It’s Not the What, It’s The How

How to: Dress for your body type

Dressing up shouldn’t be a chore. If it is, then you’re doing it wrong (kidding). No but seriously,
getting dressed should be fun because there are so many ways, we can present ourselves to the
world. Sadly, this can also make this daily task very daunting. Regardless of how you feel,
dressing up can be fun, exciting, and even easy when you know how to wear what you already
have to flatter your figure.

That said, welcome to the fourth part of the body type series. Before we dive in, some general
caveats to keep in mind are:
1) The body types are on a spectrum, and you may oscillate between one type or another. Your
body type may also change over the years as your body changes, which is perfectly normal.

2) This is a style guide to help make getting dressed easier. You can wear anything you want but
it’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the Rectangle body type.
Note: To find your body type, you’ll need the following measurements: shoulders, bust, waist and
hips. Find out how to take these measurements here.

The Rectangle Body Type

You are a rectangle if your waist ÷ shoulders or bust = ≥ 0.75
Characteristics of the body type:
➔ Athletic looking just like the inverted triangle
➔ Shoulders and hips are proportionate
➔ No definition of the waist
➔ Straight shoulders
➔ The bust and hips are the same widths
➔ Straight frame overall i.e., lack of curves and straight hips
and bottom

What clothes to avoid:
With this body type, you’ll want to break up the rectangle and add some curves. So, it’s best to steer
clear of clothes that emphasise the straightness of this figure.
➔ Boxy tops/jackets: opt for tops that have a curvy shape to them. This will help add curves to
your silhouette. Belted, button-down and wrap shirts are good for this body type.

➔ Straight cut clothing: as mentioned earlier, this body type is straight all around so wearing
straight cut clothing can emphasize this. However, as you know you’re free to wear whatever
you like. When wearing straight clothing on this body type, choose clothing with
embellishments around the shoulders, bust and hips.

➔ Tops/dresses with straight necklines: square and straight necklines enhance the straightness
of the shoulders. If this is the look, you’re going for then opt for clothing with
embellishments around the neck.

Wardrobe must-haves:
➔ Clothing made from soft and flowy fabrics: these types of clothing soften the figure and add
volume to create gentle curves on this body type.

➔ Tops & dresses with low/wide necklines: off-shoulder, sweetheart, scoop, and V-necks are
flattering necklines for this shape as they soften the straight shoulders.

➔ Full skirts: creating volume at the bottom is a clever way to add curves to this body type and
detailed skirts do this wonderfully. Skirts/dresses with ruffles, ruching, gathers, or pleats are
ideal wardrobe must-haves for this figure.

Key style tips:
➔ Define the waist: do this by wearing darker colours around the waist and keeping detail at
the waist minimal. Wearing belts or clothing cinched at the waist is also a terrific way to
achieve this.

➔ Create curves: you can do this by wearing loose clothing nipped at the waist or wearing
clothing with asymmetrical lines or draping.

➔ Play with different prints and textures: prints and textures can help to balance out the entire
silhouette as they can draw attention away from the shoulders, soften the figure or create a
visual illusion of curves.

So that’s all for the rectangle body type. Did any of these tips inspire you? Not quite sure you fall
under this body type. It’s fine, we’ve already covered style tips for some other body types: e.g.
Apple, Pear and Inverted Triangle. If you’re still not feeling any of these don’t worry, there’s still
more to come. In the next article, we’ll explore tips for the Hourglass body type.

Once again thanks for sticking around till the end of this article.

See you soon

Boma