Best Tricks to a Lean Look in Your Shearling Coat

This post provides some simple stylist’s tricks to look tall and lean despite of the extra volume a shearing coat gives even to the slimmest person. Learn how to look lean in a shearling even when it is cut boxy.

Downcoat or Shearling?

Many women prefer summer over winter because warm winter coats like shearlings and down coats hide all the features they worked for so hard at the gym, and in endless hours of running. There is no need to feel uncomfortably cold in a light wool coat that still shows the shape. Today there exist tailored downcoats and shearlings. Even when you already own a shearling that is straight up and down, you can apply the following tricks to ad some shape without having to spend money at the tailor’s.

Use This Simple Old Styling Trick to Look Slim in a Shearling

The most effective trick is to fool the eye by making it to look up and down instead of scanning the width. Another trick is to re-insert shape or distract the eye from the coat. In other words: Create vertical lines! Give the illusion to be taller by adding a hat and wearing heels. Each inch counts to get the ratio of width to height in your favor. 😉

The first photo in this post elucidates the concept of creating a vertical line by the use of a scarf, fedora, and heels.

Belt, Belt, Belt

In this outfit, I belted the shearling to emphasize the waist, and create shape. Note that depending on your body shape a wide or small belt is best. Read more about which belts are best for your body type.

I added a long scarf knotted in the front, but outside. Doing so, the scarf adds a vertical line. Furthermore, I picked a shearling that has vertical darts. Both the scarf, and the darts provide the illusion that the body is less wide. The heels and the fedora add height. Thus, the horizontal bulk added by the shearling seems less in comparison to the “height” added in the vertical. Consequently, you look slimmer instead of fatter in your shearling.

Try it out! Stay warm in style!

You can find other examples of how to style shearling coats and winter outerwear at the link.

Unfortunately, the trick with the belt fails to work with downcoats due to the feather compartiments. Learn more about the typical structure, and how to identify which down coat is best for your climate zone.

Photos: G. Kramm

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