If it doesn’t, it should. Dressing as per your body type flatters your silhouette and increases your confidence.
It’s pure instinct – you just know when you’re wearing the perfect dress and the right accessories to go with it. You look at yourself in the mirror and realise that the dress you have on is flattering to your curves and it hides your problem areas really well. But this doesn’t always happen – some of the clothes you own have the reverse effect. For example, while a maxi dress looks great on you, a shift dress doesn’t. The latter might make you look chunky, or draw attention to your love handles, or fit too snugly around the hip area.
What this means is that your wardrobe is a mixed bag; some items are flattering while others are not. It just means that you need to buy more clothing that flatters your body type.
What is body type?
Though every human body is shaped slightly differently from others, there are still some basic classifications one can make for the most common body types. Most women are confused about their body types – they think it has something to do with their weight. However, it is not as much about weight as about shape. Each woman’s body is shaped a certain way, and the key to good dressing is to pick clothing that suits the shape.
Fashion evolves all the time, and your personal style should not be determined by what’s hot at the moment, but what you are comfortable wearing. Check out the main kinds of body types that popular fashion caters to:
* Hourglass.This is the most coveted body type among women the world over. It characterises a small waist, wider hips and shoulders that are proportionately wide with the hips. Any kind of clothing, from maxi dresses to fitted pants, looks great on the hourglass body. If you really want to flatter this shape, wear pencil skirts, high waisted pants to show off that waist, or a simple shift dress with vertical stripes.
* Pear shaped.Women with an upper body smaller than the lower body, where the hips are rounded and heavier looking, are classified as pear-shaped. Since the midriff and hips are heavier in this type, it is important to pick clothing that lengthens the torso and takes focus away from the midsection. Ideal clothing to pick is blouses with neck detailing or a deep cut to accentuate the shoulders, or asymmetric dresses to pull focus on to the legs instead of the waist. Avoid high waisted or fitted pants, and opt for straight fits with a loose top. Maxi dresses might also be a good option, but pick vertical stripes and minimal embellishment.
* Apple shaped. A body with broad shoulders (broader than the hips) and a thick waist are characterised as apple shaped bodies. The body tends to give an illusion of ‘roundness’ rather than length. So the clothing you pick must lengthen the body instead of accentuating the curves. Pick long monochromes and V neck blouses. Short skirts with a jacket thrown over the shoulders look great, too.
It’s not that hard to pick the most flattering clothing that suits your body type. We hope our simple summer wear guide helps you buy the season’s best offerings that look really great on you!
