Don’t wear tops that are tight in the middle.

While tight pants get blamed for muffin top (and they don’t help, so make sure your waistband isn’t too tight), it’s actually tight tops that highlight the problem of muffin top. Knits are notorious for grabbing on to every extra ounce and accentuating bulges. So opt for blousy or belted tops that aren’t too fitted.

Wear layers.

Disguise muffin top by wearing a tailored jacket or vest over your top. The added structure worn as a top layer will help disguise extra lumps and bumps. Same goes for knits: a twinset is much more forgiving of muffin top because it has double the layers.

Wear darker colors on top.

Black, navy, chocolate, charcoal: all of these will help make the top half of your body look smaller. For dresses, try wraps or shifts. If you have lots of extra rolls around your middle, even in dresses, the best way to hide that is create the illusion of a svelte tummy by opting for a wrap dress (overall prints are especially flattering.) Or you can choose a shift dress that skims the body to hang in a straight line.

Belt everything lower.

Your best belted look is created by opting for a hip-slung belt and blousy top. The blousiness of the top will disguise any muffin top, while a lower-slung belt draws the eye away from problem areas.