How To Determine Your Body Shape
Dressing for your body type has always been a recurring topic in magazines back in the day and it’s still very much relevant today. Why is that? Identifying and dressing according to your body shape will help you achieve a more balanced silhouette, by tackling areas of concern while bringing out your best assets.
We’ve been told that we fall into either one of the five basic types of body shapes. But for the majority of us, this may not be the case and we might have characteristics of another body type. The most important thing is figuring out which part of your body you would like to achieve a more balanced look.
Keep on reading for a quick guide on how to identify your body shape and which shaping garment is the best to achieve your best look!
Apple Body Shape
Qualities of an apple type: People with an apple shape have great legs and tend to gain weight around the tummy area than any other body part. The bust, waist and hips measurements would also be fairly close.
Celebrities that are apple: Mindy Kaling, Queen Latifah, Rebel Wilson
Best shaper to achieve balance for an apple shape: To flatten your stomach and reduce your waist, look for shapewear that focuses on tummy compression. Avoid any shaper that cuts off in the middle of your waist as this will create unflattering bulges.
Top Shapewear Picks for an apple:
Pear Body Shape
Qualities of a pear type: This shape often features a slender waist with larger hips, buttocks and thighs. An obvious tell-tale trait is that your hips measure wider than your shoulders.
Celebrities that are pear: Rihanna, Beyonce
Best shaper to achieve balance for a pear shape: To balance your wider bottom half, seamless shapewear that go down to your thighs such as shorts or a dress are the perfect choice. Avoid an underbust shaper that does not have straps as the shaper might roll down to your waist.
Top Shapewear Picks for a pear:
Hourglass Body Shape
Qualities of an hourglass type: You are an hourglass shape if your bust and hips measure about the same while having a slim and defined waist.
Celebrities that are hourglass: Dita Von Teese, Sofia Vergara, Marilyn Monroe
Best shaper to achieve balance for an hourglass shape: While hourglass body types already look well-balanced, you can still benefit from wearing shapewear that smooths and tightens your curves for a more defined silhouette. Alternatively, you may also enjoy emphasising your smaller waist by going for a mid-waist shapewear.
Top Shapewear Picks for an hourglass:
Rectangle Body Shape
Qualities of a rectangle type: People with a rectangle shape often have more of an athletic frame with the shoulders, bust, waist and hips being around the same size.
Celebrities that are rectangle: Cameron Diaz, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman
Best shaper to achieve balance for a rectangle shape: The aim is to create the illusion of a more curvy appearance by defining your waist. Depending on your torso length or desired result, you can opt for a mid-waist or full underbust shaper. The key is to further cinch in your waist by adding a waist cincher. You may also go full glam by adding on either a pair of booty or hip pads, or both for an eye-catching va-va-voom silhouette.
Top Shapewear Picks for a rectangle:
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Click here for a detailed blog post to learn more about how to achieve balance for rectangle shapes!
Inverted Triangle Body Shape
Qualities of an inverted triangle type: This body shape is the opposite of someone pear, your shoulder and bust measurements would be bigger than your hips. You may also tend to have a wider back.
Celebrities that are inverted triangle: Angelina Jolie, Naomi Campbell, Demi Moore, Dolly Parton
Best shaper to achieve balance for an inverted triangle shape: If you’re looking to slim down your upper half then opting for an arm shaper is the ideal solution. You may also balance out your narrower hips by creating a more curvy look with our hip pads.
Top Shapewear Picks for an inverted triangle: