How to Select the Perfect Dress for Your Body Shape
Whether you’re shopping for a new outfit or browsing your closet, how you view your body can have an impact on what you choose to wear.
If you want to look great, you may want to find the right clothes that accentuate your best features and hide the not-so-appealing ones.
However, not all of us can walk into a store and walk out with perfectly fitting clothes. How you measure from head to toe makes a big difference in how your clothing looks on you. If it’s slightly too large or small, it could highlight every bulge, dip, or stretch mark on your body.
But by learning about common body types and how they work with different styles of clothing, anyone can dress their best. Whether you have a pear shape, an inverted triangle body shape, an hourglass shape, an apple shape, or another V-shape, body shapes matter when choosing the right outfit to wear.
When you know your body type, everything from shopping for the perfect dress to picking out accessories becomes much easier.
Here are some style tips on how to select the perfect clothes for your body shape, so you can feel confident wherever you go.
1. Find Out What Body Type You Have
The first step toward dressing for your body type, and learning how to dress is to figure out what your body type actually is. Before you start shopping, take a few minutes to determine what body type you have, and then browse the suggested outfit examples below to see which styles are most flattering for you.
You might have heard of the basic body types—rectangular, pear, hourglass, apple, or inverted triangle body type—but it’s helpful to know what an individual type looks like.
The best way to figure out your body type is to look at your silhouette in the mirror. Your silhouette is the outline of your body based on the way the light hits it.
Where is the fullest part of your body? What about the narrowest part? Do you have a defined waist? Or an hourglass figure?
You can also ask a friend to help you out; their objective opinion can be very helpful.
Once you’re able to visualize how your body looks from different angles, you can begin to play around with clothes to see what works best for you.
If you have an hourglass body, wear a belt to cinch the wide hips in. If you have a rectangle body shape with broad shoulders, wear a wrap dress with a push-up bra, to create a more curvy silhouette. If you have a pear-shaped body, wear a pair of pants that draws attention away from your upper body to your midsection and lower body.
2. Go For Darker Colors to Camouflage Problem Areas
Once you know that you have a certain body type, you can choose colors that play up with what you like about yourself and hide what you don't like.
By wearing the right colors for your body type, you can minimize parts that you don't like and emphasize the ones you do. As you choose your colors, don't shy away from prints and colored clothes. Many people avoid prints and vibrant colors because they assume these items only work for certain body types.
3. Select Tops, Bottoms, and Shoes Separately
Instead of looking for a shirt and pants that match, try on tops and bottoms separately, and then find shoes that go with both. This way, even if you love a shirt, skirt, and pair of shoes, you can change their look with different tops and bottoms.
For example, you might have a black pencil skirt, a flowy black top, and black heels, but you can transform the outfit in a number of ways with different pieces.
One way of doing so is by combining the flowy top with pants that are tight and tailored closer to the leg. If you’re wearing a tighter top, find pants that are a bit looser and flowery.
If your top is baggy, find a pair of pants that are tighter to balance out the loose top. If your top is tight, find a looser pair of pants to balance out the fitted top.
If you have large feet, make sure to wear shoes with looser, less fitted pant legs. If you have small feet, find shoes that match a tighter-fitting pant leg.
While a few pieces go a long way, having a lot of variety is always a good idea. Especially if you have a lot of places to go or people to see in a day.
4. Don’t Forget About Fit and Tailoring
Having the right pieces is important, but they also need to fit properly.
If you love a certain piece of clothing, but it doesn’t fit you properly, consider getting it tailored to fit your body better. Many haute couture fashion brands have their garments altered to fit each customer perfectly.
Even if it fits perfectly in the store, it might not fit perfectly once you’re home, especially if you gain or lose weight. Tailoring clothes, even if it’s a small alteration, is better than throwing them out because you can’t wear them.
The Bottom Line
Developing a sense of style is about more than just putting on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It’s about knowing how to put together different pieces of clothing to create an outfit that’s stylish and unique to you.
Most importantly, it’s about knowing what works for your body type and what doesn’t. There’s no one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to fashion, and that’s what makes it so fun.
Remember that no two people have the exact same body, so there’s no one way to be stylish. By taking these tips into consideration, you can find the right outfit for your body type and look great wherever you go!
Visit www.thephoenixdc.com and check out all the best pieces we have in store! Whether you prefer dark colors or pastels, printed fabrics, or plain materials, you can find the right outfit for your body type.
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
