How to Choose Clothes Based On Your Body Type

Picking out clothes can be a bit of a daunting task. While shopping is supposed to be all about fun and relaxation, it’s not really all that entertaining to spend a whole day at the mall, trying on garment after garment that looks shapeless and weird on your body. We hear a lot of women saying how they “just don’t have a fashion body type” and can’t find a way to stay stylish because they believe fashion is only for model-specific bodies. Fortunately, that’s the furthest thing away from the truth – all shapes can be dressed and look good, you just have to know how to dress them. Well, here we’d like to show you how.

Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash

Pear

Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash

If your hips and thighs are wide and you have narrow shoulders, then you are pear-shaped and your goal is to balance out your figure by placing accent clothes at the top. Structured leather jackets are your friend, especially if you like that rocker chic aesthetics, and you might wish to invest in plenty of skirts and women dresses because they look amazing on pears. The fit-and-flare type dresses work really well, and so do A-line skirts and bootcut pants and culottes. If you’re in need of a swimsuit, a skirt bottom is not a bad idea, but avoid boyshorts and anything that draws too much attention to areas you want to hide. Try to grab something with a plunging neckline and a fun pattern at the upper half.

Rectangle

Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash

You’re slim, with narrow shoulders and hips and you have a boyish figure – a rectangle is nowhere near as difficult to dress as you might think, as your body shape just needs some textured clothing to look great. Shirts and skirts with ruffles are a good idea, and so are side cutouts as a detail on your garments. Pick bomber jackets and high-rise tapered trousers to give yourself more shape and a well-defined waist, and feel free to wear tiny bikinis with a lot of delicate ruffles and feminine details, or one piece suits with cutouts on the side.

Apple

Photo by MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash

If your weight concentrates on your midriff and you have a slimmer lower body you’re an apple. If your belly area is your biggest issue, you need to find clothes that are loose around your middle but that aren’t shapeless. Empire waist shirts and dresses look wonderful, and so do other high-waisted clothes, especially skirts. Wear belts to accentuate your waist, and wear shift dresses in solid colors styled with an interesting jacket and boots to look like a fashion diva. One-piece swimsuits are generally a good option for apples, but don’t feel like that’s your only option. Actually, a high-waist bikini will make you look like a sexy seductress and is totally great for your body type. It hides the belly but still enhances all the other curves you want to show off.

Inverted triangle’

Photo by Joanna Nix on Unsplash

Bulkier shoulders that are wider than your hips? An inverted triangle, in our opinion, can go with two routes: either cover up your shoulders and draw focus to your legs, or show them off, especially if you’ve been working out – it’s all up to you. Wear big, voluminous maxi skirts or circle miniskirts if you want to draw the eye to your bottom half, and wear slim, well-fitted shirts and jackets to slim down your shoulders visually. If you want to uncover them simply choose tops with thicker straps. Wear bikinis with ruffles and texture on the bottom and go simple with the top half – you don’t want too many embellishments.

Hourglass

Photo by Michael Slebodnik on Unsplash

Small waist with wider hips and shoulders? An hourglass benefits from anything that draws attention to the midriff. Wrap dress? An absolute must for you, they will look amazing on your body shape. Pencil skirts paired with button-down shirts and wide belts, wide-leg trousers that elongate your figure, and crop tops with high-waist skirts and pants all work really well. As for the swimsuit? Choose string bikinis, or maybe something retro-looking that will give off that 60’s vibe: polka dot pattern, high-waist bottoms, and halter tops.

If you pick clothes that suit your shape, then you’ll be surprised how much it can inspire you to be stylish. Grab pieces with the help of our tips, and have fun with your new fashionable skills!

About the author:

Claire Hastings is a wanderer and a writer. She writes as long as she can remember, and she is very passionate about fashion, running, other cultures, and her cat.