How to Dress Your Body Shape

“The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress” – Hubert de Givenchy

It can seem like the most daunting of tasks – figuring out what your body shape is? But what if I told you, if you know your shape and what category you fall into – shopping and sorting out your wardrobe becomes instantly easier! Everyone’s shape is different and we all know this – the world would certainly be a boring place if we all looked the same, wouldn’t it? So first thing I would say to you is, no matter your shape and size – embrace it because it’s yours. Yes, we all want to improve ourselves (there’s nothing wrong with that) and work on our physical flaws etc, but buying clothes too small for you with the hope of ‘eventually’ fitting into them, never works. You end up wasting money and inevitably getting rid of said clothes. So, know your shape, love it and dress correctly for it.

Lets delve deeper, look at the different shapes and what suits those body-types:

Body shapes are categorized into ‘shapes’ and ‘fruits’, I know – I don’t get the fruit reference but it’s simple and it works…..

Pear – hips are wider than your shoulders

In order to dress for the pear body shape – the widest part of your body is at your hips – you should work on balancing your figure by accentuating the top half of your body. Fit and Flare dresses and Skater Dresses work perfectly with this shape as well as A-line skirts. For a trendy and sophisticated look, I would recommend trying an off-the-shoulder dress or top matched with an A-line skirt for a fab look.

Inverted Triangle – shoulders and bust are wider than your hips

For this shape, you will need to balance your broader shoulders with your narrower lower body to create more of an hourglass silhouette.Fit and Flare, Skater dresses and A-line skirts are great with this shape also.  In addition, wrap-dresses and wrap-style tops along with V-neck tops compliment your top half especially.

Rectangle – shoulders, waist and hips are roughly the same size

Aim of this body shape – is to look at creating some curves. So particularly place emphasis on clothing that clinches in at the waist and is more form fitting. Examples include: V-neck tops, fitted trousers, pencil skirts and wrap dresses. The illusion you need can also be created by adding a waist belt (one of my fav style-hacks and tips to do!) over your dresses or long shirts/tops or by wearing high-waisted jeans and trousers.

Apple – broad shoulders, full waist and thinner legs

This shape is all about highlighting the lower part of the body to balance with the top. V-necks are also your best friend here as well as flowy-tops and tunics, full skirts and A-line style dresses. If you do choose a loose fitting flowy top like an oversized jumper or buttoned-up blouse, remember to balance it out with structured or skinny jeans or trousers. In addition, cropped trousers and ankle-grazing jeans for example are great for your body-shape.

Hourglass – shoulders and hips are roughly the same size and you have a smaller more defined waist.

The key here is the waist and highlighting your curves. Don’t hide them – they should be celebrated!!  Clothes that will look fab on you are: jumpsuits, tailored blazers, pencil skirts, wrap dresses (wrap dresses just look good on everyone!!), belted dresses, wrap-tops, body-con dresses and peplum styles – you ‘hourglass girls’ look good in most things – a waist belt should be your best friend!!

Hope this helps in gaining a better understanding into the different shapes out there and what works and doesn’t work. Remember it’s all about accentuating what you have and having that knowledge and confidence to know what suits you.

I’ll leave you with this…