Have you ever seen a dress look great on one person but a lot less flattering on another? Have you ever had high hopes for an outfit but then realized it just didn’t hit the mark when you tried it on? Chances are, the answer lies in body type. While some silhouettes are universally flattering, others look their best on certain body shapes. When you know your shape, you can dress accordingly. Let’s look at the five most common body types.
Apple
Women with apple figures are generally well-proportioned but their shoulders are broader than their hips and they carry weight around the midsection. Their busts are usually fuller, and their waistline is not well-defined. If you have this body shape, flowy tunics, V-necks and tops and blazers made from thicker fabrics tend to look great. Make sure jackets or vests hit at the hip or upper thigh. Options like Filly Flair Maxi Dresses and wrap dresses will flatter you along with most cuts of pants.
Hourglass
Women with hourglass bodies have proportionate tops and bottoms and a defined waist. Most pieces of clothing will look great on this body type so you’ll simply need to decide what you want to highlight on a given day. Dresses which cinch in your waist will be particularly flattering but if you don’t want the focus to be on your figure, you can opt for looser silhouettes.
Pear
Women with pear-shaped bodies carry their weight in their butt and thighs and have narrower shoulders and smaller busts. Wide-legged pants and A-line skirts will flatter while patterned or ruffled tops will help to balance out the upper half of your body. If you pair fitted pants with looser tops, you can create an hourglass shape if you so desire.
Rectangle or Boyish
Women with rectangle body shapes tend to have few curves. Neither their busts or hips are large, and they don’t have much of a defined waist. If this is your body shape, your arms and legs are likely to be your assets. A-line skirts, ruffles, and layers are flattering and help to add some bulk. You can wear sleeveless or strapless tops with ease but long blazers and jackets also look great.
Inverted Triangle
Women with an inverted triangle shape have shoulders which are broader than their hips. Consider wearing full or bootcut pants, horizontal stripes on the bottom or bulkier textures to help balance out your shape. On top, consider vertical stripes, soft textures, and darker colors. Open necklines, V-necks and strapless tops will also flatter you. Avoid chunky knits and big patterns on top.
Whatever your body shape, you can look fabulous!
The important thing is to identify your shape and try on a range of clothing options to find the ones which are most flattering, and which make you feel most confident. Use this list as a guide and go through your closet to see how much of your clothing really matches your body type. It can be difficult to find flattering clothing but once you know what looks great on you, it gets a lot easier.