LOOK YOUNGER, THINNER WHAT TO WEAR Local friends prove that clothes make the woman

By KIM BAER

When the makeover began, Bryn Roth wore a black shirt tucked into black pants and a long jacket.

She looked nice.

By makeover's end, Janice Lancaster had Roth looking more than nice--she looked younger and thinner.

"Your husband is gonna accuse you of going out on a date," one of Roth's friends teased.

Lancaster is a Spotsylvania County image consultant and cosmetologist who's been in the "feel good" business for 39 years.

She and Roth put on the makeover show this month for Roth's Take Off Pounds Sensibly group.

Roth is program coordinator for the weight-loss support group, which meets weekly in The Free Lance-Star's community room. The retired Spotsylvania County teacher has lost 25 pounds since joining the group.

She has been a client of Lancaster's for years. She asked Lancaster if she could talk to her group about how to dress to look thinner. Lancaster said yes--if Roth would be the makeover model.

They went shopping at Talbot's in Central Park the day before the show.

Two hours later, Lancaster had found seven pieces of clothing-- and a skinny black belt--that Roth could use to create three slimming looks.

The pieces were: a white shirt, a black jacket, jeans, a red shirt, ivory slacks, a black V-neck shirt and black pants.

The first look Roth showed off was casual. She wore an untucked white shirt cinched with the skinny black belt, dark jeans with a slight flare and the black jacket, which flared at the hips.

Lancaster positioned the belt a little below Roth's natural waist to create a longer, leaner look.

"It's all about illusions," she said.

She also worked on Roth's hair, pulling it up and back off her face, eliciting oohs and aahs from her friends.

"Look at yourself in the mirror first, Bryn," a friend called out as Roth left to put on her next look. "Your hair looks great."

Roth was meant to be the only guinea pig. But Lancaster couldn't help herself.

"Let me just do something," Lancaster said, heading over to audience member Laura Hatch with a bottle of hair spray.

She ran the spray through Hatch's hair, pulling her blonde curly hair up and away from her head.

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Tips for Looking Younger and Thinner (culled from Janice Lancaster's presentation):

Untuck that shirt.

Get the right pants length, look taller. Let the hem come down until it's skimming your ankles.

Wear three-quarter-length sleeves. They are slimming. If you have longer sleeves, roll them up.

Open-neck or V-neck collars make you look taller and slimmer.

Wear eyeliner and concealer.

Why eyeliner? "It wakes up your eyes, and gives you an automatic facelift."

Why concealer? "Ninety percent of people who get a facelift do it to look less tired. Concealer does that."

Choose undergarments with care. Get properly fitted for a bra. Most importantly, adjust your bra straps properly. "It takes 10 years off you when you lift them to where they're supposed to be."

Keep hose and pants and shoes the same color to make your legs look longer.

Buy the highest quality clothes you can and have them tailored.

"Be wise with what you buy."

For younger-looking skin, exfoliate and wear sunblock.

Clothes should skim the body, not hug the body. Go up a size if you have to.

Date published: 1/15/2007

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