Understanding your body shape will simplify choosing clothes that enhance your natural strengths and boost your confidence. However, given the overwhelming number of options, finding the right style isn’t always straightforward.
If you’re unsure what to look for, our guide below will help you dress to feel your best in 2025.
Understanding Your Body Shape
The key to finding the right clothes is understanding the common body shapes and which is closest to your physique. Remember that body shapes are a rough guide, not a rigid definition, so it’s okay if you don’t look exactly like them – everyone is different.
The common body shape categories you’ll see when shopping include hourglass, a balanced bust, hips, and a narrow waist. Pears have a wider hip than the bust. Apples have a fuller midsection, while inverted triangles have shoulders broader than their hips. Rectangles feature an aligned bust, waist, and hips.
To discover your body shape, you’ll need to take measurements with a flexible tape and jot them down. Measure your bust, waist, and hips in form-fitting clothes or underwear to ensure accurate measurements.
Dressing for Your Shape: Key Principles
There are several fundamentals of dressing for different body shapes. Regardless of your shape, you should aim to create balance and proportion through your clothing choices. You want to highlight areas you love and minimise those you’re less confident about.
For example, if you’re a pear shape, you’ll want to add volume to your upper body with boat necklines, structured tops, and puff sleeves. Choose A-line skirts and wide-leg trousers, and avoid overly tight skirts that emphasise your lower half.
Also, consider that fabric choices and colours can affect how clothes drape and flatter your body. Colour blocking can create different textures and visual interest for rectangle body shapes, while apple shapes benefit from draped fabrics to elongate their figures.
The Power of Fit: Beyond Size Labels
A major frustration women deal with when shopping is inconsistent sizes. You’ve likely had bad experiences with “vanity sizing”, buying a size from a new brand that always fits you in another. Finding out your normal size is skintight and needs to be returned can be infuriating. Brands often purposefully do this to encourage sales, misleading their customers.
To avoid these irritating scenarios, focus on how clothes fit instead of an arbitrary number. Try clothes on before you buy when you can, and if you have to buy online, make sure the brand has a fair returns policy. Tailoring can be helpful if you love a piece, but it doesn’t quite fit right.
Building a Capsule Wardrobe for Your Shape
Capsule wardrobes are a collection of essential, versatile options that can be mixed and matched without needing replacing in a few years. Take an honest look at your wardrobe, decide what you wear and don’t wear, and pick new clothes that flatter your shape and will become a staple piece.
Women’s shapewear has come a long way from restrictive corsets that emphasised extreme, uncomfortable hourglass figures. Today, modern dresses and waspies are made from breathable materials that enhance natural shapes while offering support for all body types.
Styling Tips and Tricks for Every Shape
Every shape has unique options with accessories and clothes to balance proportions and add personality to look its best. Rectangles can define their waists with belts and tailored jackets, while apples can emphasise their necklines with scoop necks and statement jewellery.
Hourglasses can pick soft, stretchy fabrics to hug their curves. Pears can draw attention to their upper half, and inverted triangles can add volume to their lower half with tiered dresses.
