Dressing for Your Body Shape
The concept of dressing for your body shape has been around for quite some time. It's the idea that by understanding your body's proportions, you can choose clothes that enhance your best features and camouflage the areas you may not feel confident about. Often body shapes are categorised into fruit analogies and if you’ve scoured the internet trying to work out which fruit shape you are and therefore which rules apply to you but are still lost, it’s not just you!
There are unique variations in our bodies, and generic labelling doesn’t always help. In this blog post, I will discuss why using fruits aren't a reliable way to determine your body shape and how to instead a different approach in determining how to dress for your bodies proportions.
What are body shapes?
Body shape refers to the overall silhouette or outline of a person's body. Each body shape has its own unique proportions, with varying ratios of bust, waist, and hip measurements. It is about your individual proportions, not your dress size or weight. For some people, dressing for their body shape comes naturally, for others of us, there are guidelines that can be learned to help us readdress those areas that we are not happy with.
The classic ‘fruit’ body shapes
Often body shapes are categorised into five categories including Hourglass, Pear, Strawberry, Apple and Straight. These categories refer to where your body naturally curves and holds weights. In their book, ‘The Body Shape Bible’, Trinny and Susannah recognised that five body types were limiting and instead identified twelve unique shapes which can be a little bit more helpful. I don’t intend to go into all of these, but again I don’t believe that labelling bodies as a Brick, Cello, or Bell is particularly appealing. While these labels might seem simple and straightforward, they are based on a narrow and limited understanding of body diversity. While it's true that certain clothing styles and cuts can be more flattering than others, I don’t find using fruit analogies to describe body shapes is the best way to do so and is too generic.
Everybody’s body’s are unique
The problem with using fruit labels to determine your body shape is that it can lead to a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead of focusing on the unique features of your body and how to enhance them, you might end up trying to fit yourself into a predetermined category that doesn't reflect your individuality. Firstly, it is important to recognise that every person's body is unique. Our bodies are made up of different proportions, shapes, and sizes, and it is impossible to fit everyone into a set of predefined categories. Using fruits to describe body shapes oversimplifies the complexity of the human body and reinforces unrealistic beauty standards. There are countless variations and our bodies that cannot be boxed into just a few categories based on a set of generic standards. It is much more helpful to focus on the individual characteristics of your body, to determine what styles will look best on you.
No standard shapes
Secondly, using fruits to describe body shapes can be misleading. For example, the "pear" shape is often used to describe a body with wider hips and narrower shoulders. However, this can vary greatly depending on the individual's bone structure and muscle mass. Some people may have a pear-shaped body with a curvier bottom, while others may have a more athletic build with wider hips and a broader chest. A lot of us lot of us don’t neatly fit into a category, I myself don’t fit into any of the traditional shapes, falling between a straight and pear, some would describe as a semi-straight, Trinny and Susannah would categorise me as a Cornet, in one online test I was a banana (which I was mildly offended by!) and in a Kib test I was something else entirely! It can also be difficult to be subjective in working it out for yourself, as we tend to be very self critical of our bodies.
Is there a perfect body shape?
Using categories to describe body shapes can be limiting and even harmful. It can create a false perception that certain body shapes are better than others, leading to body shaming and unhealthy comparison. This mindset can be detrimental to our mental health and self-esteem. For example, traditionally an hourglass is often celebrated as the epitome of a balanced feminine body, with a curvaceous bottom, ample bust and small waist. Whilst on the catwalk, a straighter silhouette is seen as the ideal for showcasing clothes. Many advice columns that you read will give advice geared towards creating the illusion of an hourglass, by putting emphasis on the waist. But what happens if you don’t want your body to look that way or find the advice to be too restrictive and uncomfortable (I tried Gok’s advice to belt everything in the noughties, but found it painful to sit!)
Fashion is fickle
As well as fashions always changing, what body shape is perceived desirable in one era or culture isn’t appealing for the next generation or person. Beauty Standards: See How Body Types Change Through History. By following traditional body shape rules limits you when clothing styles change. If you were advised to always wear bootcut jeans to balance your body, then they go out of fashion and can no longer find them in the shops, what do you do? By learning the basic principles of balancing proportions rather than set rules, you can always adapt your clothing choices to create silhouettes that are both flattering and appealing to you.
How can you dress for your body shape without relying on fruit analogies?
Individual preferences
Nowadays, unless a client specifically asks what body shape she is, I don’t volunteer a category and instead we work with her actual clothing to work out combinations that work for her overall proportions and the silhouette that she wants to achieve. It may be that you are heavier around the bottom and hips but want to showcase this in pencil style skirts rather than hiding it under the A-Line styles that the traditional guidelines tell you to wear. You can create whatever body silhouettes you want to by using clothes, you do not need to be limited by the body shape rules.
Identify your body shape
Many of us have body insecurities, our busts are too big/too small, we don’t like the tops of our arms/our bottom/our thighs/our calves… the list is endless! I once had a client describe herself as a squat mushroom- she was far from that! You will have heard it countless times before but we really are are own harshest critics and what we feel is an ‘issue’ others will not have even noticed. But, no matter how much we try to accept our bodies most of us have areas that we want to conceal or draw attention from, and it is usually a much longer list than those that we want to highlight! So here some basics about how you can use clothing to create the silhouette that you want:
Illusion dressing
Just like those fun magic eye puzzles, illusion dressing lets you play with clothes and accessories to bring balance to your body proportions, all without the need for any Spanx! It's all about using colour, style, and silhouette to effortlessly minimise any areas you're not too keen on, and highlight the features you love. Understanding how the eye naturally moves across your body, influenced by colour and texture, is key. So, here are some easy techniques to help you feel your best in the five most common areas women often worry about:
How do I make my legs look longer?
Consider garments with higher waists. High-waisted pants or skirts can visually extend the lower body, creating the illusion of height. Paired with the right footwear, this choice can really make your legs appear endless.
How do I draw attention away from my middle?
Choosing styles that skim rather than cling can help divert attention away from this area. Loose, flowing fabrics with gentle draping can help create a more forgiving silhouette, making you feel comfortable and confident.
How do I make my hips and thighs look smaller?
Wear darker colours on the lower half without any embellishments/fading/patch pockets. This will ensure that the attention is not focused on your lower half.
How do I make my bust look bigger?
Opt for tops with ruffles, pleats, or embellishments around the bust area to create the illusion of volume. Horizontal stripes or patterns can also add visual interest and fullness.
How do I minimise my large bust?
Opting for lower necklines subtly shifts the focus away from your chest, creating a more balanced overall look.
Remember, everybody is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to dressing for your body shape. Dress for how you want your body to look, not in accordance with a general label. If you want personalised advice about the best clothing styles and shapes that would work best for you, I cover this in all my one-to-one consultations
