Dress for Your Body Shape
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Any shape or size of body can look fabulous if it is dressed right. On the flipside, even the "perfect" body can look frumpy and out of proportion if dressed incorrectly. Dressing for your body shape not only will make you feel more comfortable and confident, but it will help you to look your best. Use the tips below to determine your body shape and see how best to dress it.
Pear shaped Body
You have a pear shaped body if you store most of your fat below your waist in your hips, thighs or bottom as opposed to storing it in your midsection. Pears have a larger bottom half than top half.
What to Wear:
- Wear wrap dresses sinces they emphasize the smallest part of your figure, which is your waist. This gives the illusion that you are smalelrs or more balanced all over.
- A-line skirts and wrap skirts are great choices for a pear shape because they will also help draw attention to your waist without pulling or being too snug through the hips and thighs.
- Choose darker colors to wear on the bottom as opposed to lighter colors. This will help your bottom half appear smaller.
- Choose tops that are fitted and draw the eye to your upper body. Look for fancy necklines, bright colors or patterns to draw the eye upward and away from your hips and thighs.
- Look for tops and fitted jackets that end either above your hips or below your hips - never right at your hips since this will just make your hips look wide.
- Choose bootcut or flared bottom trousers or jeans which will help to balance out the wideness at your hips and create a more proportionate figure.
- If you have trouble finding pants that fit both in the hips and in the waist, consider looking at pants with a lower rise. This way you can fit them to the largest part of your body through the hips without having a gap at the waist where they are too big. The other option is to buy higher waisted pants that fit through the hip and then have the waist tailored to fit your well.
What to Avoid:
- Avoid straight skirts or dresses that cling at the hips.
- Avoid narrow leg or straight leg pants since they will just make your hips look wider instead of balanced.
- Don't wear baggy shirts or boxy dresses since they will hide your waist, which is your narrowest part, making you look larger all over.
Some good options for a pear shaped body:
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| Max Studio Geometric Printed Jersey Wrap Dress |
Jelessy Black Denim Boot Cut Jeans |
Turquoise A-Line Skirt |
Apple Shaped Body
You have an apple shaped body if you store most of your fat in your midsection and bust as opposed to your hips and thighs. Apples are larger on top and often have slim legs below. Apple shaped figures are probably the most difficult to dress, but these tips should have you looking fabulous in no time!
What to Wear:
- Opt for looser skirts and straight leg or wide leg trousers, which will help to balance your skinny legs with your larger top.
- Choose flat from pants and skirts to give your body and nice clean line and make your midsection appear slimmer.
- Try A-line skirts which will again balance your bottom with your top.
- Slightly low cut empire waist tops and dresses that show just a touch of cleavage will work well for you since they will emphasize the narrow spot at the top of your rib cage while hiding any belly bulge below.
What to Avoid:
- Avoid pleats at all costs! Many women are tempted to hide their bellies with pleats, but this actually backfires and adds volume to your midsection making it look bigger than it is. Choose flat fronted bottoms instead.
- Avoid wearing anything tight on the bottom since this will just play up the top-heaviness of your figure.
- Avoid full or puffy sleeves since they will just add volume and size to your upper half making it look larger.
Some good options for an apple shaped body:
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| Retro empire dress |
ROMANTIC EMPIRE BLOUSE Misses |
Wide Leg Trouser |
Hourglass Shaped Body
You have an hourglass shaped body if your top and bottom sections are proportionate to each other and your waist is the narrowest part of your body. Hourglasses have curves in "all the right places" - think Marilyn Monroe.
What to Wear
- Choose clothing that emphasizes your narrow waist and skimms your curves with soft, drapy fabrics.
- Look for tops that will hug your curves without adding extra bulk.
- Take advantage of the current belt-at-the-waist trend to show off your slender waist.
- Look for tailored straight leg trousers and straight skirts with no pleats. Pair these with a single button fitted jacket or blazer to show off your curves.
- Wrap tops and dresses look smashing on an hourglass figure because they emphasize the waist so well making you look slim and feminine.
What to Avoid
- Avoid oversized, baggy or bulky clothing since it will throw off the natural balance that your body has and make your look larger than you are.
- Avoid high neck tops since they can make you look like a bulky mass on top instead of showing off your assets.
- Avoid jackets that button over the bust. Most hourglass figures have full busts and this can cause unflattering pulling at the buttons of the jacket. A single button jacket is your best choice.
Some good choices for an hourglass figure:
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| Romeo & Juliet Couture Black Faux Wrap Dress |
Pintuck Belted Solid Blouse |
Denim Blazer Jacket |
Boyish or Rectangle Shaped Body
You have a rectangle shaped body if your are about the same size on the top and bottom and you don't have a defined waist. Your body is pretty much straight up and down without a lot of curves.
- If you have a rectangle shaped body you will want to look for clothing that will help you to look curvier and will create a waistline for you. On the top, both wrap tops and fitted blazers are a great choice since they will help create the illusion of a more defined waist.
- Pencil skirts are a great choice for you since they can help give the appearance that you have fuller hips, more of a booty and a more defined waist.
- Look for capped sleeve baby tees, which look great on you. Also look for halter tops that show off your back and draw attention away from your smaller bustline.
- Create curves on top by choosing shirts with ruching, pleating, breast pocket details or ruffles and frills.
- Cargo pants can help to create curves and details on the bottom of your body and can help to hide "stick" legs.
- Bias cut a-line skirts also work well on the bottom for you.
- Look for interesting or eye-catching belts to draw attention to your waist and create the illustion of a more defined waistline.
Some good choices for a rectangular body shape:
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| Traditional Wash Pencil Skirt |
Ruched Sleeve Top w/ Hem Ruffle |
LOVE from Ya-Ya Dash Halter Top |
Every body type will benefit and look it's best by buying clothing that really fits. Always fit clothing to your largest part (ie. if you are pear shaped, fit it to your hips and not your waist). You can also have clothing tailored to take in parts that are too big, but it is difficult to do anything with clothing that is too small. Additionally, if clothing is too small it will pull and push any fat your have over the top creating unsightly bulges that make your look heavier than you are. On the other hand, clothing that actually fits will glide over your body and allow it to look the best it can. Don't get caught up on sizes and try to fit in something just because it is labeled with a smaller size than you normally wear.