Dress For Your Shape
Written by Carla Lowe - Sunday, 19 October 2008
|
169
(1 vote, average: 5.00 out of 5)
 Most women obsess about their size. Some want to lose weight so they can drop a dress or jean size (or two) and “finally” look good in their clothes.
Others aspire to change their bodies in the hopes of gaining some curves. In the meantime, of course, they all feel it’s a waste of time to try to look good until they hit their target weight and size.
We’re here to tell you to forget size—you need to think about shape when it comes to dressing yourself every day. And when you think about shape rather than size, you can focus on looking good right now rather than hoping to look good in a few months from now.
Here's a quick and easy guide to dressing better
Look good and feel great, whether you’re a size 2, 12, or 22.
First things first
The key to dressing better for your shape—regardless of your particular shape as well as your size—is proportion. Few of us were born with a perfectly, or even relatively, proportioned body.
However, through dressing correctly for your shape, you can create the illusion of a proportioned body. Besides making your body more proportionate, your goal, in learning to dress better for your shape, is also to flatter your assets and minimize your trouble spots.
Determine your shape
You have to determine your overall shape before you can figure out how to dress better for your particular shape. For the purposes of this article, we will identify four basic geometry-based body shapes for women. By studying your body and your proportions, you will be able to identify the one that most closely resembles your shape, and then learn how to dress accordingly.
Rectangle
Rectangular figures are boxy and lack definition. Your shoulder, bust, waist, and hip measurements are similar and you don’t really have “curves.” You may be thin, muscular, or overweight. What you want is to create curves and “de-boxify” your figure.
Here’s how:
- draw the eye upward with details in the neckline and with jewelry
- widen the hips and slim the waist with details at the hips, such as pleats, pockets, gathers, patterns, or embroidery
- wear empire-waisted as well as wrap tops and dresses to accentuate the bustline, create a waistline, and skim over any tummy bulges
- avoid tops that hit right at the natural waistline; opt instead for longer tops that flare out right at the hip
- choose skirts that flare out from the hip; bias cuts work particularly well
- use a great-fitting jacket or blazer to help define curves, creating the illusion of a smaller waist and larger hips
- avoid horizontal stripes; they’ll only make you look more boxy and less curvy
- avoid belts at the waist; try, instead, one at the hips to accentuate your hips and “create” a smaller waist
Triangle
Triangular figures are bottom-heavy, with fuller hips, thighs, and butt, and smaller or narrower shoulders, bust, and waist in proportion to the bottom half. What you want is to create the illusion of a more balanced figure and flatter your small waistline.
Here’s how:
- play up your top half with details (bold prints, textures, patterns, embroidery, etc.)
- use open necklines to draw attention up
- make sure top hemlines hit you right at the hip
- avoid short skirts and shorts
- wear dark colors on your bottom half
- choose pants and skirts that fit you at the widest part of your hip and flow straight down (suggestion: a pair of wide-leg, straight-leg, dark-blue trouser jeans)
- avoid detailing near the hips (big pockets, pleats, gathers, etc.)
- try a slight shoulder pad in a fitted jacket
Inverted Triangle
Inverted triangular figures are top-heavy, with broad shoulders, a large bust, and heavier upper arms paired with slim hips and thighs. The mid-section (waist, tummy) is usually considered average as far as size goes. You want to create emphasis on your hips (and sometimes thighs and butt) and downplay your shoulders, bust, and arms.
Here’s how:
- wear belts on the hips (over a longer shirt)
- wear flared skirts
- wear wide-leg pants
- wear full, flared skirts to balance wider shoulders
- try clothes with details at the hips or other area of the lower body (pockets, patterns, textures, etc.)
- try the drop-waist style for tops
- avoid shoulder pads at all costs!
- avoid a neckline or any detail that draws attention to your shoulders or bust
- limit layering on your top half; it will make you look more top-heavy and emphasize the narrowness of your lower half
- avoid narrow silhouettes on your lower half, particularly paired with big and bulky tops
Hourglass
The hourglass figure is considered the "ideal" female shape, although not many women can boast having it. Regardless, even though some women are lucky enough to own this shape, they still need to learn how to dress it properly. Hourglass girls are curvy and balanced, with the bust and hips being in fairly equal proportions and a small, well-defined waist in the middle. You want to accentuate your curves without going too far or having your clothes create unwanted “love handles.”
Here’s how:
- choose clothes that flatter your curves in a modest and appropriate way
- avoid oversized, baggy clothes; they will only overwhelm you and hide your shape
- avoid super-tight clothing, which can make you look cheap and trashy
- wear bright and bold colors, patterns, and prints
- try belted waistlines
- wear wrap dresses
- avoid empire waists if your chest is large; paired with a small waist, you’ll look like you’re wearing a tent
- if you’re petite (short), downplay your waist slightly so you don’t look cut in half
- keep the upper and lower halves of your body balanced
Let's go shopping!
Now that you are armed with this information, it's time to plan a shopping outing with your girlfriends. If you follow these tips, you're bound to find something to wear that fit your body shape.
|
More articles by Carla Lowe
|
|
More Fashion & Style Topics
How to keep up with the latest fashion, trends & styles
- Visit fashion and style websites, read magazines & join communities.
- Shop for branded apparel and fashion accesories.
- Read fashionista blogs and sites.
Latest Blog Posts
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed