It’s Not the What, It’s the How

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How to: Dress for your body type

To build a house you must start with the right foundation. In the same way, to develop a good
personal style you must start with the right tools. Knowing your body type is one such tool.
Although People come in different shapes and sizes, there are 5 primary body types that
everyone typically falls under. These are apple, pear, inverted triangle, hourglass and rectangle.
I know the term ‘body type’ sounds quite limiting but I like to think of the body types as being on
a spectrum. For those of us that live in the real world, we know that there’s no one way that
bodies are shaped. So, these categories are just guides that can help us pick the best clothing to
flatter our wonderful bodies. Most people may sit between two types and other factors (e.g.,
genetics, hormone changes, diet, weight loss/gain) could cause us to move from one body type
to another.

Finding your body type

First, you need to take your measurements. You’ll need a measuring tape and a calculator.

➔ Shoulders: start at the tip of one shoulder and wrap the tape around the broadest point of your shoulders. You may need someone to help with this.
➔ Bust (chest): pull the measuring tape taut around your back and across the fullest part of your bust. Tip: make sure you wear a bra with good lift and support to give accurate measurements.
➔ Waist: Wrap the tape measure around the smallest part of your natural waistline (usually just above your belly button).
➔ Hips: Start at one hip and wrap the tape around the largest part of your bum.

With that being said, let’s look at the first body type: Apple.

The Apple Body Type

You are an apple if your waist ÷ shoulders and bust is ≥ 1.05.
Characteristics of the body type
➔ Broad/wider shoulders
➔ Slim hips
➔ Little definition to the waist
➔ A bit more flesh in the midsection
➔ Average to large bust
➔ Slender limbs
➔ Likely to gain weight around midsection/bust

What clothes to avoid
Now you can wear anything you want but it’s the way you wear it to suit your body that makes all the difference. Here are a few clothing items that can be tricky to wear for this body type.

➔ Cropped tops/sweaters: try wearing a high waist flared skirt to define the waistline and add balance to your figure. This also applies to when you wear bodysuits or tuck in.
➔ High-waist skinny trousers: this highlights the torso which isn’t a bad thing but if you don’t want to show off that part of your body, you can layer this with a simple blazer that stops right at your hips.

➔ Belted jackets/ coats: consider buttoning and belting the jacket at the waist as this would
elongate the figure and create balance. Note: very tight-fitting clothes highlight the torso and make the individual look more top-heavy. A tip to counteract this is to wear a simple fitted top and a bottom with hip or leg detail.

Wardrobe must-haves
Soft clothing and flowy styles suit this figure best as clothes follow the natural line of the body
whilst still creating the illusion of visual proportion.
➔ A-line & skater dresses
➔ High waist flared skirt

➔ Tops and dresses with wide and low necklines e.g., sweetheart, scoop and V necklines are very flattering for this body type
➔ Mid-rise flared trousers

Key style tips
➔ Invest in a good supportive bra. This is important especially for ladies with fuller busts as a good bra lifts the bust, reduces bulk in the torso and elongates the figure. Check out these bras.

➔ Show off your legs
➔ Try ruched dresses/tops
➔ Create balance by defining the waistline and adding volume to the bottom.
Well, that’s all for now about the apple body type. I hope these few tips have got you excited about getting dressed if you fall under this body type. If you don’t fall under this body type thank you for making it to the end and stay tuned for more tips on how to dress for your body type. In the next article, we’ll look at the pear body type.

Till next time!

Boma