The nude colour palette is everywhere this spring and summer - but too much can be a disaster for curvy girls. Update your look with a gorgeous scarf, jewellery, bag or shoes in soft pink, peach and cream shades - nude coloured shoes and sandals are bang on trend and ideal for making your legs look inches longer!

There are lots of gorgeous floral and bold ethnic prints around this season. If you're tall enough to carry them off, big patterns can hide a multitude of sins as they keep your eye moving around, without focusing on one area. Be careful with small or fussy patterns as they can make you look bigger.

Here's a year-round golden rule which especially applies in summer: Never buy clothes which don't fit properly just because of the size on the label. It sounds obvious, but look at how the clothes fit on your body and use that as your guide - we all know how inconsistent sizing can be in the shops. And if it bothers you going up a size, just cut the label out - no one needs to know!

Large, chunky oversized accessories are brilliant for balancing out a fuller figure. Tiny handbags and thin belts only make you look bigger, while a wide belt, chunky watch or large pendant (all on trend) can actually make you look slimmer - try it, you'll be surprised!

We all know black is a great slimming colour - but it can feel a bit sombre for spring and summer. Gorgeous deep purple and indigo colours are a perfect alternative for creating the same slimming effect in 2010.