Find Style that Flatters your Shape

Fashion is all about style and fit. Every women should know their shape and go for clothes that fit and flatter. Find out how you can embrace your body while wearing clothes that look great!

Embrace your body type

Body shapes are all about proportion! Knowing your style is half the battle, and dressing accordingly can bring proper balance to your physic so you look your absolute best.

Embracing your body is about accentuating your shape. When you think about your body, don't focus on your height and weight, but focus on the shape! A slim gal can have the same body type as a curvy woman, just as a short gal can have the same type as her taller friend.

Every woman is unique, and should be dressed tailor-made! Here are five general categories that will be helpful to remember: hourglass, pear, apple, wedge, and rectangle. You may fall into one of these categories or be a mixture of both, nonetheless, once you decide which shape you are, you can consider which fashion trends to embrace and which ones to avoid.

The hourglass body type

Hourglass shaped celebs: Salma Hayek, Adrienne Bailon, Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, and Mariah Carey to name a few.

• If you have this shape: Your shoulder and hips are relatively proportion and sets off your curvy waist. 
• Best assets: Curves! curves! and more curves!
• Fashion goals: Bring out your curves without going overboard

Clothes that fit best 

• This shape can pretty much wear anything and still pull off the look
• Things that look best: are tops that hug your curves or tops that are v-neck, and boat neck tops
• Denim: skinny jeans or if you are more fuller on the bottom and do not prefer skinny go for boot cut, this look balances out the bottom bringing the attention upward.
• For the daring and youthful woman, opt for the fitted dress; or for the mature type of gal go for the fit-n-flare or the wrap dress (try to steer away from boyfriend fit denim as these jeans tend to make your shape appear boxy).

The pear body type

Pear shaped celebs: Jennifer Lopez, Allicia Keys, Tyra Banks, Courtney Kardashian, and Eva

Mendes. 


Pair shape traits: This trait is often mistaken for the hourglass shape, as both shape have well defined hips, however; are often fuller on bottom and narrow at the top- in other words, your hips are wider than your shoulders, while your waist have definition.
Best assets: Shoulders, torso, and legs.
Fashion goals: Emphasize your upper body and neckline, bringing focus upward as to minimize the hips.

Clothes that fit best

• When choosing style go for the tops that compliment the neckline and shoulders.  Go for nice flowy blouses, and add accessories to bring dimension and balance to your shape.
• Pick dresses that are fitted and flare out also showing off those legs!
• Best jeans for this shape: skinny jeans, and boyfriend jeans (done properly).  

The apple body type

Apple shaped celebs: Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta Jones,  and

Drew Barrymore

• Apple shape traits: Most of the weight accumulates in the upper part of the body above the hips making the hips appear slimmer. The shoulder and back are broad and wider than the rest of the body. 
• Best assets: Show off the legs!
• Fashion goals: The best way to bring balance to your body shape: elongate the torso, show off the legs, and use fashion to cinch in the waist. This creates illusion of a slim stomach. 

Clothes that fit best 

• Pick tops that create illusions of the waist area: such as peplum tops, wrap blouses, side ruching  and belted tops. when pairing items such as a t-shirt add a blazer that is forming or a coat that hits at knee length.
• Go for wrap dresses, and belted dresses that hit at knee. 
• When wearing jeans and bottoms opt for wide-leg bottoms and boot cut denim. The darker the wash the slimmer the legs appear.

The wedge body type

Wedge shape celebs: Jennifer Hudson, Naomi Campbell, Demi Moore, Jessica Alba, and Reese

Witherspoon

• Wedge shape traits: also known as the inverted triangle. This shape is known for a broad chest and wide shoulders, which are large in portion compared to the narrow waist and hips.
• Best assets: legs!
• Fashion goals: the ideal is to soften up the shoulders and upper body. Go for items that will bring attention away from your upper half.

Clothes that fit best 

• Play up the tops with flirty flowy tops and cardigans that effortlessly hang on the shoulders, also when picking summer tops go for halter strap tops which bring an illusion of slimmer shoulders; wear shear blouses that appear wide at the arms and waist.
• Dresses that are form fitting work best when pairing with a belt. Go for the fit-n-flare short dresses as to show of those legs!
• Stay away from skinny jeans or bottoms that bring more attention to the already slimming lower half. (note: can be worn only if done properly such as wearing peplum tops with skinny jeans or bottoms) grab for the bell-bottom jeans, wide-leg, or the boyfriend fit denim. Feel free to play around with patterns, shapes and color as these will also bring illusion and proportion. 

The rectangle body type

Rectangle shape celebs: Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, and

Adriana Lima

• Rectangle shape traits: known as the athletic and "model" shape. The waist, hips and shoulders are similar in size and are usually on the slim side.
• Best assets: Rectangles usually don't have to minimize any features as they are already in proportion to each other. Your arms, shoulders and legs are your best features.
• Fashion goals: Create curves and show off arms and legs.

Clothes that fit best

• Your style is limitless, play around with bold textures, patterns, and color. feel free to accentuate the waist with peplum tops. If you like, go for draping blouses that compliment the waist line with a belt.
• When wearing dresses you can go for the fitted dress with a flare, or go for short dresses that bring attention to the mid-section and arms.
• Skinny jeans work well with your body shape, along with: boot cut, wide-leg, bell-bottoms, and cropped trousers.

Overall, knowing your body shape is an important part of fashion. No matter your height and size, if you know what works well for your shape you can almost always look slimming and complimentary to your size. Clothes shouldn't determine how you feel about your shape, you determine how you look and feel by knowing your body angles! So fashionistas, serve your body well!