Shape Up

The easiest way to make sure you look good in your clothes is simply by making sure the shape flatters your body type. This isn't going to be about embracing your shape. This is about understanding your natural body shape and knowing how to work it with clothing. The silhouette or shape of your clothing can greatly affect how others perceive you. By not dressing for your body type you can be making yourself look worse than you might think.

Let's look at the straight body shape first.

It's important to remember to dress proportionally when you have this body shape. You can easily make yourself look top or bottom heavy if you have this body shape. Pick pieces that highlight your natural silhouette. Adding volume a little on top or using a belt at the waste can help create curves. Your legs are probably your best asset, so don't be afraid to wear something that shows them off!


If you have a pear shape body your hips are larger than your bust but you have a good waistline. Anything hourglass silhouette will make you look great. The trick is being able to add volume on top and give emphasis to your waist. Any garment with an hourglass silhouette will enhance your natural body shape and give you the right look.


One other body shape is the spoon shape. Your hips are wider than your bust as well but your waist is your slimmest part. It is important to bring more emphasis to the upper portion of your body because it draws attention away from the lower half of your body. This will create the illusion of more of an hourglass shape.

This is just a simple and quick guide to dressing your body shape well. Shape is very important because it helps the eye determine the true boundaries of an object. If you don't dress for your shape then you might be adding visual weight where you don't want to.

I used shopyourshape.com to get all the pictures and information. This website offers create advice on how to find out which shape you are and even shows examples of pieces that would work well. They also have fashion finds for the body shapes as well.

Remember to dress for your body shape and suddenly you could look ten pounds lighter, and the mirror is one step closer to being your best friend.