Dressing Your Body Figuring Out Fashion
Some of you have asked how come after following our column and using our hints, you haven’t come out of the deal looking any better. We were originally quite perplexed by this dilemma, but we finally realized the problem in our work so far: none of it really matters if you aren’t finding clothes that fit your body. We all have flaws and areas that we are self conscious about. Stylish clothes that accentuate those parts and make you feel uncomfortable will be no improvement on your current wardrobe. To figure out how to dress different body types, we took to the mall with a diverse crew to find some remedies …
Ectomorph (Slender)
Guys: If you have skinny shoulders, go for structured seams like those on a jacket. Leave jackets unzipped or unbuttoned on top to increase shoulder volume as well. Light colors on top make torsos look larger. As a contrast, try choosing slender fitting pants to create the classic “triangular” shape.
Ladies: Create some curves! Accentuate your waist with cinched tops and bright, high-waisted belts. Wear pleated and A-line skirts to create volume at the hips. Light colors at the hips, like khaki or white, accentuate the hips for an hourglass shape.
Mesomorph (Muscular)
Guys: Dark tops make wide figures look leaner, while lighter colors on the legs balance out a wider top with wider lower portion. If your shoulders are disproportionately broad, look for unstructured shoulders and fits that hang straight rather than cutting in at the waist.
Girls: If you have a large bust and hips, go for dark colors on the areas that you want to minimize. Straight legged pants and modest blouses tame down curves. Experiment with different silhouettes. Try long, billowy tops and lean, tapered jeans or leggings. Also consider leaving your hair down to add volume and balance out a larger body.
Endomorph (Rounded)
Apple Shapes (large stomach): Guys, go for well fitted T-shirt in dark colors. Ladies, use the option of high waisted babydoll-type shirts and dresses. Remember that shiny fabrics accentuate flaws. Go for heavy weight fabrics so that every roll doesn’t show. Also consider wearing a tight undershirt to suck in any unwanted flab.
Pear Shapes (large hips): Guys usually don’t deal with this issue, so for the ladies, go for dark colored pants and longer tops to minimize hips. Wrap dresses and shirts work well to balance out the top while a structured shoulder adds proportion to the torso.
People also often struggle with the issue of their height. Whether you consider yourself too short or too tall, your clothes can help balance you out. Ladies, the most obvious step is to use the heel of your shoes to try and balance out your height. Also, if you wear a tight top, make sure you don’t wear skinny jeans. Only one part of your outfit should be skin tight. Guys don’t have that option, but a general rule of thumb is to use tighter fitting clothes to increase your height to width ratio. Also try a shorter haircut to elongate the neck and shoulders and try more monochromatic outfits without a visible belt to create an unbroken line from shoulders to feet. Tall guys should think about elongating the torso in comparison to the legs by choosing longer lengths in shirts and coats. Longer hairstyles also make your body look shorter in comparison.
Girls have even more options to play with their height. Petite girls can wear short tops and long pants and skirts that hit above the knee to increase leg height. Tall girls can embrace tunic style tops and tighter bottoms to decrease the look of lankiness. Also go for skirts that hit below the knee and boots in the winter to shorten the legs.
Finally, a couple last tips about accessories. Ladies, purses draw attention to the body part they fall next to, so large chested or big hipped girls should choose medium length purses to draw attention to the waist. Also, both genders should think about wearing scarves to bring color to the neck and face and to increase or decrease shoulder width.
We hope these tips will help with the daunting task of picking a better fitting outfit and we wish you a well fitting future.