Dressing for your shape

Apologies for this mammoth post, but there's a lot to cover!
Hopefully you will have read my previous post, Apples or Pears? before reading this, so you now know your shape and want to find out what suits you best!
Here are the most common shapes (which are also the trickiest to choose clothes for) and some advice on what to look out for, and what to avoid.
Apple shape
Most 'apples' will find that their best feature is their large breasts, so they show them off. Rightly so apples, but don't forget that your legs can be accentuated too. Best things to wear as an apple are wrap around tops and dresses, V necks (with support- you don't want excessive boob display!), simple tank tops paired with open mid length jackets, waist sinching belts and no big bold prints. You want to make the most of your curves by accentuating the best bits, and concealing the rest. Don't think that trousers don't look good on apples because they can! Wide leg trousers and boot cut jeans will give your legs a longer look, and they look great with some sexy wedges. Very spring!


Pear shape
Attention, pears! You should steer clear of drain pipes and slim fit trousers, unless you want to draw attention to your biggest parts. You need to balance out your figure so things are more proportional. This can be achieved by wearing things that accentuate the top half of the body like bright colours, bold prints and wide necklines, but stick to dark simple colours on the bottom half. A common feature of the 'pear' is a generous sized bottom! Great for the men, but not great for high wasted trousers, or detail on pockets, this will only make it appear wider. Ideal outfits include halter neck tops, dark boot-cut trousers and slim heels (chunky shoes only make the calves seem larger).


Hourglass
As an hourglass, you should show off curves without flashing too much flesh. Avoid tight, clingy fabrics as these will over emphasise any lumps and bumps. Instead, stick to items like A -line fitted skirts which are straight enough to show off curvy hips but don't cling too much to the thighs. To accentuate smaller waists wear thick waist belts, and tops with deep V necklines. Avoid Stilettos and opt for open toe court shoes, as these make legs appear longer and slimmer. The secretary look works best on hourglass figures, think low cut blouses and pencil skirts, but be selective when chosing materials so as not to look trashy.

Dressing for any of the other nine body shapes...

Apples and pears

Size is a massive issue when choosing clothes, and many of us never know what size we actually are, let alone what outfits best suit our bodies.

Thanks to Trinny and Susannah, who managed to find a massive 12 different types of body shapes, it is possible to find things that will flatter whatever bit about you that you want to accentuate or hide.
Instead of just apple, pear and hourglass shapes, they added shapes like the brick, vase, cornet, lollipop, goblet, cello, bell, column and skittle.
In their book, 'The Body Shape Bible', which I found myself flicking through for hours earlier, they manage to find a woman for every shape and find her outfits that really worked. I thought I would share a few of them on here, for anyone who is confused about their size and wants to know what they actually are before trying to find the right clothes.
Apples= Wide torsos (full bust, waist and upper back). If an apples put on weight it is likely to stick to their stomach, chest and sometimes on the arms creating bingo wings. Apples are always top-heavy.
Pears= Child bearing hips, and big bums but little boobs and flat stomachs. Sadly for pear shapes like myself, the bottom half is almost always out of proportion to the small top halves.
Hourglass= Womanly. Hourglass women have big boobs and curvy waists and they really should make the most of what they are given because it is arguably the most flattering shape to be.
Bricks= Unfortunately masculine with flat bums, broad shoulders and no waist.
Vases= Basically a stretched out version of the hourglass. These are easier to dress as the body doesn't curve quite so severely.
Skittles= Similar to pears, but instead of suffering from big hips, skittles have more weight slightly lower down on their thighs. The top half is fairly long and lean but the weight is all stuck around the chunky thighs.
Cornets= Athletic frame, slightly tomboyish with broader shoulders but perfect for the catwalk.
Lollipops= Top heavy, big boobs and little everywhere else. The envy of curvy girls who want to keep their boobs but loose the rest of their shape.
Goblets= Big boobs, tummies and broad backs balanced on long, slender legs. Like apples goblets are also top heavy, but it is easier for them to take the focus away from their top halves by showing off sexy slim legs.
Cellos= Exaggerated features so, again, big top halves and bottom halves, but bums and thighs are slightly wider than the chests. Like the hourglass but an exaggerated version.
Bells= Petite women who have expanded throughout the years. Their once big round bottoms have become disproportionally large and their bodies have suffered from the 'middle aged spread'.
Columns= Tall with long limbs and evenly distributed weight. Most column's don't have very big boobs or bottoms and are simply straight up and down.

What size are you?