Dressing for your Body Type

You are currently browsing articles tagged Dressing for your Body Type.

BY CATHERINE CASSIDY

Women want to be you and men want to be with you. Aren’t you lucky! You’re part of the 8% of women who actually have an hourglass body type. The rest of us are simply trying to create the illusion.

Your body is curvaceous with a full bust, defined waist and full hips. You gain weight very evenly, so you always maintain your shape.A few famous Hourglass celebs:

Marilyn MonroeHalle Berry

Their keys to successful style:
Accentuate the waist
No empires! They hide your shape. You should look for wrapJessica Biel dresses and tailored jackets. Jackets should hit at the waist or just below the bottom for the correct proportions. Otherwise, you cut off your fab figure and you want to elongate it! The same goes for sweaters – cardigans or pullovers should hit at the waist or just below the bottom. Check out where Jessica Biel’s gorgeous jacket hits (and subtly shows off her fab figure!). PS. I want her hair!

Once more, I’ll also encourage a belt. Though, for the hourglass figure, a slim belt at the waist is more flattering than a wide one. This is because you’re not trying to create a waist, you already have one!

Skirts to the knee
To avoid cutting yourself off, skirts and dresses should hit at least mid thigh. Anything else shortens your proportions and you’ll look stocky instead of curvy. No!

A skirt to the knee, a la Halle’s, perfectly accentuates your curvaceous body.

Streamline your look
When possible, avoid breaking up your figure by wearing dresses or monotone outfits. Otherwise, you have to create the streamlined look such as adding a belt at the waist to tie the top and bottom pieces of your outfit together.

A wide leg easily balances out your straight frame to give you those elusive curves. With this volume you on bottom, you want a fitted top (possibly tucked in and with a belt!) or jacket.

V-necks
Show off your bountiful bust (subtly, of course) with a v-neck. They also elongate your look to make you look nice and slim and draws attention to your perfectly proportioned curves. Avoid turtlenecks as they close you off and make you look heavier than you are because of your Kate Winsletbust.

Another advantage to v-necks is that they highlight the collarbone, one of the most attractive feminine attributes. And everyone’s collarbone looks great, so it’s easy to show off and make yourself feel slim and sexy!

Flaunt your Assets
Wear clothes that fit! It sounds simple, but some women are afraid of their curves and the attention they bring. This is when you wear a tailored jacket or a shift dress that skims your body, while still showing off your curves … just not totally flaunting them. Now, when you really want to work it, something like this gorgeous LBD Kate Winslet is wearing is perfect for you. Just smile and say ‘thank you’ to every compliment you get!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

BY CATHERINE CASSIDY

Last week I introduced the various body types and offered some quick tips to get you started dressing your best for your body type. This week starts the series of going into more depth for each body type.

PEAR is the most appropriate to start with as it’s the most common body type for women.

Your body is fuller at the hips and rear, and smaller on top with a defined waist.

A couple of celebs FAMOUS for their PEAR shaped curves …


These women definitely know how to dress their best for their body type. And they also don’t shy away from showing off their curves!

JLo Beyonce

Some keys to their success:

Dressing in Proportions
Wearing fitted on bottom while balancing it with something that adds a bit of bulk on top (whether a print, a jacket or a sweater). This creates the sense of the hourglass shape.

(Notice how Beyonce has a shoulder detail on her dress, this is how she adds weight to the top and effectively creates an hourglass shape.)

Think pencil skirt with a feminine blouse on top that nips in at the waist – either by being tucked in, by adding a belt or having waist of its own.

Wearing Darker Colors on Bottom
This draws attention to your slimmer top half. It also naturally slims your bottom half.

Bonus tip: NOT that you want to eliminate your curves, but you might want to control

them a bit! So, try this amazing underwear from Sarah Blakely of SPANXfame: ASSETS. Perfect for streamlining your shape under a dress or skirt that’s showing off your curves!

Beyonce Aline

Go A-Line
If you’re not ready for body hugging skirts and pants, A-line skirts and dresses will skim your curves without hugging them. They also put the focus on the thinnest parts of your body – your upper body and fabulous legs!

Try Pants of ALL Kinds!
They can really streamline a look. Whether a full, straight leg to add length to your overall look or a slim/skinny leg to play up your curves, pants create a flattering lean vertical line on your shape.

Add a Wide Belt

MichelleO

Put a wide belt (as opposed to a skinny belt) over a shift dress and/or cardigan or jacket to add a little bit of bulk to your top half while playing up your curves. This is an incredibly feminine and sophisticated look!

And you’re off! I challenge you today to look into your closet to find some of these items and put them together for yourself. AND WORK IT!

Own your curves!

If you want to attract wealth, success, love, happiness, etc. into your life … you have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk! In other words, you’ve got to LOOK the part of wealth, success, love and happiness!!

To your STYLED life!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,