Look Your Best for New Year's Eve—
6 Tips from a Celeb Designer

The New Year is right around the corner—and you know what that means: New Year's Eve. The biggest party night of the year. All around the country, women are putting on their sexiest, showiest dresses and heading out on the town to dance and flirt the night away. Even if you're staying home, there's that midnight kiss and champagne toast to look forward to. And everywhere you look—in the clubs, the restaurants, and on the TV screen—there's a babe in a little black dress. You'd much like to join their ranks . . . but you're feeling a little nervous about rocking your new, improved curves in front of an audience of your peers.

Best believe it, you're not alone.
Even the most genetically blessed gals struggle to find that ever-elusive perfect frock: one with a skirt that's neither too long nor too short; a bodice neither too tight nor too loose; and fabric that's neither too shiny nor too dull. It's a true Goldilocks dilemma, revisited on millions of frustrated women in dressing rooms around the world.

Rather than leave you to the tender mercies of the wild animals—er, evening wear salespeople—we found an expert to guide you through the satin-trapped, spaghetti-strapped wilderness. Australian designer Leona Edmiston specializes in flirty, sexy, curve-hugging cocktail dresses and evening wear. Though Leona has dressed her fair share of stick-thin models and celebs (Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue, and Helena Christensen are just a few), she is among a handful of designers who actually create pieces for real women. (You know—those of us with womanly hips and not-quite-flat tummies, and maybe a few extra pounds here and there.)

In between fittings and openings, Leona has taken time to answer some of your biggest questions and dress-up dilemmas:

Odine dress

Do any colors besides black have a slenderizing effect?
If you find basic black a bit boring, Leona suggests you substitute any other dark color—deep blue, forest green, or charcoal gray.

What kind of dress can hide my tummy?
What styles should I avoid?
"Obviously stay away from skin-tight styles," says Leona. (Hooray! You can breathe again.) Interestingly, she adds that you should also avoid anything with pleats or gathers in the waist. Instead, use diagonal design lines (as in the Odine dress style) or an empire waist to draw attention away from your tummy and up to your bust. After all, a little bit of bulge in that area is a good thing, right?

Carmen dress

What dress style is most flattering if I'm pear shaped?
The wrap is not just for summertime sarongs any more, according to Leona. She points us to the Carmen dress (which is actually part of her spring collection). This would fit right in at a more formal office party—and best of all, it can be adjusted to fit a J-Lo-esque largesse instead of squeezing it too tight.

I'm not crazy about my upper arms, but I don't want to wear long sleeves. Are there any other sleeves that are flattering?
"Bracelet length or just below the elbow arms are very flattering and feminine," Leona recommends. And here's a hint from us: If you can't find a dress with elbow-length sleeves, a sheer or mesh top over a tank top or cami will do the trick nicely.

Angel dress

How can I make it look like I have a waist?
The straight-up-and-down dilemma strikes all sorts of women, from size 18 to size 2. And while some seasons embrace it, this winter, according to Leona, the nipped-in look is in. To get it for yourself, try a V-neck or an off-the-shoulder cut (hellooo Flashdance!) to create the illusion of wider shoulders. Find a skirt with a flared A-line, or gentle, flowing pleats, as in the Angel dress style that adds volume at the bottom—and don't forget, a belted style will always emphasize your waistline.

Can you recommend any form-flattering wraps, shawls, or other fancy-dress outerwear?
Ponchos and pashminas may be all the rage according to some, but that doesn't mean you have to follow the trend. Go with a capelet, advises Leona. For those of you with arm insecurities, a capelet will hide your upper arms while still revealing your décolletage. It's an elegant—but not overwhelming—finishing touch that won't draw too much attention away from the dress itself.

And you do want attention, right? You've worked for it. You deserve it. So, with these tips in mind, go forth, shop wisely . . . and be fabulous.

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall . . .

In Picasso's famous painting Girl Before a Mirror, a half-masked woman stands before a mirror contemplating her own beauty. She finds her reflection alluring, shown by her arm reaching out to touch it, as well as unsettling, signaled by her burning cheeks and a tear rolling down her face.

We've all experienced these conflicting emotions when standing before a mirror. Too often, we compartmentalize the image and focus on the parts we don't like—does my butt look too big, my hips too wide?—instead of what we do like. And not surprisingly, when we work out, we're always targeting our self-identified trouble spots, then agonizing about results that just don't measure up to our expectations.

But what if we stopped focusing on our problem areas and turned our attention to our assets instead? We all have at least one body part that never disappoints. So if it's your arms you like, use strength and resistance tools to make them even better. And next time you're confronted with your reflected image, you'll find that reveling in your sleek, toned arms is the first step you needed to embrace all of you.

Do You See What I See?
As many have noted on the Message Boards, standing in front of a mirror certainly can be an agonizing experience. The divide between realistic reflections and negative projections can turn triumph into tragedy and feelings of hope into failure. With the New Year approaching, let's resolve to withhold those negative self-judgements and instead try to celebrate our efforts to be fit and healthy. Two Beachbody members take on their own mirrors' reflections: Tonigirl looks for advice, while FredDaMan tackles those self-defeating illusions head on. What do you see?

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