How to dress for your body shape
Are you a pear or apple? We’re talking fashion, not food, with a fashion guru who knows a thing or two about dressing for your body shape.
Dressing for your body type is a must for women who want to look and feel amazing in everything they put on.
While most women have an idea about what shape their body is, they are not quite sure how to go about choosing clothes to complement it.
We spoke to style experts at The Box Fashion to get some tips on what works best for your body shape.
“When dressing for your body shape, the aim is to maintain the correct proportions, because well-balanced proportions can make you look slimmer. You always want to create the illusion of a proportional hourglass figure. You know, like Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, Sofia Vergara,” says founder Winessa Potgieter.
You’ve probably heard of the terms apple and pear-shaped when describing a woman’s body type, but Winessa says they prefer to use the lettering system.
The four basic shapes are A, X, V and I.
A (pear/triangle shaped)
A woman with this body shape has a smaller upper body compared to her lower body.
DO: Wear designs that emphasises a horizontal focus point above the waist e.g. off-the-shoulder tops and high-waisted skirts or trousers.
DON’T: Wear shapeless upper body garments that hide your smaller torso, but if you choose a looser top, tuck it in rather than having the top ending on your hip-line.
X (hourglass)
Your upper body is similar in size to your lower body (with a small waist)
DO: Wear tailored clothing that accentuates your waistline e.g. a tailored blazer or by cinching your waist with a belt.
DON’T: Wear untailored, bulky clothes that make you look as if you have no shape.
V – (inverted triangle)
You have a bigger upper body than a lower body
DO: Place the focus below your waist-line e.g. printed trousers, a skirt with a lace or frill border and embellished jeans.
DON’T: Wear tops with extra volume such as off-the-shoulder looks, puffed sleeves or a bulky scarf if you have a large chest.
I (Apple/rectangle)
You don’t have a defined waist.
DO: Wear garments that create an illusion of a waistline, such as an A-line skirt. Show off those legs, opt for shoes with details or choose shorter hemlines.
DON’T: Avoid big shapeless garments that hide your figure and instead of high necklines, rather choose a V-neck.