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Flowing shirts can work wonders for your figure. A fitted bodice and a looser waistline camouflage a rounder middle and make you look slimmer. A tunic-style blouse or long, skinny shirt adds length to a short waist. However, the wrong jacket can blow the flow of your perfect top. Choose a proper fit, cut, color or print to show off your assets and stay on-trend.
Cropped Jackets
One of the simplest ways to avoid interrupting the flow of a long shirt is to keep your jacket short. Designer Nicolas Andreas Taralis strikes a romantic note by pairing sheer tunics with cropped biker jackets that fit snugly. Try a matador-style jacket with braided details at the shoulders and large brass buttons. For a less structured look, style your long shirt with a shrug in a knit that drapes your torso.
Skinny Coats
Replicate or extend the length of your tunic by rocking a long jacket. Avoid bulky knits, padded jackets or loose fits that have you drowning in fabric. Instead, choose finely-woven fabrics and keep the cut skinny to flatter your form. Wear a fitted three-quarter length coat that ends mid-thigh, and leave it open to contrast with the flowing fabric beneath. Thakoon styles a loose-fitting shirt with a long blazer that narrows at the waist.
Busy Prints
If your flowing shirt is neutral, you can make your jacket the focal point by wearing a busy print in a bold color combination. A small paisley print has boho chic appeal, while a houndstooth or tweed fabric gives a nod to menswear styles. At Rodarte, the designers mix printed tunics with printed jackets for a fashion-forward look. Timo Weiland softens this look by using vividly-colored prints but pairing them with flowing blouses in sheer fabrics.
Fluid Shape
Go casually elegant by styling a flowing shirt with a jacket in a fluid shape. The secret is to pick a fabric that skims your body rather than ballooning around it or squeezing it tightly. Michael Kors does this to brilliant effect with silky-soft unstructured jackets and blazers over flowing tunics. Alexander Wang follows suit with chic silk separates, but he adds a belt in the same fabric and color to create a curvier silhouette. Band of Outsiders uses simple neutrals and flowing lines but adds the detail of a jacket with a shawl collar.
