Plus Sized And Afraid Of Prints? Amber Riley Shows Us How To Do It Right

I've heard from tons of plus sized readers over the years saying the same thing--they feel their wardrobe options are limited because they think they need to stick with solid colors. Guess what, girls? You can rock pretty prints as well as anyone else! The gorgeously confident Amber Riley shows us how, after the jump.

Rule #1: Choose a slimming pattern. Horizontal stripes or prints with lots of spaces won't do your figure any favors. Instead, opt for something in a vertical stripe, like Amber's dress, which will help elongate your shape and make you look leaner. A big print with overlapping graphics will have the same effect.

Rule #2: Buy true to size. Some women think that if they wear a dress that's two sizes too big for them, they'll hide anything they don't want to be seen under all of that material. In fact, the exact opposite is true--a very large swath of patterned fabric will only make you look bigger than you really are! Hug those curves--notice how the cinching at Amber's waist helps define her shape?--and a printed dress can be your best friend.

Rule #3: Add something solid to the mix. Create a sense of balance by adding a solid-colored piece to your outfit. The print should draw attention to the part of your body you most want to flaunt; the solid piece should anchor the one you're not so keen on showing off. If you're bottom-heavy, choose a patterned top with a solid skirt or pants; if you're more of an inverted triangle, go for a cardigan or a dark sweater up top.

Shop a few of our favorite plus size patterned dresses and skirts now:

What do you think, ladies? Are you impressed with how seamlessly Amber pulls off plus size prints? Do you have any tricks of your own for looking svelte in patterns? Share!