A Guide To Dressing For Your Body Type: tips on dressing for individual body types and boost confidence
I want to preface this article by saying that no body type or shape is any better than any other. I am aiming to give you all outfit inspiration by introducing ways to enhance specific aspects of your beautiful bodies to help you feel more confident in your clothes. Confidence is key in any outfit and being comfortable is going to do way more for you than any outfit ever will.
Here are some fun tips and tricks to create different illusions in your outfits, from increasing and decreasing height, balancing proportions, and creating waistlines. We all know how it feels to not be confident with your body and how your clothes look, so hopefully, these hacks will help you feel more like yourselves.
Increasing height
Trying to increase your height is always a fun aspect of playing with an outfit. Some fun ideas to make yourself look taller include wearing longer hemlines, matching colours, vertical stripes, and of course, platform shoes. Wearing a pair of pants, usually high-waisted, that hangs down around your shoe will increase the appearance of the length of your legs. With more fabric, the lines will follow from your waist to the floor, giving you a taller appearance. This can also be achieved with a maxi dress as there is more fabric following the length of your body which creates this illusion. This flows into the idea of wearing monochromatic outfits. For example, let’s say you chose the colour black – wearing a black shirt and trousers makes it harder to define where the waist is which creates the illusion of more height. Another tip is to stick to more tailored or well-fitted clothing as opposed to baggier clothing. Actually increasing the height of your shoe, by either wearing a platform shoe or heel, as well as applying these methods will help you achieve a more convincing appearance of a height increase.
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Decreasing height
You can create the appearance of less height by doing the exact opposite of what I have mentioned in the previous section. Wearing a flat shoe will be the first step in setting the base for your outfits. Another great option is to break up your outfits by using different colours to stop the eye from following the length of your height. You can also achieve this by introducing a midriff to your looks or wearing baggier clothing.
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Creating waistlines
The illusion of an hourglass figure can be easily created by wearing certain pieces, so here are some tips to achieve that look. While wearing tight clothes may work for some it’s not always the ideal option for many. Instead, opt for looser tops that you can tuck in, or flowier dresses that you can belt at your waist. A blouse and a trouser are great, dressier options but the same visuals can be created with a high-waisted pant and a t-shirt. Wearing a loose maxi dress with a belt in the middle is perfect for the warmer weather. Another way to play with your outfits is by using a contrasting coloure, or patterned belt to draw the eye to the midline and create the hourglass figure.
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Balancing Proportions, or changing them
Creating proportions is a super easy way to change the look of an outfit. To create a smaller torso, wear a fitted top or shirt and compliment it with a looser pair of trousers. The opposite will give the opposite effect. Pairing a fitted trouser or jean with a flowier top is a great example. While those are the main two options you can also play with smaller aspects of your outfits like wearing a tighter top with flowy sleeves as your torso will appear small in comparison. Wearing flared jeans will give the appearance of a smaller leg.
Another technique that plays with proportions is aiming to stick to the rule of thirds. Ensuring that the lower half of your outfit takes up the bottom two thirds of your body will give the appearance of longer legs. The opposite of this can be used to appear shorter. By wearing a longline top that takes up the upper two-thirds, you create the appearance of shorter legs.
Increasing interest in different parts of an outfit to help hide insecurities
I know just as much as any other that my insecurities do not define me, but I also know how hard it can be when you feel insecure about a certain area of your body. Here are some tips to enhance body confidence so that you feel like your best self when you get dressed.
If you’re worried about certain areas when getting dressed, it can help to increase interest in a different area of your outfit instead of trying to hide anything. By this, I mean using fun or interesting pieces of clothing that draws the eye. For example, you could wear a bright-coloured shoe, a patterned pant or an embellished top. By wearing otherwise plain or monochromatic pieces the eye is drawn to the piece of clothing you are putting emphasis on. This can help you feel better in your clothing as you can be confident knowing that others are not going to notice (let alone care) about areas you may be less confident in.
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