How to Look Taller, Thinner, and Younger, Fast

1. Get Thee to a Tailor
Nothing adds pounds faster than ill-fitting clothes. A good tailor knows the secrets of nipping here and tucking there to flatter every body type. Keep in mind that a moderate-priced suit that fits perfectly looks better than a pricey designer one that bags or pulls.

2. Whiten Up Yellowing
teeth are an instant ager. Try at-home or dentist-performed techniques to brighten your smile.

3. Go Vertical
For guys: yes to V-neck sweaters, suspenders, and low-stance, two-button jackets; no to bow ties, cuffed trousers, and crew necks. For ladies: yes to slim pants, narrow skirts, and long necklaces; no to wide belts, ankle-strap shoes, and chokers.

4. Update Your Do Spring
for a professional salon hairstyle. Hair tends to get thinner and mousier as we get older. A great cut with natural-looking color highlights can take years off your face in a hurry.

5. Stop Squinting
You think straining your eyes to read a menu looks better than wearing glasses? Today's super-cool eyeglass frames can make you look more youthful and hip.

6. Think Thin
Especially where fabrics are concerned. Bulky materials and voluminous styles may hide bulges, but they also tend to make you look wider. Choose body-skimming, non-clingy fabrics in silhouettes that highlight your best features.

7. See the Light
An all-dark outfit can make you look larger and heavier. Go monochromatic, such as bright blue with navy or dove gray with charcoal, keeping a lighter, more flattering shade near your face, drawing the eye up.

8. Stand Up Straight
Yes, Mom was right. Hunching over BlackBerrys and iPhones is so not a good look. Proper posture makes you appear instantly taller and helps hold in your stomach as well.

Tina Sutton writes the Fashion Snapshot column for the magazine. E-mail her at tsutton@globe.com.