How to Dress, According to Your Body Shape

One of the most practical ways to always look fabulous is to shop and dress based on your body type. It starts by understanding what body shape you have and then combining the right clothes to get the perfect outfit every time you dress up.

We at 5-Minute Crafts have the facts about how to properly dress for your figure and want to share them with you.

Rectangle

Main features:

• Your hips and shoulders are nearly the same in measurements.
• You might not have curves that are very defined.
• Your waist is not well-defined or very small, but it’s straight from top to bottom.
• Your weight is evenly distributed throughout the body.

The important thing about dressing up if you have a rectangular shape is to give balance to your upper half by highlighting your legs. You should remember to keep more volume on either the bottom or the top half of your body.

What to wear:

• Tops: Wear round and scoop necklines, racerbacks, and halter styles.
• Sleeve length: Wear tanks or strapless styles, and if you want to cover your arms, go for 3/4 length sleeves in dark shades.
• Layers: Flowy sweaters, bomber jackets, dusters, and peacoats work best. To minimize the waist, go for A-line hems and cuts that go just below the knees.
• Dresses: Most styles will fit you perfectly.
• Jeans/trousers: If you choose an oversized top, go for skinny jeans, trousers, or leggings, and vice versa.

Inverted triangle

Main features:

• You’re well-proportioned.
• You have broader shoulders compared to your hips.
• You might not be too curvy through your hips.
• Your waistline is not too defined.

Usually, bodies with less defined waistlines are some of the hardest to work with. This means the focus should be on the arms and legs.

What to wear:

• Tops: Flowy tunics, anything with a V-neck, relaxed button-ups, and breezy A-line silhouettes work great.
• Sleeves: If you want to show off your arms, go sleeveless or strapless. But if you want to cover up, go for fitted sleeves.
• Layers: It’s important to look out for where the jacket hem hits. Choose a jacket, coat, or vest that hits the upper thigh or hip. Straight or A-line coats and knee-length trench coats will look nice too.
• Dresses: Strapless styles will look great on your body. Also, wrap and maxi style dresses with a low neckline can work.
• Jeans/trousers: Leggings and skinny jeans are great for you, and for the best look, pair them with an oversized sweater, breezy tunic, or a button-down. If you’re tall and have long legs, you can also go for flared or bootcut pants, but wear them with flats.

Triangle

Main features:

• You have a waist that is wider than your bust.
• You have fuller hips.
• Your shoulders are narrower than your hips.
• You have a fuller rear.

For this body shape, proportions are everything, and you should aim for clothes that will elongate your body. With a triangle shape, you should focus on tops that will highlight the neckline, back, or waist and draw the eye upward.

What to wear:

• Tops: Go for brighter colors and tops with scoop necks, cowl necks, and plunging V-necks.
• Sleeves: Go for tops that have bell-sleeves.
• Layers: Put on outerwear that hits at mid-thigh. Also, waist-length jackets, princess cuts, and A-line styles will look great on you.
• Dresses: You’re in luck since there are a lot of options here, like A-line and belted styles, dramatic sleeves, open backs, embellished necklines, any hemlines that are below the knee, and maxi dresses too.
• Jeans/trousers: Choose darker colors for the bottom. Flared and bootcut jeans are great for you.

Hourglass

Main features:

• You see your body as curvy.
• You have a waist with a well-defined curve.
• Your hip and bust measurements are almost even.
• You might have fuller thighs and hips and a larger bust.

Focus on clothes that will define your waist and show your curves. You should embrace the curves and not hide them.

What to wear:

• Tops: Fitted wrap tops, jersey knits, and tailored tops with a good amount of room in the chest work great, along with boat necks, round necks, and V-necks.
• Sleeves: To show off your waist, go for elbow-length sleeves. To draw attention to your arms, put on a top with flutter or cap sleeves.
• Layers: Again, go for fitted outerwear, like cropped silhouettes, blazers, a classic trench, and a bomber jacket that has an elastic waistband. Avoid boxy styles.
• Dresses: Avoid flowy styles and choose fit and flair cuts or a wrap dress. The hourglass shape is designed for dresses that show off curves.
• Jeans/trousers: The best choice is high-waisted jeans, especially if you have a flat belly and you want to show it off with a crop top.