Top o' Mornin' To Ya: Style, Chic, Trendy, Cheap by Elle Campbell (Excerpt)

Finding Your Body Type

There are four main body types that most women can identify with. Of course everyone is unique, so you might find yourself falling into more than one category or description. However, the following basic types are a great way to start to learn how to dress for your body.

To decipher which body type category you fit into, simply think back to that honest evaluation of your body back in the last section. With those details, it should be pretty clear what body type you roughly fit into.

Ultimately, the main goal is to dress so you end up with what is called an hourglass shape. Obviously this will mean different things to different women, but the hourglass is the classically feminine curve that starts with a fuller upper body, followed by a slim waist, and finally ending in a full hip and lower body.

While all women have different goals and ideas about what looks great, the hourglass, or some variation of the hourglass, is the most common look that women strive for.

Rectangle

A rectangle body type, also sometimes referred to as a banana body type, basically means a figure that is the same size all over. Although that seems straight forward, the rectangle body is often the most difficult to dress.

A whopping 40% of women identify with the rectangle body type, making it the most common body type by far.

Many might think of a rectangle shape as a boyish frame, or only for very skinny women without any curves. The truth is you can be a rectangle with curves just as easily as a very thin one. The shape really comes down to waist definition.

The idea behind the rectangle body is that the shoulders and hips are proportional, or around the same width, but there is little to no definition in the waist.

Lack of definition in the waist may be the result of several different things. It may be that you are very slim and you are narrow in the hip and shoulder. A very small hip will result in a straight line from the shoulder to the lower body. Just as commonly, an undefined waist may come from a fuller upper body or tummy filling out the waistline, making it appear less defined.

Either way, the objective in flattering a rectangle body type is to create curves where there are none. To achieve this there are several fits and looks to opt for when shopping. These include:

· Empire waist tops and dresses cinched in right under the bust.

· Ruched, pleated or draped fabric through the midsection to create the illusion of a smaller waist.

· Wrap dresses that tie at the hip or waist.

· Pants with a slight flare leg to create curves.

· Fitted jackets that nip in at the waist.

· A - line skirts that create a line away from the midsection.

The goal in all of these items is to create or enhance the inward curve of the waist without making you look fuller or bulky. Cinching the midsection right under the bust for an empire waist is the ultimate trick for a rectangle - shaped body. It’s as if you are creating a slim, curvy waist above your natural waist that just happens to be right at the slimmest part of many women’s bodies.