Style Guide
How to Dress for Your Body Type
Knowing your body shape helps you choose clothing that fits well and feels comfortable. This guide gives practical style tips for each common body type based on your proportions.
Find Your Body Shape First
Use our free body shape calculator to find your body type before reading the style tips.
Hourglass
How to Dress an Hourglass Body Shape
The hourglass shape has a balanced bust and hips with a narrower waist. The goal is often to highlight the waist definition.
What Works Well
Fitted or wrap dresses, belted tops and jackets, and high-waisted bottoms all work well for hourglass shapes. Stretchy fabrics that follow the body's curves without pulling help with comfortable fit across both bust and hips.
Fit Tips
Because bust and hips may both be full, sizing up and tailoring for the waist can give a better overall fit than trying to squeeze into a size that fits the waist but is tight across the chest or hips.
Pear and Triangle
How to Dress a Pear Body Shape
Pear shapes have wider hips than bust. Style tips often focus on balancing proportions by adding visual interest to the upper body.
Upper Body
Detailed tops, wide-neck or off-shoulder styles, bright colors on top, and structured shoulders can all add visual width to the upper body and create a more balanced look between the bust and hip areas.
Lower Body
A-line skirts, dark or plain bottoms, and wider-leg trousers can be comfortable and flattering for pear body proportions. Avoid very tight skirts or styles that cling around the hip area if you prefer a more balanced look.
Apple
How to Dress an Apple Body Shape
Apple shapes carry more width around the midsection. Style tips often focus on drawing attention away from the waist or creating a longer vertical line through the body.
What Works Well
Empire waist or flowy tops that skim over the midsection, V-neck styles that lengthen the neckline, and monochromatic outfits can create a longer, more uniform silhouette. Structured jackets worn open can also frame the body well.
Fit Tips
Look for stretchy, breathable fabrics around the waist area for comfort. Avoid very tight or cropped tops that sit at the widest part of the midsection. Wrap styles in flexible fabric often work well.
Rectangle
How to Dress a Rectangle Body Shape
Rectangle shapes have similar bust, waist, and hip measurements with less curve definition. Style tips often focus on creating the appearance of curves or waist definition.
Adding Curve Definition
Peplum tops, ruffled details, wrap dresses, and belted outfits can help add visual curve to a straighter silhouette. Layering different lengths and textures also adds dimension to rectangle body shapes.
Fit Tips
Most clothing styles fit rectangle shapes easily because the proportions are balanced. Tailored pieces and structured jackets work especially well. Look for styles with waist seams or built-in waist shaping for more definition.
Inverted Triangle
How to Dress an Inverted Triangle Body Shape
Inverted triangle shapes have broader shoulders or bust compared to the hips. Style tips often focus on balancing the upper and lower body proportions.
Lower Body Focus
Wide-leg trousers, pleated skirts, patterned or textured bottoms, and flared styles can all add visual width to the lower body and balance wider shoulders or bust. Light and bright colors on the bottom half also help.
Upper Body Tips
V-necks, simple or plain tops, and styles without shoulder detailing can reduce the visual width of the upper body. Avoid ruffles, cap sleeves, or boat necks that add width at the shoulder line.
Find Your Shape
Start With Your Body Shape
Before using these style tips, find your body shape using your measurements for the most relevant guidance.
Use the Calculator
Enter your bust, waist, high hip, and hip measurements for a free body shape result in seconds.
Body Shape Calculator →Measurement Guides
Not sure how to take measurements? Read our step-by-step guides for bust, waist, and hips.
Measurement Guides →Body Shape Pages
Read detailed guides for each body shape type including measurements, characteristics, and style tips.
All Body Shapes →