Your Biggest Dressing Dilemmas—Solved!

Excess stomach, hip, and back chub that hangs over the top of a too-tight waistband (a.k.a. love handles, spare tire).

The Solution
High-waist shapewear "ensures a smooth line under clothes," says "Bra Whisperer" Susan Nethero, founder of Intimacy boutiques. "For extra smoothness, pull shapewear all the way up to your bra." Adds Glassman: "Higher-waist pants and skirts in suck-it-in fabrics like Ponte are also great."

Avoid
Low-rise jeans, cropped tops, any waistband that squeezes you.

"These magical pants [at left] are instantly slimming. And they're only $49!" —Adam

Blouse, St. John, Bloomingdale's NYC; 212-705-2000. Pants, Rafaella. Earrings, Melinda Maria. Bracelets, Julie Collection and Melanie Auld.

Flabby abs; differentiated from muffin top by its below-the-belly-button location (a.k.a. front butt, bay window).

The Solution
"Briefs with elastic panels in front will do the trick," says Nethero. Once you've got the right shapewear, Glassman suggests tunic or Empire-style tops.

Avoid
High-waist pants and skirts, tucked-in shirts.

Tunic, Tory Burch. Pants, Piazza Sempione. Earrings, Julie Collection. Bracelets, Jewels By Dunn.

A proper diet can help reduce puffiness, and NYC fitness expert Joe Dowdell recommends knee tucks on a stability ball to target the area. But if you've done everything diet- and exercise-wise with no success, surgery may be the most effective option, says NYC plastic surgeon Adam Kolker, MD.

The Fix
Orange top, Boss Black, $275; hugoboss.com. High-waist panty, $38; missioncontrolusa.com. Chantelle high-waist panty, $58; barenecessities.com.

"Make sure tunics are fitted on top to avoid a maternity look." —Adam

Excess flesh in the underarm area that is often worsened by strapless dresses and tank tops (a.k.a. pit chub, side boobs).

The Solution "That bulge is a symptom of a bra that doesn't fit," says Nethero, who believes most women need to go down at least one band size and up one cup size. Bras with side slimmers can also help, adds Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. Says Glassman: "Go for sweetheart necklines and tanks with thick straps."

Avoid Strapless dresses that cut straight across the chest, tube tops, too-tight tanks.

"If you wear strapless—and not everyone can—make sure you find the right cut." —Adam

Dress, Theia. Earrings, Coralia Leets. Ring, SKU Jewelry, maxandchloe.com.

Shadowboxing with hand weights and jumping rope will tone the area, says Kirsch, but the right clothing and shapewear will eliminate The Problem altogether.

The Fix

From top:
Bra, $68; spanx.com. Bra, Fayreform, $68; sylenedc.com.

Flabby skin on the underside of the upper arms (a.k.a. hello Helens, arm flags).

The Solution
Converting sleeveless tops by wearing long sleeves underneath is an effective fix, says Glassman. "Shrugs, as well as anything with full sleeves, are terrific, too."

Avoid
Sleeveless styles and cap sleeves. "You may think cap sleeves provide some coverage, but they actually make the upper arms look bigger," Glassman says.

Blouse, Ramy Brook, Pitkin County Dry Goods, Aspen CO; 970-925-1681. Skirt, Rachel Roy. Earrings, Flying Lizard, lespommettes.com. Cuff, CuffLett, Green With Envy, Armonk, NY; 917-765-0002. Ring, Martine Wester.

The old-fashioned push-up is one of the best ways to tone upper arms. "The closer together your hands are, the more you'll challenge your triceps," says Kirsch. If you've exhausted all the diet and exercise options and excess skin and fat are still an issue (as they can be after extreme weight loss), you may want to consider surgery, says Kolker.

The Fix
Sleeve shapewear [nude], $64; slimpressions.com. Sleeve coverage [black], Ch'Arms, $30; hsn.com. Dress, Diane von Furstenberg.

"Kathy Najimy invented Ch'Arms to wear under sleeveless pieces because she had arm issues. I love it!" —Adam

A flat, elongated backside, without any shape or definition. Particularly noticeable when wearing jeans (a.k.a. flat butt, frump butt).

The Solution
Look for panties with posterior padding or shapewear with butt-lifting properties, says Nethero. Glassman suggests jeans with defined rear pockets and strategically placed darting and seams. Finally, wear heels: "They improve posture and lift the butt," he says.

Avoid
Jeans with small back pockets; high-waist pants.

Jacket, J.Crew. Jeans, Levi's. Earrings, SKU Jewelry, maxandchloe.com. Ring, Lydell NYC. Shoes, Edmundo Castillo, saks.com.

Hip bridges—lying with knees bent and raising the hips off the floor—are excellent for building more booty, says Dowdell. As for surgery, Kolker recommends fat grafts over implants. But wouldn't you rather just get the right jeans and call it a day?

The Fix
Padded panty, $28; fredericks.com. Butt-lifting shorts, $55; wacoal-america.com.

"Butt-boosting panties are the secret here." — Adam

Thighs that rub together while walking, causing clothing in that area to become worn and pilled (a.k.a. thunder thighs, thighscrapers).

The Solution
Thick tights and bike-shorts-style shapers help relieve chafing and provide control in the thigh region, says Catherine Shannon, director of shapewear design at Maidenform. A-line skirts and thicker fabrics conceal larger thighs as well. "Ponte—a sturdy double knit—is your friend," says Glassman.

Avoid
Pants made of thin, drapey fabrics.

"Pill-resistant acetate keeps these pants from looking worn out." —Adam

Blouse, RD Style, pinkmascara.com. Pants, Marina Rinaldi, 212-734-4333. Earrings, SKU Jewelry, maxandchloe.com. Belt, Raina Belts, Astoria, Miami; 305-918-0771. Shoes, Bottega Veneta.

Plié-toe squats target the thighs, says Kirsch. If excess fat and skin remain a problem after diet and exercise, Kolker suggests liposuction or a thigh lift—but shapewear is definitely a less-invasive option.

The Fix
Thigh shapewear, $65; vabienlingerie.com. Antichafing skirt/shorts, $48; spanx.com. The skirt acts as a slip, while the shorts eliminate chafing.

Thickness in the lower-leg region, with little or no distinction between calf and ankle (a.k.a. tree trunks, peasant legs, piano legs).

The Solution
T-strap shoes, nude heels with pointy toes, and booties that are low cut on the top of the foot all visually lengthen the leg. "Pairing opaque tights with the same color shoes also has that effect," says Glassman. If you're wearing open-toe shoes, choose a nail polish that matches your skin tone.

Avoid
Ankle straps, chunky heels, or any shoe that cuts off at the ankle.

Dress, Donna Morgan. Belt, Forever 21. Bracelets, Jewels By Dunn and Lulu Frost. Shoes, Jimmy Choo.

Diet and exercise can't do much to change what is largely a genetic issue. And while liposuction is possible, it can be a dicey proposition: "If the area between the ankle and calf is dominated by muscle and bone as opposed to fat, then surgery is not an option," says Kolker.

The Fix

Shoes
Darker colors and neutrals are more flattering than brights. As for heels, the slimmer, the better, says Glassman

From top:

Match Your Skin Tone
Fergalicious by Fergie, $50; dsw.com

Vertical Stripes
$230; charlesdavid.com. Eric Daman for DKNY tights, $20, Bloomingdale's; 800-555-7467

T-Strap
Stuart Weitzman, $375; 212-750-2555. Donna Karan tights, $25, Nordstrom; 800-695-8000

Angled Bootie
$90; aldoshoes.com. Tights, $20; americanapparel.net

Boots
It's the cankle-sufferer's lament: finding boots that fit. These have elastic panels that stretch over problem ares, minimizing tugging.

High-Heeled
Me Too, $99; nordstrom.com

Low-Heeled
$575; aquatalia.com

"You want to have a clean, uninterrupted line between shoe and foot." —Adam

Rolls of flesh around the shoulder blades, often worsened by bra straps (a.k.a. back cleavage, double Bs).

The Solution
Shannon recommends a well-sized bra with smoothing panels in back. "Back fat is actually spillage from an improperly fitting bra," she says. Front-closure bras also help, adds Blakely. As for clothing, "Heavier fabrics smooth over problem areas," Glassman says.

Avoid
Thin fabrics like charmeuse or jersey.

"This hasn't been retouched! Her bra has a smoothing panel in back." —Adam

Dress, BCBG Max Azria.

Dowdell advises a rowing machine and chin-ups to target the area. And while liposuction is possible, "push the diet and exercise as far as you can" first, says Kolker.

The Fix
Seamless bra with tank back, Shapeez, $75; unbelievabra.com. Cacique seamless bra with thick, high-cut straps, $40; lanebryant.com.

Breasts that spill over the top of a bra, resulting in a four-boobed effect (a.k.a. QBS [quadruple boob syndrome], double bubble).

The Solution
"To keep the girls from running over, you must wear the right-size bra," says Blakely. Adds Shannon: "Full-coverage bras—as opposed to demicups—are best. And make sure to adjust your straps. If you lengthen them a bit, you can Avoid that line."

Avoid
Too-small bras, clingy tops in jersey or silk.

Sweater, Mai. Earrings, Kara by Kara Ross, Henri Bendel, 800-423-6335. Ring, Fantasy Jewelry Box.

Absolutely—no diet or exercise necessary. All you need is the proper bra, say Blakely, Nethero, and Shannon. Bottom line: Get thee to a professional fitter, ladies!

The Fix
Full-coverage bra (top), $32; baliintimates.com. Le Mystère full-coverage bra (Oprah's fave!), $69; barenecessities.com.

Next: Colorful outerwear you'll want to wear all winter long