There’s a wonderful range of female body shapes and sizes. The proportions of a woman’s shoulders, bust, waist and hips determine what clothes will most flatter her shape. Knowing your body type and learning what suits your body shape best is essential if you want to look and feel good in what you wear. Here are some tips on how to dress three of the most common body types.
Straight
The straight body shape (sometimes called the ‘column’) is perhaps the most common of all body types. It is defined by narrow shoulders, narrow hips and a relatively unpronounced waist. When dressing, you should aim to create volume around your upper chest and hips, while emphasising your waist. Layers can be used on your upper half to create the illusion of volume. You can wear skirts and dresses that ‘pop’ at the hips to give you a more curvaceous figure. Use belts to emphasise your waist, giving you a desirable hourglass figure when you successfully use clothing bulk up on top and around the hips.
Pear
The pear-shaped woman typically has narrow shoulders and large hips, with a slender neckline and a defined waist. The key to dressing a pear-shaped body is balance. In order to offset those large hips, you should aim to draw attention to your shoulders and upper body, as well as wearing clothing that plays down your hips. You can bulk up on top by wearing jackets with pronounced or padded shoulders to give the illusion that you are broader on top. Add to this with colour, patterns, necklaces and other accessories that will draw attention to your neck, shoulders and upper chest. Your waist is one of your biggest assets so don’t hide it – wear belts and fitted clothing around the waist to show it off.
Hourglass
The hourglass body shape is perhaps the most sought after and desirable of all body shapes, so if your shoulders and hips are about the same width and you have a slim, defined waistline, you should count yourself lucky! Women with this body shape look best when they simply work with what they have, rather than trying to add volume to or minimise certain areas. Big belts are a great way of showing off your waist and your perfect figure.
Whatever your body type, you can dress to flatter your shape, giving yourself the body type you want and, when you do, you’ll feel great about yourself and you’ll look great to others!
This article was written by Claire Hughes, a fashion blogger who reviews sites that sell womens clothes online.