How to Never Look Fat Again: Over 1,000 Ways to Dress Thinner--Without Dieting!

by Charla Krupp

The groundbreaking style-guide from bestseller author Charla Krupp on how to look 10 pounds lighter, 10 years younger and 10 times sexier every day, all year--in summer, winter, at the gym, even in a swimsuit!

You'll never get dressed the same way again once you

Smart, easy ways to hide arm flap, a big bust, a muffin top, back fat, Buddha belly, a big booty, wide hips, thunder thighs, and heavy calves-and that's only half the book.

Which fabrics, colors, and styles make women look fat

Absolutely the best shades, shapes, and brilliant buys to make the pounds invisible

Clever solutions for special fashion situations--workout gear, evening wear, and even swimsuits!

Which products, fashions, and services you shouldn't waste your money on

The top ten tips that will make you look thinner by tonight!

So, if you've ever put on a piece of clothing and asked "Does this make me look fat?" Finally, here is the book that will answer your question.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Self Help, Reference, Womens, Personal Development, Health

264 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2010

About the author

Charla Krupp has done more than 100 style segments on The Today Show and she has appeared on Good Morning America, Oprah, The View, Dateline NBC, and has been a regular on The E! Channel and Home Shopping Network. She was beauty director of Glamour, editor of In Style, beauty editor for People's Style Watch and executive editor of Shop Etc. Magazine. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, InStyle, Glamour, Shop Etc., People, Cosmopolitan, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Time. Currently, Charla writes a monthly fashion column for More Magazine called Fashion For Grownups.

Follow @CharlaKrupp on Twitter.

Reviews

[Cory · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author begins this book with a very nice intro where she talks about how sometimes you're just heavier than you want to be and it's not your fault and people are prejudiced against fat people and stereotype them as being lazy. Then, she goes on in the next paragraph to say that it would seem that people would stop going through the drive-through for fries and burgers and shakes. So, it's not okay to think that all fat people are lazy, but it IS okay to think they're all gluttons. This does not compute.

This is the sort of book that means well, but just ends up making me angry and depressed. I like fashion books that celebrate who and what I am right now, not ones that try to shame me into shapewear. I don't want to wear constricting girdle-y bike shorts EVERY TIME I leave the house, and I don't want to be made to feel like I'm offensive because of this. And honestly, the before-and-after pictures are terrible. The "before" pictures are so ridiculously not anything that anybody would wear--I can't take them seriously.

[Gail Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

As they say, clothes make the man. Well, Charla Krupp shows us how clothes can remake the woman. HOW TO NEVER LOOK FAT AGAIN not only shows us with pages of color photos but also tells how, what, and why - for instance, how a petite can look extra glam in supple cowls and v-neck sleeveless tops and why she shouldn't wear scrunch-down turtles or boxy crews. And, what a woman after forty can do about the "flappies" - that unattractive loose skin underneath our arms.

Is there a woman on planet Earth who doesn't think she has a figure flaw? Did I say "a"? Most of us think we have several. Charla has answers, whether it's that arm flap, a large bust, hefty hips and thighs, heavy calves, etc. My favorite suggestions are for those with a Buddha Belly - also known as "jelly belly, pot belly, girly gut, and a number of other unattractive monikers. Solution: "Switch all your underwear to shapewear, don't make your waist the center of attention, avoid wide belts, short tops, etc.

Not only does Charla offer suggestions but also includes where to buy (websites, too) and the price of the items she mentions. (She's very high on Spanx and waist-high bike shorts, saying "...thrashing around getting these on is not a pretty sight, but the ability to lose ten pounds in one minute is well worth the struggle."

Just as in her super popular How Not To Look Old Charla's latest is chock full of practical suggestions - did you know that Norma Kamali has a very price accessible line of clothing at Walmart?

This is one book you'll refer to again and again.

- Gail Cooke

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Charla Krupp's 2009 book a lot: How Not To Look Old , so when I read she had a new book out, I was curious. Okay, the title caught my eye, but seriously, "what woman does not was to look thinner, WITHOUT DIETING", I ask? How To Never Look Fat Again is fantastic!

Did you ever put on a piece of clothing and asked "Does this make me look fat"? The truth is, if you thought it or, if you had to ask that question, you really already knew the answer --didn't you? Do you want to learn how to de-fat your closet? Do you realize that there are a variety of different jean types based on your body type? Is your hair style making you look heavier? These are just a very few of the helpful fashion-thin features in this book.

Beautifully illustrated with women of all shapes and sizes, readers will learn the (100) MOST fattening things you can wear. Winter and summer styles, casual and formal style, career and play styles: swimsuits and work out clothes --everything is covered in this fashion help book. You will learn the right colors, styles, fabrics to make you look 10+lbs thinner without even dieting. What items and products NOT to waste your money on. But there is more, it is divided into trouble spots, you will learn about;

* The BEST hair styles for a full face and / or a thick neck.
* How to dress for broad shoulders
* Arm flap or bat wing trouble spots? No problem
* Big Bust issues
* Muffin Top minimizers
* Back fat or Buddha Belly
* Wide hips or thighs
* Heavy calves or wide feet and ankles

I really thought this book was terrific and it actually did help me to "de-fat" my closet and pack a huge bag for the Salvation Army. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was happy to get the opportunity to review and giveaway the Book How to never look fat again. So all my winners should be receiving their copy shortly.

This book has over 1,000 tips so that you don't look fat. This isn't a diet book it tells you how to look thinner with out putting yourself threw all that dieting. The tips are on the clothing, the way you wear your hair, cosmetic and other related tips.

I love how the book tells you how to wear something to make you look thinner plus it has colored pictures to show you how changing some colors and pieces in your wardrobe can make you look thinner.

This book has been very helpful and is a good resource over and over again. This is defiantly a book I will keep around and refer to it from time to time.

5/5 Rating - Because this book I would read again or refer back to in from time to time.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this free from Goodreads giveaway. It was a little text heavy. I would have preferred more pictures. The few that were in there (high fat vs. no fat) were well done. I did enjoy the author's humor and there are tips that I will definitely take away.

Umm.. why in the world did she include pictures of models and celebrities who do not need to dress to hide flaws? That seemed to contradict the whole point of the book. Case in point - Jada Pinkett Smith in the chapter about disguising arms. Hello? That girl has amazing arms.
Overall it was a fun book, and hey, it was free. Thanks, Goodreads!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The baby's now 4, I'm almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and I am back to my old jean size. Still, certain clothes don't look as adorable as they once did. How to Never Look Fat Again to the rescue.

This book is not targeted at seriously overweight women, but at women who would ideally like to lose 5-20 pounds for aesthetic purposes and who have a few trouble spots that they'd like to disguise. Like my post-pregnancy muffin top (which I'm sure is going to melt away one of these days, darn it). It is packed with great ideas for helping this type of woman look more svelte: from makeup and hairstyle to clothes to undergarments, it leaves no hemline unturned in the quest to streamline your look.

The layout of this book worked well for me. At first I was intimidated by the weight of the tome, but when I opened it, I saw that it was arranged according to body feature that you want to improve, so it's not like you have to read through the whole thing to find what you need. It also has sections on seasonal dressing, such as swimsuits, workout clothes, and coats. The content is broken down into bite-sized chunks, such as "10 things that make you look fat," "swap-out", "thinner by tonight", and "solutions" selections for various body parts.

How to Never Look Fat Again is written in an easy, accessible manner; I actually found myself reading about problem areas that I don't have, just for the fun of it. It has vivid pictures, many of celebrities, that illustrate the differences between "high-fat" and "no-fat" dressing. The images lend a lot of credibility to the recommendations. I particularly enjoyed the images of less-desired body features at the start of each section: the photos made them look beautiful. Maybe Buddha Belly or Cankles aren't so bad after all.

Another helpful feature of this book is its "Brilliant Buys" sections, in which it recommends various stores and articles of clothing for particular body issues. This will be handy when I get around to shopping for my "no-fat" wardrobe. I can hardly wait to start!

One feature that I would have liked to see in this book is how to accent body parts you love. I actually still have a few, and found advice along the lines of "women over the age of 30 should not wear thigh-high dresses" to be a bit of a downer. Still, by my age, I guess most of us know how to display the parts we want to showcase.

All in all, a helpful and readable book that I expect I will refer to time and again, especially as I age and my body continues to change.

* I received a free copy of this book as part of the Goodreads Giveaways program.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just do not look the same as I did before I pooped out a baby. I figured that I'd cheat and try to just dress skinny rather than actually do anything about it. At this point I am trying to clean out my cupboards so that I don't have to move lots of food to my new house. I never realized how many cake mixes I had. Well, it'll be tough, but I'm going to do my best to get rid of (read: stuff my face with) them all.

Anyway, I liked this book, but as all 'how to dress' books do they don't always address all my issues all on the same body, ie giant boobies, back fat, thighs that touch, etc. The author warned me of that in the preface, but it still bugged me. I guess I just want to be the model that they dress up for the book. Then they will be forced to deal with my 'issues'. However, overall it did at least TRY to address the combination of issues that so many of us have.

And it showed lots of way cute dresses and shirts that were sleevless. That's fine and I realize that is standard, but I don't wear sleevless stuff. And I refuse to do the 'Utah thing', ie put a t-shirt under a halter top. No. I won't do it.

[Colette · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I skimmed through this book, reading more closely the more relevant sections. I gained some wardrobe tips, but the chatty and more biographical bits were annoying. I’m not saying this author’s life is annoying. I felt these were more like hinderances to getting to the information I wanted. The formatting of the book was good, and made it easy to navigate quickly. The celebrity photos were not as helpful as they could have been with more explanation and discussion about them. I also felt like a lot of the advice was personal style preference of the author. The before and after photos were true to life. Many of those “fat” styles are outfits I see in public on a daily basis. So much of what I read blatantly goes against good health measures (but that’s fashion for you). So, overall, I picked up a little useful information, but not enough to be a great book.

[Connie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, if you're in a hotel room with some friends late at night with little sleep in the past week, this is a great book to go through and laugh.

Otherwise, just leave this one where it is.

There are the couple of "real" women pictures in each section, but then all the other pictures? Come on. When has Courteney Cox EVER been chubby. When has Kelly Ripa had flabby arms? When has Demi Moore ever had a budda belly? I mean, even pregnant, she was amazing!

Ridiculous pictures. Great concept, but ridiculous pictures.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great thing about this book is that it includes tips EVERYONE can use, whether or not you're overweight! It covers all the typical problem areas, such as wide hips & thighs, big booty, back fat, wide face, and buddha belly. It also includes sections for dressing in the summer, winter, and for working out. There are tons of tips for losing weight and "no fat shopping", plus plenty of photos to make all the ideas easy to understand.

[Kristie J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has lots of great tips for dressing "Fit Not Fat:" how to cover up various body parts that you feel are fat or just don't want to emphasize. It reads like a magazine, which started getting tiresome towards the end. There are some interesting before-and-after pictures for each scenario with the same woman dressed in "fattening" clothes and "fit not fat" clothes. However, I wish there were more pictures because some of the clothing names were unfamiliar to me. Some of the tips were predictable (e.g. wear black), but others were new to me and useful. I read the book straight through, which was getting confusing because there were so many tips. It might be better to go straight to the section with your problem area and only read that section. I'm interested to read the author's other book about how not to look old.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast and surprisingly good. I liked the before and after pictures, I liked the casual, light banter and I learned some tricks. There are a few things that weren't great like the feeling that we have to look great all the time. But encouragement for feeling good about yourself no matter what and also give yourself a chance to look good? Why not?

[Neela]

*facepalm* really wish book titles would reflect what's actually between the covers, and without fat-shaming: dress proportionally for the body you inhabit so that your individuality, personality, intellect, credentials and effort take center stage in professional and public settings

But I suppose the marketing department wouldn't approve of that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me so long to read because it is so heavy to hold. There are lots of tips but don't take anything as gospel. The website listing in the index is handy. Since the book was published in 2020, the fashion trends are dated. The bad choices always will be bad.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

great tips on dressing to look slimmer

[Jennifer Defoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big girl, and even though in the beginning Krupp states that obese (anyone over 50 pounds) should loose weight before using these tips I think that anyone can really benefit from dressing nicer. I've always been taught that feeling good about yourself is the best way to make a change. If you dress up you feel better, and to keep that feeling you are then more willing to make other changes (such as loosing weight).

I like how the book was broken down. Krupp goes through each of the problem areas women have and gives tips on how to dress that area properly. Many of the tips transcend multiple areas so you won't be standing in a store thinking "this shirt helps here but not there". By including the same items through a few different body areas you can buy a few "no-fat" or "low-fat" pieces to add to your wardrobe, instead of paying for a whole new wardrobe.

I also like the section in the back where she tells you to go through your closet. She gives you a brief step-by-step to really get the "high-fat" clothes rid from your life. The reason I liked this section is that just going and buying a few new pieces and adding them to your closet isn't going to keep you from dressing in the "high-fat" clothes. To really take advantage of the tips in this book you need to start with a clean slate, so to speak.

After reading this book, seeing the pictures that show the tips she gives, and really analyzing the clothes you currently have and the clothes you are going to buy you should be able to dress thinner without ever stepping foot into a gym. Although even with a new wardrobe the gym is never a bad thing. (She even has hints on how to dress at the gym! How great is that!)

[Anna Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

(The internets ate my review of this book three times. I think it might be a sign.)

I had blasted the book Oh No She Didn't because I don't believe that society should tell someone that what they choose to wear is wrong. That one is based on opinion and the ever-changing rules of fashion and societal norms.

This book, on the other hand, is not about what is "right" or "stylish"; it's about what the eye sees and how to minimize one's flaws and emphasize positive points. After all, even a petite size two woman would look dumpy in a square neck top with horizontal stripes, and spill out of size zero jeans.

With suggestions for all styles, problem areas, and body types, and photographic examples of what works, what doesn't and why, this is a valuable book for anyone who thinks they look plumper than they are.

[Shellie (Layers of Thought) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book on how to dress so that you look slimmer - and what woman/girl could not use that? She has a great number of excellent suggestions and is very firm on what she believes works, and from my experience do.

She include pictures and examples where one can skim a few sections and start to implement the ideas (immediately) for specific figure flaws. I love before and after pictures... and the models are not waifs. This is a definite plus!

Being in the beauty industry for years I enjoy reading the lasted books based on keeping oneself looking and feeling good, as well as implementing the suggestions. This is a great skim through or in depth read and should be available at your local library - which I would do before purchasing.

All in all - I preferred her first book "How Not to Look Old" - which has similar advice only it felt easier and is a complete beauty guide rather than just clothing.

[Tamera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it, and thought the author presented the information in an entertaining, informative, girlfriend conversation way. Some great tips, and I wasn't at all offended by the way she would add tips about exercising to help with problem areas. IMHO, the way she presented the information was practical, and the author freely admitted to her problem areas. She left if up to the reader to try her tips, and if the reader wanted to go farther. I didn't feel like I was talked down to. I was looking for tips to hide my problem areas (I am about 15 - 20 over what I consider an ideal weight), and I feel the author provided some interesting and usable ideas. Already a scrap-booker and avid photographer, I loved her tips on ways to have more flattering photos of myself taken. She actually motivated me to clean my closet!! I am looking forward to reading her book about not looking old.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

With a title and layout like a magazine article (lots of pictures, lists), but with actually useful tips. Charla goes through many of a woman's "problem areas" section by section, giving mostly helpful advice for:
-wide face
-thick neck+broad shoulders
-arm flap
-big bust
-muffin top+back fat
-buddha belly
-wide hips+thighs
-big booty
-heavy calves
-wide feet+ankles

However, as you can tell, it'd be easy to obsess over how your normal body is suddenly riddled with all these "fat" areas. So this book should be read with a confident and discerning eye. Don't fall prey to self-doubt with all the "problems" being tossed around in this book. ("Wait, I DO have a Buddha belly. Oh woe!")

Overall: Potentially helpful advice that you should take only if it feels right.

Note: From First Reads

[♦Jennifer♦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's odd, but I never entered to win this book. Somehow though it made it's way to my door. And so I will dutifully give my review.

I've been watching What Not to Wear for as long as I can remember. Paid attention when Stacy and Clinton talked about the importance of a-line skirts and empire waist lines for women that want to camouflage some things they don't like about their bodies.

Krupp's book goes along these same lines. Giving advice to overweight women on how to dress in a slimming fashion.This book is comprehensive and easy to follow. Just go to the chapter that highlights your problem area, and there is a whole slew of information on what to do and what not to do. Overall, I don't usually read this type of book, but this one had solid information that could potentially help anybody who is clueless about how to dress their body.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do have quite a bit to say about this one. There is some GREAT advice on dressing to look your best in this book. I'm not a fan of dieting books but this is something I would purchase. While healthier eating is promoted (along with exercise) it is NOT shoved down your throat. I liked that! This was more along the lines of being happy in your body, and making that body work for YOU!
I actually already follow a lot of the advice in the book because being a plus size woman I am aware of how I dress. But there were a lot of things I never considered that might be making me look heavier. My ONLY complaint is that I could have done without the celebrity examples, although that complaint is outweighed by the fact that there were examples of real women and fantastic advice.
This was a great book for me and I recommend it! I think it's worth the money if you choose to buy it.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure how to rate this book. It had some Interesting tips that work great…however (1)the choice to use models and actresses to demonstrate them is STUPID. I mean hello I want to see how it looks on a real woman not how it looks on someone within 6 lbs of their ideal skinny weight (trust me a chapter on how to hide belly fat that shows a model in lacy boy shorts with 1/8 of an inch of stomach protruding out from the waistband is just annoying). (2) Advising me to get botox rather than use makeup also misses the point. (3) With a subtitle of "without dieting" why is dieting heavily suggested in every chapter taking up 1/4 to a half a page?

Once you get over these irritants the book does have good tips and is worth reading.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads. I found it to be helpful and informative. While some things I simply can not do (throw out all my underwear and just wear shape wear is neither in my budget nor something I would willingly do) most are very realistic and helpful (I particularly liked the swimsuit tips since I need a new one this year). The only downside to the book for me is that it specifically pointed to the pair of jeans I'm wearing as not flattering. While I knew that already it wasn't fun to read that I really should get rid of them. ;)

So now I will go on a closet purge and slowly acquire the clothes that do flatter my shape.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have used more pictures of regular women with regular curves.... That aside....

There actually are some good tips in here for how to find clothes that flatter your body shape, which, honestly, is not something I had ever given that much thought. Actually, I never give my clothes much thought at all.

But after reading this (ok- I confess: I didn't read it cover-to-cover. I read the parts that seemed relevant to me)I have some better ideas on what I should be looking for the next time I go shopping, as opposed to my usual M.O. of seeing something that catches my eye and being bitterly disappointed when it looks great on the hanger and terrible on me.

[Holly Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Not to Look Fat Ever Again was an impulse buy at Costco, but I thought the information I got from it was worth the money. Charla Krupp has been a magazine editor for many years and she really knows what she's talking about.

There were some tips in the book that I felt were rather obvious, but others that I had never thought of and really really great ideas. Some of her suggestions are impractical for me, as I don't have the money to get rid of all my unflattering clothes and buy a whole new wardrobe. So you will probably still see me wearing my cargo capri pants this summer despite the fact that they do make me look fat.

I have a copy that I would be happy to loan out.

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's an a OK book. something just to while your time while waiting for the kids in music lessons or soccer games. I can't comprehend why would a pashmina is FATTENING? and if one is cold especially I'm from northeast, does it matter? It's so cold & I need to bundle up.
I also don't understand how could an overweight or slightly overweight people have stigma? **sigh** how about manners & civility? don't they count? Aren't those more important than looks? well, I don't know, it's good to dress well & be skinny & presentable, but I don't like bordering to vanity.
I don't understand this book actually, maybe 1 ⭐️ or no star at all.

[MissJessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fairly interesting to read, and showed many different ways to disguise various figure flaws such as a big tush, big bust, big belly, flat chest, etc. It is nicely illustrated and fairly well written.

I gave it only 2 stars because although the material is well presented and seems well though out, it did not tell me anything I had not read in many other places. There were no startling revelations, just things along the lines of "don't wear big horizontal strips if you have a big rear."

Very nice attempt, but nothing new here.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some easy to follow advice for deemphasizing "trouble" areas. The amount of money and time one might have to invest to implement it, though, could be great. I found two issues off-putting. The first is the many photos of celebrities to show women who are "working it." These examples don't support the author's message since they don't have "trouble areas" to conceal. The second is the author throws in quite a bit of advice about diet, which, although it mostly seems reasonable, may be beyond her area of expertise. Isn't she a stylist?

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the examples are good, others are not. The 37 things she wishes she knew sooner and she'd be thinner are somewhat inane. It's never too late for somewhat to eat healthier. Take the book with a grain of salt. I liked the before and after pictures of the women in the book, but not the examples of the women in hollywood. I think the book would be better showing more women NOT in the public eye that so many women seem to compare themselves to. Only compare yourself to yourself and listen to your inner self and be comfortable in your own skin.