In the modern age of fashion, everyone likes to look attractive and glamorous. It's good to dress up nicely and have a good dressing sense but many people do not dress up according to their body shape but to imitate others. There are many different types of body shapes. Everyone in this world is unique and different from each other and the most prominent and visible characteristic which distinguishes one from another is the shape of one’s body. These different body shapes have been widely distributed into 5 main types. There may be other body types too but the basic ones are:

• Hourglass • Pear • Apple • Pencil • Strawberry

Sometimes getting the right clothes for one’s body type is the toughest choice that women have to make, but with a bit of guidance and a few hints and tips one can have the desired wardrobe. So let’s start by knowing your body shape:

Characteristics of the hourglass:

• Well defined (narrow) waist • Hip and bust tend to be almost the same and quite big

Characteristics of the pear:

• The hips are wider than the shoulder • Fat tends to accumulated on the hips and buttocks

Characteristics of the apple:

• No defined waist • Weight tends to form on the stomach • Average bust size • Legs are thinner

Characteristics of the rectangle:

• No defined waist • The hips tend to have a similar width as the shoulders • You do not have a lot of curves • Your bust tends to be small or average

Characteristics of the strawberry/ inverted triangle:

• Shoulders are wider than the hip • Bust tends to be proportionally large • Hips are small

Now check the Do’s and Don’ts according to your body type:

The hourglass body - It’s the easiest shape to dress as most styles will suit the hourglass.

Do’s:

•  To show off your waist wear high-waisted skirts or dresses with large waistbands.
•  Necklines can be quite structured but keep it simple on top as prints can make you look top heavy.
•  Wear fitted tops.
•  Well-tailored trousers are great on the hourglass figure.

Don’t's:

• Don’t hide under baggy t-shirts or jumpers.
• Stay away from: Large prints and baggy styles.

The pear body shape - The trick with the pear shape is to balance out the shoulders with the hips by drawing attention to the top part of the body.

Do’s:

•  Wear wide necklines and interesting prints.
• Wear block colours on the bottom.
• Bootleg trousers are great for creating balance.
• If you prefer skirts then A-line is the best cut.

Don’t's:

• Tight knits.
• Pencil skirts.
•  Prints or bright colours on the bottom half.

The apple body shape

Do’s:

• Well-tailored tunic tops.
• Empire line tops and dresses.
• V-necks or round-neck tops.
• Straight leg trouser.
•  Long line jackets.
• Wear a skirt that sits on the hips and team with a V-neck top in a block colour for perfect symmetry.

Don’t's:

• Tapered trousers.
•  Cowl neck tops.
• Tight knits.
•  Short jackets.

The Pencil/ Rectangle/ Lean shape - Although a lot of us envy the lean shape it can be tricky to style as its difficult to get the balance right. Creating a waist and a bust is the first action to take.

Do’s:

• Try high-waisted trousers or belted dresses.
• Cross over tops and wrap dresses.
• A cowl neck top to give your bust a more balanced look, team this with an A-line skirt or bootleg trousers.
•  Layering is also a good way to create more dimension.

Don’t's:

• Big statement styles.
•  Bodycon dresses.

The Strawberry/ Inverted triangle shape

Do’s:

• Dark tops.
•  Light bottoms.
•  Uncomplicated tops.
• V- necks.

Don’t's:

• Puffy sleeves.
•  Baggy, bulky tops.
• Large collars.

But at the end the most important thing is that one should learn to love their own body shape as everyone is special and beautiful. So don’t be shy just be who you are and flaunt yourself. Oh and don’t forget to wear that pretty smile!