Riverside, California (NAPSI) - As a television personality for nearly 20 years, style expert Lisa Robertson knows what to wear for a figure-flattering effect. Check out some of her slimming style secrets:

Go monochromatic: Wearing the same color head to toe creates a longer vertical line. Contrast draws the eye. With one color, there's no contrast, so the eye keeps moving.

Geometry of style: Emphasizing the shoulders makes the waist look slimmer. (It's all about these optical illusions.)

It's all relative: An outfit that is tight head to toe requires a figure that most people don't have. An outfit that is loose everywhere can make one appear heavier than she is. Instead, women can dress to create contrast by using loose-fitting volume on top and a closer, tailored cut on the bottom. This makes the bottom half look smaller by comparison.

Triangulate: Wearing a shorter top and pants that go narrow at the ankle can make hips look wider. Think of the hips as the top line of a triangle standing on its point (the feet). To make those hips look slimmer, women can balance out the triangle with more volume at the ankle.

Mothers are right: Most people can remember their mothers advocating for good posture. There's a reason. When someone stands up straight, she looks taller, slimmer and younger.

• Ms. Robertson has been a QVC program host for nearly 20 years. You can see her on "The Lisa Robertson Show" Fridays at 10 p.m. (ET) on QVC.