Women’s shape varies into different forms: apple body, pear body, (nope we’re not going to make a fruit salad, darling) hourglass body, inverted triangle body, and rectangle body. So which one of these is you? The surest way to figure this out is by taking four body measurements: shoulders, buts, waists, and hips. The relationship between these measures will reveal the shape of your frame. So grab your measuring tape and let’s get started!

1. Shoulders – Loosely wrap the measuring tape around the very tops of your shoulders, at their broadest point above your shoulder blades. It’s easy for the measuring tape to slip off at this spot, so a second set of hands could be useful.
   
2. Bust – Wrap the tape fully around your bust. Hold it well enough that it stays in place. If you’re wearing a bra, it’s okay to measure it over it.
3. Waist – This can be a bit confusing, as your natural waist is different from where the waistband of your pants generally hits. For this measurement, you’ll look for the narrowest part of your waist, which is usually above the belly button.
4. Hips – Wrap the tape below your hip bones, around your hips and butt. With this, if you’re wearing underwear, it’s okay also to measure over it.

Now that you know your measurements you decipher your body type. Knowing this will help you learn how to best dress for your body type and will help you create styles and outfit looks to achieve an equally proportional shape.

Apple-Shaped Body Shape

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If you’re curvy with a less defined waist, you’re likely an apple shape. 

You need to avoid anything that is too bulky or lacks definition. Look for some structure in a winter coat. You can either wear a waterfall style jacket or coat that you can wear open and finish with a scarf. Alternatively, look for a winter coat that has a wrapped look. For many apples, they create the nicest silhouette. Illusions of a waist, highlighting their cleavage and creating nice vertical lines.

As an apple shape, you will find several jackets that can work for you as you can layer to draw attention away from your belly. Just make sure that your jacket does not end at your widest point. Another thing is to make sure that the jacket fits the shoulder perfectly, so choose the size for your shoulders, not your belly. If you can’t close the jacket, you can use a scarf to fill the gap. Choose tailored jackets that have a nice v-shape at the top and opt for a single-breasted rather than a double-breasted style.

Pear-Shaped Body Shape

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If your hips are wider than your shoulders, you’re likely a pear shape.

The aim of dressing for your pear body type is to downplay your hips. As pears tend to store their weight on their thighs and their legs may be heavy, often they have a very good upper body. To achieve that you will accentuate the shoulders, draw attention to your upper body and waist and elongate the legs. 

Since we are in the winter season, you will need some sweaters, jackets and coats to keep you warm. For sweaters, colourful styles will work, as well as stripes, and boat or Bardot necklines. For coats, wear a structured A-shaped coat of knee-length. Belted blazers are also a good option for the pear shape because they draw attention to the waist. You can also use a longer top and then add a shorter jacket to give the illusion that your legs are longer than they are. Long cardigans and jackets that are below the hip can work well too! Look out for styles that give the illusion that your tops half is wider to accentuate your waist.

Hourglass Body Shape

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If your shoulders and hips are fairly balanced and you have a defined waist, you have an hourglass shape.

You are considered lucky if you have this kind of body. Accentuating your very feminine body to a fitted outfit is the key. Another is elongating your legs. You want to keep the balance, so avoid adding any “bulk” with your clothing. If you add ruffles or extra width to your bust, you will lose your ideal hourglass shape and end up looking “too heavy”.

Wearing a jacket or coat this winter season will show off your waist. Boxy styles won’t do any favours as they will make you look larger than you are, and they will hide your lovely waistline. The most flattering shapes for you will be those which either go in at the waist which is tailored or which are belted at the waist. You can also look for a classic trench style, a swing coat, a peplum jacket or a tailored blazer. 

Inverted Triangle Body Shape

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If your shoulders are wider than your hips, you’re likely an inverted triangle shape. 

For this kind of body shape, we will minimize your upper body and create a volume on your lower body to harmonize your silhouette. Try to do the opposite to the guidelines for a pear shape. For women with a triangle shape, they want to minimize their lower half and add volume to their top half. 

When choosing a winter outfit for this body shape, remember to look for single-breasted styles which won’t add bulk to your upper half. Collarless styles will also work well for you. You can either opt for straight styles. Look for coats in darker or muted tones and avoid detailing such as shoulder pads or epaulettes. 

 Rectangle Body Shape

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If your four measurements are fairly uniform and you have a straighter build, you’re likely a rectangle.

For this kind of body shape, a lot of clothes will surely suit and fit you well, but many rectangles will find dressing a bit more of a challenge as they are likely to get the extra weight around their tummies (usually happens after menopause).  As a rectangle, you’ll aim to create more curves and a pleasing silhouette. You can do this by defining the waist and creating curves on the bottom or top. Also, you can get away with a straight look and surrender the waistline altogether. 

For winter outfits like sweaters and coats, you can either choose fitted to add more shape or a looser style. You are lucky as you can wear pretty much any coat. Choose a coat with a good waist or that is belted at the waist. Any jacket tailored around the waist will look great or you can opt for a jacket like a moto or denim jacket to layer over your outfits or choose to forgo your waist with an open coat.

Now, we would love to hear from you! Do you know which styles look good on you and which don’t? If you do then you know your body well! What’s your style objective then? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. We wish you a wonderful winter day! Love, Vera May. 🙂 

 

Source: https://40plusstyle.com/