Dressing for your shape – the apple
Have you every complained that your stomach or tummy is too big? If you have, the chances are that you are an apple shape. This is just a description given to the body shape that tends to carry weight around the waist line. By understanding our own body shape, we can find ways to dress that flatter our figures and start to love our bodies and the clothes that we wear.
Although apple shapes tend to carry any extra weight around the middle, they also tend to have slender legs and arms and a narrower bottom half. Apple shapes also often tend to broader on top with a great clevage. Dressing to your advantage is all about hiding the bits that you don’t like and drawing attention to your best features and also balancing out the overall proportions of the body.
Wrap tops and dresses – as apple shapes have little waist definition, wrap dresses and tops help to create the illusion of a narrow waist. The popularity of the famous Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dresses can be attributed to their amazing ability to create a narrow wait.
V neck tops - by creating a vertical line down the torso and effectively cutting it in half, you will make it appear slimmer. A V neck top is one of the easiest ways to do this.
Shirts with open collars - Another great way to create a flattering v over the torso is by wearing a shirt or blouse with the collar open.
Single breasted jackets that do up below the bust line - large shoulder pads or double breasted jackets should be avoided by appple shapes as they will effectively widen the torso. Instead a well fitting jacket which forms a v by fastening below the bust line will help to create a narrower appearance.
Flat fronted trousers with side zip – flat fronted trousers lie flat across the tummy and do not draw any attention to it with additional detail.
Wide waistbands – wide waistbands that sit on the hips have will have the effect of widening the hips a little and therefore making the waist appear proportionally smaller.
Empire line dressses - the flattering seam of an empire line dress is not only a very classic and elegant style but also looks amazing on ladies with an apple shape. It skims over the torso disguisng a round stomach and giving the appearance of a streamlined body.
Layering – thin layers are a great way of disguising a round tummy and keep warm in the colder weather without wearing chunky knits which will add unwanted inches to your waist.
As an apple shape, you should avoid anything that draws attention to a thicker waist and torso including belts, chunky knits, tapered trousers or jeans, anything tight fitting or lycra on your top half, baggy tops, pleated skirts, fussy necklines and striped tops. Don’t forget to make the most of your legs, with just about any length evening skirt that you like and clevage, especially in evening tops, as both are amongst your best features.