How to Dress for Your Body Type

One of the most valuable things that you can learn as a woman is how to dress for your body type. Once you’ve got that figured out, you’ll never say, “Ugh, this looks horrible on me!” again. Every piece of clothing you buy should be carefully selected to flatter your specific body type.

This is exactly why certain celebrities win “who wore it best?” and certain ones lose. It’s not about the outfit, exactly, it’s all about how you wear the outfit! If only they had read this guide for how to dress for your body type, they would win every time, hands down.

APPLE BODY SHAPE

What does an apple body shape look like? Apple body shapes are seen in people who have a pretty well-proportioned upper and lower body. They usually have larger busts and shoulders, no defined waistline, and hips that aren’t super curvy. If you have an apple body shape, you’ll want to dress in a way that brings some definition to your figure while concealing the parts that you aren’t so confident about.

The best idea for apple shaped bodies is to really play up your upper body! The idea here is to take the attention away from the waist so you can really ignore any clothing pieces that are cinched at the waist or structured like hourglasses. Apple shapes look amazing in plunging necklines, short sleeves, or high necklines in dark shades.

It’s also a great idea to show off your gorgeous legs! If you’re going to go for a dress, choose one with an A-line that makes your legs and torso appear longer than they really are.

The most flattering clothes for apple-shaped bodies

A-line and empire waists are going to be your best friend. Also, strapless or sleeveless shirts and dresses help to play up your arms and bust and really show off your defining features! It’s recommended to go for fabrics that have a good structure in order to give your body some shape. Stay away from materials like jersey, satin, and chiffon – anything that might cling to the body!

When it comes to pants, skinny jeans and leggings are a great way to create contrast between the top and bottom halves of your body. They look especially nice with lost-fitting top or an oversized sweater! If you’re not one for the skinny style, flare-legged pants with heels will make you look longer than you actually are.

HOURGLASS BODY SHAPE

The hourglass body shape, for many women, is the ultimate goal. So much so, in fact, that women use waist trainers and corsets to cinch their waist and create an hourglass figure for themselves!

Hourglass figures have bust and hip measurements that are about the same size with a smaller waist in the middle. Since you probably have a fuller bustline, hips, and thighs, you are likely to be described as “curvy.”

Essentially, when you have an hourglass body, you want to choose clothing that accentuates your waist while also highlighting your womanly curves. The goal here is to create a silhouette that is to die for!

The most flattering clothes for hourglass-shaped bodies

The most important thing to remember is that fitted clothing looks the best on hourglass shapes. If you want to really play up your hourglass shape, wear clothing that is form-fitting and highlights your neckline.

Hourglass figures look amazing in wrap tops and dresses, items that are tailored at the waist, and cropped jackets – a bomber jacket with an elastic waist will look amazing, for example!

When it comes to dresses, you can really take your pick! As an hourglass shape, your body will likely look amazing in anything that you choose. However, try to avoid dresses that are too large and flowy. You don’t want your killer figure to get lost in all that fabric!

For pants, you’ll want to stick to simple items that cling to your curves in all the right places. Try to steer clear of cargo pants or other pants with large pockets because they’ll throw off the balance of your hourglass shape. High-rise jeans do a great job of showing off those hips AND your waist!

PEAR BODY SHAPE

Pear-shaped bodies are all in the hips. If you’re pear-shaped, your hips are going to be wider than your bust and shoulders, and you’re likely to have a larger behind (lucky, you!). The #1 tip for dressing with a pear-shaped body is to elongate the body and draw the eye upwards! You want to really highlight your neckline, waist, and back.

One of the best things about pear-shaped bodies is that you can really create the illusion of an hourglass figure if you know how to dress. The right top can do wonders for your body and give you a silhouette even Kim Kardashian would be jealous of.

The most flattering clothes for pear-shaped bodies

You really want to play up the top half of your body so you can go wild when it comes to shirts for pear-shaped bodies! Ruffled or balloon sleeves will create the illusion of a wider top that is proportionate to the bottom.

Pear-shaped bodies also look amazing in backless shirts and dresses or those with plunging and embellished necklines.

As far as pants go, flared out bottoms, skinny jeans, or leggings are the way to go. So really, you can wear pretty much whatever you’d like! If you’re looking for a super cute and comfy pair of leggings to pair with a lose-fitted top, check out my store! In fact, there are a few other options on there too that you might be interested in like cozy hoodies and comfy tank tops!

Try to avoid wearing tops that are too baggy or flowy. If you do, your waistline will get lost and it could make you look boxy.

RECTANGLE BODY SHAPE

I have always preferred to call this shape “athletic.” I just think it sounds so much better than “rectangle!” Rectangle kind of implies that you don’t have much of a shape to speak of, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. You just need to know how to dress to play up your shape and show off your body’s strong attributes!

That being said, athletic bodies aren’t necessarily curvy. Your shoulder and hip measurements are likely about the same and your weight tends to be evenly distributed throughout your body. If this sounds like you, keep reading because I will help you figure out how to dress!

The most flattering clothes for rectangle-shaped bodies

The best rule of thumb when it comes to dressing your athletic body is to choose either the top OR the bottom to accentuate. Since you’re already pretty balanced on the top and the bottom, playing up one or the other will create an incredible silhouette.

That being said, you’ll also want to play up your gorgeous arms and legs while showing off your waist. For shirts, you should choose halter tops, racerback tank tops, and anything strapless!

When it comes to dresses, you just have to choose what part of your amazing body that you want to show off! Legs? Choose a short hemline. Arms? Go strapless! Chest? Pick a plunging neckline or one that is embellished.

Since rectangle, or athletic, bodies are kind of straight up and down, you’ll want to choose outfits that play up your waistline. Cropped shirts or ones that are cinched at the waist are always great options!

INVERTED TRIANGLE BODY SHAPE

You’ll know that your body is the inverted triangle shape if your shoulders measure wider than your hips. The most important thing to focus on when you have an inverted triangle body shape is the lower half of your body. What you really want to do is balance out the top with the bottom.

In order to do that, you’re going to opt for pieces that add definition to your hips and create a well-defined waist.

The most flattering clothes for inverted triangle-shaped bodies

Cinched waists and curvy bottoms are going to be your favorite clothing items. You can draw attention to your legs by playing them up with bright colors and fun patterns. Also, add volume with flowy or baggy bottoms – anything that can help to make your hips look wider.

You can also draw attention to your waist with a plunging neckline. These help to make the upper body look slim and long. Try scoop, V-neck or U-necklines!

Try to stay away from skinny jeans, leggings, and tops that draw attention to your shoulders. Off the shoulder shirts and dresses or those with shoulder pads will just add volume to your shoulders and further accentuate the inverted triangle appearance.

Now that you know exactly how to dress for your body type, head on over to my shop and pick out a few items that will look amazing on you!