DON'T MISS A THING

Knowing what body type you have is the first step in discovering what dress will be the most flattering on you. Otherwise, you are probably just taking a guess and hoping a piece of clothing works out. How do I dress my body type you ask? Set yourself up for success by knowing what styles, cuts, and silhouettes will look the best for your beautiful body type. Let’s take a look at the five most common body types and what dress styles will make you look the most fabulous.

How to Dress My Body Type: Find Your Most Flattering Dress Style

Pear-Shaped

If you have a pear-shaped figure, your hips are proportionately larger than your top half. You have a small bust, narrow shoulders, and slim arms. You may have full or muscular legs and tend to gain weight in your hips, thighs, and lower tummy.

Dresses for a Pear-Shaped Body

A pear-shaped body looks best with a dress that accentuates and draws attention to your upper body while flatting your lower half. An A-line dress has a roomier skirt that doesn’t cling to the hip, which gives a more streamlined look. Fit-and-flare styles give a similar effect, only their waist is more defined and they are roomier in the skirt. Wrap dresses are also great for a pear-shaped body as they help to define your waist. Most wrap dress styles feature while a V-neck that shows off your neckline. Lastly, an off-the-shoulder dress complements a pear-shaped body perfectly as the eye is drawn upward to your graceful shoulders.

In addition to highlighting the upper body through the style and silhouette of the dress itself, attracting others’ attention to the upper body with an obvious waistline, you can also use some small accessories to better divert others’ attention to the upper body: example, you can choose some custom-made fine enamel pins with personal style features as decoration to wear near the neckline of the dress, further attracting attention to the waist above, so as to better ignore the problem of a larger proportion of pear-shaped body hips.

Hourglass-Shaped

An hourglass figure is structured exactly as it sounds. Your bust and hips are equal width and your waist is small and defined. Your thighs may be on the larger side, although when you gain weight, it typically distributes evenly throughout your body.

Dresses for an Hourglass-Shaped Body

The main goal in dressing an hourglass-shaped body is to bring definition to the waist area and avoid wearing anything oversized as it will add bulk. The first option for dressing your hourglass-shaped body type is a wrap dress. Versatile in nature, a wrap dress is perfect because it ties at the waist. If it has puff shoulders, this is a bonus as it draws attention to your top half. Sheath dresses are another celebrated style for hourglass shapes. Its tailored seams are particularly slimming, and when accented with a peplum at the waist, even more so. Lastly, fit-and-flare are also flattering for an hourglass-shaped body type, as they cinch in at the middle. Its flowing skirt flows gracefully over the hips.

Apple-Shaped

Your body could be considered apple-shaped if your bust is on the larger side, and you have a full tummy and narrow hips. Apple-shaped bodies typically have slim limbs and nice legs. Weight gain tends to happen first in the tummy area.

Dresses for an Apple-Shaped Body

When you have an apple-shaped body, focus on looking for styles that bring attention to your shoulders and legs, as well as those that bring definition to your waistline. There are several dress options for you. The first is an empire waist dress. This style draws the eye up higher than normal, giving you a flair for the dramatic. One shoulder dress and off-the-shoulder are another great option, as it has the same type of effect. A wrap dress is a more fitted option, which creates a waistline, and a bias-cut dress has a soft, draping effect that shows off your body without clinging to it.

Rectangle-Shaped

If you have a rectangle-shaped body type, your bust and hips are approximately the same width. Your hips and bottom are straight, and you may lack defined curves throughout your frame. Your tummy is small, and if you gain weight, it distributes evenly throughout your entire body.

Dresses for a Rectangle-Shaped Body

There is good news about having a rectangle body shape. Almost every style of dress will look great on you! Your only goal becomes creating a bit more of an hourglass illusion by balancing the top and the bottom. The fitted waist of the fit-and-flare complements you well, while its roomier skirt flaunts a bit of femininity. Wearing a flowy dress with a belt is an effective way to help create a curvier silhouette. Wearing a lacy dress that has puff sleeves creates a dramatic look and creates an interesting contrast to the graceful, airy nature of the dress.

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Inverted Triangle

Your body has the characteristic of an inverted triangle if you have broad shoulders and narrow hips with an undefined waist. These strong shoulders give an inverted triangle shape a rather athletic-looking body.

Dresses for an Inverted Triangle Body Shape

When your body is shaped like an inverted triangle, try to focus on bringing attention to the lower half of your body, from your waist to your toes. When it comes to the right dress for your body type, A-line should be at the top of your shopping list. Balance is created with a dress that is shaped like a triangle that meets your frame. Next up is fit-and-flare. Its fuller skirt will help fill out your hips to match your shoulders. Sheath dresses are next on your list. They create long lines as they fall straight down your body.

Every Body Is Beautiful

Do you find yourself fitting in more than one of these body type categories? Not to worry, this is completely normal. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. It is important to understand that there isn’t really such a thing as an “average” body. Everybody is unique, and every body is beautiful so how you define and dress your body type is totally up to you. Use the above guide as a basic framework for homecoming dress shopping online, but tune into your intuition and wear dresses that make you feel magnificent inside and out.