When it comes to our bodies, we’re all different shapes and sizes. While it can be said that variety is the spice of life, we all aim to look in proportion. Where this isn’t possible, it’s time to make the most of what you’ve got! By drawing the eye to your best feature, you can maximise your look. Equally, it’s vital not to draw attention to any ‘problem areas’ you would rather not have emphasised. The best way to approach this issue is definitely by body type. In this post we’ll give you fashion tips to enhance your look. After all, if we look good, we feel good; and what we wear definitely has the power to boost confidence.
Here are our top tips, by body type:
Apple
If you’re an apple shape, you’ll tend to carry weight around the mid-section, but have slim legs and arms. This body type is shared by 14% of women, and although it can be difficult to dress this body shape, here are our tips for maximising your look:
- Wear V-necks to draw attention to your bust
- Draw attention away from wide shoulders with ¾ or full length sleeves
- Choose flared or bootleg trousers to balance out your figure, or palazzo pants
- Opt for flowy tops rather than anything made of clingy fabrics
- Avoid dresses and skirts with a cinched-in waist
- Choose A-line or empire cut dresses and tunics
- Fasten a belt slightly higher up, at your slimmest point, to give the illusion of a slimmer waist
- If you’re wearing a jacket, choose one with a pattern or print to shift the focus out from your mid-section
Pear
If you’re a pear shape, you’ll have a small bust and waist, but have wider hips, a larger butt and thighs. Basically, you carry the weight in the lower part of your body. Thanks to the Kardashians, this body shape and the hourglass are now very much in vogue. Dressing for this body shape is all about striking a balance, and evening out your shoulders with your lower half. Here are our winning styling tips:
- Boost your bust with a padded, uplifting push-up bra
- Wear bright colours on your top half, using dark shades on the lower half to draw attention to your upper body
- Off the shoulder tops are great for widening the shoulders
- Create width across your shoulder with a boat neck, bardot styles or deep V-neck
- Wear straight or wide-legged trousers, rather than leggings
- Try jackets with padded shoulders to balance out your shape
- Wear tops with embellishments on the shoulders
- Ruffles and frills are a great way to boost your bust
- Skinny jeans look great, but avoid wearing them with tight-fitting tops
- A-line dresses look great, but make sure they have detailing around the chest and bust, to draw the eye up
- Scarves and statement necklaces also work well to draw attention to your upper body
Hourglass
With curves to die for, this is the holy grail of figures! If you’re an hourglass, then you’ll have the same bust and hip size, with a smaller waist. This means you’ll already have a balanced body shape, making it easier to dress to impress. However, it’s still possible to make mistakes, so here’s our guide to dressing for the hourglass figure:
- Choose fitted, tailored clothing to maximise those curves, such as single-breasted jackets and pencil skirts
- Avoid shapeless, unstructured tops as these can make you look busty
- Peplum tops are excellent for drawing the eye to a tiny waist
- Use a belt to highlight your waist
- Fit and flare dresses look amazing on an hourglass figure
- Wrap dresses are great for curvier figures
- Avoid adding bulk to your bust, for example with ruffles, as this will make you look top heavy
- Don’t pick clothing with a high neckline; V-necks and sweetheart necklines are best
- If you want to elongate your legs, wear high-waisted jeans with crop tops and always wear a heel
Strawberry (triangle)
The opposite of the pear, if you’re a strawberry then just like the fruit, you’ll have shoulders and a bustline that are the widest part of your body, tapering to slimmer hips and thighs. Just as with the pear shape, this is about addressing the balance. Here’s some tricks you can use to add definition to the lower half of your body:
- Avoid skinny jeans, go for straight, bootleg or flared trousers instead
- Wear patterned clothing on your lower half
- Use embellishments on your trousers or skirts to draw the eye
- Wear brighter colours on your lower half, darker colours on top
- V-necks are great for most body types, but they’re particularly good for minimising the appearance of wide shoulders
- Halter necks and scoop neck tops also suit this body type
- Avoid structured, single breast jackets
- Don’t do up your jacket, by wearing it open you’ll create a flattering vertical line
- Create more volume on your lower half with A-line dresses or full, 50s-style skirts
Rectangle
This body type will be balanced from the shoulders to the hips. Being straight up and down, with no defined waistline is a challenge for this shape. If this is you, then by following these style tips, you can achieve the curve definition you crave:
- Wrap dresses are great for creating a smaller waist
- Wear a peplum with a higher waist to create a contrast between your shoulders and hips
- Use colour blocking dresses with a darker middle panel and lighter side panels to create the illusion of curves
- Add ruffles and embellishments to boost your bustline
- Wear a waist-cinching belt at the slimmest part of your midriff to create a waistline
- Layer clothing to create vertical lines, for example a longline cardigan over a shift dress
- Emphasise your arms with sleeveless jackets and strapless tops
- Wear skinny jeans to draw attention to your legs
So there you have it, some simple style tips to help you enhance your figure, whatever your body shape. We recommend combining this styling advice with some amazing shapewear. After all, your clothes will only ever look great if you’re wearing the right foundation garments.