It can be really confusing trying to figure out how to dress to flatter your silhouette, feel good and keep up with fashion trends all at the same time.
Before figuring out all the do’s and don’ts for dressing for your body shape, you need to actually identify exactly what your body shape is. Body shape it's not the same as a dress size, you can be size 8 pear shape or size 16 hourglass. To make it even more complicated your shape can change with time, so even if you were a pear as a teen you can be apple or hourglass as an adult, and it can change as well when you diet or exercise.
Most women can usually be categorised into one of five different body shapes, although of course there will be exceptions. Here are some of the characteristics for each body shape:
Pear / Triangle:
Your shape: Bigger on bottom. Your hips are wider than your shoulders, while your bottom is rounded and you have a well-defined waist.
Your best assets: Shoulders, torso and flat stomach.
Your fashion goals: Emphasise your waist and arms, add volume to your shoulders and upper body and minimise your hips.
Apple / Round:
Your shape: Extra in the middle. Weight tends to settle on your stomach and bust, and your waist is not defined.
Your best asset: Those legs!
Your fashion goals: Elongate the torso, show off your legs and use fashion to create the illusion of a waist.
Strawberry / Inverted Triangle:
Your shape: Bigger on top. Your bust is quite large and your shoulders are wider than your hips.
Your best asset: Your legs.
Your fashion goals: Accentuate your lower body while softening your shoulders and upper body.
Hourglass:
Your shape: Your body is curvy, with your bust and hips sharing similar measurements, and your waist well-defined.
Your best assets: Curves, curves, curves!
Your fashion goals: Show off your curves... without going overboard ;)
Column / Rectangle / Straight:
Your shape: Hips and shoulders are a similar width, your bust size is small to average, and you do not have many curves. Slender rectangles have an athletic look about them.
Your best assets: Your arms and legs - and you don't have to minimise any body features.
Your fashion goals: Create curves and show off slender legs and arms.