Dress Light

A Curvier Waist

Dana, retail manager, 26

Before: "I'm originally from California, so I'm used to dresses," Dana says. "They're light and airy and a lot more comfortable than pants." But boxy sheaths make a straight-and-narrow figure seem chunky, and pale colors tend to add visual padding.

After: This clever dress (Stephen Burrows, $275) has strategically positioned geometric slices of black and lavender that "sculpt" Dana's body—dark panels downplay her rear and tummy; lighter ones define the waist and bust (see how they start wide at the hem and narrow at the top?). The drapey fabric hints at a shapelier profile without getting obvious. Bonus: Her arms and shoulders look better in narrower straps. Gold hoops, Coomi.