NashVogue

The Pear shape is, in my opinion, the body shape of the average woman. As the saying goes, “Once on the lips, forever on the hips,” – you carry your weight at your hips. As with the apple, we want to think about balance. The human eye is draw to proportional shapes, so what we need to do is downplay your hips and draw attention to your torso.

Top it Off: Since your top half is slimmer than your bottom half, you can get away with looser fitting tops (although fitted tops look great on you as well). Blouses with a lot of detailing, such as ruffles, help draw the eye upwards and can also create the illusion of a fuller chest. Puffy sleeves and wide straps have the effect of broadening your slim shoulders and creating more symmetrical curves on top. Stay away from high necklines, but, instead, look for necklines that are scooped, vee’d, rounded or squared – as these help to broaden your torso.

Bottoms Up: When choosing bottoms, think of cuts that help to camouflage your curvy hips. In skirts, choose a-line or flared cuts that flow away from the body. In pants, look for flared or wide-leg. Cuts that are straight from hip to ankle are also extremely flattering on you. In jeans, choose a darker wash as this helps to hide curves.

Sample Look:

Off Limits: Avoid tight skirts, tapered legs, and high-waisted pants. All of these will only accentuate your widest area. Also, avoid bottoms with a lot of pockets or detailing on the backside. Again, this will only draw attention to an area that stands on its own. Avoid jackets that hit at the widest part of the hips. Flashy belts will only draw the eye down toward your hips.

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With the apple, balance is key. Since you carry most of your weight up top, we want to elongate your torso and create curves in the right places. This involves slimming the shoulders and drawing attention away from the tummy to show off your chest and enviably slim legs. If we focus on the positive attributes, it will help you feel more confident about your body shape.

Top it Off: One thing the apple has in common with the Rectangle and Hourglass is the gorgeous way in which wrap tops accentuate your figure. You can’t go wrong here. High-waisted, or empire, tops will help to camouflage some of your problem areas. Another great look for you is to pair a great cami with a jacket. Make sure the jacket hits you at the waist or mid-thigh (avoid jackets that hit at the fullest part of your thigh). Wearing the jacket open creates nice long lines – elongating your torso and drawing attention away from your shoulders.

Bottoms Up: When picking out bottoms, think long lean lines (even if they are just your legs!). You can wear shorter skirts (1-3 inches above the knee – NOT miniskirts). A-line skirts also look great on you. It creates more curves in your legs and helps to give you the appearance of an hourglass shape. Don’t be afraid to play with patterns or color in these type of skirts. The bold patterns and colors help draw attention downward – elongating the torso in the process. Try to find pants with pockets. These pockets with help to give your backside curves. Stick with pants that have a bit of a flare at the bottom.

Sample Look:

Off Limits: Absolutely stay away from skinny/tapered leg jeans and shoulder pads! The shoulder pads will only accentuate and draw attention to your “problem area”. Skinny jeans will give you what I call the “frosty cone” look. You have a lot of weight on top that tapers to a point at the bottom. The is probably the least flattering look for you.

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The hourglass figure is probably the most  recognizable body type out there. It is the coveted figure of Hollywood bombshells. The Hourglass is shapely, with a full chest, curvy hips, and a well defined waist. There is very little she can’t wear. However, as with all body types, there are things that make her look her best and a few things that don’t do her gorgeous figure justice.

Top It Off: Like her rectangle cousin, our main goal with the hourglass is to accentuate her waist. Wrap tops are again a great example. Basically, any top that is fitted at the waist (not tight) will make her curves even more defined.

Bottoms Up: The best bottoms for the hourglass are those that hug her curves. We’re not looking for tight jeans. In fact, once past the hips, we would prefer a straight or flared leg. Mid-waist pants are also great, as they elongate the legs, show off the waist, and create more definition to the curves in the hips and backside.

Sample Look:

Off Limits: One area that the hourglass does not need help with is her full chest. Stay away from shirts that are tight through this area. Also, avoid ruffles or frills around the bust, as this will throw off the proportion in your curves. Since the hourglass does have a slim waist with a large bust, fit it crucial. If your top has a defined bust line (generally with a seam of some sort) make sure it fits below the bust. There is nothing worse than an unsightly line across the chest from an ill-fitting top.

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