Shopping for, buying and trying on new clothes can be fun, but if you're a plus-sized woman, sometimes, finding the perfect little black dress can be stressful. However, no matter what your size, you can find a little black dress that makes you look and feel beautiful. If you're struggling to find a dress that flatters you, check out these five helpful tips.

Always Stick to Your Own Size

Women who aren't comfortable with their body can easily fall into the trap of choosing ill-fitting clothes. Some women end up buying clothes that are too big, so the extra cloth hides their weight. Unfortunately, when you wear a dress that is too big or has no shape, it does the complete opposite of what you want and makes you look bigger. It's always important to stick with clothes that fit properly. However, avoid wearing clothes that are too tight, as these can show off your weight in a negative way.

Find a Dress that Flatters Your Shape

You also want to find a dress that flatters your shape. There are many different types of body shapes, such as pear shape and apple shape, and different dress styles work better on different body shapes. For example, if you have a pear body shape, you have big hips and small bust. Women with a pear body should choose dresses that make their top look larger without making their hips look bigger, such as flutter sleeves. A woman with an apple body shape (larger bust and smaller hips) should do the opposite, so a dress with flutter sleeves is a poor choice.

Wear a Dress That Shows off Your Assets

Besides having a specific body type, you also have some assets. Maybe you have shapely legs or a beautiful neck. Any dress you choose should show off what you love most about your body and hide those features that make you lose confidence. A short little black dress is perfect for a women with great legs, but can destroy self-esteem in a woman who feels self-conscious about her legs. Whenever you try on a dress, look at the areas you want to flaunt or hide and make sure the dress is doing just that.

Stay Away From Stiff Fabrics

Women with thin bodies can get away with wearing stiff fabrics and look great. However, if you're a plus-sized woman, stiff fabrics can make you look bigger. These stiff fabrics are more likely to make your curves look harsh. Instead, choosing flowing fabrics, such as chiffon, voile, satin and silk. These fabrics move when you do, so they create a softer look that helps skim your bodyline and make you look smaller.  

Use Vertical Designs

You've probably tried on a dress or shirt with horizontal stripes and then vowed to never wear stripes again. However, the problem isn't the stripes, it's the direction of the stripes. Horizontal designs, work as an optical illusion to make you look wider. Luckily, you can use that same optical illusion to make you look taller and thinner if you use vertical designs. Vertical seams, stripes, piping and a deep V-neck trick the eye to make you look sleeker. Of course, if you want an area too look bigger, such as your chest, there's no harm in using horizontal stripes there.  

It doesn't matter that you're plus-sized. There is a perfect little black dress waiting for you. You just have to know what styles and designs flatter your assets. Get started today by deciding which features you want to show off and start shopping for a dress that will make you feel confidence.  Click here for info about shopping online.