Have you ever felt that feeling of making countless Pinterest boards, or inspiration layouts full of styles you love and adore but somehow can’t seem to pull them off? You’ve already spent the money buying the clothes, but they still just don’t look right. So then you chalk it up to yourself, blaming it on your weight or the outfit being way too out of your comfort zone or some other excuse. But I am here to tell you that all you need to learn to do is to work WITH your body shape because you’ve probably been working against it. Trends are ever-changing and it is not easy at all to know how to adapt to them to accommodate your unique (and beautiful!) body shape. Fashion isn’t so much about how you look, but more so about feeling great with the looks we love and feeling great with who we are. So, consider this a friendly guide to help you learn how to dress your body shape and elevate your favorite features with styles you have (or will have) in your closet.
Understand The Difference
Body shape plays a crucial role when it comes to the perception of our bodies. Body shape is totally different from body size, as body size can change with the loss or gain of weight. Where body shape is more so determined by genetics and structure, making it a more stable aspect of your physical appearance. More often than not body shape is what we look at when perceiving beauty and attractiveness. In society certain body shapes are idealized, which then leads to the unrealistic standard of what beauty looks like. Different body shapes are complemented by different styles of clothing, and there isn’t a universal shape that we all have. And that is the beauty of fashion, expressing your individuality and learning what looks good on you compared to someone else is just one step that you can take to further strengthen your self-confidence and a healthier relationship with body image.
Fit Is Important
For the sake of comfort, it is important that the clothing fits properly. Oftentimes we settle for clothes that fit “okay” or “well enough” because it is already a challenge to find ready-to-wear clothing items. Still, when you go to reach for your favorite jeans, you know the ones you’ve had for years that just fit so well, and when you wear them you instantly gain a burst of confidence. It just fits your body shape better than clothes, and you’re aware of it — even though the feeling may just simply be subconscious. Now, what if all your clothes fit the same way as those favorite pairs of jeans fit? To find clothes that are going to fit like those favorite pair of jeans, you must discover your own given body shape and use it as a tool to shop for the fit of success. Some of the common body shapes include:
- Pear or a Triangle: People who fall under this category usually have narrower shoulders compared to their hips. Tending to distribute more of their weight into the lower hips, buttocks, and thighs.
- Inverted Triangle: People who fall under this category usually have a smaller lower half of their body compared to the top, and shoulders are seen to be wider than the hips. This causes more of their weight to be in the upper body and stomach areas.
- Rectangle: People who fall under this category usually have little to no major definition in the waistline and hips. They tend to have a similar shoulder and hip width, making them proportional.
- Hourglass: People who fall under this category usually have equally broad top and bottom halves of their body. Leading to a smaller waist than the chest and hips,
- Oval or apple: People who fall under this category usually have narrow top and bottom parts of their body. Mainly carrying weight in stomach and chest areas with slender legs.
Knowing this information is one of the only ways for you to truly feel confident within your entire wardrobe. Most clothing manufacturers won’t provide you with this information and tailor you to simply the sizing charts, but in reality you should start choosing clothing items that match your body shape.
Standard sizing isn’t fair, so you shouldn’t care!
We all have the right to feel confident and comfortable in what we are wearing, and discovering your body shape will help with that. Knowing your body shape is very helpful as it lets you know what certain clothing enhances your features the best and steers you away from those that do not flatter you much. So use my guide to help you fall in love with your body again. And even if your body shape doesn’t fit what the media says you should have, that is also okay because you now have the tools to love the amazing beautiful body you have, and also elevate your fashion.