The number of people who are on a diet or new training program these days is can sometimes seem absurd. It's as though every person you talk to or meet is taking up some kind of training program or diet so that they can lose weight and look thinner – whether or not they necessarily need to.

Of course the reason for this is that they want to look more attractive. Being slim helps you to attract members of the opposite sex, to impress friends and family, and to generally go further and feel better about yourself.

But the good news is that you don't necessarily have to commit to an insane training program to start looking fitter and slimmer. Often this is simply a matter of the way you dress, and if you want to give yourself a more toned and attractive silhouette, you can often do so simply by picking your ensemble correctly. So put down those dumbbells, pick up that pie, and get reading to find out how you can look better with the minimum effort.

Heels

The first trick that women can use to make themselves look slimmer is simply to wear heels. This will work because it instantly makes you look taller, that way ‘stretching out' your appearance. At the same time, wearing heels will change the way you hold yourself and you'll find that you automatically suck in your stomach and puff out your chest – which will help to additionally give you more shape.

Fitted Clothes

A lot of women, who are afraid of their size, will attempt to ‘hide' themselves in clothing that looks like it's part of a tent. This might seem like a good way to hide a bulging belly, but in fact it just means that you'll lose any narrow parts that you would have had.

Getting this right is a matter of using floaty clothes in your larger areas, but using slimmer and more fitted clothes where you're slimmest. A baggy shirt for instance will make you look much larger (particularly if you have large breasts), unless you put a tight belt around your waist. Using this strategy and you'll give yourself a great hourglass figure and your waist will look slimmer by comparison. Skinny jeans are always a good idea.

Wear Black

This is a tip that most women know by now, but it's still a valid point. Wearing black makes you look automatically slimmer because it absorbs more light making it look as though there's a ‘gap' where you are. White reflects light conversely, and can add a colourful haze around you making you take up more space.

Wear Vertical Stripes

One you might not have realised though, is that vertical stripes can also help to slim you out. The reason for this is that it forces people to naturally look up and down your body, that way making you look longer rather than wider. Horizontal stripes can have the opposite effect, so if you're going to use them, use them across the chest. Remember though: no clashing patterns!

Have Your Hair Up

What difference can having your hair up? Well actually it works by exposing your neck which is one of the longest and slimmest parts of your body. This will create more vertical lines, and reduce the width of your upper area, so it's instantly very slimming.

Magic Underwear

If you really want to make yourself appear slimmer, then wearing magic underwear can be just the ticket. This works wonders because it physically holds in the parts that you are less comfortable with, and that way creates a more attractive silhouette and allows you to wear more tightly fitted clothes. The great thing about magic underwear is that no-one even needs to know you're wearing it on the vast majority of occasions.

Attracting Attention

Another trick is to simply attract attention away from the parts you're shy of. You can do this in any number of ways – either with a splash of colour, or with a piece of jewellery. Wearing a shiny pendant for instance can send eyes to your cleavage which might distract from your large legs, while conversely red jeans might attract attention away from your larger upper body. Learn what your strengths are, and then work to draw the eye to them.