Women's Body Shapes: How to Dress an Apple Shape Body

Coco Chanel said it best: "Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions."

Women's body shapes are all different, and learning how to dress an apple shape body helps save money and time. Buying well-fitting clothes saves money, and feeling confident about the outfits hanging in the closet saves time.

Apple Shape Body

Dressing for your body type for women with an apple shape body is a matter of learning what the body proportions are and how to emphasis them.

Women with apple shape bodies have large busts and tummies, broad shoulders and backs, rounded but somewhat defined waistlines, and wide hips. Their derrières may be large or flat depending on how their bodies store fat. Dressing for this body type is a matter of balancing top and bottom dimensions while creating the illusion of a trim waistline. This presents a flattering vertical silhouette.

Tips for Apple Shape Bodies

Here are some basic tips for women with apple shape bodies:

Look for design elements like tiny shoulder pads and deep-V or other unusual necklines. Small pads at the shoulders balance the body, while bulky pads make broad shoulders look even larger.

Focus accessories on components like chandelier earrings or hair ornaments to draw attention to the face. Avoid collars and other fussy neckline elements, which draw attention to the top of the body. Think balance and symmetry.

Tailoring details like fitted or tapered blouses or small pin tucking at the waist area create a defined waist appearance; stay away from belts or wide or gathered waistbands, which make the belly look larger. Tops should left un-tucked and be long enough to cover the stomach.

Monochromatic dressing is perfect for women with apple shape bodies. The continuous line of color creates a vertical slimming line. Accents of vividness are added with tops in fashion shades or jewelry.

When dressing to flatter an apple shape body, choose small prints or patterns. Large prints or gigantic flower designs make the body look shorter and heavier.

Best Clothing Choices

The best jackets for women with apple shape bodies are styled with little or no embellishments. Jacket lengths fall below the hip line or at the waist. Fabrics and designs gliding over the body without clinging at the chest or waistline are best.

The most flattering dress styles are v-necklines or wrap dresses to showcase the bust but maintain the vertical slimming line. Look for designs skimming the body rather than clinging to bulges.

Skirts and slacks should have fitted and flat-front waistbands, but fuller skirts and legs help conceal heavy thighs and legs. Pocket-less fashions give the leanest profiles.

Dressing women's body shapes is easy when a few tips are following. Learning how to dress an apple shape body is an important step toward looking slimmer and feeling better in any garment.

Sources:

Quotations Book, Chanel, Coco, accessed 04/17/2010