Here’s something you might not know about the muffin top—it’s an equal-opportunity employer. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not just something that happens to women who are larger than a beanpole. Even skinny girls can get muffin top, because here’s the secret the muffin top doesn’t want you to know—it’s not caused by your body, but by poorly-fitting pants.
There are plenty of ways to combat muffin top without going on a crazy diet and losing a ton of weight. Keep scrolling for five relatively simple ways to banish muffin top from your life forever—without taking extreme measures.
If you grew up in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, then you know super low-rise jeans had a major moment, thanks largely to the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. But since then, most women have been introduced to a small dose of reality—that real-life hips don’t always mesh well with incredibly low-rise pants. The best solution? Stop wearing them!
Pairing a high-waisted skirt with a crop top is a chic way to combat muffin top. Only the narrowest part of your torso will show through, which has an overal slimming effect.
Instead, reach for a pant with a mid to high-rise. It should hold in your full hip and bum area, instead of cutting you off in an awkward spot. The most flattering pants on pretty much every body type is a good pair of high-waisted trousers—whether jeans, slacks, track pants, or otherwise. They should hit you at your natural waist, which is above your belly button and several inches below your rib cage. The narrowest part of every woman’s body is the section of her torso near where the bottom of your bra wraps around you—a pair of high-waisted trousers highlights this thin part.
The gal pictured here on the left should be a warrior in the battle against muffin top. She knows the value of a high-waisted trouser when paired with, well, just about anything.
If for some reason you still want to wear your old low-rise pants—if they fit you properly and they’re your most comfortable jeans—you can do so as long as you style them properly. There’s nothing more unfortunate than a woman who’s wearing a pair of low-rise jeans with a top that’s too short; it’s probably the least sexy way to show skin.
The great thing about a long, billowy blouse is that it makes an occurrence of muffin top practically impossible, no matter what pants you're wearing!
The other key to eliminating muffin top: not wearing fabrics that severely restrict your body. Reach for denim that incorporates a small amount of elastic to add stretch and give, so your body is never compacted into a space that’s too small for it and unable to change as your body changes.
If your jeans are stretchy enough, it matters not what you wear on top. Just make sure they are well-fitting!
Perhaps the most significant step in combating muffin top is to be honest with yourself when you look in the mirror. Are your pants too tight? Do you have extra flesh hanging over the top of your waistband? These are uncomfortable questions for pretty much every woman to ask, and yet, we must ask and answer them honestly. If you answer “yes” to any of those questions, it’s time to follow steps one through four to find a pair of well-fitting pants that will help you banish muffin top from your life forever.
If you honestly like what you see, then you're all set. Confidence is key; no amount of muffin top is enough to detract from an overly confident woman.
How do YOU combat muffin top in your everyday life? Tell us in the comments below!