Dress for Your Shape
Dressing for your shape and understanding your body is (along with knowing your colours) fundamental to buying the right clothes and making you look fabulous.
Regardless of your size, once you know how to enhance your assets and detract from your least favourite parts, you will no longer make purchasing disasters and fill your wardrobe with clothes that will remain untouched, gathering dust.
Ladies are often compared to fruit shapes, however this can sometimes be construed as negative, so I have used this above illustration which perfectly categorises the main body shapes. But whatever your shape, the ultimate goal is to create proportion. An hourglass and rectangle are both in proportion, however an hourglass has more of a defined waist. A rounded body lady typically lacks a defined waist however has cracking arms and legs, so the aim is to celebrate those assets! A triangle is curvier around the hips, so the aim is to create proportion on top and accentuate that waist. An inverted triangle is top heavy, so the focus is to create proportion on the bottom.
Some good examples of each body shape are shown below:
Rectangle
Image courtesy of COS website
COS, £99
Whilst a triangle can get away with the most styles due to their athletic figure and typically smaller bust, often ladies wish to create curves by accentuating their waist. The tie on this jumpsuit does the trick nicely, but adding a belt to more shapeless styles will also work wonders.
Triangle
Image courtesy of Sézane website
Sézane, €95
To balance a curvier bottom half, the key is to draw the eye upwards. The bright colour and beautiful frills om this blouse will definitely do the trick to create that coveted sense of proportion. Wear a top like this with dark high waisted trousers/jeans and a waist belt to complete the look. Triangle ladies should avoid anything too bulky on their bottom half, including big pockets on the thigh/hip area or flouncy skirts/dresses.
Hourglass
Image courtesy of Warehouse website
Warehouse, £52
As an hourglass lady is in proportion, she can get away with quite a lot of styles. However the key here is to emphasise her gorgeous curves, which is achieved by cinching in the waist and having a V neck which draws the eye to the waist line.
Inverted Triangle
Image courtesy of Topshop website
Topshop, £45
When you are busty on top with shoulders which are wider than your hips, now is your time to wear all the colour, pattern and pleats/ruffles on your bottom half. This skirt is fab – fun timeless oversized polka dots and ruffles. It looks great with a tucked in jumper, but would look equally lovely with a satin cami and biker jacket.
Round
Image courtesy of Mango website
Mango, £89.99
A dress like this is great for a round body shape. It doesn’t cling too much to the waist yet will draw the eye to fantastic legs and arms. The V neck also softens the silhouette and accentuates a round figure. This would look lovely with strappy gold heels or a black pointed court shoe, paired with a leather jacket.
So, whenever you go shopping, bear in mind these top tips so that you don’t end up buying something which is unflattering for your shape. If you are still in doubt, please get in touch if you would like a colour and body shape consultation and we can discuss all the “dos” and “don’ts” specific to you in more detail.
