Originally Posted: Perfectly Shaped Life - September 2007
No matter what beautiful size we are, we all tend to fit into one of five basic body shapes: Circle, Triangle, Inverted Triangle, Rectangle and Hourglass.
These are just guidelines, and other sites may differ radically. One site may say there are two basic types - another may claim four - and yet another may claim seven.
Let's use five shapes, since it's a nice prime number, fits with the number of fingers on one hand, and is easy to remember and relate to fashion in general.
Now let's talk about each one, shall we?
The Circle
Some people refer to this body shape as apple shape or oval shape in some fashion references, although I find that term a bit silly unless you have a stem sprouting from your neck. Shoulders and hips are narrow compared to the waist.
Those of us with circle body shapes need to define our non-existent waists and use V-necklines to lengthen our necks and accentuate our shoulders. Sleeveless tops give the illusion of more shoulder than we truly possess. We need interesting hemlines to give that leggy look (and turn attention away from the waist). We need to avoid hemlines that cut us off too far below the knee and turn us into popsicles.
The Triangle
Some people refer to this body shape as cone shape in some fashion references. Shoulders are narrow compared to the hips.
Those of us who are triangle shaped need to avoid calling attention to the hip area by using bright colors near the shoulders - scarves, eye-catching necklaces, necklines and collars of interest. Strive for lines that bring the eye upward. Avoid strong waistline definitions. Bring attention to the areas that are needing it, and away from areas that already have too much of it.
The Inverted Triangle
This body shape is also known as pear shape in some fashion references.
Shoulders are wide compared to the hips.
Those of us who are inverted triangle shape need to draw attention away from our nice wide shoulders and down toward waist and hips. Tunic style jackets with jewel collars (no huge lapels), long lean lines that make us look tall, smooth unbroken lines from shoulder to knee. Avoid breaking up those unbroken lines with belts, horizontal visual breakpoints, prominent waistbands. Avoid fashion traps like shoulder pads - no need to accentuate that positive broad shoulder more than necessary! Bring attention down to the narrow end of that inverted triangle with flair.
The Rectangle
This body shape is also known as the box shape in some fashion references.Shoulders and hips are nearly equal, and there is little or no waist definition.
Those of us with rectangle body shapes face some interesting challenges, but we can do a lot by focusing on long lean looks, faux belts (or even real ones), and lovely pointed toes on our shoes. Bright scarves, big chunky necklaces, heavy brooches that bring the eye up to your smile. Find your color and stick with it from neck to knee. Use prints cleverly to create the illusion of indentation and shape at the waistline, with colored side panels, faux vertical seams and tucks, shirring at the midriff, diagonal print panels.
The Hourglass
This body shape is also known as the proportioned shape in some fashion references.Shoulders and hips are nearly equal, while waist is narrower.
Those of us with hourglass shapes can wear just about anything with great success (and those of us without hourglass shapes will just have to rein in our green-eyed envy demons and dress ourselves beautifully anyway). Aim for apparel that brings the eye to the waist - big bold belts, tightly tailored shirtwaist dresses.
Not surprisingly, a lot of off-the-shelf apparel is designed for, and modeled by, hourglass-shaped people. This is a great sales ploy, as a catalog full of nice hourglass-shaped models portrays garments in a very positive note. Unfortunately for many of us, this nice hourglass-shaped positive turns into a negative in the dressing room.
Bottom Line
Know your body shape and be comfortable. Keep the tips in mind when looking at your wardrobe, selecting new apparel and accessories, and dressing for absolute success. In future posts, we'll use these icons to guide your attention toward an item or concept that works well for your own body shape.
