Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror and wonder why something feels off or out of place? If the answer’s yes, then not knowing how to dress for your body type may be the root cause of these pesky thoughts.

Now, you might be wondering why any of this matters. Let us break it down for you…dressing for your body type is key to unlocking your style’s potential and highlighting your best features with minimal effort.

So, don’t worry if you have no idea what body shape you may or may not have; with this style guide that is full of fashion tips for body type, you’ll be strutting your stuff in no time!

What Body Shape Are You?

As humans come in all shapes and sizes, it can be difficult to find the perfect clothing that fits our every bump and dip.

Though, to choose the perfect clothes for your body shape, you first need to know what body type you have.

So, let’s take a look..

Pear

The pear body shape is also commonly referred to as a ‘triangle.’ This is due to the wide hips that are wider in length than the bust and shoulders. So, along with wide hips, pear-shaped individuals commonly have high waists and narrow shoulders and arms.

Now, how do you dress a pear-shaped body?

When you have this shape, the aim is to balance your body while emphasising your torso. This draws attention away from your legs and hips.

You can draw attention to your torso by:

Wearing bright colours and patterns on the top half of your body.
Choose tops that have embellishments or some detail on them. Vertical stripes are great here to provide some streamlining.
Opt for tops that have off-the-shoulder or bardot necklines for females and structured shoulders for males.
Accessorise with some bright coloured scarves etc, which will draw attention away from the lower torso.

Hourglass

An hourglass body shape is characterised as having hips and shoulders that are evenly proportioned to each other, whilst having a well-defined waist.

Dressing for your body type can be difficult, but when you have an hourglass figure, items that highlight both the waist and shoulders is key to accentuating your features.

You can emphasise an hourglass figure by:

Wearing form-fitted tops.
Opting for tops and dresses that have V-neck and round necklines.
Wearing high waist trousers to define your waist.

Apple

Apple-shaped bodies are typically well proportioned. They are known for having large busts, hips that are narrow, a full midsection and a flattish behind.

The upper half of the body will tend to be where they carry their weight.

You will find that people with this shape may appear top-heavy, so they should choose clothes that add fullness to the lower body.

Other ways to focus attention on the apple-shaped body are:

Using a slightly fitted to straight clothing line can help you get rid of bulk fabric around the waist, stomach or bust.
Wearing brighter colours on the legs.
Keep your profile fitted under your arms, bust and along your waist.

Athletic

Also known as the ‘square’ or ‘rectangle’ (roughly the three shapes further right fit into this category) body shape, individuals with this body shape typically have chest and hip measurements that are close to equal in width.

Unlike hourglass figures, athletic body shapes don’t have a particularly well-defined waist and their weight is better distributed through the body. Also, this body shape is typically found in leaner and taller people.

You can emphasise this body shape by:

Wearing round, sweetheart, off-the-shoulder or open necklines in order to break up harsh lines. This is to add some shape rather than straight lines.
Choosing to wear dresses with cinched waists to enhance your curves for females.
Add dimension to your shape by adding texture and patterns to your wardrobe.

Fashion tips for body types can vary greatly from person to person. Though with our style guide, the above can add some useful tips to ensure your outfits are picked bearing in mind what is likely to suit you the best.

If you want to have a confidence boost every time you see your own reflection, look at our article to find clothes for your body shape, then bookmark this page for future use. It could help when it comes to fashion woes.

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