Body Type Tips

I personally believe that anyone of any shape and size can pull off any look with the right fit and styling. In order to accomplish this and be successful at it though, you must first determine your body type, then figure out how to tweak the don’t into a do!

Though this is my personal belief, I get lots of questions about dressing to flatter your curves vs. flaunt them. That said, here are some tips for dressing your specific body type, with strict fashion rules in mind:

Rectangle shapes tend to be fairly straight up and down, with an often small bust, undefined waist and bottom.

Tips: Structured clothing with details, ruching or draping at the waist gives the illusion of curves, while a small bust means you can get away with wearing hard to pull of tops, such as halters and one-shoulders! Avoid low-rise jeans, tight, straight-lined tops and clingy pencil skirts, which can make your figure appear straighter.

Famous Rectangles: Emme, Queen Latifah

Pear shapes tend to be bottom-heavy, with a large bottom, hips and thighs. Pear’s often have a flat stomach, defined waist, a smaller bust and narrow shoulders.

Tips: Balance out your curvy bottom half by wearing brightly colored tops, or tops with extra detailing, like collars and sleeves. Another trick to balancing out your figure, is to make sure the hem of your top hits right above or below the widest point of your hips and bottom, as opposed to resting on the widest part. Cinching your waist will showcase the slimmest part of your figure. To avoid highlighting hips, stay away from tube, pencil and fishtail skirts, as well as prints, patterns and pockets on your thigh area.

Famous Pears: Mindy Kaling, Beyonce

Apple shapes tend to carry more weight around their middle and do not have a defined waist. Apple’s also often have slim, well-shaped legs, an undefined bottom and a medium to large bust.

Tips: Flaunt your best assets by showing off your great legs! Wearing tops with slightly lower necklines will draw attention upwards, away from your middle, as well as longline empire-waist tops that skim over and conceal your stomach. Tops with built-in shoulder pads can balance out your figure, as well as A-line skirts that hit just below the knee. Boot cut or straight leg jeans are most flattering, but skinnies can be flattering as well, with the right top. Avoid short tops and boxy jackets that highlight the mid-section.

Famous Apples: Melissa McCarthy, Amber Riley

Strawberry (inverted triangle) shapes tend to be bigger on their top half than their bottom half. Strawberry’s often have broad shoulders and a large bust in relation to their waist and hips.

Tips: Balance your figure by wearing full skirts or wide leg trousers to create the illusion of a wider bottom half. Choose tops specifically suited for a bigger bust, such as v-necks and wrap tops. Highlight your waist by wearing a wide belt, and don’t be afraid of wearing color, prints and patterns on your lower half. Stay away from details that bring attention to your shoulders, like ruffles, shoulder pads, puffy sleeves or halter necks.

Famous Strawberries: Jill Scott, Britney Spears

Hourglass shapes tend to be curvy in the middle, with a full bust, full bottom, and a slim waist.

Tips: Showcase your shape by wearing fitted, tailored silhouettes, as opposed to baggy clothing. Wrap-dresses, wrap-tops, waist belts, wide legged trousers and jeans all flatter your shape, while shapeless baggy tops hide your slim waist and can make you appear larger than you actually are.