How to Dress for Your Body Type (Body Shape)
Every woman wants to look her best, regardless of her body shape or size. Although every human body is different, most women can be categorized into five body types: the rectangle, the pear, the apple, the inverted triangle and the hourglass. Each body type has its challenges, but there are a few guidelines you can follow that will help you dress your best for your body type.
Instructions
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Assess your body type. The rectangle is straight from shoulder to hip. Pears carry their weight in their hips. Apples are biggest in the chest and stomach area. The Inverted triangle has broad shoulders and small hips. The hourglass curves out at the chest, in at the waist and out again at the hips. The best way to determine your particular shape is to stand naked in the mirror and examine your body from shoulder to knee.
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Identify your assets. The goal of dressing for your body type is to emphasize the positive and hide the negative. Your ultimate goal is to create a sense of proportion throughout your body, which means that if you have a great chest and not so great stomach, you will want to emphasize your chest and hide your tummy while making everything appear to be proportional to each other.
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Find clothing that gives you the illusion of balance. The most flattering look is one that will make you look more like an hourglass figure, with shoulders and hips that are in proportion and a waist that curves in. This means using belts to emphasize your waist, tops that bring attention to your bust or pants that balance your shoulders, depending on what kind of balance you need.
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Wear clothing that emphasizes your shoulders or legs and creates the illusion of a slim waist with belts if you are a rectangle shape. For a pear, widen your shoulders and emphasize your waist. For an apple, look for things that slim your waist and emphasize your bust. For an inverted triangle, widen your legs with flared jeans and skirts and emphasize your shoulders. An hourglass should look for clothes that emphasize her natural shape.
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Tips & Warnings
Try on clothes before you purchase them to make sure they fit these guidelines. Just because something looks great on a mannequin or model doesn't mean it will work for your body type.
Be easy on yourself. You will find that throughout your life numerous things will affect your body shape like hormones or weight. The only thing you can really do is find your body type and keep it in mind when choosing clothes. You can easily use some of the tips suggested to alter your appearance. The most important objective should be your health, regardless of the body type you have.
References
Resources
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