Smoothing Fine Lines of Your Wardrobe Woes

We’ve all experienced the “looked great on the hanger” catastrophe. You fell in love with a pinstriped gray pencil skirt at first glance, but once it was on your body that first glance wasn’t so sweet. Know why? That skirt didn’t suit the shape of your body. Apple or pear, hourglass or petite—until you buy tops, pants, jeans and skirts that fit your shape the woes o’ clothes will never end.

Red Delicious

Apple-shaped ladies generally have fuller breasts, waists and upper backs with slimmer legs. When on the lookout for clothes, choose pieces that showcase your knockout legs and balance your larger upper half.

One way to accomplish this balance is to create a waist. Cinched-at-the-waist anything, tailored jackets and wraps draw the eye to your waist and slim your figure. Wearing darker-colored tops made of basic fabrics will also slim your figure by minimizing your upper body.

On your bottom half, show off your legs with pencil skirts or shorter hemlines. Pair either with a flowing peasant top to create proportion. Skirts with a flare or ruffle balance a larger top half. Flared and boot cut pants also ideal for accomplishing balance.

Sugared Pears

Ladies with a pear-shaped body have a smaller chest, bust and waist with bigger hips, thighs and booty. A pear’s main clothing concern should be finding a wardrobe that at once draws the eye to the body’s slimmer top half and balances the larger bottom half.

V-necked tops are a good choice for pear ladies, as they add definition to the smaller top half of the body. Embellished necklines with sequins, ruching or beading are also effective in adding shape and making your bust appear fuller.

Another pear-lady technique to draw attention to the upper half is wearing bold colored, patterned or detailed blouses. Pairing such a top with a dark or solid toned skirt, pant or denim will result in proportionate perfection.

For any occasion, be it casual or formal, the best dresses for a pear shape cinch at the waist and flow outward, such as a dress with an empire waist. This draws attention to your southern belle-esque mid section and sashays over the parts that need minimization. Knee-length skirts fitting loosely in the thighs are also a good choice because they accentuate slim calves and ankles.

Marilynites

Hourglass-shaped women look like they may have Marilyn Monroe as an ancestor; in other words, these women have wider busts and thighs and a small waist. These ladies should wear clothes that display their assets and hide the not-so-great parts.

An hourglass shape staple is the wrap top or dress. Or any clothing item that cinches or belts at the waist. This calls attention to a middle even Scarlett O’Hara would envy (and makes certain assets look even bigger.) Hourglasses can make said assets look ITAL***too*** big, however, by sporting high necklines. Avoid that problem by wearing v-necks instead, which narrow the torso.

When it comes to skirts, knee-length is generally best for an hourglass shape, while pencil or high-waisted skirts are great for minimizing the tummy and elongating the body. As for bottoms style, flared denim makes thighs look smaller, while medium rise pants hide unwanted tummy bulges. Pants with high waists are also good for hourglass shapes, because it highlights the smaller waist and again hides the stomach if needed.

Petite Chic

Ladies with a smaller frame and broad shoulders and short legs are known as “petite.” Petite women should focus on finding clothes that create length and curves.

Petite shaped women can easily lengthen their frames by wearing tall boots, pumps or wedges. Skinny jeans also make a petite woman’s frame seem long and lean, but avoid pants or jeans that touch the floor. Pants that are too long draw the eye down. Instead, find bottoms that are at least an inch away from the floor.

Any clothes that cinch or are tailored to the waist and flare out will work on you to create curves. A jacket with darting, a pencil skirt with a flounced bottom or anything high-necked will bring out your body’s soft side.

Keep your size in mind while shopping. What may be the correct length or fit on a taller woman may not be the same for you. For instance, if you’re dying to wear a long pashmina, choose a smaller one—‘cause it’ll look bigger on you! In other words, buy all clothes and accessories in proportion to your body.

That goes for clothes with patterns also. Bolder, larger patterns or details can literally be too much for petite frames, and if worn, result in an almost cartoonish look. Thin pinstripes or polka dots are a better alternative.

Sporty Spice

Ladies with an athletic figure have very little curves with smaller breasts and bottoms. For these women, creating curves is the most important step to a balanced shape.

Sporty ladies can look curvier in a number of ways. Pleating, beading, prints, ruching and knits are your key words. Clothing that incorporates any of those styles create curves in all the right places. Cinched belts and tailored jackets flaring at the waist is another curve option, or if you’re a skirt kind of girl, a-line and fuller skirts pump up the volume of your frame. In dresses, a good choice is again the a-line for its flared bottom.

Clothing that is tailored to the body rather than loose-fitting is another rule to live by for the athletically-framed woman. Your body would just get lost in a sack-like garment. Wearing large jewelry and flashy colors around your neckline (i.e. scarves) add depth to a simple frame wanting decoration.