What look is best for me?
The Big Secret...
Balance
Balance
Balance
No matter what your size, no matter what your shape, the key to dressing well no matter where you go is balancing your top and your bottom. Determine your overall shape and take a peek at our suggestions to get that put-together look you want.
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The Triangle, The Pretty Pear
If you are petite and bigger on the bottom half, or pear-shaped, choosing a gown can be especially challenging. The key to dressing a pear body shape is to enhance and add volume to your upper body while emphasizing your waist and de-emphasizing your lower body to create a balanced, hourglass appearance. You may find both sizing and style problems, whether you’re looking for a sleek black gown or something with spangles and sparkles. The great news: With smart styling and shopping, you can find a gown that is beautiful and elegant, allowing you to look and feel your best.
Your Features
- Your hips are larger than your bust
- You have a nicely defined waist
- You have an elegant neck and proportionately slim arms and shoulders
- You first gain weight in your bottom and legs followed by your tummy and upper body
- Your waist is your best asset so don’t be afraid to show it off.
In General
When dressing a pear body type, look for tops that will will help balance your lower half while accentuating your defined waist:
- Tops with nipped or fitted waists.
- Off the shoulder, boat-neck tops, wide V or U necks.
- Structured shoulders, princess or flutter sleeves.
- Embellishments around the bust and shoulders.
- Bright colors and bold patterns.
Look For...
Billowy tops that add volume to the bust with a snug fitting waist. Add flutter or princess sleeves for a more dramatic effect.
Skirts with a fitted waist, and embellishments around the bust and shoulders to balance your lower half.
Wear wraps that emphasize your small waist with full or structured shoulders and a wide neckline. Wear a padded bra for enhanced effect.
For jackets, use full or structured shoulders and a nipped-in waist in hip length. Draw attention to your bust with pockets or details. Stay away from lower pockets.
Off-the-shoulder or wide necklines with a fitted or nipped-in waist will widen and draw attention to your slim shoulders and emphasize your small waist.
A-line skirts that gently skim your body help to de-emphasize your bottom.
Look for lightly gathered skirts that slim your bottom. Make sure they are not too heavily gathered.
Your Celebrity Inspiration...
The Inverted Triangle, The Athetic
Dressing for your body shape is all about playing up your assets. If you're an inverted-V body shape, that's actually pretty easy to do. Also called an inverted-triangle shape, this body type features strong shoulders, narrow hips and thin limbs, so you have plenty of options when it comes to clothing. The key to dressing an inverted triangle body type is to balance your narrow lower body with your broader shoulders and chest. To create the most curvaceous effect, add volume to your lower body by mixing and matching suggested separates. Choose dresses with deep V-necks. Shoulders should not flare or puff. Sleeveless or long form-fitting sleeves look best while spaghetti and narrow straps will have a tendency to make your shoulder look broader. Stay away from wide necklines altogether. Dresses with empire waists with A-line skirts that float away from your body will create the most figure flattering effect, however full skirts that fall from the natural waist line also work well. Simple wrap dresses with a higher waist are also flattering. When you're choosing an outfit, the main goal should be finding pieces that help to soften your shoulders; this helps create a balanced appearance for your frame and guarantees a flattering look for your clothes.
Your Features
- You have a proportionally larger upper body
- You have broad shoulders, and ample bust and a wide back
- Your hips are slim and your bottom may have a tendency towards the flat side
- Your waist is subtle and you have a tendency to gain weight in your belly and upper body
- Your beautiful, shapely legs are your best asset.
In General
Look for dresses and separates that are dark above the waist and light or bright below to create the illusion of a balanced figure
- Wear a dress has a dark colored bodice and light skirt.
- Wear a shirt that is dark colored around the bust/shoulders and brighter in color below the bust.
Pair it with light colored pants or a skirt.
The key to dressing an inverted triangle body type is to balance your narrow lower body with your broader shoulders and chest. To create the most curvaceous effect, add volume to your lower body by mixing and matching suggested separates.
Look For...
Look for tops with narrow V-necks, and nipped-in waists that flare slightly at the hips.
Think about deep scoop V-necks to narrow your upper body. Consider layering a lightly colored shell with the V-neck to enhance the effect.
Look for V-neck wrap styles. A little flare below the waist will help add curves to your hips.
An alternative is a deeply collared shawl, or a lightly coweled top, particularly in dark colors, with an underlying light shell.
For jackets, stay with the deep-V neckline. Find a nipped-in waist with a flared bottom or nice hip pocket details.
A-line skirts fill out your slight hips while balancing you upper body. Details around the hips, or bold colors and prints further enhance the effect.
Full or ballerina type skirts add curves to your lower half and balance your broader upper half. You have great legs so feel free to play with length.
Your Celebrity Inspiration...
The Diamond
Your body type is as rare as the gem itself. If you have a diamond-shaped body, your hips will be broad, and your bust will be narrow and in alignment with the shoulders. Your midsection looks full, like the oval-shaped body. You tend to gain weight around the stomach, and your waist isn’t well-defined. You have a little more weight in the upper legs. Your arms are also slender and well-shaped. The lower legs are shaped well, and they happen to be your body’s best feature
Your Features
- Your hips are broader than you bust and shoulders
- You have a tendency to gain weight in you stomach, back, hips and buttocks
- Your waist is undefined and the widest part of your frame
- You carry some weight in your upper legs
- Your lower legs are shapely and one of your most attractive features
- You have proportionately slender, shapely arms
In General
Find tops that will help create a more defined waist and accentuate your shoulders and bust. Look for:
- Tops with nipped or belted waists.
- Off the shoulder, boat-neck tops, wide V or U necks.
- Structured shoulders, princess or flutter sleeves.
- Embellishments around the bust and shoulders.
- Tops that are full, rushed or flowing around the bust.
Look for bottoms that lean and lengthen your lower half:
- Choose dark colored bottoms.
- Lightly gathered or A-line skirts that skim your figure.
- Straight skirts that fall from the widest part of your hip.
Look For...
Square or scoop neck button downs that are nipped-in at the waist and flare at the bottom will help create the illusion of a more defined waist.
Choose tops with wrap-style busts and an empire waist. Fabric should gently skim away from the body below the waistline. Princess or flutter sleeves will further balance your figure.
Choose tailored wrap tops or tunics with belted waists that skim over your tummy and bottom.
Choose tops with wide necklines, full sleeves and draped fabric with a low, banded waist. Strapless versions of this top are also flattering.
Look for strapless or off-the-shoulder tops with an empire waist and fabric that skims the body below the waist.
Choose jackets with full or structured shoulders and a nipped-in waist. Draw attention to your bust with pockets or details. Stay away from lower pockets.
Straight skirts that fall from the widest part of your hip are flattering when paired with a shirt that de-emphasizes your tummy. Add interest and a slimming effect with vertical seaming.
Choose lightly gathered or A-line skirts that skim your bottom without adding volume.
Your Celebrity Inspiration...
The Hourglass
Coco Chanel once opined, “Fashion is architecture; it is a matter of proportions.” Lucky you! You have the body shape that most women strive for. The objective of dressing your body type is to accentuate your hourglass figure. No matter what your weight is, accentuating your balanced body creates the most pleasing effect. For those women with an hourglass figure but a large bust, sometimes called the Top Hourglass, the key to dressing this body type is to balance your lower body with your ample bust while accentuating your waist. To create the most curvaceous effect add volume to your lower body by mixing and matching suggested separates.
Your Features
- Your bust and hips are well balanced
- you have a beautifully defined waist
- Your have gently rounded shoulders that align nicely with your hips
- Your waist is obvious and gracefully curves out to your hips
- You most likely have a rounded bottom and beautiful side as well as front profile
- Your upper body is proportionate in length to your legs which are shapely
- From top to bottom, you are a picture of harmony and balance
In General
Wear color of similar or identical brightness on your upper and lower body, while adding darker color around your waist to accentuate your curves.
- Wear a light colored dress with a wide dark belt.
- Wear a shirt that is lighted colored around the bust/shoulders and dark below the bust.
- Pair it with light colored pants or a skirt.
Look For...
Your figure was made for form hugging tops. You can further enhance your waist by adding a belt to basic tops (tube tops, knit tops, sleeveless tops, etc.).
Tops with that add volume to the bust and shoulders with a snug fitting empire waist create a dramatic hourglass effect when paired with a proportionally voluminous bottom.
Wrap-style tops accentuate your waist and enhance your hourglass figure.
Flowing tops that are banded at the waist, showing off your amazing curves, create a dramatic hourglass effect.
Wear fitted dress shirts with darted waists that conform to your natural shape. Stay away from boxy styles.
Choose either form-fitting jackets or jackets that nip in at the waist with a flare at the hip. The flare should be balanced with a structured or princess shoulder.
Figure skimming and pencil skirts of all lengths look good on your figure. High-waisted skirts are particularly flattering. Add a flounce around the bottom to balance fuller tops and jackets.
Full skirts are flattering when paired with a top that adds fullness to your bust and shoulders while accentuating your waist. This look creates a very dramatic hourglass effect.
Your Celebrity Inspiration...
The Spoon, The Figure 8
The spoon body shape is characterized by large hips that are bigger than the rest of the body. This creates a nice shape that resembles the number 8. You tend to gain weight in the upper section, especially the stomach region. Love handles are your biggest issue, and you tend to gain weight in your thighs and arms section easily. The key to dressing a spoon body type is to draw attention to your upper body while deemphasizing your tummy to create a balanced appearance. Your legs and shoulders are two of your best assets. Strapless dresses and tops look good on you and you can easily pull off shorter skirts with your great legs. However, to create a more curvaceous effect add volume to your upper body by mixing and matching suggested separates.
Your Features
As a Spoon Body type (sometimes called figure 8) your figure is quite common. Typical characteristics of a Spoon Body Shape are:
- Your hips are larger than your bust
- You have a defined waist
- Your hips have a “shelf” appearance
- You are prone to gaining weight in your tummy and have a tendency towards love-handles
- While you may gain weight in your upper thighs and upper arms, your lower legs and arms are shapely and your best assets
In General
Empire waist tops are the most flattering on a spoon figure because they emphasize the smallest part of your torso. Do not choose tops with excessive fabric beneath the empire waist, instead choose silhouettes that are more a-line and gently skim your figure. Choose tops with wide necklines and embellishments that draw attention and add volume (or the illusion of volume) to your bust and shoulders. When selecting jackets, choose ones with a structured shoulder and nipped-in waist that gently skim away from the body and end at your hipbone.
Look for tops that will help balance your lower half while accentuating your defined waist and camouflaging any tummy bulges:
- Tops with empire waists.
- Off the shoulder, boat-neck tops, wide V or U necks.
- Tops with rouching or embellishments around the bust.
- Tops that skim your midsection without adding volume.
- Strapless tops that show off your shoulder
Look For...
Look for shirts with empire waists with fabric that gently floats away from the body below the waist. Flutter or princess sleeves or strapless varieties are particularly flattering.
Shirts with draped fabric with a low, banded waist will hide tummy bulges. Choose strapless, flutter sleeve or tops with embellishments around the bust or neck for the best effect.
Classic babydoll cuts are almost always flattering on spoon body shapes. The empire waist accents to smallest part of your torso and the flowing fabric de-emphasizes your tummy.
Choose tops with wrap-style or embellished busts. This emphasize your upper body, helping to visually balance your figure.
Choose shirts with full sleeves and details around the bust to help balance your lower body. Choose shirts that nip in high on the waist and them skim away around the tummy.
Jackets with a structured shoulder, wide collar and nipped-in waist that gently skim away from your body below the waist work perfectly with a spoon figure.
Most skirts cuts and lengths look good on you. A-line skirts that add minimal volume to your lower half look especially good. Avoid skirts with embellishments that add volume to your hips.
Straight skirts or pencil skirts usually look great on a spoon body shape when paired with the right top. Feel free to play with length and show off your great legs!
Your Celebrity Inspiration...
The Oval, The Apple
As an apple, your fashion goal is to emphasize your strong points which are your bust and legs, and to camouflage your weaker one which is your midsection. This will help to balance out your figure. Since the idea is to draw the eye toward those parts of your body that shine and away from those that don’t, you want to show off your great legs! Or to put it another way, the key to dressing an Oval body type is to de-emphasize your midsection and create a more defined waist. All this is achieved by choosing clothing that add curves and fullness to your lower body and tops that taper to a waist. You have amazing legs so feel free to play with skirt lengths, but don’t go too short otherwise you will further a top-heavy look.
Your Features
You have an Oval Body Shape (sometimes known as an apple body shape). Typical Characteristics of an Oval body type are:
- You have a large bust, narrow hips, and a full midsection
- You have a tendency to gain weight in your stomach, back and upper body
- Your waist is undefined and the widest part of your frame
- You also have a full, shorter neck and full face
- Your buttocks are somewhat flat and your legs are slender
- Your shapely, graceful legs are your best assets.
In General
A monochromatic look usually works best. Add splashed of color with camisoles, earrings, necklaces and great shoes.
- Wear a dark colored dress with a wide dark belt and a vibrant statement necklace and colorful shoes.
- Wear a dark pant or skirt suit with a bright colored cami and shoe
Choose dresses with A-line skirts, darted or belted waists and cuts or embellishments that draw attention and emphasize your bust and shoulders. Wide necklines, off-the-shoulder and big lapels are an excellent way to create illusion of volume without actually adding volume. Wide-lapeled, A-line, belted coat dresses are particularly flattering on your body type. Always proportionally enhance both your upper and lower body.
Choose tops with cuts, necklines and embellishments that draw attention and add volume (or the illusion of volume) to your bust and shoulders while emphasizing a waistline. Off the shoulder or wide necklines are most flattering. Wide-lapeled wrap shirts and jackets with nipped-in waists and a slightly flared bottom are excellent for oval body types. Both shirts and jackets that come to the hip-bone are the most flattering on your body type
Look For...
Square or scoop neck button downs that are nipped-in at the waist and flare at the bottom will help create a more defined waist.
Look for belted tops that flare at the hip.
Choose tailored tunic style tops that nip-in at the waist. Tunics with wide or plunging necks and details around the neck are most flattering.
Wear wrap tops with wide, deep V-necks and simple sleeves. Tops should wrap at your natural waistline and flare at the hip.
Belted safari-type jackets with prominent hip pockets and a wide, deep neckline add curves to your hips and minimize your tummy.
Tailored jackets with wide-stance collars, a nipped-in waist and flared bottom. The first button should be below your bust.
Fuller flowing skirts that gently skim away from your body will help fill out your hips.
Straight skirts with a flirty flared bottom look good on your figure when paired with a top or jacket that accentuate your hips.
Your Celebrity Inspiration...
The Banana, The Rectangle
It's easy to look your best when you know which clothes to pick for your body type. Rectangle body types are one kind of figure that looks chic in a variety of clothing. A rectangle figure is a boyish body type, with more straight lines and few curves. Adding femininity to a rectangle figure and creating curves seems challenging, but it's simple to do with the right clothing styles. Certain types of tops, like wrap tops, can help create the illusion of curves. Anything with details or embellishments, such as collars and ruffles, and scoop neck or V-neck shirts all work well, too. If you like jackets or blazers, opt for a fitted style that has a cinched-in waist. A buttoned jacket is even better. Skip straight skirts, which only define your length instead of creating a more feminine figure. Stick with full-silhouetted skirts that offer layers, ruffles or other details such as flared pleats. Skirts can be any length, but if you have great gams, show them off in a short style for a womanly look. The traditional A-line skirt works well for rectangular body types and keeps the look soft. The wrap dress is a rectangle woman's secret weapon. Cinch the dress in to whittle the waist and make your shape pop. Choose dresses with darts or drapery to add fullness to your figure. Adding a belt to highlight your small waistline is another option. Avoid any dresses that have a square neck or an undefined waist.
Your Features
You have the most common body type. Over 45% of American women have a Banana body shape (sometimes called rectangle, straight, or ruler body shape).
- Your hips and bust are balanced
- Your waist is not very defined
- You probably have a bottom that is more flat than round
- You tend to gain weight in your torso first and then your upper thighs and arms
- Your lower legs are always shapely and one of your best assets
In General
Wear color of similar or identical brightness on your upper and lower body, while adding darker color around your waist
- Wear a light colored dress with a wide dark belt.
- Wear a shirt that is lighted colored around the bust/shoulders and dark below the bust.
- Pair it with light colored pants or a skirt.
Look For...
Find tops with belted or gathered waists with fullness around the bust and hips.
Off the shoulder shirts and wide necklines will lengthen your shoulders and create the illusion of a smaller waist. Enhance the effect with a wide belt and padded bra.
Flowing tops with draping in the body and sleeves and a wide banded waist help create the illusion of an hourglass figure.
Billowy tops that add volume to the bust with a snug fitting waist. Add flutter or princess sleeves for a more dramatic effect.
Shirts with a fitted waist and embellishments around the bust and shoulders will give you a more curvaceous appearance.
Jackets with full or structured shoulders and a nipped-in or belted waist. Draw attention to your bust with pockets or details. Choose a jacket with a pocketed or flared bottom.
Choose full, tiered, or bubble skirts of any length. Pair with shirts that provide an equal amount of volume to your bust and shoulders to create an hourglass effect.
Find skirts with details, seaming or pockets that add the illusion of curves to your hips.
Your Celebrity Inspiration...
Many thanks to Shop Your Shape for their inspiration in setting up this page.