How to Know Your Leg Shape
We all have hang-ups about some parts of our bodies, and there are many ways to look amazing in our outfits without the need to cover them up completely. Some people are born with curvature in their legs, and they wouldn’t face any issues while carrying out their daily activities. Some even go ahead and achieve goals to be athletes.
Therefore, 5-Minute Crafts prepared this guide for you to help identify your leg type and dress neatly using the right tips and tricks provided here.
❗ Important: All the information represented in the article is for informational purposes only.
The anatomy of the leg
Human legs constitute a significant mass of the body. They’re used in the postural assessment and in defining the leg shape, which depends on the alignment between the parts of the legs, which consist of the upper thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. There are mainly 4 types of legs: knock knees, bow legs, false curvature, and normally aligned legs.
1. Knock knees
How to identify: When standing with your knees together, there’ll be around a 3.1-inch (8 centimeters) gap between the ankles. If your knees look like they are pushing in toward each other, you may have knock-knees.
How to dress:
- If you want to shift the focus away from the gap between your calves, you can stick to straight or wide-leg trousers and jeans with a boot-cut or flare. But avoid capri pants, stretchy pants, or skinny jeans.
- Trumpet skirts are also a good choice because they flare out at the hem. Straight, tight-fitted, and mini skirts, in general, aren’t a good option. You can also opt for tulle, flowing, mid-calf skirts, and maxis with slits.
- Surprising as it may sound, drawing more attention to the parts you love most may become a life-saver. For example, you can highlight the upper half of your body with makeup, a fun hairstyle, and accessories, such as a lovely scarf, earrings, or a hat to shift the focus away from your legs. You can also go for knee-high boots.
2. Bow legs
How to identify: When standing, if there’s a vast space between your knees and lower legs curving outward in an O-shape, then you may have a bow leg.
How to dress:
- The length of capris and Bermuda shorts stop at the points you’re trying to disguise, so avoid them. Opt for long pants and stay away from stretch jeans instead.
- Straight, short, mini, and tight-fitted skirts may draw attention to the area you want to cover up. Therefore, a mid-calf-length or long flowing skirt is a good idea. You can also stylize it with hosiery or tights in the same color shade.
- Flat shoes, as well as sharply pointed high heels, may attract attention to your legs. You can go for mid-heels with a round or open toe to avoid this.
3. Legs with false curvature
How to identify: When standing, if your feet and knees look close to your shin tissue, or soft tissue of the lower legs, you may have a false curvature. Sometimes hyperextended knees may give the effect of this false curvature too.
How to dress:
- A-line skirts and flared skater dresses go well with all body types, especially if you are looking for ways to hide your thigh gap.
- To create some illusion, monochromatic outfits may become your best helpers. Just make sure you use the same color throughout your entire outfit. Or sometimes, covering up with long dresses can be a good idea.
4. Normally aligned legs
How to identify: When you stand with your knees and feet pointing forward, if your legs touch each other in a parallel way at your upper thighs, knees, calves, and ankles, then you may have normally aligned legs.
How to dress:
- When picking the right outfit that is visually in correct proportion with your aligned legs, make sure you dress, taking your leg size, length, etc., into consideration. For example, you can opt for high-waisted pants or skirts to raise your waist if you have short legs.
- It is good to experiment with high-waisted A-line skirts to camouflage your thighs if you have short legs with heavy bottoms.
- You can combine your cropped jackets with long pants, knee-length, or long skirts to elongate your legs. Wearing a one-piece outfit with vertical prints or a monochrome color scheme will make your legs appear longer.