The Best Clothing Options for Your Body Shape

You can spend a fortune on clothes, but if they don’t complement your body shape, you’ve truly wasted your money. While every woman’s body shape is different, most women generally fall within one of the following categories:

Pear Body Shape – Your upper half is smaller than your lower half. Most pears will have a slender neck, slender shoulders, narrow back, small to average bust, a defined waist, a curvy behind and hips and full calves and thighs. When you gain weight, you tend to gain it in your thighs and hips.

Apple Body Shape – Your upper half is larger than your lower half. Most apples will have a full face and neck, full breasts, a full or undefined waist, a small or flat behind, narrow hips and shapely legs. When you gain weight, you tend to gain in your waist area or mid-section.

Hour Glass Body Shape – You are very curvy and you have a defined waist. You have a full bust, medium to broad hips and shapely legs. Your hips are in-line with your shoulders and when you gain weight, it tends to go to all the right places.

Rectangle Body Shape – You have a straight figure with slight curves. You have a balanced up and down figure with an average bust, undefined waist and great arms and legs. When you gain weight it distributes evenly all over your body.

Here are some tips and guidelines that can help you purchase the right style of clothes to match your body shape.

Clothes for Pear Shapes

If you are a pear shape, balance is what you should be looking for in clothing. You want to give the illusion of a larger bust and wider shoulders. The goal when shopping for clothes is to look for clothing that will give your lower body a slimming look while over-playing your upper body.

The best way to do this is to choose wide neck lines. You can choose square necks, round necks, draped, V-neck or scooped neck tops. Fitted tops will work well, but you can also successfully wear looser blouses and tops. Keep in mind that halter tops work really well for pear shapes because they give the appearance of wider shoulders which balances out the thighs and hips. Tops that have puffy sleeves will also give the illusion of wider shoulders. Shirts, sweaters and blouses that have a lot of detailing work well for pear shapes, as do light, bright colours and prints. In regards to colours, keep your colourful shades on top and stick with neutral, dark colours on the bottom.

Pear shapes should opt for flared or A-line skirts. You should also look for pants or jeans that are wide-legged or flared. Remember; the darker your bottom pieces are, the better. If you’re in the market for a dress, wrap dresses or dresses that have an empire waist will work the best. Avoid body hugging dresses and skirts and garments that have large pockets and/or belts.

Clothes for Apple Shapes

If you are an apple shape, elongating or lengthening your torso is the name of the game. You want to purchase clothes that will slim the waist and shoulders and you want to have attention drawn to areas such as your breasts and legs - areas away from the stomach.

The best shirts for apple shapes are V necklines and wrap tops. Both of these take the eye away from the shoulders and abdomen. Layers work well for apple shapes so consider wearing a camisole or tank top beneath a jacket. Blouses and jackets that have belts or cinched waists will help to minimise the waist area and slenderise the stomach. When shopping for jackets, look for ones that fall to mid-thigh or right below the waist. Opt for dark coloured tops and jackets.

When it comes to bottoms, skirts that fall from one to five inches above the knee work well. A-line skirts are the best, as are jeans that have a flared leg or boot-cut. Jeans and skirts that have pockets with flaps on the behind will give your behind a curvier look. The colours for your bottoms can be lighter than your tops such as light wash jeans, and colourful/patterned skirts.

Clothes for Hour-Glass Shapes

If you have an hour-glass shape, consider yourself fortunate. You can wear most anything. Your goal when shopping for clothes is to look for clothes that will accentuate your curves by drawing attention to your waist. The only things you should avoid are baggy clothes and straight jackets, skirts and straight-legged jeans. You should also avoid shirts with a lot of ruffles because they will make your bust line look out of proportion to the rest of your body. In regards to the length of skirts and dresses, stay away from overly short ones. They will make you look round.

Clothes for Rectangle Shapes

If you have a rectangle figure, know that it is considered a model’s figure. You truly do not have anything to worry about when it comes to clothes - you can wear almost anything. Your goal when shopping for clothes is to find clothing that will give the appearance of more curves. Your curves will naturally pop if you avoid vertical patterns and vertical stripes. These will make you look lanky. You should also avoid tightly fitted shirts, cropped jackets and bottoms that have a high waist-line. Stay away from straight cut jeans and slacks, too. They will only make your straight figure seem more thin and straight.

Now that you have a general idea of the types of clothes that you should be shopping for, it’s time to head to the stores!

Acknowledgement: Female forum

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