In my article on how to determine body shape I discussed several general body types. Now it’s time to take that one step further and to see how to dress for you body type. Today I’m starting with the pear or rectangular shaped body.
As a quick recap you have a pear shaped body when:
- Your hips are wider than your shoulder
- Fats tends to be accumulated on your thighs and sometimes the buttocks
- You tend to have an elongated waist and the legs tend to be shorter in comparison to the rest of your body
How to dress for you pear body shape?
Pears tend to store their weight on their thigh and their legs may be haevy. Often they have a very good upper body which is why much on the emphasis in dressing is on the upper side of the body.
What not to wear?
- Skinny jeans (can be worn with some tunics or A line long tops)
- Pencil skirts
- Bias cut skirts
- Very short skirts
Which garments are good for a pear body shape?
I created some looks to illustrate some of the points below. Pease note that the model does NOT have a pear shape. Online models too tend to be of the rectangular type.
- Since your hips are a lot wider than your shoulders you want to emphasize the shoulders and widen them. So it’s actually good for pears when shoulderpads are back in fashion! Puffy shoulders will work too. Always make sure that the shoulders are properly fitted.
- To give the impression of longer legs and a shorter torso you can wear a a few layered tops with one very short, like a short jacket. This well break up your enlongated torso and give the illusion of longer legs. You can see an example of this in the left image at the top.
- Wear trousers that are not too tight or light. Boot leg trousers are very good for pears.
- Wear something catchy on top. Either a catchy colour or some nice detail on your top.
- Use accessories to further emphasize the top
- Waist belts will look good on you as they emphasize your small waist
- Make sure that your trousers or skirt are the darkest part of your outfit.
- Wear structured A shaped coats of knee length
- Wear a good bra
- A line dresses will always look good on you. See middle and right picture above. The dress on the right is particularly good as it has clearly defined shoulders and a good a line.
- V line tops will draw further attention to your upper half
- High boots are very flattering for your legs
- Be careful with high shoes or shoes with ankle straps as they will shorten your legs
- Wear heals with a bit of height to further elongate the legs
For more tips and a full analysis of your body shape, you may want to try MyProfessionalStylist. You can do a full analysis of your body almost instantly and get personalised recommendations on what to wear. See how it works at no cost.
If you have anything further to add, let me know!
All the best,
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
hi Sylvia,Im 47 next week and 5ft 2 and size 14 on bottom half.I like your pear shape tips,was feeling pretty browned off this morning with looking in mirror so treated myself to a few outfits,very similar to what you suggested so thank you and I feel good in my new items ,I must have chosen well! Cannot wait to wear one tomorrow.x
Hi Diana, thanks for letting me know that my article has been helpful to you and great to read that you feel great in your new outfits. Welcome to the site and feel free to upload photos of your outfits to our style forum!