balancing your body type
The most common challenge I hear from clients is finding clothing that fits properly and flatters their body shape (without having to lose 10 pounds!). It’s a topic I discuss often with clients and it’s also the focus of my upcoming workshop, Style Speaks Seminars presents Dressing Your Body Type.
There are tons of articles and books out there about how to dress in a way that flatters your shape. But, it’s easy to get confused, from figuring out which body type you’re supposed to be, to trying to memorize all the ‘rules’. I try to simplify things as much as possible by teaching the spirit of the ‘rules’ so that you can easily apply the guidelines without having to remember every detail.
First of all, let’s lose the cutesy names like apple, pear and flute and call it what it is. Your body type is either bigger on the top, bigger in the middle, bigger on the bottom, hourglass (equally proportioned top and bottom with relatively smaller waist) or straight (not much difference in proportion between chest, waist and hips). It’s not about what size you are but the relative proportion of your chest, waist and hips. The end goal is to create balance between the chest and hips and highlight a smaller waist, essentially using clothing and accessories to create the illusion of an hourglass shape.
If you’re bigger on bottom, you want to minimize your bottom half and add volume and interest to your top half. Bigger on top and you’ll want to do the opposite. Simple shapes, solid and dark colors minimize curves while prints, bright, bold and light colors and added details like ruffles enhance curves.
If you’re bigger in the middle, you want to create slight curves on both the top and bottom that create a slimmer looking waist. Look for tops with structure such as jackets that will create a tailored look across your midsection without being clingy.
For an hourglass figure, accentuate your natural curves with pieces like wrap dresses or belted a-line skirts. For a straight shape, add volume to both your top and bottom half with added details, prints, ruffles and bright colors while defining your waistline.
Keep in mind that the more extreme you are in a particular body type, the more important it will be to pay attention to creating balance for a flattering look; if the difference in your proportions is smaller, you’ll be able to get away with veering away from the guidelines a bit more.
Register to attend my workshop to learn more about creating balance in YOUR shape, including some one-on-one styling!
