Top of the Muffin to Ya...

Forget wearing white after Labor Day - there's a new fashion violation in town. It's called a muffin top: that unsightly roll of flesh that spills over the waist of a pair of too-tight pants, like a muffin bursting out of the pan

Defined by www.pseudodictionary.com in May 2003.

muffin-top - 1. A person whose belly hangs over the top of their pants, like the way the top of a muffin hangs over the paper cup. 2. Excess belly fat that hangs over the pants.
e.g., 1. Good morning muffin-top! Would you like a donut for breakfast? 2. A: "Did you lose weight? I can't see your muffin-top anymore." B: "No, I just bought bigger jeans."

Christina Aguilera is a reformed muffin topper, often spotted onstage during her wild-child period in a pair of badly fitting pants accessorized with an ample tummy roll. Kelly Clarkson is also a repeat offender. "Especially when Kelly first won 'American Idol,' the muffin top was the one thing that was common in everything she wore - nothing fit right."

And it isn't just femme fatales that shop at the belly bakery; screen hunks can sometimes fall victim, too. Their condition? Stud-muffin top.

Of course, that muffin top tends to occur just after you've gained weight (that extra hamburger or two on the barbecue all summer can pile on the pounds). If you are a little heavier than usual, you have a choice. Either admit it to yourself, buy a larger size and look as good as ever, or deny it entirely, squeeze into the same old jeans and show the whole world your bakery special.

Here's how to avoid it.

Tip 1: Minimize, sister!
Spanx body shapers - like a tube, they can roll over any spot on your torso. Get 'em at www.spanx.com.

Tip 2: Get waist-ed
If you're still devoted to those hipsters, look for a wider waistband on the trouser, or wear a wide belt with them - it holds you in a little bit more.

Tip 3: Junk the hipster jeans
There's a return to a higher rise right now - a lot of the super, uber-cool people aren't wearing tight, low-rise jeans anymore.

Tip 4: Cover it up
Wear floaty summer dresses, since they always offer a muffin-top-free silhouette. Longer, Empire-waisted tops are also very trendy now. Made from soft, silky material, they hang gracefully instead of gathering tightly at the waist. You can still wear a midriff-baring baby doll; just remember to slip it on over a longer waisted tee, which then holds in any flab.