bulge out more than ever.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Drawing Attention Away

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Wear a statement necklace. The other way to hide love handles (or any feature you don’t like) is to draw attention away from it by drawing eyes elsewhere. There are a number of ways you can do this, including with jewelry. A bold and unique necklace will draw eyes to your neck and chest, and keep the attention off your middle.^{[18]
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- Avoid necklaces that are too long, as they will take the focus back to your mid-section.
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Put on a bright or patterned scarf. Working on the same theory as the necklace, a brightly color or boldly patterned scarf around your neck will keep the attention on your face and neck, and away from your love handles.^{[19]
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- You can still wear scarves in spring and summer, but to avoid overheating, look for thinner scarves in lightweight materials such as cotton and linen.
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Choose flashy earrings. Long, dangly, or bold earrings also keep attention around your face and away from your middle, and they can help change up your look if you don’t always feel like wearing necklaces and scarves.^{[20]
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- If you can't wear long earrings to work, or if you find them annoying, look for studs in bold and bright colors, or shorter earrings with loud patterns.
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Wear shirts with flattering necklines. Another way to bring attention to your chest and neck instead of your love handles is with V-neck, scooped, and plunging necklines. This is a great option for people who can't wear jewelry or scarves at work.^{[21]
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Tie a sweater around your waist. You can tie the sleeves of a sweater or jacket around your waist to hide love handles as well, because the bulk from the sleeves will cover up any excessive bulging underneath.
- Place the body of the sweater against your bottom, then wrap the sleeves around to the front of your body and tie them in a knot or bow.
- In summer, you can use a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt to achieve the same effect.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Hiding Love Handles for Men

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Leave your shirt untucked. A tucked in shirt will fit closer to your body, and this will accentuate your love handles. Instead, wear a nicely tailored shirt and leave the bottom hanging loose. This will give you more room and let the fabric cover your love handles.
- When you have to tuck in your shirt, such as at work, consider wearing a jacket or blazer over top to hide your love handles.
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Avoid bright and loud tops. Shirts that are loud will draw attention to your middle and your love handles. Instead, choose plain shirts in dark colors that won’t draw the eye to your midsection. Avoid shirts with:
- Bright colors
- Intricate designs or patterns
- Stripes or plaids
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Stand up straight. When you slouch, your shoulders roll forward and your belly compresses into the center and sticks out, and this will make your love handles look bigger.
- When you sit or stand, your back should be straight and your shoulders should be back. Keep your head in line with your body, and activate your core to support your upper body.^{[22]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
- Proper posture will also help alleviate back pain, headaches, and make you look taller.
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Wear pants at your waist. Instead of wearing pants around your hips, wear them at your waist. This will help hide love handles, avoid cutting your body off at an unnatural place, and make you look slimmer overall.
- Your waist is the thinnest part of your middle, just below your belly button.
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Wear a compression undershirt. These are sometimes called shaping or concealing shirts, and they are great for containing excess fat, hiding love handles, and making you look slimmer.^{[23]
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- Make sure you wear the compression shirt as an undergarment layer beneath your regular shirt.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Exercising for Love Handles

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Do cardio. It’s not actually possible to target fat loss in a specific area, but you can help reduce love handles by reducing the total amount of excess fat on your body. Exercises that get your heart pumping, such as cardio and aerobic workouts, are some of the best ways to lose fat. For the best results, workout for at least 30 minutes a day four times a week or more.^{[24]
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Research source} Good cardio workouts include:
- Swimming
- Running and jogging
- Circuit training
- Cycling
- High-intensity interval training
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Do strength training. Strength training is great because it builds muscles and burns fat at the same time. Even if you don’t have time to hit the gym and pump iron, you can do a simple body weight strength training routine at home:^{[25]
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Research source} An easy routine is:
- 20 squats: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then squat down so your thighs are parallel with the ground.
- 10 push-ups: lie facing the ground, supported on the tips of your toes and palms of your hands with your arms straight. Lower your body all the way to the ground while keeping your body straight, then push back up to your starting position.
- 20 walking lunges: step forward with your right foot and go into lunge. Rise, take another step forward with your left foot, and sink back into lunge.
- 10 dumbbell rows: push two chairs together and put your right knee on one chair and your right palm on the other. With your left arm, pull a dumbbell (or milk jug or paint can) straight up beside your body, then back down. Repeat 10 times on each side.
- 15 seconds of planking: lie down facing the ground. Put your arms in front of you, then push yourself up onto your forearms, then push the rest of your body up so you're being supported by your forearms and toes. Keep your body straight.
- 30 jumping jacks.
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Target muscles around the love handles. The muscles around your love handles are the obliques, and you can work these muscles to give the area more definition. Combine this with overall fat loss, and your love handles will become smaller and less noticeable. Good oblique workouts include:^{[26]
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- Side plank crunches: Lie on your right side and prop yourself up on your right elbow. Lift off the ground so your body is supported by your right forearm and the sides of your feet. Crunch your right knee in toward your left elbow, then return to plank. Repeat for 10 to 12 reps, then repeat on the other side.
- Plank-to-elbow push ups: Start in plank position so you're facing the ground with your body supported on your toes and forearms. Without rocking your hips, raise yourself up to support your right side on your palm, then do the same with your left side. Then lower back down into plank on your right side, followed by the left. Alternate sides (left side first then right side first again) and repeat for 30 to 45 seconds.

Community Q&A

Question

Why don't you tell the women they need to lose weight and exercise like you do the men?

Community Answer

There are hundreds of articles on here about losing weight that are primarily aimed at women, plus, you know, all of society at large telling women the same thing. I wouldn't worry about it.