SHOP YOUR SHAPE!!

Do you know you body shape and what goes well with it when you dress up?

Bodycon, Skater, Peplum, Maxi, Midi and Mini. Dresses come in so many shapes and sizes that shopping for a dress that fits perfectly can be really time consuming and a real pain.

Frequently the search for the best perfect dress ends in just wasting time, pure frustration or even worse a poor fit dress that will only walk around in daylight once. Meaning that besides the whole frustration of getting that dress, you also wasted your money on something that doesn't flatter you. Know the feeling?

Whether you're looking in several retail stores or searching online, this tasks can be really hard to get done successfully. However, once you figure out your body shape, finding the perfect dress can be fun and can really take the stress out of your shoulders.

All women are different. We all have different tastes, styles, sizes, preferences and of course body shapes. 

Please keep in mind that there are no good or bad shapes! Body shapes are just categories that aim to help women find the best clothes for them. Every shape is equally beautiful, you just have to figure out what works or doesn't work for your figure. Embrace you shape and dress it wisely!!

People always groan when they hear the word ‘Pear Shape’ as if it’s the hardest body shape in the world to dress. Truth be told, pear shapes are one of the most stunning body shapes, and once you know the tricks on how to dress for a pear shape, you can rock your curves and show the world how beautiful your figure is.

Pear shape/Triangle shape

You are a pear shape if you tend to be bottom-heavy. You are small at the top of your body, with small shoulders and breasts, a small waist and larger hips and thighs. Your calves and ankles may not have much definition. The upside to being a Pear is that you can use your small waist to easily create a gorgeous, curvy, and ultra feminine look.You might even find that you can buy tops that are not strictly plus-size because of your smaller upper body.

The main downside to being a Pear Shape is that it can be hard to find pants that fit well because this is where you carry the most of your weight.  For Pear Shaped bodies, dressing well means creating the illusion of equally balanced upper and lower halves.

Though this is the most common body type, we often see women struggling in finding dresses for this shape. But, let’s carefully look at this shape again: smaller bust and shoulders and wider hips. In other words, this means that you have to find a dress that shows off your smaller half (in this case the shoulders or bust area) while disguising your lower half, or one that adds volume to your bust/shoulders area while disguising your hips, but always enhancing your defined waist. You don’t want to look like you’re wearing a groceries bag.

The trick is to find a skater dress or a-line dress that disguises the hips without adding too much volume where you naturally already have it. Empire waist dresses will also look great on you. Here are some ideas on what kind of dresses you should be looking for:

When teamed with a brightly-colored top, you can attract the eye and draw it upwards and keep emphasizing that balance between upper and lower halves.  When dressing the lower half, avoid mini skirts or shorts – this isn't your best look. Instead aim for knee-length styles. Shoulder pads are another useful secret to balance your top and bottom halves. Now, don’t rush out and buy a pair of enormous shoulder pads that will make you look fresh off the set of Dallas ; instead, consider some subtle shoulder padding to create a stronger line for your upper body.

Inverted Triangle body shape

This body type is completely the opposite of the Pear shape, as it carries more weight on the upper half. This shape has a wider bust / shoulder area and the hips are generally smaller, meaning that the perfect dress for this shape will have to have more volume on the bottom half, disguising the upper half to visually create the right balance.

If you’re an inverted triangle shape you should be looking for dresses like skater dresses, full or a-line dresses or with details like flat pockets or embellishments on the hip zone. The upper halves of the dresses need to draw the attention away from the bust, defining your waist. To draw the attention away from that area choose narrow v-necklines, for example and darker colours. Please keep in mind that by darker and solid colours.  Wrap style dresses with narrow v-necks are perfect for this body type. Here are some examples:

Straight body shape

Straight shapes are really balanced shapes that have bust and hips practically the same size. Their waist however, though it’s there, it isn't as defined as the hourglass shape and that’s why they are called straight. Of course, though the name of the shape is straight doesn't mean that you don’t have a waist… it just means that is not as defined as the hourglass figure shape.

The best way to find the perfect  dress for the straight shape is to look for dresses that emphasize your waist, whether with a belt or dresses with some structure and a defined waist. You can also look for dresses that add a bit volume to the bust/shoulders area and also in the hip zone, but always enhancing the waist. Another tip: You can also wear some shapeless (kind of “boxy”) dresses and pull them off by adding the perfect belt and accessories to it. Some dress ideas below:

Choose fitted clothes and dresses that are gathered or ruched at the waist area. This maximizes curves and will draw focus away from the tummy. Boot cut jeans are a must for Rectangle Shapes, as they create a feminine look and flatter your hips.

For this morphology, you need to create the illusion of a shape. In order to do so, an empire style works well because it will highlight your neckline and draw attention to your waist. Go for straight cuts but tight ones. Belts are a good idea, as long as you don’t wear them across your belly, it will be more flatter to wear it low on your hips.

Don’t fall into the trap of buying flared dresses. They will give you volume where you do not need it. Play around with necklines and collars that will dress up your gown.

Hourglass body shape

Hourglass shapes are the lucky curvaceous ones. They are called hourglass because their shape resembles an hourglass, meaning that the shoulders/bust are as wide as the hips with a tiny waist. This was the shape of the iconic Marilyn Monroe and this is often the shape that most women wish they had. But, we never get tired of saying this, if you’re not an hourglass, don’t worry, there are lots of gorgeous women that don’t have this shape and they also have gorgeous bodies.

Back to the tips… well, there aren't many tips that we can give to this already curvaceous shape, except that embrace your shape and show it off. Bodycon dresses, wrap style dresses and dresses with pencil skirts are the perfect choice for showing of your curves. Other type of dresses will also look great on you, but keep in mind this tip: when you add volume to your top half, balance it below in your lower half, as this body shape already has the perfect proportions and doesn't need any visual tricks to add or remove volume.

Remember this: don’t hide your womanly curves behind “baggy” or “boxy” dresses… show them off! Here are some dresses that will look great on you:

Lucky you, you can go for any dress! Or almost. Choose a dress with a pronounced shape and  a tight top to flatter your neckline. You can also treat yourself to a corsage gown or a draped dress.

With Hourglass Shapes the key is to highlight the waist. A pencil skirt will be your best friend: it goes well with a cotton shirt, so already you have an elegant and simple outfit for work. At night, change the shirt for a top with a cowl neck, and you have an instantly glamorous evening look.

Oval body shape

Also called “apple” body type, the oval shape has a full tummy and a not so defined waist. The bust is wider than the hip zone and the legs are really slender.

To look stunning on a dress, the oval shaped woman should look for dresses that create a waist and disguise the midsection, while also giving some volume to the hips. Since your legs are slender, you will look great with mini dresses, but you can wear whatever length you feel comfortable with… an advice: for your best, shop for mini or midi dresses.

 Aside from the length of the dress and back to structure: wrap style dresses with a-line skirts or empire waist dresses will look perfect on this body type and will help in disguising the midsection (tummy). Here are some examples of what you should be looking for:

Choose flared skirts which will also flatter you and balance out your proportions.Be sure to avoid anything with an empire line as these tend to sit on the stomach in a very unflattering way, creating a ‘pregnant’ look. Well-fitting lingerie is crucial: you must have the right bra, and body-sculpting lingerie can also flatter larger waists. That's where PREMIUM BEAUTIFUL CORSET come in handy!!

It’s all about playing with the dress lines to elongate your silhouette. Select a dress with a V neckline that will lengthen your neck height or a strapless dress.

If your curviness is not balanced out, avoid wearing overly tight fabrics that highlight lumps and bumps. If you are an Apple Shape and also short, opt for short dresses. Long ones will just swamp your shape and make you look bigger rather than smaller.

Diamond body shape

This shape can be really hard to dress up and we understand that women with this shape can have lots of difficulty in finding the perfect dress from them.

The diamond shape has their hips wider than the bust zone and a full midsection (stomach area). Regarding the ratio between bust and hips, this body shape is similar to the pear shape, however the pear shape has a much defined waist and the diamond shape has a full midsection and doesn't have a defined waist.

The challenge for this shape is to disguise the hip zone as well as creating a waist. The dresses that look best on this body shape are mainly empire waist dresses, with wide necklines (v or u) and details around the shoulders and bust area. You can also look for off the shoulder or one shoulder dresses, also with empire waists or high belted waists. Here are a few ideas on what will look perfect on the diamond body type:

Please note that, though these tips can be very important, these are just guidelines. Sometimes, when a body shape runs near more than one shape (eg: if you’re a pear tending to be hourglass, for example) it’s often that some tips from other shapes can also look good on your body type too. However, once you know the basics, it can really be much easier to find clothes for you.

And finally, remember this: it’s not about the size you wear it’s about the shape of your body.

Well, Rose hope all the tips are useful for all readers out there! 

LOVE,

Rose Maamor

rosemaamor@gmail.com l 012 3780825

GLAM

Green Leaders Academy Malaysia

instagram@rosemaamor