Dressing for Your Body Shape: Tips for Every Silhouette

No matter your body shape, dressing in a way that makes you feel confident and comfortable is key. Here are some styling tips cut out for different body shapes to help you find the best pieces that will complement your natural proportions.

Apple Shape: Highlight Your Legs and Shoulders

Carrying weight around the midsection, the best bet would be to draw attention to the legs and shoulders while managing a balanced silhouette.

What to Wear:

V-neck tops: These elongate the neck and draw attention upwards.
A-line dresses or skirts: These skim the waist and flow down, highlighting your legs without clinging to your midsection.
Tailored blazers: A structured blazer helps define your shoulders and creates a sharper look.
Dark-colored pants or skirts: Darker shades help streamline the lower body.
Avoid: Boxy shapes and overly tight tops that draw too much attention to the midsection.

Pear Shape: Accentuate Your Waist and Shoulders

The main goal of dressing for a pear-shaped body, where the upper half is much smaller than the hip area, is to create a well-proportioned figure by accentuating your waist.

What to wear:

A-line or flared skirts: skim over the hips to create a balancing silhouette.
Bright or embellished tops: Try bright colors, patterns, or texture with varied fabrics to draw the eye upwards toward your top half.
Belts: Utilize belts to define the waist and create an hourglass silhouette.
Off-the-shoulder or boat-neck tops: These styles broaden your shoulders and add balance.
Avoid: Tight or low-rise pants, as they add bulk to your hips.

Rectangle Shape: Adding Curves and Defining

A rectangle body type usually pulls off a straight-up-and-down kind of silhouette with a lack of definition at the waist. The aim is always to create curves and shape.

What to Wear:

Peplum tops and dresses: These add volume to your hips and create the illusion of a curvier figure.
Layered outfits: Adding layers such as jackets or blazers can help to provide curves and dimension.
Belts or a detail of waist cinching will help outline your shape and give a more hourglass effect.
A-line skirts or dresses add shape to the lower body and balance out your proportions.
Avoid: straight-cut dresses or tops that don‘t add any definition to your body shape.

Inverted Triangle Shape: Soften Your Shoulders and Highlight Your Hips
If you have broader shoulders and a narrower waist and hips, the aim is to create balance by softening the shoulders and emphasizing the lower body.

What to Wear:

V-necklines: These help to elongate the neck and soften the shoulders.
A-line or pleated skirts: These add volume to the hips, balancing out the top half.
Ruffled or flared sleeves: These soften the shoulders and add dimension.
Relaxed or bootcut pants balance the lower half and add structure to your bottom half.
Avoid: Anything with excessive volume at the shoulder region of tops, like puffed sleeves or shoulder pads.

Petite Shape: Add Height and Proportions

If you happen to have a petite frame, then dressing right is going to be all about how you can elongate yourself in height and create an illusion of height.

What to Wear:

Monochromatic outfits: Wearing one color from head to toe creates a longer, leaner look. High-waisted pants or skirts: These make your legs appear longer and give you extra height. Tailored and fitted clothing:

Oversized pieces can overwhelm your frame, so go for clothing that fits well and elongates your silhouette.

Vertical stripes or patterns: These draw the eye upwards and create the illusion of height.
Avoid loose, baggy clothes that make your body disappear and cut you off visually.