Clothes That Flatter Your Figure

Clothes that flatter your figure complement your best assets.

Finding clothes that flatter your figure can be somewhat of a challenge, but it's not impossible. To be successful, you have to know your body shape -- apple, pear, rectangle or hourglass. Apple shapes have an undefined waist, larger burst and small hips. Meanwhile pear shapes have a wider bottom half and narrow shoulders. Rectangles have minimal to no curves and hourglass shapes have wider shoulders and hips in relation to their small waistline.

Apple Shapes

Large bust, narrow hips, and an undefined waist are all characteristics of an apple shape

Wearing clothes that camouflage your top half is an option for apple shaped women. For example, wear dresses with an empire waist, A-line skirts, as well as straight and wide leg pants. Pants with a wider leg will balance out the top portion of your body. Darker colors with minimal patterns on top create an illusion of a smaller bust and waistline.

Pear Shapes

Narrow shoulders, wide hips, and a small bust are traits of pear shaped women

Drawing the attention upward balances the bottom portion of a pear-shaped body. Versatile neck lines, wrap dresses and A-line skirts are some of the options; skirts should float away from the hips. When choosing pants, boot-cut or straight leg are a better choice because they balance out the hip area. When dressing the bottom half of a pear shaped body consider wearing spandex, Lycra and jersey.

Rectangle or Ruler Shapes

"Straight up and down" is a description of a rectangle-shaped woman

Women with minimal curves often want a more voluptuous look.To create curves, you need volume; more fabric and accents such as ruffled tops, flowy dresses and distressed jeans -- anything to create interest and draw attention to certain parts of your body. Try to pick just one body part to accent; for example, a strapless dress to show off your shoulders. Monochromatic styles work well for rectangle shaped women.

The Hourglass

Some say it's the perfect body shape, nevertheless women with hourglass figures also have trouble finding clothes that flatter. With your bust and shoulders being noticeably larger than your waist, it can be difficult to find clothes that fit. Cinching a top or dress with a belt can help identify your small waistline. Practically all your clothing should fit well -- tailoring may be necessary to achieve a proper fit -- because baggy clothes will only exaggerate the larger portions of your body and make you seem larger.

References

• Look Fabulous
• Fashion World