Kim Hancher is a Style Coach who teaches women how to create their unique style and dress their body type. View profile
You put on the same baggy, ill-fitting clothes you always wear, in an attempt to hide the part of your body that you don’t like. As if the extra yards of fabric will make it go away. You think, “no one will notice my (booty, stomach, bust, etc.) now that I’ve covered my entire body.
You look in the mirror and decide the circus tent you’re wearing has got to go, but it’s late and you have an important meeting first thing, so you head out the door. You feel uncomfortable and self-conscious all day, you can’t wait to get home to put on your sweats and sit on the couch where no one can see you.
Sound familiar?
What if instead you hopped out of bed, knew exactly what to wear, and put on an outfit that highlighted your best features. You look in the mirror once dressed and think, “I nailed it today.”
You slay every meeting you attend, get compliments from the girls at the office on your look, and you come home feeling invigorated and proud of all that you accomplished.
Sounds better, doesn’t it?
This scenario is attainable, you just need to understand your body type and how to dress it. I can help.
Your body type is based on where you carry your weight, which part of your body is bigger than the others. Once you have identified this, you simply need to balance out or fill up the other parts of your body with clothing so that you look proportional. The goal is to have everything below and above the waist appear to be the same size and to define a waistline. An hourglass shape.
It’s really that simple.
The 5 Body Types
These are the main definitions of body types, of course, some have characteristics of both, but one is usually more dominant. That is the one you should focus on when dressing.
Straight: No curves, no natural waist, or hips.
Carry Weight on the Bottom: You carry your weight below your waist, larger hips, thighs, and/or booty.
Proportional: Your top and bottom are the same sizes and you have a waistline that goes in between the top and bottom.
Carry Weight on Top: You carry your weight above your waist, usually in your bust, but sometimes you just have broad shoulders.
Carry Weight in the Middle: Your stomach is larger than your hips and/or bust. This is a rare body type, but a lot of people identify with this one as the stomach can be a trouble area for many.
Guidelines for dressing your body type
Now that you’ve identified your body type, how do you dress it? Below are my suggestions for creating a balanced looking body, no matter what type you have. These are not set in stone, just a place to start. Remember the key is to have your top and bottom in close proportion to one another.
Straight—your top priority is creating a waist and curves for yourself.
What to Wear:
- Belts
- Pencil Skirt
- Wrap Dress
- Skinny Pants
- Tailored Clothing
- Low Necklines
- Boxy Tops
- Strapless Dresses of Tops
What to avoid:
- Oversized clothing
Carry Weight on the Bottom—you are looking to balance things out by adding volume up top. You want to draw the eye up above your waist.
What to Wear:
- Fit and Flare Dresses
- Off the Shoulder Tops
- Structured Jackets
- A-line Skirts and Dresses
- Bold Necklaces
- Dark Pants
What to Avoid:
- Bold Patterned Skirts and Pants
- Tunics
- Extremely Tight Dresses
Proportional—you want to highlight your curves, not cover them up.
What to Wear:
- Tailored Blazers and Jackets
- Pencil Skirts
- Wrap Dresses
- V-Necks
- High Rise Pants
What to Avoid:
- Mini Skirts
- Tent Dresses
- Pockets at the Hips
Carry Weight on Top–you want to highlight below your waist, filling it out to equal your bust.
What to Wear:
- Dark Solid Color Tops
- V-Necks
- Cowl Necks
- Bold Patterned Bottoms
- Wide Leg Trousers
- Trouser Jeans
- Wrap Dresses
What to Avoid:
- Crew Neck Tops
- Printed Tops
- Spaghetti Straps
- Boxy Tops
- Skinny Jeans
- Tight Skirts
- Cropped Jackets
Carry Weight in the middle—focus on highlighting your shoulders and legs.
What to Wear:
- V-Neck Tops
- Wrap Dresses
- Fit and Flare Dresses
- A-Line Skirts
- Wide Leg Trousers
- Flowy Tops
- Shift Dress
What to Avoid:
- Tight-fitting tops
- Leggings
- Skinny Jeans
- Baggy Clothing
- Ruffles
Need more help?
If you’re not sure which body type you are, grab a soft tape measure and measure your hips, waist, and chest at the largest part of each body part. Write down those numbers and head to this website and enter your measurements. This will calculate and then identify your body type. You can then follow the guidelines above to dress with more confidence each day based on your body type.
If there is something that you love to wear, but it’s on the avoid list for your body type, do not be discouraged. Give some of these other suggestions on what to wear a try. See how it looks and makes you feel. If you still really love that forbidden item and it makes you feel good, wear it but perhaps in a modified way based on your new knowledge. This is all about feeling confident in your clothes so that you can show up as the best version of yourself each day.
If you need further guidance, let me know. I can help you really understand how to dress that beautiful body of yours and create your unique style with 1:1 sessions. You can also follow me on social media and sign up for my email list to continue gathering tips and tricks about creating your own unique style.
Short Article Review
- Knowing your body type can help you understand how to best dress your body.
- Body type is based on where you carry your weight and body proportions.
- The goal is to have everything below and above the waist appear to be the same size and to define a waistline.
- There are 5 Body Types (straight, carry weight on the bottom, proportional, carry weight on top, carry weight in the middle).
- You can dress more confidently by following the dressing your body type guidelines above.
The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, investment, financial, medical or other advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed professional regarding any questions you may have.
The Post What’s Your Body Type And How To Dress It appeared first on Womanly Inspiration.
