Style Guide for Your Body Type

There are a million options in clothing; however we need to choose the ones that will bring out our best assets, thereby instantly making us feel fabulous!  And for us to do that, we need to determine our Body Type: Vertical Body Type and Horizontal Body Type.

Determining Your Body Type

 

Vertical Body Type:

Assess your vertical body proportions by comparing the bottom half of your body to your top half.

• Measure your height and the height to your hip-line; this is where your hip is at its fullest.
• Then determine where your hip-line comes in proportion to your height.
• It would typically fall into the following three vertical body types which are applicable to both the male and female figure: Short Legs & Long Torso, Balanced Body, and Long Legs & Short Torso.

 

The Short Legs & Long Torso

• Your legs are comparably short to your upper body
• Your hip-line height is less than half your height
• Your waist will be lower than your bent elbow
• Typically you will put on weight first on your hips and thighs
• Typically your bottom will be low and heavy

Do’s

• Short to medium-long tops in medium or light color, also with garment designs drawing attention to your face and shoulders, this can be tucked-in if your are slim
• Layered tops
• Pair it up with dark straight or boot-leg pants with hems to the ground, or straight skirts with medium to wide belts and medium to high heels
• Pants, socks, and shoes should be in the same color
    
  
• And accessorize with jewelry or scarves drawing attention to your face and shoulders

Don'ts

• Long tops (if you are short)
• Pants or skirts with a dropped waistband
• Tight or tapered skirts and pants
• Cropped pants

The Balanced Body

• Your upper body length is about the same as your lower body length
• Your hip-line height is half your full height
• Your waist is at the same level as your bent elbow
• Typically you will put on weight first on your hips and thighs
• Typically you have proportionally slim arms and legs

Do’s

• Medium-long  and un-tucked tops
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waist, also with garment designs drawing attention to your face and shoulders
• Tops and bottoms in the same color
• Pair it up with skirts and pants with narrow waistbands or no waistband, straight or flared skirts, or waist or hipster pants, or straight or flared pants
• And accessorize with jewelry or scarves drawing attention to your face and shoulders

 

Don’ts

• Short tops
• Empire line tops and dresses
• Wide belts
• Pants or skirts with a high waistband

The Long Legs & Short Torso

• Your legs are longer than your upper body
• Your hipline height is higher than half your full height
• Your waist will be higher than your bent elbow
• Typically your bottom will be round and high
• Typically you will put on weight first around and above your waist, or on the back of your hips

Do’s

• Medium-long to long tops (unless you are short), un-tucked tops
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waist
• Garment designs drawing the eye down, such as border prints on dresses, skirts and pants (unless you are short)
• Pair it up with skirts and pants in the lighter colors than tops, or skirts and pants with narrow waistbands or no waistband, or straight and flared skirts, or low-rise or hipster pants, straight, and flared pants
• And accessorize with medium-long to long accessories (unless you are short)

 

Don'ts

• Focal points that draw the eye upwards
• Pin stripes
• Short tops
• Empire line tops and dresses
• Wide belts
• Pants or skirts with a high waistband
• Tapered pants and skirts

Horizontal Body Type:

Assess your horizontal body type by comparing the relationship or the relative proportion between your chest, waist, and hip-line rather than comparing their actual sizes.

• Stand in front of a full length mirror with a long straight object such as a long ruler which will be used to determine whether your hip-line is narrower, wider, or the same, width as your bust.
• Then hold the ruler under your underarm and rest it on your hip.

Alternatively you may also:

• Take a photo of your body and look at it as if it was somebody else’s body.
• Take a look at all your angles: front, back, and side.
• Then measure your bust (widest part), waist (narrowest part), and hip-line (widest part)
• And then match your horizontal body type to the types below.

The Hourglass Figure

• Your full hip-line and your full bust-line are the same width, you have a well defined waist, and you have with full thighs
• Typically you have a balanced body vertical body shape.

 

Do’s

• Fitted and semi fitted clothes with soft clingy, flowing fabrics
• Low to medium-low necklines
• Dresses with defined waistlines
• Pair it up with straight and gently flared pants or skirts

 

Don’ts

• Stiff and bulky fabrics
• Baggy garments
• High necklines (unless you have a small bust)
• Skirts with open pleats and very tapered pants

 

Inverted Triangle

• You have a proportionally larger upper body- a large bust, or you have broad shoulders, or both, your hips are narrow, and you have a well defined waist.
• Typically you have a long legged vertical body shape with proportionally slim legs and you may also have a flat bottom.

 

Do’s

• Flowing fabrics
• Low to medium-low necklines
• Set-in sleeves or three-quarter length sleeves
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waist
• Pair it off with A-line skirts and flared pants
• Top it off always with a good fitting and well adjusted bra

 

Don’ts

• Stiff and bulky fabrics
• Styles that emphasize your shoulders such as high necklines and big collars
• Tapered skirts and pants

 

Triangle or Pear Shape Body

• Your full bust-line is proportionally narrower than your full hip-line and you have a well defined waist, have wide hips, and full thighs.
• Typically have a balanced or short legged vertical body shape and you have full thighs and full rounded bottom.

Do’s

• Short-sleeved tops with medium to high necklines
• Shoulder pads to broaden your shoulders (should not be visible)
• Garments to emphasize your waist
• Garment designs drawing attention to upper body
• Pair it up with skirts and dresses that are straight or slightly flared, low rise pants to avoid gaping at the waist, boot leg and straight pants
• And accessorize with jewelry or scarves drawing attention to your upper body

 

Don’ts

• Stiff fabric 
• Baggy garments or garments that add bulk to your hips
• Hems or design lines at hip-line
• Open pleats on skirts or pants and tapered skirts or pants

Rectangle

• Your full bust-line and full hip-line are about the same width and you have little waist definition.
• Typically you have a balanced or long legged vertical body shape and you have proportionally slender arms and long legs, a small to medium bust, and a flat bottom.

Do's

• Shoulder pads to emphasize your shoulders (should not be visible and too large)
• Semi-fitted clothes with medium to high necklines
• Short-sleeves and sleeve-less tops and dresses (for firm upper arms)
• A-line shirts  and dresses that wrap or flow through the waistline
• Pair it up with straight to gently flared flat-fronted pants

 

Don’ts

• Clingy fabrics
• Fitted clothes with low necklines
• Baggy tops and pants
• Narrow skirts

Oval

• You have the overall appearance of being round especially in your torso area and you have no waistline definition.
• Typically you have a large stomach and you are narrower at your hips and you also have full thighs.

 

Do’s

• Shoulder pads to emphasize your shoulders (should not be visible and too large)
• Semi-fitted and loose fitting clothes
• Tops and bottoms in the same colors with un-tucked tops
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waistline with low necklines
• Pair it up with straight flat-fronted pants in soft, flowing fabric, straight and slightly flared skirts
• Accessorize with jewelry or scarves drawing attention to your face and shoulders
• And top it off always with a good fitting and well adjusted bra and support underwear

 

Don’ts

• Clingy fabrics and fitted clothes
• Fabric with large patterns
• Tucked-in tops
• High necklines and large lapels
• Belts
• Pleats
• Narrow or tapered skirts and pants

 

Diamond

• Your hips are wider than your full-bust line and you have a full midsection. 
• Typically you have the long legged vertical body shape and you have full thighs with shapely lower legs.

Do’s

• Wide open necklines
• Empire cut tops
• Shoulder pads or tops with horizontal neck lines or capped sleeves to broaden your shoulders
• Shirts with open fronts and wider cuffs or skirts with side fastenings and flat fronted with a deep waistband or skirts with pleats that start below your tummy
• Long coats worn open (if you are short make sure the coat ends just above your knee)
• Pair it up with pants that fasten at the side or pants with wider legs (non- clingy)

 

Don’ts

• Jeans that fit you at your waist, narrow at your legs
• Tight and clingy fabrics or fabrics with large patterns
• Big square T Shirts or puffa jackets
• Anything pleated from the waist
• High necklines
• Tucked in tops
• Clumpy or chunky shoes
• Outfits in a single color or a large print dress
• High-waist trousers and narrow or tapered skirts and pants