Assets are relative, ya know? Each woman gets to decide for herself which aspects of her figure she'd like to highlight and play up, regardless of what various magazines may say. And, remarkably, there are some simple techniques for drawing attention to your bodily assets that work regardless of what those assets may be! If you'd like the observing world to take note of a specific feature, try:

CONTRAST

Whether you generate contrast by pairing colors with drastically different values, or adding a splash of color in an otherwise neutral ensemble, the place of contrast will become a point of interest. If you want to highlight your waist, make sure there's high contrast at your waistline. If you want to highlight your legs, try wearing a black dress and shoes with hot pink tights. Color contrast is a fantastic way to play up a cherished asset.

EMBELLISHMENT

Sequins, embroidery, beading, even an inset of pattern or texture can serve as embellishment on a garment. And wherever that embellishment goes, so goes the eye. If you'd like to highlight your derrière, go for jeans with flap or embroidered pockets. To draw attention to your shoulders, pick jacket with epaulets. Embellish those assets, my friends!

EXPOSURE

Naturally, you'll want to temper this one with your own modesty preferences and knowledge of social mores. But baring skin is a classic technique for asset highlighting. Should you wish to play up your rear end or thighs, you may need to see another method. (At least if you're going out in public.) But most other figure bits can be intentionally exposed under the right circumstances. If you want to highlight your arms, wear a scarf with a sleeveless maxi dress so your arms take center stage. If you want to highlight your legs, wear them bare with an above-the-knee skirt.

Since nothing is universal or foolproof, these techniques won't work across the board. It's tough to do contrast at the bust line or embellishment at the ankles. But all three of these work across a huge variety of scenarios, highlighting assets as they go.

Do you use any of these techniques to play up your assets? Which ones, and for which amazing assets?

Sally McGraw is the author of Already Pretty, a daily blog about the intersection of style and body image.