Basic Female Body Shapes

Knowing your body shape will help you choose the right clothes. There are about eight basic body shapes and each of these is also liable to alter, deepening on your height. These shapes are base on the female figure.

Wider at the top with slim hips

You are wider at the top and have slim hips. If your blouse size is larger than your skirt size, try tailored crisp styles - dark jackets and pale trousers, straight skirts, leggings, waisted jackets and simple neck lines. Avoid shoulder pads, wrap over tops, detail on blouses and gathered skirts or trousers.

Classic pear shape
You are smaller in the shoulders and quite rounded and heavy through the hip and thighs.
Try shoulder pads, curvy shaped tops, blouses with detail, waited jackets, boat necklines, layering at the top, bikinis with ruffed or detailed tops, high waited trousers with wide belts. Avoid clingy tops, leggings, pleated and A-line skirts, gathered waistlines on skirts or trousers, and one piece swimwear.

Hourglass shape
Your hips are even with your shoulders with a small waist.
This figure traces the shape of an egg timer, or an hourglass. Try well tailored suits in solid colour with matching or toning tights, trousers with small pleats at the waist teemed with crisp blouses with deep reveres, body skimming silk dresses with scooped necklines and narrow belts. Avoid A-line skirts and dressers, boxy jackets, long length jackets and very wide belts.

Round with no waist definition
If your figure is quiet thick in the waist, giving little or no definition, then it is referred to as an oval or a round figure. Try long line jackets, skirts and jackets in contrasting colour, tailored clothing, medium to high heels, deep scope t shirts worn under jackets, tapered trousers, high waisted trousers, and belts in a contrasting colour to give your waist definition. Avoid anything with ruffles or frills, fussy details, boxy styles, large prints, polo necks and anything 1940s style.

Straight boyish figure

Your figure has very little definition to the waist but also is very small in the bust and the hips. Also referred to as straight up and down. Try body jackets, stretchy skirts and trousers, rib tops, silk blouses, polo necks, stripy dressers and tight boots. Avoid bloused with a mannish cut, garments with lots of flowing fabric, big prints, shoulder pads and wrap over tops.

Athletic, heavy boned
Your figure has a little more definition to the waist but is generally muscled and well toned. Try tailored looks, shirtwaist dressers, and skirts on or just above the knee, straight, long skirts, higher heels, fitted jackets and scoop necklines. Avoid strapless dressers, short skirts, flat heels, ruffles or bows.

Tall and model slim
Your figure is curved but generally taller than average and have the ability to wear most couture designs since they are designed with the shape of a model in mind.
Try cling fabrics and silks, wide belts, scoop necked t shirts, American casual wear, Capri trousers, column style dressers, jeans and polo necks. Avoid tiny floral prints, vertical strips, long shapeless summer dressers, waisted jackets (often waisted to high), and one piece swimming costumes (usually to short)Slim with small hips and wide shoulders

Your figure is slim with small hips and wide shoulders.
Try tailored crisp styles, leggings, straight skirts, jeans, off the shoulder blouses, wrap over tops, shirtdresses and short skirts. Avoid fussy prints, dirndl skirts, mannish clothes, tops with epaulettes or shoulder pads, and strapless evening wear.