Every individual is unique, and there are several body shapes with even more varieties. Learning about your body shape is the starting point for any positive changes you want to make in your life. If you seek a better-looking, confident personality with a few tucks or lifts here and there, call Millennial Plastic Surgery today to book a consultation with experts. Dr. David Shokrian helps you better understand your body type and what you can do to improve your overall looks. He also performs body contouring procedures that give you a chance to achieve your aesthetic goals and feel more confident about yourself.
Dressing up your body becomes easy when you know what clothes will look good on you and make you feel confident. It is essential to figure out your body type, learn what makes it unique, and how to choose the right outfits so you look and feel great without feeling self-conscious. Once you have determined your body shape, you can enjoy dressing up and looking for clothes and accessories that complement you best.
Determining your body shape is the first step to buying the right clothes and styling yourself. Most of us dream about having the hourglass figure of Marilyn Monroe, the height of a supermodel, and maybe the perky chest of youth, but sadly we are not so lucky. You can be any body shape at any age, weight, or size. Just because you don’t have an hourglass figure or the right height, it does not mean you cannot dress up and look good. Dressing for your body shape highlights your attributes and helps to show off your best self.
How to Determine Your Body Shape?
A measuring tape may provide the correct measurements for your body, but these numbers do not mean anything unless you know which body shape you have, and how to dress accordingly to look great. Figuring out your body shape type helps you understand your shape and contours well and dress for your figure.
All you need to do is look at yourself straight in a full-length mirror, take measurements, and observe your proportions. Body shape is based on the relationship between three points on the body, your shoulders, bust, waist, and hips. Draw an imaginary line from your shoulders to your hips and take a mental note of where the line hits. You can even take a full-length picture to make the process easy.
Now, ask yourself the following questions, then go through the description of the body shapes discussed below to see what you come up with:
- Which are the widest parts of your body, your bust, waist, or hips?
- Which area of your body do you believe has fitness issues?
- In which areas of your body do you notice a change as your weight changes?
- What styles suit or unsuits your figure most?
Remember, knowing your body type is not about changing how you look. It is learning about ideal silhouettes that highlight your body shape’s strengths. Grab a tape measure and read along to learn about the characteristics of each body shape to determine your body shape.
Rectangle
It is the most straightforward body shape type. It is often described as an athletic build as women identified with it have features of similar widths.
Characteristics of a rectangle shape:
- Your bust, waist, and hips are roughly equal
- Your waist is straight rather than curvy
- You are more likely on the taller side
- You may have an athletic build
Measure your shoulders, bust, and hip width to find out if you have a rectangle body shape. If your measurements are all similar for every area, or if your waist measurement has less than an 8-inch difference from your hips and shoulder, you are most likely a rectangle shape. If you are shorter and have a rectangle body type, it can make you look shorter and heavier than you are.
How to Dress a Rectangle Body Shape
Avoid boxy cuts and anything too straight up and down, and look for clothes that give your body more of an hourglass figure, such as high-rise bottoms and belts. You can also break up your outfits with layers and different proportions of clothing to enjoy an appealing appearance.
Inverted Triangle
An inverted triangle is an upside-down triangle, and any body shape with larger proportions on top than on the bottom will be classified as an inverted triangle. It is another athletic shape as the waist and legs are significantly narrower than the bust and shoulders.
Characteristics of an inverted triangle shape:
- Your shoulders and bust are wider than your hips
- You gain weight in your upper body first
- You don’t have a lot of weight
- You have a smaller derrière
- You have broad or prominent shoulders
You can confirm your body type by taking the full width of your shoulders, bust, and hips. If your bust and hips are around the same width, but the waist is a significantly smaller number, you have an inverted triangle body shape. Your shoulder measurements should be at least 4 inches bigger than the hip measurement, or your busy should be about 2 inches larger than your hips.
How to Dress an Inverted Triangle Body Shape
When choosing clothes for this body type, anything with a nipped-in waist will balance out your body shape. Avoid tops with large-shoulder details, especially when paired with skinny bottoms. It is essential to highlight your lower half and elongate your legs with nude shoes. Wrap tops and dresses can help accentuate the waist and make you look good.
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Hourglass
It is, without any doubt, the classic bombshell shape. It is named for the contoured shape of the waist compared to your bust and hips.
You can determine if you have an hourglass shape by measuring your shoulders, bust, and hips. Your body measurements will all be around the same width, but the waist measurement has to be at least 8 inches less than your shoulders, bust, and hips. If your waist is significantly indented or you have a defined waist contour, it signifies an hourglass figure.
Characteristics of an hourglass shape:
- Your bust and hips have almost equal width
- You have a well-defined waist
- You have a larger chest and fuller derrière
- You have an overall curvy figure
You can determine you have an hourglass shape by observing your body in the full-length mirror. If your curves resemble a coke bottle, you most likely have an hourglass figure.
How to Dress an Hourglass Body Shape
Hourglass body shape is most desired due to balanced proportions and a well-defined waist. If you are fortunate to have balanced curves, flaunt them with the right dresses. Accentuate your waist with wrap-style tops and dresses as they highlight your petite waist and curves well. High-rise bottoms also draw attention to your proportions. Pencil skirts work well with this body type, particularly the ones that end up at the knees, as they elongate your legs and further emphasize your small curves.
It is essential to know that an hourglass body shape is rare, but it can be achieved through augmentation. You must consult an experienced plastic surgeon to learn about the best surgical procedure to get an hourglass shape.
Apple
Also known as an oval or circle body shape, the apple body shape is identified for the roundedness that resembles the look of the fruit it is named for. Obvious signs of an apple body shape include a circular outline, with no definition in the waist, and similar measurements.
Characteristics of an apple body shape:
- Your waist is equal to or greater than your hips and bust
- Your waist is undefined or not clearly defined
- You have a larger bust
- You gain weight in your middle section or stomach first
If your shoulders, bust, and hip measurements are very similar, or identical, or if your waist is larger than your bust, waist, or hip, it means you have an apple body type.
How to Dress an Apple Body Shape
This body shape can be trickier to style as you must find pieces that draw attention away from your midsection and ideally elongate your entire frame. To do this, you must avoid boxy cuts or anything with a lot of embellishment along the waistline that will highlight your middle or any bumps. It is best to opt for structured clothing that adds sharp lines to your overall appearance, to slim down the midsection of your body.
Pear
Like a pear, a pear body type is slender on the top and wider in the hips and legs. You can determine if your body is pear-shaped by taking your measurements. If your shoulder and bust measurements are significantly smaller than the width of your hips, it means you probably have a pear or triangle-shaped body type.
Characteristics of a pear body shape:
- Your hips are larger than your bust
- Your waist is defined and smaller than the hips
- You tend to gain weight in your hips and thighs
- You may have narrow shoulders
A hip measurement that is at least 2 inches larger than your shoulders, or at least 4 in larger than your bust indicates a pear body shape.
How to Dress a Pear Body Shape
It is essential to choose clothes with a sizable bottom that highlights the smaller waist and takes away the attention from the lower half. While having curves is a great feeling, the best outfit must highlight your shoulders, arms, and back and create a waist for more contour and exude a sense of balance. Fit-and-flare dresses work well for this body type, along with high-rise pants and straight-leg pants.
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Human bodies come in different shapes and sizes, which makes each of us unique. While some of us are curvier, others have narrow hips and broad shoulders. You must know that there is no ideal body shape, regardless of what you see or hear from people around you. If you have concerns about your body shape or want to know how to enhance your curves and highlight your attributes, visit Millennial Plastic Surgery for an expert opinion. Dr. David Shokrian is an experienced board-certified top plastic surgeon and recommends the best solutions to help you feel and look great and carry yourself more confidently.
We can’t wait to meet you! We offer comprehensive consultations with Dr. Shokrian, and his team both virtually and in person.
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