Discover how to dress for your body shape with Meri Sehat's fashion insights. Explore styles, silhouettes, and tips to enhance your confidence through fashion.

How To Dress For Your Body Shape

The definitive guide on the styles and silhouettes that best suit you and what to avoid.

Overview

Trends change quickly, and it can be confusing to know how to adapt them to fit our distinct (and beautiful) body types. In our opinion, being fashionable is all about looking amazing and feeling wonderful about oneself.

So, we put together this helpful guide to show you how to dress for your body type and highlight your best features with clothes you already own or should own.

Before anything else, are you aware of your body type? 
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Four Main Body Shapes

<h5>1. Pear Shape:</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Narrow shoulders as compared to your hips</li>
	<li>Fuller hips 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

How To Style The Pear-Shaped Body

Ladies with pear shaped body can wear long, flowy gowns or skirts will make their waist line prominent. Such dresses can give an overall taller and slimmer look, which would draw most of the attention to the upper body. 
 
Perhaps an anarkali type dress formal or casual will sit perfectly on a pear shaped body, as these type of dresses are more fitted from the top as compared to the bottom. Over all pleats, lines and patterns can enhance the appearance. It is also recommended to wear Kurtis with wider neck lines, and big prints at the top will make the overall appearance more attractive. 
&nbsp;

<h5>What To Avoid </h5>

Since pear-shaped bodies have heavier bottoms, try not to wear:

<ul>
	<li>Skinny jeans or tapered pants </li>
	<li>Tulip shalwars and trousers with a lot of details, as these will make the top look heavy. </li>
	<li>Belts, scarves or any accessories on the hip region</li>
	<li>High and narrow neckline tops. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>2.&nbsp;Hourglass Shape</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Over all curvaceous body shape</li>
	<li>Clearly defined waist line</li>
	<li>Hip to bust ratio is almost equal</li>
	<li>You may have thicker thighs, hips and bust 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>How To Style An Hourglass Shape </h5>

An hourglass body shape is the most-desired shape. One can carry a lot of dresses pretty well with this body. A distinct waistline, round-shaped butt, curvy hips and properly shaped legs are the hallmarks of an hourglass figure.

To avoid dwarfing their bodies, ladies with this body type can experiment with colour by blending pastels with sombre tones.&nbsp; The idea is to accentuate the curves by wearing clothes that hug your body perfectly. 
 
One can buy kurtis that are slightly fitted from the waist, fitted tunics and wear colours that would suit your skin tone. Must-have tops includes, peplums, wrap tops, fitted button up tops, or any outfit with V-neck or boat neck. Regarding jackets, go for the ones that will make your waist prominent, trench coats, bomber jackets and cropped tops. Dresses or skirts with belts, scarves and accessories around the waist line can be an amazing addition as well. 
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<h5>What To Avoid</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Shapeless dresses. These can cause your entire body to get lost in the garment.</li>
	<li>Wearing too many neck accessories, can make your top look heavy, concealing your bust and giving an overall uneven look</li>
	<li>Wide, unfitted sleeves are another kind of bulk that you should stay away from; choose fitting sleeves instead. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>3. Apple Shape</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Overall well proportioned</li>
	<li>Shoulders are broader than the hips</li>
	<li>Not very curvaceous</li>
	<li>No well-defined waistline 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>How To Style An Apple-Shaped Body</h5>

With this body type, the two main areas to focus are the waistline, to make it more defined, and balancing the waist-to-bust ratio.

To balance the ratio between the bust and waist, V-necks, scoop necks will add that balance.

Draped sleeves will add more definition to the waist line, avoid fitted sleeves as they will draw attention towards lack of waist line. 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;For desi wear, try the following:

<ul>
	<li>A-line cut kurtis with pleats</li>
	<li>Churidars for making legs more prominent</li>
	<li>Draping the dupatta on one shoulder 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>What To Avoid</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Kurtis or shirts with closed necks</li>
	<li>Patiala and loose shalwars</li>
	<li>Detailed and heavy embroidery on the neck 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>4. Athletic Or Rectangular Shape</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Not a lot of curves</li>
	<li>Hip-and-shoulder ratio is very similar</li>
	<li>Waist is straight and not well-defined</li>
	<li>Over all equal distribution of weight 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>How To Style The Rectangular-Shaped Body </h5>

To dress up for this body type, the key is to balance the broad upper shoulder by drawing attention towards the legs or other curves. The rule of thumb is to keep the volume either on the top or bottom. If you wear a baggy top, style it with a skinny bottom. Similarly, with a fitted top, keep the bottoms flowy and breezy. 
&nbsp;

With a western style, anything that would bring the attention towards arms, backs and shoulders is a good choice. Your go-to items are halter tops, strapless and racerback styles. As for the sleeve length, it is totally up to you. If you wish to cover the arms, go for three quarter length sleeves. For desi style, kurtis/tunics with deep necks and flares can make the overall body looks less rectangular. Wide cotton pants will help to add the curvy look on the waist line. 
&nbsp;

<h5>What To Avoid</h5>

<ul>
	<li>Baggy shirts as they will hide your body shape</li>
	<li>Wide flared jeans, will make your hips look non-existent</li>
	<li>Shapeless dresses, as they can hide your waist, shoulders, bust. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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Conclusion

Everybody has a different body shape and size. These <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/nutrition-guidelines-for-sehr-and-iftaar-meals">guidelines</a> are here to equip you with the basics of choosing what&rsquo;s best for body type. Most of the time, people are a combination of these types and it is the best way to find out what works is through trial and error. Good luck! 
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