Dressing To Your Body Shape

  • Blog Post

Post Christmas is a time when everybody is more conscious of their body and weight.

How much you’ve let yourself go over the festive period and how you can cover up until things are back on track.

So it’s the perfect time to discuss the best kind of clothes for your body. Whether you’re tall and thin, or you’re shorter and have a bustier figure; there are definite ways to accentuate your best assets and mask those you’re not so fond of.

One of the most common body shapes that people struggle with is the pear shape. Pear shaped ladies have a wider lower body; probably the most common shape in the UK. An easy way to distinguish whether you fall into this category is looking at your hips and your shoulders. If your hips are wider than your shoulders, you have a pear shaped build. Pear shapes will have a fuller, more rounded bottom and a narrower waistline. This creates a problem when buying skirts or trousers as often the hips will fit but the waist band will be too big and the only way round this is having the garment taken in. It’s a sexy look to accentuate that small waist. Look at stars like Kim Kardashian and Eva Mendes for some inspiration; you’ll notice that they focus all of their attention on their torso and upwards. Strapless dresses work great, as they draw attention to the upper arms and shoulders of the body. Blouses and cardigans which end right before the waist are great for pulling the eye line upwards from the hips.

 

Another popular ‘problem child’ of body types is the rectangle or boy shape. Rectangle shaped girls are normally slim and slender, with the characteristic of having very similar widths in their shoulders, waist and hips. It can be hard to accentuate curves with this figure, which is why you need to turn to some clever fashion tips to help you do so. Don’t worry about minimising any parts of your body, it’s all about volume. The secret is layering. Start with a crisp white t-shirt or vest and go from there. Be it an open shirt under a fine cardigan and a blazer or soft unstructured fabrics using a belt to add important detail, a scarf or a bold necklace. Experiment with prints and textures.

 

Dresses with belts or peplums are great for providing that extra width at the hips. Long cardigans are lovely with a narrow belt over the top. Some of the hottest fashion icons can count themselves in this category, with Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz and Emma Watson amongst them.

The hourglass shape is very sexy and for women who are blessed with this figure; there are a few things you can do to make it even more dramatic. You’ll notice that stars like Beyonce and Halle Berry have become experts at this over the years. Look at the way that they use fitted dresses and belts to enhance their slim waists. High waisted skirts or trousers achieve the same effect, be sure to avoid baggy clothing; most women would die for your curves!

For more advice on some great fashion choices to help you accentuate what you have, get in touch with Coathanger today for some bespoke advice and guidance. info@coathanger.net