Have you been struggling to get dressed lately? Well, believe me I’ve been there and it ain’t nothin’ nice! If you’ve been dealing with some unwelcome changes in your body, knowing your body type will make getting dressed SO much easier! The reason is, when you know how to find your body type and wear the best styles for your body, it’s easy to camouflage “problem areas”.
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Do you know how to find your body type?
Maybe up until now, you didn’t really care what your body type was. Before, you didn’t stress about what to wear. Fashion was fun, and you were pretty confident that you looked good. But now, things are starting to change. Do any of these sound familiar?
- Your body is not quite the same as it used to be. Perhaps you’ve put on a few pounds, or still have “baby weight” to lose from a recent pregnancy.
- Lately, you haven’t been as diligent about working out as you would like. It’s so hard to make time for yourself, but now beginning to show.
- Choosing an outfit for a night out takes longer than it should, and isn’t as fun as it used to be. Sometimes it’s not fun at all!
Hmmm, maybe now you should pay closer attention to your body type. You can refine your wardrobe, get rid of what doesn’t work (a.k.a., makes you look “fat”) and make dressing less of a chore. Trust me, this will help!
Finding your body type is essential to your wardrobe
That’s right, in order to select your most flattering styles, you must know and understand your body type. Then, once you know your body type, it’s easy to determine the styles to shop for.
Just do a simple Google search, and you’ll find tons of information about which clothing styles work for each particular body type. But, don’t worry – I’ll be covering this in more detail in future posts!
The key is to properly identify your body type and understand it. That’s what I’ll show you today.
In this post, I’ll explain
- the real reason your shape is important, and
- the easiest and most straightforward way to determine your body type – the way a stylist does it
There won’t be any fancy calculator or formula, because I want you to understand how to identify your shape, so you really get it. Trust me, this will make dressing so much easier for you! Once you get it, choosing the right styles will become second nature.
You’ll be able to find your body type in just a few simple steps. No guesswork. No eye-balling your shape. No fruit or fancy geometric photos (okay, maybe one, but it’ll help I promise). But I’m sure you already know the shapes – you just need to know how to correctly identify yours!
You will need:
- Measuring tape
- Pen and paper
- Full-length mirror (to make sure you are measuring the appropriate areas)
- Someone to measure you (if possible)
The Reason You Must Find Your Body Type
Why Body Type Matters
Once you know how to determine your body type, you will be able to identify the clothing styles that are most flattering to your figure, and which ones to avoid. 
The coveted hourglass
- An hourglass body type is considered the “ideal” body shape, because it’s perfectly proportioned. As a result, it’s the easiest to dress.
- Here, the bust and hips are the same width, and the waist measures 9″ – 13″ smaller than the bust and hips.
When dressing any of the other body types, the goal is to select the proper styles of clothing to camouflage specific areas, giving the overall impression of an hourglass shape – basically, visually balancing the figure.
Why size doesn’t matter as much as you think
A heavy woman can look much thinner than she is, if
- She has an hourglass shape and dresses it appropriately
- She has another body type and dresses it appropriately (visually balancing the figure)
Likewise, a thin woman (or even someone with the perfect hourglass figure) can look awkward and frumpy by wearing the wrong type of clothing. It’s all about proportions.
Do you Really Know Your Body Type?
Life Beyond yoga pants
So, between running the house and taking care of your family, most days you’re in your Yoga pants. I get it. Who has time to think about her body type anyway, right?
But, looking your best and taking care of yourself has always been important to you. And, as fashion-conscious as you are, you probably have known your body type for a long time. Isn’t that right?
Or, you might think you know…
Often women select a body type based on what they see in the mirror, not based on true measurements. We, as women, are highly critical of ourselves, and it’s easy to over-emphasize a particular “figure flaw” or, more appropriately, “figure challenge” when we are the ones making the call.
This is why today, I want you to take my advice. I want you to grab that measuring tape and take your measurements, the same way I used to measure my clients in my wardrobe consulting days.
How to Find Your Body Type
1. First, take and record measurements of the following:
- around shoulders
- around the largest area of the bust
- around waist
- around the largest area of hips
Pull the measuring tape evenly and securely, but not too tight across the body.
2. Next, with these measurements, review the descriptions of the basic body shapes below:
There Are 5 Basic Body Shapes:
- Hourglass – bust and hips are about the same width, with a defined waist
- Round or Diamond – (or “Apple” ) – bust, waist and hips are close to the same width; usually smaller shoulders and no waist definition
- Triangle – (or “Pear”) – hips are wider than shoulders and bust
- Inverted Triangle – (“Athletic”) Shoulders are wider than hips; may have full bust – the body area above the waist is larger than below
- Rectangle – (or “Square”) bust, shoulders and hips are close to the same width with little waist definition
This infographic illustrates the 5 body types so you can easily visualize each one.
Remember, the last one on the right, the “hourglass”, is the ideal body type because it’s proportions are equal. It’s ideal, not because it’s better of course, but because it’s easier to dress.
Again, our goal is make the other body types look like the hourglass by selecting the right clothing styles.
Now Go Shopping
Now that you know your body type, you’ll be able to determine which styles to focus on when shopping for clothes. In general, the idea is to play up your assets and camouflage any “figure flaws”.
Get an Idea of the Best Styles for You
Now that you have identified your body type, it’s time to select the best styles for your shape. The easiest way to get started is to do a simple Google search for “dressing a <your body type> __________body type”. This will give you plenty of ideas about styles that will be flattering on you.
Also, I will address clothing styles for various body types periodically in my fashion related posts, so be on the lookout for those!
It’s Not Just about the Clothing
Would you believe that clothing styles are not all that matter when it comes to dressing your body type? It’s true. Jewelry, accessories, and even hair styles are just as important when dressing your shape. Again, it’s all about proportion.
Dress for the Body You Have
I know you care about how you look. But it’s hard, especially when you’re stretched thin and don’t have time for yourself. The struggle is real!
However, regardless of any recent changes in your body you can still look good and feel confident. By following these instructions to find your body type through measurements, you’ll be able to focus on only the best styles for your shape.
Believe me, when you really know how to dress your body, it makes getting dressed so much easier! This will save you time, effort and anxiety over trying to figure out what to wear. Even planning an outfit for a dinner or special occasion will be simple – even fun!
To make some serious changes, feel like yourself again, and get back into a healthy fitness routine, be sure to check out these posts. But first, dress for the body you have!
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