Pear Shaped Body

                    
In the 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 triangle shaped body.....As a quick recap you have a pear shaped body when.

• Your hips are wider than your shoulder
• Fat tends to accumulate 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
• You have a defined waist

The aim of dressing for your body type is to achieve a flattering look that accentuates your strengths. In general you will want to achieve a nice hourglass shape. In order to achieve that you will accentuate the shoulders, draw attention to your upper body and waist and elongate the legs. Please note that these are general guidelines as every body is different. Always experiment with your unique shape and see what works for you.
                              
Pears tend to store their weight on their thigh and their legs may be heavy. 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.

Which garments are good for a pear body shape?

• 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 shoulder pads 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 few layered tops with one very short, like a short jacket. This well break up your elongated 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 color or some nice detail on your top. Breast pockets, big collars or a pattern are also good. Horizontal stripes help to widen your upper body to bring it more into balance with your hips as do (subtle) shoulder pads.
• It’s best that your tops and jackets end either above or below the widest point of your hips and bottom
• Use accessories to further emphasize the top like necklaces and scarves.
• Waist belts may look good on you as they emphasize your small waist.
• You will look best if your trousers or skirt are the darkest part of your outfit.
• Wear structured A shaped coats of knee length. A great coat for you is the trench. Make sure you get one with lots of details on top (like lapels on shoulders) and plain from the waist down
• Wear a good bra.
• A line dresses will always look good on you. Dresses with defined shoulders and a good a line are particularly good.
• 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 medium to chunky heals with a bit of height to further elongate the legs.

What not to wear?

• Skinny jeans (can be worn with some tunics or A line long tops)
• Pencil or straight skirts
• Very short skirts
• Tops with narrow shoulder lines
• Pleats and pants with a lot of detailing
• Shoes and booties with ankle straps, too delicate footwear and kitten heels

Please note that the guidelines above are for general guidance only. Everyone is different and you certainly don’t have to stick to the above guidelines to dress well. If you have anything further to add, let me know!

                                        How do you prefer to dress your pear body type?