How To Dress For Your Body Shape: Secret Style Tips And Outfit Ideas

Let’s talk about the clothes, starting with what tops, t-shirts, and blouses are best for each body shape. Please remember, no matter which body shape you are, it is exactly as it’s meant to be; there is no right or wrong with this.

All I’m here to do today is to give you my style tips on how you can really get the most out of the shape that you are blessed with.

1.Tops For Apple Shape

Let us start with apple shape. When choosing clothes for an apple body shape, the tops can be a really important part. Anything that draws attention to the bust and collarbone is a really great choice.

A very simple example of this is to choose a v-neck instead of a crew neck or perhaps more detailing on your blouse or top as well. A v-neck top will draw attention upwards towards your neck and your chest area, visually opening it up to the eye.So, think about going wide and lower, making your shoulders appear wider than they are, elongating your body, and breaking up that portion of your chest.

Bottoms For Apple Shape

For women with more of an apple shape, wide-leg trousers can be a really flattering option as that width across the hems can really help to balance out that wider midsection.

Though apple-shaped women generally have slimmer legs, and it is tempting to want to show them off, I personally think it’s more flattering to create that contrast instead.

Also, try and bear in mind where the zip placement is too on your particular pair of trousers as you don’t want to create any unnecessary bulk. So, side zips, for instance, are a great example for apple shapes. Any kind of ruching or perhaps heavy pleating around the waistband would perhaps highlight those areas that you might not want to.

2.Tops For Pear Shaped Body

Pear-shaped women have the luxury to really go to town with the tops that they choose. Bright and bold colors and prints on your upper body are perfect for pear-shaped women.

If you’re not a huge fan of color or print, choose tops with detailing such as ruffles or perhaps embellishments on the shoulders as this will have the same eye-catching effect.

The aim here is to draw the eye upwards and use all of the above to help balance out perhaps a heavier bottom half. Another way to do this is via the neckline you choose.

Even with the simplest of tops, an off-the-shoulder top, for example, can add an extra few inches to your upper body. Choose wider necklines, bottle tops perhaps, or a sweetheart neckline or even strapless will visually broaden the shoulders and just help to balance out the hips.

Bottom For Pear Shape

A pear-shaped woman often feels best in a pair of high-rise-style trousers or jeans, and ideally not anything that hangs too low on your hips as this will be drawing a line across that widest part of your body.

Plain bootcut styles also really suit a pear-shaped body as the volume at the hemline really helps to balance out the body shape and create more of an hourglass look.

If you want to hug in a smaller waist by adding a belt, I would just make sure that from the hip section, the line is clean and simple and not trying to compete for visual attention, so to speak.

Think about having the trouser as the darker element of your outfit too, and maybe even a pop of color on your top half to really draw the eye upwards.

3.Tops For Rectangle Body Shape

If you’re a rectangle body shape, you may want to give the appearance of a curvier body than you’ve actually got. So, to create the illusion of a bigger bust or just to create more shape, think about choosing a shirt with chest pockets, swooshes, or pleating.

Even details around this area will always help for further illusion of curves. Try and define your waist a little bit more as well. One trick to do this is by choosing a top with three-quarter length sleeves or just by pushing them up as your eye will always be drawn to where the sleeves end, which in this case will be in line with your waist.

Hold the neck tops throughout spring summer can work really great on women with rectangle body shapes, as that narrow neckline will scoop out over your bust and then in again at your belted waist and as a result, it will give you more of an hourglass shape overall.

Bottom For Rectangle Shape

For a rectangle shape, while any shape of trouser will typically suit you, you really want to create the idea of a defined waist, so belted trousers are great for you, especially if your belt is in a contrasting color.

For example, wearing a black belt with your cream trousers, for instance, will make it stand out even more. You could keep your whole look really tonal in this case and use the accessories to draw imaginary lines across your body where you want to highlight.

Like pear-shaped women, flares or bootcut styles are also great for rectangles too, as it creates the illusion of more shape, especially if you add that all-important belt to your waist too.

You’re forcing the eye to see more of an hourglass rather than just straight up and down. Now, if you’re wanting to hide your rectangle shape, I would say avoid anything too fitted on both your top and your bottom at the same time as that will just create the opposite look of the slightly curvier option from before.

4.Tops For Inverted Body Shape

Inverted triangle body shapes may want to use tops to draw attention away from their shoulders and down towards their waist and their hips, so peplum or perhaps detailed hems are a perfect choice.

Cardigans with detailing along the waistline or perhaps piping around the hem would do this too, especially in monochrome, actually as it’s so eye-catching.

A little tip is to tie your blouse or perhaps your shirt in a knot at just the point that you want the eye to go to. You might want to avoid going for off-the-shoulder or Bardot-style tops as they can just add width to your top half.

Asymmetrical styles can work brilliantly for inverted triangle body shapes as they can really help to break up the chest.

Bottom For Inverted Triangle Body Shape

If you’re an inverted triangle body shape, you want to think about adding volume with details like ruffles and pleats and pockets, which will fill out your hips and really help to balance your typically broader shoulders.This can easily be done with skirts or trousers.

For example, a-line or pleated midi skirt or a wide-leg pair of trousers or even choose trousers in a great pop of color is a really wonderful distraction tactic.

In addition to this, prints are brilliant on your bottom half if you’re an inverted triangle and allow your tops to be simple or darker so the trousers are really stealing the show and catching the eye.

For slimmer leg trousers, I would go with straight rather than skinny as they tend to suit your silhouette a little bit better. Boyfriend or the baggy trend would also work great for you because they would add more width on your bottom half as well.

5.Tops For Hourglass Women

Hourglass woman, choose fitted t-shirts and slim knitwear that will just skim your body and really enhance your natural silhouette. Lightweight fabrics and finesse will complement your shapes, so choose those over chunky heavy knits and loose sweaters that can tend to hide the natural hourglass shape.

Sweetheart necklines can work particularly well for hourglass shapes as they will subtly show off your bust and anything slightly rounded makes a really nice balance too.

If, on the other hand, you’re not very keen on showing off your bust, I would avoid high necklines like perhaps a roll neck as these will draw the attention up to that area.

Or, I guess, a very good example of the perfect top or dress, as it happens for an hourglass shape, would be this dress that I’m wearing today. It’s got a Bardot shape across the shoulders, nipped in at the waist, and that full but very clean line skirt that sits at my mid-calf.

Bottom For Hourglass Shape

For those of you with an hourglass shape, as with the tops, when choosing jeans and trousers, try and focus on your balanced silhouette. Unlike with some of the other body shapes, you don’t want to add or reduce the appearance of curves, so keep trousers slim and very simple.

A high-rise jean or trouser will draw the eye to your waist, which is naturally your narrowest point. When you’re selecting skirts, look for classic styles that emphasize your waist as well. Pencil skirts, for instance, look really lovely.

Anything that doesn’t have too much bulk or detail at the bottom will work best. A simple but full skirt, for example, would look really lovely, a bit like the skirt portion of this dress I’m wearing today actually.

That fullness actually helps make the waist look even smaller, which I like. I would avoid low waist jeans as they tend to make the hips look a little bit wider, but instead, opt for a mid or a high rise jean, which will help to elongate your shape.

Coats And Jackets

After covering tops and bottom for each different body type, I wanted to touch on jackets and coats. Coats are one of those items which can make or break an outfit, and having the right piece can really pull together the whole look. There aren’t as many styling tricks that you can do with your coat to make it look more flattering, so it’s best to find the coat that really suits your body type in the first instance.let’s start again with apple body shapes.

Best Coats and Jackets For Apple Body Shape

Jackets can be a great way to conceal a wider midsection if they’re long enough to conceal over it. So, with that in mind, I would advise avoiding anything too cropped that finishes right on the waist.

Structured tailored jackets can be great to create this look, with something similar to this longline blazer that I’m wearing right now actually. The length actually comes over my bottom and is sitting just below my hip bone, so skimming over my midsection, and it just forces the eye to focus on that hemline.

Focusing on lengths like this for an apple body shape will really help balance out your body. I would personally avoid belting your cardigans and your jackets as this will just draw attention to that area that perhaps you’re not wanting to highlight, and instead just leave those same cardigans and jackets quite open and relaxed.

Coats and Jackets For Pear Body Shape

If you’re pear-shaped, what’s really important is where your coat ends, and below your hips is your best bet. If your coat was to end right at the hips, it will just make them appear wider, and you might want to avoid that. A crop jacket could work great, or perhaps something over the knee onwards.

Just avoid anything stopping right at that in-between point on your hips. The thinking behind what’s best coat-wise on a pear-shaped woman is using the cut and the details of the coat to emphasize your shoulders and your bust.

So, styles with wide lapels like a wool overcoat or perhaps some interesting details like we often see on a classic trench, those tend to work brilliantly on pear-shaped women.

Coats And Jackets For Rectangle Body Shape

While straight-cut jackets hang really nicely on a rectangle body shape, as they follow the natural silhouette of the body, I would look for one with the option of a belt or perhaps a self-tie, such as a belted trench coat.

Obviously, this action of nipping in any jacket or coat or blazer even will then make you look more of an hourglass shape. Any kind of embellishments or details on the bust or the shoulders can be really great at creating the illusion of more width across your shoulders too.

Here, as you can see, I’ve nipped in this jacket with a belt, and a nice knock-on effect is that volume popping out over my hips. For rectangle-shaped women, looks like that again will make you appear to have a bit more curves.I would just be mindful to avoid anything too boxy.

Coats and Jackets For Inverted Triangle Body Shape

Inverted triangle body shapes look great in long clean lines, and rather than having big lapels or interesting colors, you want to create more of a flared silhouette to give the illusion of curvier hips.

So, look out for line carts, patch pockets, or horizontal lines at the hip level, which will all work brilliantly for you, and opt for darker colors too if you’re wanting to slimline the effect.

If you’re wearing a scarf, perhaps choose a long one, maybe with tassels at the end, which will again draw attention away from your shoulders and towards your hips. Simple things like pockets below the waist are a really easy way to add a bit more volume to your hips, and it just helps balance out your body shape.

Inverted triangle body shapes don’t actually work brilliantly with double-breasted blazers, shoulder pads, or anything too big and fussy on their top half. Instead, it’s all about creating the cleanest lines across your top, scooping it at the waist, and giving the illusion of more width and balance on your hips.

Coats And Jackets For Hourglass Body Type

Hourglass women may find it helpful to follow the natural silhouette of the body and really emphasize the waistline. So, take this look I’m wearing here with my trench coat that I was talking about before.

I’m really exaggerating my waistband by really nipping it in with that belt portion. Coincidentally, I rarely wear these kind of belts normally. As such, I prefer to actually tie them in a knot, which just gives me more of a cinched-in look.

Boxy short jackets that finish just above the waist will actually accentuate a wider hip, so personally, I tend to avoid that and opt for something slightly longer instead. I really love single-breasted and double-breasted blazers, but if you want to create less bulk or not look too top-heavy, single-breasted would be your best option.

Or, you could bounce your double-breasted blazers instead to give your shape a little more definition.

Conclusion

I hope now you are clear about how you can really play to your strengths of your body shape, creating those outfits that are a little bit more chic and flattering overall. If you follow these guidelines and remember that main rule of fit before fashion, then you’re good to go.