For the sake of simplicity, I assume, women’s figures have been labelled Pear, Apple, Hourglass and Rectangle. A few others came along and added Diamond, Banana (huh?), Cone, Bell, Brick ( good lord!), Column and so on. After assessing more than 100 bodies I can say this, our bodies were not made to a template and our shapes are simply a mix of genetics. I will (for the sake of online tagging and simplicity) discuss a few labels such as Pear, Apple & Hourglass as I think these are broadband labels and not going to send anyone off to therapy. How on earth does a woman discover her inner goddess once she has accepted the label of a Brick?! The two body shapes I have sketched are shapes of women that I know and I call them both Pear for the simple fact that they both tend to store fat on the lower half of the body. As a matter of interest I hope you are aware that exercise will not change the shape of your body. If you are a pear then even at your thinnest your top half will be skinnier than your bottom half. The only way that I have seen any balancing of my body has been by following Tim Noakes in his advocating of a high fat, low carb diet. However, as I am not a dietician, I am not in a position to say any more other than to suggest than you research it.
Lets talk about pear A.
The most important features that I see are her short neck and the sloping shoulders which can be better balanced out. This is not a typical pear trait but I am going to include it here as it does come up and makes for an extra challenge. The next obvious feature is that she’s not an apple because there is a waist, albeit above her midriff, but it creates feminine form. Her weight is carried on her tummy, upper hip and lower hip. This does make her lower hip look proportionately smaller than pear B.
So here, if this is you, you will probably be aware that your neck doesn’t want to be overwhelmed with scarves and detail. In other words use necklaces that dip in a V shape or skip short necklaces altogether using long ones or bracelets and light earrings instead. Heavy weighted earrings will only add to fuss around your neck.
Scarves can be an accessory sometimes, but choose heavy weight fabrics that will not billow up around your face. Jersey knit is always good. Sometimes though, one just cannot resist, and if you cave for silk or something that’s inclined to be a little frothy when you tie it then wear it open instead. Theres no rule that it must be knotted!
With sloping shoulder you should avoid adding ruffles and volume to the area. I would play with horizontal lines to draw the shoulders out a little. The blouse must have small simple collars, if any. Take care that the shoulder seam is sitting in the right place. When it is placed past your shoulder and more on your arm it adds to the slope. T’s cannot have high tight necklines. V necklines and cowl necklines will work wonders if your neck is short.
The boat neckline is a safe and ideal style, particularly if you have sloping shoulders with a long neck. Alternatively the square neckline of the geometric dress is an option. The straps are very wide, which is good if you are going sleeveless. For goodness sake leave spaghetti straps for the other female shapes! I favour a capped sleeve or ¾ sleeve which will balance the shoulders and the hips.
Your best friend will be a blazer! Perfect for balancing the shoulder hip ratio while keeping a clean elegant line with a tailored waist. Look for blazers with darts that flatter your waist and keep the lapel narrow to none. Blazers are so versatile and if you have them in your work closet, haul them out, roll up the sleeves and rock it with jeans!
Leather is super useful too. Dodge that biker look, it will make you appear very top-heavy. However there are clean lined and cropped jackets out there. Keep it minimalist but classic.
If you feel your hips are needing cover then by all means find a longer jacket. Keep in mind that the point is to be elegant, and not to drown yourself in a jacket whilst hiding the bits that you think everyone else is looking at. If you have been paying attention to what I am saying then by this stage your whole appearance is looking so fabulous that little ‘problem areas’ won’t be noticed!
Skirts could be a little ambitious as your waistband will likely sit on your wide area. I think its more flattering for you to stick to dresses.
So now lets talk jeans and trousers. Skinny jeans in winter are a stylish option, mainly as you can balance your shape by wearing long boots. If you have well developed calves then I guess you can wear skinnies with pumps in summer but often this figure is full on the thighs, generous around the middle but small on the calves which only serves to exacerbate the thighs etc. The most elegant leg is dark jeans and dark boots however light brown boots and black or blue denim is a popular trend and you need to weigh up if and how you can make it work for you. There are also great colour wash-outs on denim which I love. You will,however, need to be careful in your selection as a pronounced white on the thighs can expand them. Keep it a softly worn wash. Generally you are going to wear your blouse out, with your blazer or jacket defining a beautiful form. Straight jeans are easy to roll up or wear long with heels. Do, please, go for jeans with a slightly higher waist line, there will be less ‘roll’ falling over your waistband. Lastly boyfriend jeans can also work well as the blouse or T is loose fitting around the waist. Bear in mind that tucked in T-shirting often hugs the extra bits.
Lastly, in trousers, look for a pair with flat pleats in the front they will be kinder on your tummy and hip area than flat front trousers. An elasticized waistband should be avoided. Be selective with your pockets. The best option is flat, slanted pockets.These pockets are quite close to the side seams, but are still far enough away so that they don’t interfere with the shape of the pants on the hip and thigh area. The pocket linings are usually shallow which means they shouldn’t show through.
Good luck and happy shopping! On my next post I will discuss the best options for Pear B.
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Related articles
- Dress Your Shape: The Pear (starstruckpress.com)