We’ve all been there – you’ve tried on a garment that looks fabulous on someone else but, on you, it just doesn’t seem quite right. It can be a bit demoralizing, especially if you really love the piece. The likelihood is it doesn’t suit your body shape, but that can just make you dislike your figure more. Don’t let it. Because there’s another outfit out there that will make you look gorgeous, and do your body the justice it deserves.
Understanding your body shape and how to compliment it is at the heart of style. Because style is about reflecting who you are, both on the inside and out, and your style should proudly show that off. It’s why it’s important to be careful with fashion trends – very few cuts are universally flattering. So no matter how on-trend an outfit might look, if it doesn’t suit you it’s best to steer clear (and if you’re really intent on trends, pick and choose, and focus more on those that are based on colors, prints, or aesthetic rather than shapes).
If you pick the right pieces to flatter your shape, you will feel confident and that will shine through. So how to do it?
First, identify your general shape. Typically we all fall into one of 5 categories:
- Pear – your hips are wider than your shoulders and bust
- Apple – your weight tends to go to your middle so you don’t have a defined waist, and you have a medium to large bust
- Petite – overall small with slight curves
- Hourglass – a clearly defined waist, medium to large bust and your shoulders and hips are equal widths
- Long / Straight – a rectangular, athletic-like figure with no defined waist, and small bust and curves
Of course, very few of us fall exactly into one of these categories, but we tend to have more attributes of one than others. And it’s important, to be honest. A lot of women misidentify their shape as ‘hourglass’ as society has led us to believe that the ‘Coca Cola bottle shape’ body is the sexiest and most ‘womanly’. But there’s absolutely no shame in being any of these other shapes – they are all sexy and womanly, very common, and by being truthful to yourself you can find the most flattering pieces.
So what are the most flattering pieces for each shape? Well, the overall aim is to balance out your proportions. There may be a particular area of your body you like to show off or hide, but try not to focus too much on it. Because it’s best to focus on your whole shape so you look fabulous from top to toe, rather than honing in on one part at the expense of everywhere else.
These are my top pieces to look out for based on your shape:
- Apple – Apple is the most common shape amongst 50+ women as menopause causes weight gain around the middle. Sadly it’s commonly considered one of the less desirable shapes, but actually, you have beautiful ‘assets’ that other shapes tend not to have – such as gorgeous legs and a great décolletage – that you can show off whilst balancing out your shape.
To avoid looking top heavy, you will want to create an illusion of a waist and/or lengthen your body with long vertical lines. Ideal pieces include:
- V-shaped or scooping necklines
- Tops and jackets that fall to the hips or lower – rather than stopping at your waist
- Tailored jackets that accentuate your waist
- Dresses and skirts that stop at the knee – show off those legs!
- Dresses that are slim fitted on the bust but not clingy elsewhere
- Slim fitting trousers and skirts
- Fabric that sweeps or ties diagonally across the body, covering your stomach
- Pear – Pear is another extremely usual shape and can make you appear deceptively larger than you are. The trick is to draw attention upwards to give an illusion of a broader top, and to accentuate your waist so you don’t look bulky overall.
Top pieces include:
- Tops and jackets with strong shoulders and/or eye-catching detailing
- A-line skirts and dresses to skim over your hips
- Tailored jackets that accentuate your waist
- Coats that fall above or below the widest point of your hips and bottom
- Trousers with a slight boot cut or flared bottom
- Dark skirts and trousers
- V-shaped necklines
- Petite – Petite figures are often wrongly considered to be very small overall with no bust or hips. Which is why it can be difficult to find the right clothes – pieces that don’t swamp your small frame, but also cater to your curves and lengthen you. It’s best to find these pieces:
- Garments with a beautiful cut or intricate prints and detailing, rather than large busy patterns
- Slim, higher-waisted trousers. Look out for trousers with side panels too that are extra lengthening
- Skirts and dresses that fall above the knee, mid-calf or are full length.
- Anything that stops around the lower-calf/ankle cuts up your legs and make you look shorter
- Fitted styles to accentuate your figure
- For full-length trousers or jeans; buy cropped styles – they will be full length on you and save you having to get them altered!
- Long – If you have a long figure, you will probably find a lot of styles suit you. And you will be able to carry off bold looks. But if you are particularly tall it may be a struggle to find pieces that fit properly. And you may wish to have more pronounced curves. So look out for the following:
- Strong blocks of color and graphics
- Skirts and dresses with a defined waistband – An A-line or a slim fitting pencil skirt are particularly good
- Slimly fitted pieces – avoid those that are shapeless
- Higher necklines and pieces with detailing around the top to give the illusion of a larger bust
- Tailored jackets that accentuate your waist
- Cropped jackets to show off your long legs
- Hourglass – If you’re hourglass you’ll want to accentuate your figure, especially your small waist. However, a lot of hourglass women have a large bust that can be difficult to fit and may make you look slightly top heavy. So ideal pieces include:
- V-shaped and scooped necklines
- Skirts and dresses with a defined waistband – A-line looks particularly great
- If you have a little weight across the stomach, find pieces that drape across it
- Slim fitting styles
- Printed or colored skirts or trousers to draw the eye down
Finally – and this applies to all shapes – invest in a well-fitted, supportive bra. It will lift you up, both giving you a boost, and creating space between your bust and waist.
So next time you go shopping, either in person or online, try to keep these suggestions in mind. But remember – they are guidelines. It’s unlikely you will fall completely into one of these body shape categories, and there may be other parts of your body, such as long arms, or sloping shoulders, to pay attention to as well. The ultimate goal is to create balanced proportions. And with that, you will look and feel like the best version of yourself today.
You may also enjoy: Fashion for Mature Women – A Chat with Jacynth Bassett of the-Bias-Cut.com
Shop at The Bias Cut!
For fabulous London Fashion for women over 50 make sure to visit Jacynth Bassett’s site, The Bias Cut and if you make a purchase, use the coupon code BABYBOOMSTER15 for a 15% discount!
What is your body shape and what tips do you have to offer about dressing for your body shape? Please leave a comment below.
I learned something about myself. I’m a ‘long’., This was so helpful!
I’m so glad it helped, Diane. It can make a difference in what types of clothes you choose.
Hi Diane
I’m delighted you enjoyed the article! I hope it provided some useful tips and inspiration!
Best wishes
Jacynth x
I love the article! I don’t mean to be critical, but I feel the photos could be better examples. For instance, I do not see the apple-shaped model as apple-shaped. Apples are much fuller in the middle. This woman is anything BUT an apple. The pear-shaped example doesn’t even show her body from an angle and distance that illustrates the point. I don’t think this photo is helpful. I would rather see a full length photo from the front, showing the real shape of this figure. You can’t tell it’s a pear. Long is fine, but the outfit is not flattering. Hourglass is at an angle that also makes it harder to tell what her true shape is. I think you really need forward facing models to really illustrate your point.
Side note: I will not be offended if you chose not to display my comments. I’m an art director and I’m just trying to be helpful and constructive about images that better illustrate your point. This comment is more for your benefit than your readers.
Hi Lisa,
I really pleased you enjoyed the article, but also completely appreciate your points and constructive feedback. The photos are some of our latest ‘real women’ models and are airmen more to be illustrations of the suggested clothing. Ideally I would have loved to have featured more pics of different sizes, and we do have apple shaped women who have previously modelled for us on our website too. I hope also that we will be able to feature more shapes and sizes as the-Bias-Cut continues to grow.
Best wishes
Jacynth x
Thank you! I needed to recognize that as I age my body is changing — not necessarily the way I want it of course. But clothes make all the difference.
Hi Jenny, so pleased you enjoyed the article. Our bodies do change as we get older but that just means adapting and changing up our style. If anything it’s an opportunity to try our new looks and styles that wouldn’t have worked previously!
Best wishes
Jacynth
I like that you suggested choosing dresses that have fitted styles if you have a petite figure to make sure that your figure is going to be accentuated. My sister and I are planning to visit a clothing boutique soon. We want to shop for new clothes since our old clothes don’t suit us anymore. Since we have slim figures, we’ll do all your tips.