Dressing your body type

In my last post I talked about the 6 Primary Body Types & Clothing Tips. Now that we all know what category we belong to, without further ado, lets find clothes for our own unique shape.

All female body types have their own unique attributes, and with style and clothing, knowing how to dress for your body type will let you have fun with your wardrobe so that you can flatter your body shape and bring out your best features.

• For Round or Apple body shape
  

Show off your legs! Wear an A-line skirt to add emphasis to your waistline.

Do not wear tops that feature a lot of busy detail, like ruffles, rouching or other embellishments.

Anything that clings to your stomach is a no-no; therefore, shirts with a lot of Lycra are out!

With tops, choose turtlenecks, boatnecks, or shirts with collars. Knits and woven stretch fabrics are best for your body type

The best jeans for your body type are ones with front and back pockets. These will help disguise a rounder middle area while defining your curves. But avoid pants with pleats, and choose a flatter front instead

Try to avoid tops with puffy sleeves, or overly baggy clothing. Slim skirts and tight clothes should also be avoided, since they will only emphasize a slimmer lower body half and create the illusion of imbalance.

Great accessories contribute to a stylish look, helping to pull it all together.

• For Inverted triangle body shape
  

Your main style aim should be to create the illusion of the perfect hourglass body shape by balancing your lower body to your upper body and to draw attention away from your upper body.

Do wear...

Flowing fabrics
Set-in sleeves
Three-quarter length sleeves
A good fitting, well adjusted bra
Tops and dresses that flow through the waist
A-line skirts
Flared pants

Don't wear...

Styles that emphasize your shoulders
High necklines
Big collars
Tapered skirts and pants

• For Hour glass body shape
  
  

If you have an Hourglass shape, you are in luck. This body shape is the most compatible with most of the latest fashion trends. You pretty much look great in all styles. However, you do have to be careful of some fashion choices. Because you are equally proportional on both the top and bottom of your body, it is important that you do not choose clothing that hides your well-defined waistline. Boxy, tailored jackets can be worn, however, they should hit at the waist. Longer, boxy tops can make an hourglass figure look wider. Instead, accentuate your waist with wide belts and garments that cinch in at the waist. As a fuller figured woman, try to stay away from very busy prints and very tight garments. You also don't want to over-layer your clothing; too many layers will make you look bulky. Overall, though, as long as you clothing choices still show that fabulous hourglass figure, you can be sure that you will be strutting down the street looking your best.

• For the Pear shape
  

Dressing pear shaped women involves balancing a slender neck, narrow shoulders, and a small bust with a shapely waist, generous hips, and full thighs. Your best assets are your waistline, delicate upper body, shoulders and arms, so try to accentuate these features when dressing for your body type.

Look for strapless or sleeveless dresses to play up the arms and shoulders. Or look for empire waistlines and dresses that begin to flare at the hips

Choose flowing fabrics, especially when it comes to pants, and remember that straight skirts are ideal for your body shape

Wear semi-fitted tops with square or cowl necklines to broaden narrow shoulders

Avoid tops that are too loose or too tight and make you seem out of proportion. When looking for a blazer or jacket, make sure the bottom does not meet the widest part of your hips. Lastly, avoid straight dresses that tend to tighten at the hips; this will only accentuate them.

• For the Straight body
  
  

The straight body type features an upper and lower body half that are equal in width. If you gained a few pounds, they would most likely be equally distributed throughout the body, instead of going straight to your curves.

Choose tops with necklines that fall below the collarbone to elongate the upper body and neck

Look for a longer suit jacket that will help lengthen the torso

Skirts and pants with details can broaden the lower half of the body, while shirts with pockets on the bustline will emphasize the area

Try to avoid belts or pleated fabrics at the waistline. These can make the area look thick instead of narrowing the waist.

• For the Diamond shaped body
  

The greatest Diamond Figure’s assets are: Proportionate face, neck, and bust, Balanced thighs, Shapely legs and Great arms

To flatter a diamond body shape, you should wear clothing that will take the eye off the waist and make the shoulder area appear wider - shoulder pads, for example, and horizontal necklines.

*Do wear...

Ear-rings, necklaces and other focal points designed to draw an observer's eyes up towards your shoulders and face
Shoulder pads to emphasize your shoulders. This may sound very 80s advice, but they really do work. However, they should not be be visible
Semi-fitted and loose fitting clothes
Good fitting, well adjusted bras
Support underwear
Tops and bottoms in the same colors
Low necklines
Un-tucked tops
Tops and dresses that flow through the waistline
Straight flat-fronted pants in soft, flowing fabric
Straight and slightly flared skirts

*Don't wear...

Clingy fabrics
Fitted clothes
Fabric with large patterns
High necklines
Large lapels
Belts
Tucked-in tops
Pleats
Narrow or tapered skirts
Narrow or tapered pants

# BONUS TIPS

• High collars shortens necks.
• Tight tops with short sleeves and breast pocket is detracting from your figure. Shoes with straps shortens your legs. The torso can be shortened or narrowed with seam lines, belts, bows, and collars.
• A short necklace can shorten your neck.
• A scarf or belt that hangs down toward the legs will make the legs appear longer. Knitted texture, lace, floras, prints, and plaids can assist in creating an illusion. T
• hicker vertical lines in plaids lengthens and slims.
• Wear a larger print where you want people to look and smaller print where you do not want them to look.
• An all over print can camouflage figure problems, but prints here and there can create a fuller you.
• Prints around the neck and over the shoulder can make your shoulders appear wider. Just wear prints near the parts of your figure's assets, because they are usually more eye catching than a solid color.
• When buying pants be sure they fit well. Defects are emphasized in a pair of pants that may go unnoticed in a skirt.