Dressing a Pear-shaped Body – Confidence in Your Curves!
There are six types of body shapes (from left to right): the Inverted Triangle, Straight, Rectangle, Apple, Pear and Hourglass. Knowledge is power - knowing your body type will help you choose more flattering pieces.
Look better, feel better.
Characteristics of the Pear:
- Fuller hips
- Hips are wider than the bust and shoulders
- Sloping shoulders (For those with slimmer upper bodies)
One of the disadvantages of a pear-shaped body is having a smaller upper body and shoulders compared to curvier hips. This makes the body proportion bigger at the bottom and smaller at the top, making one look bulkier.
How To Dress The Pear
No matter what features you want to flaunt (or shun), we’re here to help you flatter your pear-shaped figure. The key to dressing this body shape is to highlight the upper body while drawing attention away from the lower body - voilà, a balanced silhouette.
Tops
Flaunt some neckline with spaghetti straps and off-shoulder tops. Showing more skin on top can draw attention away from your lower body. Plus, sleeveless attires are great for looking chic AND staying chill in the summer heat.
Knitted V-Neck Sleeveless Crop Top
High Waisted Ripped Denim Skinny Jeans in Lt. Blue
Pear-shaped ladies can also pull off a crop tank top and high-waisted jeans (or shorts) combo in style. Putting on a belt will give a chic finishing touch to this look - snatch that waist girl!
Square Neck Floral 3/4 Bell Sleeves Crop Top
High Waisted Denim Shorts with Folded Hems
In addition, as pear-shaped bodies have a smaller torso, one can try wearing patterned tops, such as checkered, polka dots, stripes, floral, vertical stripes, graphic prints, to bring attention to the upper body instead.
Skirts
Suitable Silhouettes – Fitted-Waist Dress, A-Line Skirt, Midi Skirt, High-Waist Skirt
For ladies with a pear-shaped body, skirts are a life-saver and also one of the must-have items in every woman’s closet. When it comes to choosing a skirt, always take note of the design and cutting!
An A-Line Skirt can accentuate your waist while flaring outwards to cover your thighs.
High Waisted Paperbag Skirt
The adjustable drawstrings on this skirt helps to cinch in your waist and really helps accentuate your waist definition to balance out the heavier bottom.
Midi dresses are the best for the pear-shaped body type. The length of the skirt can cover the wider hips and thighs, while showing some of your calves, which is the skinnier part of your legs.
Pants
Suitable Silhouettes – Loose-fitting pants, High-waisted pants
For ladies who prefer pants over skirts, do match these pants with tight-fitting tops to accentuate your upper body curves and flatter your body type.
Elongate your legs with a short top and a high-waisted bottom.
Square Neck Button Up Puff Sleeve Crop Top
Washed Paperbag Shorts in Light Green
The duo button details on the shorts draws attention to the slimmer part of the waist, while visually increasing the perception of the waistline. That’s a double-win in my book!
Things To Note:
So what are some precautions for the pear-shaped body type?
Avoid:
- Tight-fitting jeans - This will only put emphasis on the hips and thighs
- Baggy pants - They’ll make your body look even more disproportionate due to its loose design at the top
- Dungarees - This will also make one’s hips look wider and heavier with its looser cutting at the bottom
Aside from matching the style of the top and bottom, pear-shaped ladies should definitely focus on showing off some skin or emphasizing the waist with accessories (like a belt or corset). Tucking in your top or tying a knot on your shirt to create a higher waistline can draw attention away from the lower part of your body.