Dress for your body shape
People talk about their own body shape and often dress to cover particular areas, however, it takes a little more than just wearing loose clothing in that area in order to get the desired outcome. Working with block colour or pattern in the right areas can transform a look completely.
First identify your own body shape and then acquiring a few simple fashion styling tricks can create the perfect look for your figure. Knowing your body shape allows you to choose clothes that will look better and enhance your best body parts, and then minimize and take away any emphasis on the parts you want to disguise.
The female body shape is mostly based on genetics and the skeletal structure. Exercise, diet and hormone levels of course play an important part, the fat and muscle distribution can be altered with some assistance to help define some areas of the body, but only to a degree of the personal original body shape and type of natural pre-defined composition. So working with it rather than against it, is really the only answer.
Determine your body shape
Depending on proportions of your body in relation to shoulder, bust, waist and hip measurement will reveal which category you fall into. If measurements are very close, then take both body shapes into consideration when styling and shopping for yourself.
The Triangle / Pear
The most common body shape is the triangle known as the pear. This body shape is characterised by a larger hip, a narrow bust and a subtle waist definition.
You tend to gain weight in hips and thigh area first.
Hips are larger than bust.
Shoulders may be possibly be narrow.
Waist is defined and smaller than hips.
Quick guide
Hip measurement may be four inches larger than bust area or two inches larger than shoulder area.
The Inverted Triangle / Apple
You tend to gain weight in the upper body first.
Shoulders and bust are wider than your hips.
Prominent shoulders.
There is not too much waist definition.
Quick guide
Shoulder measurement will be at least 4 inches bigger than hip measurement or bust will about 2 inches more than hip measurement.
The Rectangle / Athletic
Bust, waist and hips are almost equal.
There is little waist definition.
Curves are limited.
Quick Guide
Waist measurement needs to have less than eight inch difference from hip and shoulders.
Styling Guide:
Triangle / Pear
- Minimise the attention on lower half with a block darker colour.
- Emphasise top half with pattern or horizontal stripes, bold and or lighter colours.
- Highlight waist with separate colour of waist bands or belts. Keep tops shorter onto waist area, avoiding tops that end at hip area.
- Wear tops with sleeves or a styled cut to emphasise volume at shoulder area.
- Wear roomier trousers or skirt. Fit and flare trousers or dresses can work well. High rise trousers or straight legs can work.
Inverted Triangle / Apple
- Fitted Jackets, flares, anything that brings emphasis to lower area.
- Avoid shoulder emphasis by wearing block colours on top area.
- Wear a darker block colour at waist area.
- Long flowing skirts or dresses add a balanced illusion to the shoulder area.
- Skinny bottoms, flowing tops with no shoulder bulking of puff sleeves.
Rectangle / Pencil
- Add definition to waist area with darker block colour.
- Wear lighter colours and or patterned designs above and below waist area.
- Wear puffed sleeves or a boat neckline to assist in the illusion of wider shoulders.
- Avoid high rise trousers, go for hipsters to emphasise illusion of waist area.
- Flared trousers or flowing skirts can balance out to help give the illusion of an hourglass figure.
Dress for your body shape. Look and feel fabulous!
Love and Sparkles
Samsara x
Facebook: Samsara Kyriakou
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