Based on our body shapes and sizes What not to wear Based on our body shapes and sizes

Shapes and Sizes Women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes. There are five basic body shapes. It is important to know your body shape to help determine what looks best on you!

The five body shapes are The Hourglass The Triangle The Inverted Triangle The Slim Rectangle The Wide Rectangle

The Hour Glass Defined as Balanced figure marked by wide shoulders, full bust, narrow waist and wide hips. Bust and hips are nearly the same size.

What to wear for The Hourglass Show off your narrow waist without overemphasizing your hips and bust.

What not to Wear Empire dresses or tops, especially if you have a full bust. Full or boxy shapes (shirts worn untucked) Full tops with full skirts, very full pants and overall boxy styles or pieces made with bulky, heavy fabrics.

The Triangle Defined as Narrow shoulders and a small bust extending to significantly wider hips. Also known as pear shape.

What to Wear Choose designs that have detail at the neck and shoulders, drawing the eye up and out. Accent scarves and boat necklines with contrast rims are good choices Neckline embroidery Shoulder yokes or wide collars. Dark colors on lower body with lighter color above to draw the eye up.

What not to wear Stay away from tops or shirts with hemlines that fall directly in line on the hips. Skirts or pants with patch or inseam pockets, bulky side seams, or pleats draw attention to your hips. Avoid short skirts that end well above the knee.

The Inverted Triangle Defined as Broad shoulders, a full bust, heavy upper arms extending to narrow hips

What to Wear Choose styles that have details below the waist, such as pockets, pleats, a dropped waist, peplums, yoked skirts and skirts with border prints. Tops with V-necks, raglan sleeves or diagonal designs pull the eye down. Wear dark colors on the upper body with lighter colors on the lower body.

What not to wear Garments with a lot of upper body detail (wide collars and lapels, yokes, ruffles and shoulder pads) Wear skirts a little shorter, rather than longer, and avoid capris or strongly tapered pants.

The Slim Rectangle Defined as Shoulders and hips are very similar in width with little definition at the waistline. Straight up and down with a lack of curves.

What to Wear Styles that have detail on the bust and hips. Choose designs that have horizontal lines, adding dimension to your shape. Select wide lapels, wide shoulder. Contrast colors on top and bottom.

What not to Wear Wide waistbands or blocks of colors at the wait to draw attention to the proportionally larger waist. (large pockets) Large plaids, patterns with vertical stripes should be avoided as well.

The Wide Rectangle This body shape is nearly straight up and down. The figure is wider.

What to Wear Muted shades or monochromatic colors Shoulder or neckline details to draw the eye up. Princess seams, or center front seam create a vertical line-drawing the line up and down. Wear narrow pant-legs, straight skirts, shirts with sleeves that taper toward the wrist and vest jackets that fall below the waistline. Think long!

What not to Wear Blocky, bold, contrasting colors and boxy garments accentuate the width. Don’t draw attention to your waist with large patch pockets, belts and peplums.

When helping customers select clothing, remember the following: Garments with a single center vertical line add height and slim figures. An asymmetrical or off-center vertical line adds height and cuts the weight of the figure. A vertical line cut by a horizontal line at the hips cuts the figure’s height. It is good choice for a tall person.

An arrow line, like a halter dress or raglan sleeves, adds height and narrows the shoulders. It is good choice for a short, broad-shouldered woman. Diagonal lines add interest and eye appeal. The more vertical a diagonal line is, the thinner the figure will look. The more horizontal a diagonal lines the broader the figure will look.

Horizontal lines make any figure appear shorter and heavier. The lower the horizontal line, the shorter the woman looks. A low horizontal line produced by wearing a long tunic or three-quarter length coat, may make a short woman look dumpy. A short woman can wear a high horizontal line, such as an empire waist.

Big prints will make a figure appear larger. For example, a large geometric or floral print blouse will call attention to the figure above a woman’s waist.

A garment with ruffles or large sleeves adds to the apparent body weight. Although some fullness can make a thin person look more attractive, too much fullness will dwarf the thin person.

Narrow belts do not attract as much attention as wide belts. Belts in the same fabric as a garment,are good for women with large waists and broad hips because they seem to blend into the garment.

Deep lapels, vertical darts , and long V necklines are slenderizing because they add height. Broad V necklines widen the figure.

Colors and Texture Color is very important. It can help a customer achieve a look they want. Colors that are warm or bright draw attention. Cool and neutral-colored clothing will not attract attention. Very dark colors make the figure look slimmer.

Bright yellow top with neutral bottom would be best for… A pale peach dress with matching hosiery and shoes will help a ….

A shape will appear longer if clothed in one color. Use bright colors to draw attention to a woman’s best features. Hot pink collar on a dress will draw attention to the face and away from a bulging tummy.

Contrasting colors on yoke, pockets and belts can make a person look shorter.

Texture Shiny or glossy fabrics such as satin or sequins, reflect light and make a figure look larger. Dull textures, such as flannel or jersey, absorb light and make a figure look smaller. Smooth fabrics make a figure appear smaller. Coarse or heavily textured fabrics like corduroy give the illusion of fullness.