Strategic Dressing

The Peasant Blouse

After: Pale almost always reads as big—but here's the exception that disproves the rule. "It's not often that a size 12 gets to wear white pants and look good," Tierney says. These are slightly flared to balance hips, with elongating seams down the legs.

The new, improved blouse has a slim cut and vertically organized embroidery on a dark background (pants, $195, and top, $250, Tory Burch). Earrings, Academie by Philip Crangi.