Fashion Tips: How to Choose a Flattering Jacket

A flattering jacket is a core wardrobe item that you'll wear on a daily basis. It's not difficult to choose a flattering jacket once you've got the know-how, but all too many women end up buying jackets that do nothing for their body type, or worse! Read on to learn some strategies that will help you choose a flattering jacket that brings out the best in your body type. No matter whether you're full figured and curvy, petite and slim-hipped, or pear-shaped with more substantial curves on your lower half than on the top half of your frame, this guide to choosing a flattering jacket will help you pick a coat that highlights your assets so that you look and feel beautiful.

The Most Flattering Jacket For A Full Figure

A flattering jacket for a full figure is one with a long, clean silhouette, a length that emphasizes the vertical lines, and a few details that pull the look together. Full figured women usually look best in a jacket that reaches down to the mid-thigh. This length makes for a flattering jacket because it creates a clean, vertically-oriented silhouette without being so long that it overwhelms the rest of the outfit. To keep the lines long, opt for invisible pockets that blend right in to the contours of the jacket. Although pocket flaps can seem like an attractive detail when the coat is on the shopping rack, once you put the coat on you'll see that they interfere with the clean silhouette, creating a less flattering jacket. As a full figured woman, you'll be rewarded with a great look if you choose a jacket that has a large or even oversized lapel; this detail will help create balance with the body's curves. There's more than one way to create balance with a lapel; drawing the eye towards the lapel with a brooch or other small embellishment can actually make a jacket with small lapels more flattering to a full figure, so if your heart is set on dainty lapels, you can still look graceful.

The Most Flattering Jacket For A Slim, Straight Figure

There's one word to describe the most flattering jacket for any woman who has a slim, straight figure with small curves: volume. If your figure is closer to Twiggy than to Marilyn Monroe, a flattering jacket will add a little bit of heft to your body's top half; the contrast will draw attention to your slim hips and graceful limbs. When you add an extra touch of volume to her top half with a double-breasted jacket like a pea-coat, the positive effects will be instantly obvious! For an extra boost, pair your flattering jacket with a bold scarf; because your figure is petite, you can get away with an extra long or bulky scarf without looking or feeling puffy.

The Most Flattering Jacket For A Pear-Shaped Figure

If your curves are more substantial on the bottom half than on the top half of your frame, a flattering jacket can make all the difference in the world. A straight-cut jacket will create long vertical lines that emphasize your height instead of your width. In addition to that strong vertical line, opt for a coat that flares out slightly towards the bottom. The extra ease will create a flattering jacket that skims your curves instead of clinging to them. It's also a great idea to choose a jacket that has a eye-catching details down the front, or around the lapels. Bright or unusual buttons or trim will draw onlookers' attention to the center of your torso instead of to the edges, which further enhances your vertical line, and spells great news for your figure.