INTRODUCTION TO THE BODY TYPES, and how to dress them.

18/7/2013

Beauty is about looking healthy and wearing clothes is about comfort, social standards, basic need and self-expression.
Since appearance unfortunately does matter (At least at first impression) you are sending a message to others about who you are, through the way you look. If you want to meet new people or get ahead at work, you don't want to look unapproachable or send the wrong message. The best course of action would be to figure out what you want to signalize and combine that with looking healthy. Dress for success!
If you're too busy or just don't care about appearance and fashion, at least don't pull yourself down by wearing the wrong things (I'm not saying you aren't good enough the way you are. But since it's not socially acceptable being in the nude everywhere we go, we must put clothes on. Why not make the best of it?).
For starters, light or no makeup, a ponytail, jeans, simple top, or a comfy dress, is far better than the wrong makeup, unflattering hairstyles, and too large, too small or ill-fitted clothing.
If you take the time to figure out what works for you, it will be a lot easier to feel good about the way you look on an everyday basis.

The biggest fashion mistake we make is trying to look like someone else, so choose your subject of inspiration carefully. People come in so many shapes, sizes and colors, and what looks good on one may fail miserably on another.
Looking back, I have definitely made some errors. For example, I thought I could pull of the "tiny and cute" look (As I've mentioned before, I'm 6 feet / 182 cm and have been for a while), and there was a baggy pants faze, which was even worse.
Luckily, my clever cousin gave me a book called "The Body Shape Bible", and I came to realize that there was nothing wrong with my figure - I only needed to dress to flatter my shape. Knowing your fashion is not always enough to do it justice.
The authors of "The Body Shape Bible" (Trinny and Susannah. A pair of british stylist's) has divided our figures into 12 body types. Straight figures: The Column, Brick, and Cornet, The top heavy: Lollipop, Goblet, and Apple, The bottom heavy: Pear, Skittle, and Bell, and The curvy: Hourglass, Vase and Cello.

In my previous post about "Body Image", I wrote some guidelines. I will repeat them again.
Step 1. Who am I, what style do I like?
Step 2. What flatters my figure, looks, and colors? (This is where the 12 Body Types, face shape and color rules come in).
Step 3. Make step 1 and 2 work together and for you.
To better achieve the desired results, you should know that:
- If you are petit, large prints will make you look even smaller, and small pattern make the large, larger.
- Dark colors are slimming and shiny material, light and bright colors draw attention to the area and make it look larger.
- A hat can emphasize height, by making the short look shorter and vice versa.
- A cut, belt, or a hemline can broaden or slim the targeted area.
- Details like flowers, bows and pockets will draw attention to the spot.

Figure out what your like, use the rules as guidelines, and edit until you find a way to make the style look good on you.
There will always be new trends, but they might not all be for you. If you find your best look, you can still apply elements of these trends to better suit you.
Nonetheless, it is important to stay true to yourself. There's a difference between taking pride in your appearance, and feeling like you have to hide what sets you appart from the rest to fit in. Dressing to flatter your shape can make you feel good/better about yourself, but do it because you enjoy it and not because of outside pressure.
Last but not least! The most attractive thing you can ever wear is confidence and empathy.

Bottom heavy or top heavy?
Photo: Vidar Strand.

Slender or curvy?
Photo: V Magazine.

I think they all look amazing.

Top Photo: V Magazine. Bottom Photo: Gianni Versace.

There will be more about the different body shape's, how to dress, personal style and colors later.
(The images of all the pretty ladies in this post are borrowed from Google. Unknown source.)

to learn about the 12 body types, click here.

7 Comments

ETHICAL AND PERSONALIZED STYLE, FOR A "GOOD FOR YOU" WARDROBE.

Idealist style is a website and "slow blog" dedicated to ethical fashion and personalized style, including tips on how to find your very own "slow fashion" style by using color analysis, the body types system, and other slow fashion tips.»
Created by an idealistic fashion designer, stylist, writer, and illustrator with a passion for "good for you" fashion.
Very nerdy about it.
Born in Norway, educated in Milan, Italy.

I decided to name my page "Idealist Style", because I'm an idealist. On both a creative. environmental, and a humanitarian level. So, I feel the title suits my message well.
i·de·al·ism
-The act or practice of envisioning things in an ideal form.
-Artist who treats subjects imaginatively.
-Belief in or pursuit of one's ideals, of high or noble principles, purposes, or goals.

The work on this site is mine unless specified.

Melina

4/4/2020 12:04:39 pm

Hola Sun! It’s Melina! (I posted on your color page awhile ago.) I came across your blog overview and noticed you have more than just color analysis. You post great work! I think I already know my face shape, but body shape is a diff story!

My fave part about my shape are my legs- they’re very long and “alluring”... not very childlike. I read somewhere that the average inseam is half your height- mine is an inch or two longer than that. I am 5’3 but have always felt like a tall person and have often mistaken for women who are significantly taller than me. When I’m not being mistaken for someone who is tall, I’m mistaken for women who visibly have hips and thickness/width towards the middle of their body like Scarlett Johansson here (tinyurl.com/tgpvuz9). After my legs, I’d say that I like my booty! I have my moments where I feel it looks too big (especially for my height and slim frame) but overall I appreciate the good rounded shape and that it has a nice bit of weight to it. (And IDK if this is relevant, but I am one of those people w/ booty dimples🤣). After that, I’d say I appreciate my boobs. They are A cup (rarely B) but they somehow do look bigger and weightier than you’d expect for my frame (in a good way) and I’m grateful for that. They are much bigger than Emily Browning’s (I think she’s a pear), but a bit smaller than Berta Vazquez. Boob proportion/shape wise, Cobie Smulders is actually a pretty good match (for images, she was rather bare on the cover of Women’s Health magazine and I remember her saying she posed for a “modest” page somewhere in Maxim). My boobs are just small enough that it’s possible for me to hide them with certain tops -or- I can emphasize them push up/balconette bras (or simply a revealing top with very little bra support) and it looks totally different. Most lace halter neck bras underneath a low cut top are good too. If anything, me & Cobie can both make our boobs look discreet, but I pull off the pushed up boobs / revealing boobs thing even better than Cobie does (not sure why though). I noticed some low cut tops make her boobs disappear but that rarely happens with me. Yet weirdly it is “either or” with my boobs- there’s no middle ground.. either hidden/smoothed over or surprisingly plump & in your face (even with minimal bra support). Because of this, I ran away from bras with any support for years... but despite the A cup boobs, the width + weightiness of my boobs causes tension on my supportless bras which ultimately just recreates that balconette effect and defeats the purpose of hiding them :( Thankfully, today, I’m working on loving my shape for all that it is. If I really feel like being low key, then I use a top (such as higher neck or proper draping over) to try and smooth them over on the top and sides. It’s just a little frustrating because I don’t see other A cup women having this boob issue. Anyways.. in general, I like my arms, they are long + soft like my legs. Though, because of my longer limbs & fingers, I have to avoid having that awkward lanky look when dancing, running, etc... The only time I really don’t like my arms is when I wear certain outfits (like an elongated boxy-rectangular straight-hemline tank with shorts) which makes my shoulder feel sort of broad and detracts from the softness of my arms. Actually, seeing Scarlett Johansson’s arms in this image here was the very first time I recognized my own look & felt better about my skinny + soft arms... it’s kinda what kickstarted my entire journey to determine my body shape (tinyurl.com/uvryyem)!

Wearing a straight-hanging straight-hemline scoopneck short sleeve (hip length) with shorts can make my butt look almost too round (sticking out) and can make my legs look weird. My worst look is wearing shorts that sit low the hips with THIS top (tinyurl.com/t77u4vz) It makes me look extremely unproportional. It makes my rather well rounded butt disappear, my entire body width look pancake flat, and somehow makes my upper body look longer than my LEGS which are ALREADY clearly unusually long legs.

Even with all that said.. somehow, in general, I think shorts are a good look for me because they show my legs... I just have to make sure I wear the appropriate top with it (which I haven’t found yet... maybe a more neck framing tank with a round hemline?? IDK). The only time my butt looks looks *great* is when I have some waist emphasis, but usually I just settle for tight skinny jeans which are generally good. A top that is cinched slightly above the waist in a crepe type material paired with skinny jeans is also good. I think the crepe gives my shape some relief and makes my butt look more appropriately round. Also, a dress in a midweight material cinching right underneath the boobs and then hanging/draping straight down (on & over the b

4/4/2020 12:07:05 pm

& over the butt... kinda like a goddess dress) is good. Not my best but better than most. Some dresses in a mid-to-heavy weight material that drape directly over my butt make it look wide, long, less round, and unusually low sitting.. but cinching helps correct that a little bit. Rounded hem tops are a go-to for me, especially if it is vneck, hi-low, has some hang, have slits on each sides, and the front hits right past crotch length. Actually, wearing hi-low round hem tops like that with full length tightfitting, dark leggings is one of my best looks! Here’s an example of the type of top I’m talking about (https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IXYAAOSw09peO3yS/s-l300.jpg). Or kinda like this (tinyurl.com/rujlbku) . And maybeeeee this but I have to be careful with round necklines and overly boxy tops (tinyurl.com/wko2w4c). For me, vnecks are much more successful than scoopneck (especially a loose or draped vneck). Crew necks are hit or miss, but I think fitted or fitted elongated with straight hem are better. Most skinny jeans are good, although some can make my deirriere feel disproportionately large, weighty, or “sticking out” (especially if I’m just wearing a basic straight hem tee shirt). Usually fitted capris work, especially the capris that have a hi-low hem at the bottom like this (tinyurl.com/wkvjwk4). If not capris like that, then straighter boyfriend capri jeans that are rolled neatly at the bottom work too. I haven’t tried on pixie pants yet but I have a feeling ones like these will suit me well (tinyurl.com/qkz6kco). I think that smoothed out, tummy paneling, fitted-on-the-hips-cinched-waist style in general is going to be a good look for my shape. Another style I predict will be good on me are “wedgie” style jeans like Levi’s (tinyurl.com/wtmkpm8) or this (https://pin.it/482cbQO). But I think capris like this are not as good and would be too wide at the bottom for me to pull off (tinyurl.com/qr74mnh). Also, jeans that supposed to look “too long” where the material gets bunched up at the bottom by the ankles usually looks bad on me. Now... there is one pair of skinny jeans I encountered recently. They made my legs looks so nice and these are the type of skinny jean that are the most flattering to my butt. BUT on the front there is piping that was going crazy opposite directions which didn’t flatter me. It also had closed side zippers (which I love the IDEA of stylewise) but I think the side zippers that were detracting from how good they look on me. Basically, the style of the BACK of these pants really flatter me but I couldn’t purchase them because of the side and front bulk (tinyurl.com/txkr5lo). I have the same issue with cargo pockets placed on the thigh. I like the idea stylewise but it looks bad on me. It seems I must really stick to smoother skinny jeans, skinny sateen jeans, or ripped jeans. It it’s ankle length, it’s fitted + it’s rolled neatly or ripped at bottom like I the example I mentioned. I’ve done light med & dark wash successfully, but the only color I have tried successfully is med-deep olive green.

Finally, this swimsuit is the WORST I have ever worn (tinyurl.com/yxyh5k99). I think it has something to do with the neckline and how the straps are coming to point (like an upside down Y shape) towards the center of chest. This is much better (tinyurl.com/swoouwk). This is pretty great (tinyurl.com/vupd3db). Just about any twist front bandeau swimsuit like this works well, especially ones with tummy smoothing paneling or coverage. Shirred or ruched panels over the tummy are good too. So are most surplice tops.

Honestly I don’t can’t tell if my shoulders are broader, if I’m straight, or bottom heavy. I don’t think I’m super curvy, but if I were I’d be more of a vase or cello. I’m rather confident that I’m not top heavy, hourglass, or pear shaped. When I gain weight it goes to my thighs & face. Then my butt and boobs, and lastly tummy. If I hit the point where I’m gaining weight in my butt & boobs, people are usually quick to notice (in a good way). Weirdly, it does seem to suit me (think Sasha Pieterse after she gained weight). But once my tummy goes, my shape changes somewhat dramatically (for the worse IMO).

So I know this may sound weird- but I’ve found myself bouncing between 3 celebs for body shape / outfit inspo. Zoe Kravitz, Cobie Smulders, and Scarlett Johansson. With Zoe, I’m short and slim like her, but I have even more booty and my legs are longer (Zoe has some rather bare photoshoot pics on her instagram that really show her body shape). Then, me and Cobie both have long legs and small-leaning-average boobs. We both look fab in skinny jeans, half or loosely tucked in button downs, most shorts, and a sleeveless neckframing crop top w/ skinnies (they style her shape well on her TV show Stumptown... I’ve

4/4/2020 12:10:21 pm

Stumptown... I’ve gotten some inspo her outfits). Also wearing the side split hi low tops with tight pants (https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IXYAAOSw09peO3yS/s-l300.jpg) makes our legs look amazing & crazy long (in a good way)! But... I have ALOT more butt than her, her hips seems more rectangularly wide, and proportionally I think her shoulders wider than mine. Finally, Scarlett Johansson was the first person I recognized my own body shape in. She really inspired me to dress better for myself because she has a butt, has some body width (from a side view), non-childlike legs, & has skinnier/softer arms. The biggest difference between us is that she has big boobs while I do not, and I *think* my shoulders might be a little broader. Also, you can see it from the front that she has booty from her hips while it’s not as obvious that I also have a butt when looking at me from front view. Yet at the same time my hips aren’t not as sharply rectangular as Cobie Smulders... so I’m somewhere inbetween. In general, I think “slim” is the first thing people think when they see me (especially from the front view). But as soon as they see me from the side angle or are standing from behind me, they notice and/or comment on my butt. Despite the slimness, I really have to pay attention to how I dress my derriere and frame my more feminine/shapely A cup boobs, or else everything goes downhill rather quickly!

Woman to woman- I feel like I’ve just hit a point where I’m tired of critiquing or under appreciating my body shape (thanks to Hollywood’s unrealistic standards). I’m ready to accept & love my body for the shape that it is. I know I just dropped a lot of info in this crazy long comment, but I’m hoping it will help me pinpoint my shape most efficiently since this is such a personal, lifelong journey for myself (like most women). Thanks for all your intentional, conscious, authentic content- it’s changing people’s lives more than you know!

6/4/2020 03:37:03 pm

Oh! And tops like this are unflattering too- https://pin.it/4Zwg7un and https://m2.hm.com/m/en_us/productpage.0716581001.html .... The fit is fine around the upper body, but the way it drops straight is down is unflattering. And as soon as the material length reaches beyond my waist it becomes too tight on my hips and the material becomes obviously stretched out. So, instead of looking great, the first thing you see is the material towards the bottom of my shirt looking like it’s about to rip. This stiff, non stretch type of the material doesn’t help either- I can’t stand hemlines that are corded or have zero stretch. This top is unflattering to my overall shape, really. (Which sucks because I love the color!)

6/6/2020 05:59:00 pm

Hey Sun! After digging deeper & testing a few outfits over the past month... I think I am a Brick but a Soft Brick (like Jennifer Hudson & Eva Longoria) with especially skinny+long legs. Which also explains why I was considering Cornet for so long but never felt quite right. Thanks for all the information you provide on body shapes here! So empowering & honoring of every woman’s shape!

mesa

26/2/2025 05:02:03 pm

This is a fantastic article on body types and dressing for success! It's so true that understanding your shape is key to feeling confident. I've always found it a bit tricky to pinpoint my exact body shape, and face shape is a similar puzzle. I recently discovered a cool tool that uses AI to analyze your face shape. You can check it out here: <a href="https://www.faceshapedetectors.org/">AI Face Shape Detector</a>. It helped me understand my features better, which is great.

lisa

26/2/2025 05:03:43 pm

Great article on body types and how to dress them! It's so true that understanding your shape can make a huge difference. I've always found it interesting how even face shape plays a role in overall aesthetics. I recently discovered a website that uses AI to determine face shapes, and it's surprisingly accurate! Check out the face shape detector(https://www.faceshapedetectors.org/ ); it might be a fun tool for your readers to use alongside your body shape advice.

INTRODUCTION TO THE BODY TYPES, and how to dress them.

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