How to Dress for Your Body's Shapes

Before reading the rest of this post, go stand in front of a mirror and take a look at what you see in your body's structure. What do you notice?

If you see roundness, lots of circles and ovals, and other curvy goodness, then a wardrobe of sharp corners and straight lines is probably not going to look quite right when you see it in the mirror.

By the way, I love the use of the word curvy to affirm that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and that plus-sized fashionistas are beautiful too.

But not all of us who are plus-sized are curvy. I once spent a year I’ll never get back thinking that my extra fleshiness was creating curves that needed to be honored in the clothes I wore. I was mistaken.

So, on the other hand, if you have broad shoulders, straight hips, long arms or legs, and lots of rectangle or square-ish shapes, then those are the lines and shapes you will need to recreate in your clothes. The curvy circle-ness of it all may not flatter you.

But maybe your body is a free spirit that does what it wants where it wants & refuses to conform to expectations. If you are a rich combination of opposite shapes - a circle here, a square there; short lines here but elongated lines there - then, your clothes need to express that combination of opposites.

And I am just getting you started, to be honest. 

I no longer think that getting dressed is as simple as deciding whether or not you are an apple or a pear, or a ruler or a spoon. Not only do I think that it often can be more complicated than that, I I suspect that it needs to be more personalized than that.

In fact, you do you may need to be a guiding theme!

How to Dress for Your Body Type

Most of the time, when style experts say that they are going to tell you how to dress for your body type, what they mean is that they'll tell you how to camouflage your flaws. They have perfect balance and/or the hourglass figure in mind, and their goal is to help you use your clothes to create the impression that that's what you look like.

I reject that intention. My goal is to share what I have learned about looking exactly like yourself, but at your most beautiful.

What do I mean?

I am solidly in the camp of those experts who suggest that once you understand what your body is doing - its shapes and lines and silhouette - you create outfits that do exactly the same thing, rather than opposing it in some way. Or trying to correct it.

I believe that you have the body structure you were meant to have. And that beauty, for myself, and for you, means dressing the body you have, not simulating the current cultural ideal.

Do you see what I mean? So, look for your shapes in the clothes, but also create them in the outfits you put together.
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One More Thing: About Fit Problems

In the past, I have been gently accused of wearing clothes that were at least a size too big.

It was true! I was hiding in my clothes, primarily because I was trying to hide my poochy belly. But once I realized that I was making myself look sloppy by doing so, I began to try to gradually move closer to my actual size.

But just as it's not a good idea to hide in clothes that are too big, I believe it's a mistake to wear clothes that are too small, and I often see women doing that, unfortunately.

I think it might be some version of sticker shock. Or in other words, wanting to claim the smallest size possible.

But squeezing into the smallest size you can get into is not flattering. In fact, it draws attention to whatever is not smooth or flat, and sometimes creates problems where none existed before.

Are you plus-sized like me? You know we are the worst affected by anything that does that. But maybe we think that's the best we can do?

(Ladies, I am talking about rolls and muffin tops and saddlebags and all those other ugly-sounding descriptives. I say them just so I can be clear about what I mean here).

One size larger may completely eliminate those problems. 

Now for those of us who need alterations: if going up a size to smooth things over will mean gaps or other parts of the outfit that are too big, try having the outfit altered or tailored to fit more perfectly. 

I have that problem myself. Because I am rectangular on top, but a sort of inverted triangle on the bottom, if I buy pants and skirts that fit my waist, there is too much extra material in the hips and pant legs.

Getting the pants altered is a perfect solution.

But sometimes I can't afford to alter everything I own. One thing that helps is to buy leggings or pants that stretch well, so they are more likely not to just hang there in space.

​What are your biggest fit issues? Let me know in a comment.

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine
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