Body Type

Your body type is the frame that everything hangs off of. The different elements of design, which I like to call the Style Recipe, (color, silhouette, proportion, pattern, line, texture) interact differently with the different body types. Consequently, if you don’t know what your body type is, you can’t make an educated decision about how to place those elements on your body.

Fill in your information below to get access to the body type quiz.

Instructions on how to measure can be found here.

Once you know your body type, skip to the appropriate section below for a brief overview or view the blog post for your body type for a more in depth look. Furthermore, if you want to understand the “why” behind the style selections, read all about the elements of the Style Recipe on my blog.

Triangle

The rule of thumb for a triangle is to bring emphasis up to the shoulders and create a perceived width on the top half of the body. Bâteau necklines and dropped shoulder styles are good examples of design details that accomplish this. All those trendy tops with the details at the shoulders will do the trick as well. In the same way, you can create this effect with large or wide set collars and lapels. Be mindful that your shirt hem doesn’t end at the widest part of your hip. Look for pants that hit at your natural waist or a mid-rise. Avoid back pockets with a lot of detail or front pockets that don’t lay flat. You can enjoy a variety of pant leg styles from skinny leg to wide-leg. For more in depth details, see How to Dress a Triangle Body Shape.

Inverted Triangle

For an inverted triangle body shape, you should aim for styles that diminish the shoulder and accentuate the width of the hips. For tops, choose styles that cut in from the natural shoulder/arm boundary line. Similarly, tyles like racer-back and halter tops work well. Consequently, dropped shoulder styles should also be avoided. For bottoms, you want at least some volume in the pants. On the contrary, skinny leg, or tapered silhouetted pants will throw your proportions out of balance. Instead, opt for at least as much volume as a straight leg pant, but you can also do a boot cut or wide-leg as well and anything in between. See How to dress an Inverted Triangle Body Shape for a more in depth explanation.

Rectangle

If you’re a rectangle body shape, accent the waist and play up the curves. For this reason, you should increase the visual weight at the shoulders and at the hip. Don tops with dropped shoulders, bateau necklines, raglan sleeves and any other style that accentuates the width of the shoulder. You can also carry blouses with added volume or loose fitting tops; however, don’t forget to define the waist if you do. Pants, skirts and other bottoms should visually increase the width at the hip. This can be done with certain pocket styles, detail stitching on the back pockets. Similarly, mid-to low rise pants also add to the visual appearance of hip width. Rectangle body shapes can enjoy all types of pant leg widths, with boot cut being especially flattering. Visit the How to Dress for a Rectangle Body Shape post for additional info.

Oval

For an oval body shape, look for styles that draw the eye to the middle of the body and elongate the frame. As an example, a quick way to achieve this is to wear an unbuttoned blouse, jacket, vest, sweater or blazer over a shell or tank. Consequently, you can take the same outfit, tuck in the inner shirt and add a belt and you’ve got an even more stylish and flattering look. Vertical stripes and chevron prints that bring the eye to the center are stellar options whereas horizontal stripes should be avoided. Avoid pant waist rises that hit at your widest point and make sure the proportion of your pant legs is in harmony with your upper body. Furthermore, How to Dress an Oval Body Shape has some additional tips and styles that you’ll look fantastic in.

Hourglass

For an hourglass body shape, the name of the game is balance. In essence, balance the top portion with the bottom portion of the body and accentuate the waistline. You can enjoy a variety of styles and silhouettes, but most importantly, when you get dressed, don’t lose the waistline. You can go for both sleek curve slimming looks or curve accentuating looks. It’s all up to you. Check out the How to Dress for an Hourglass Body Shape for additional tips, tricks and styles.