Apple? Pear? Share your clothing vs body shape secrets!

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#46
I'm definitely not a pear. I don't want to say that I'm an apple either, but I could see the inner apple in me come out after I had my kids. Now, I would describe my body (others have also, so it's not just in mind) as "athletically curvy".

I exercise and play sports, my shoulders and hips are the same width. My chest and hip measurements are the same, because I have a v-shaped back not because of my boobs (which are rather modest, but still firm and lifted looking even after two kids). My waist to hip ratio is .72.

Things I love/like about my body and try to emphasize-

I love my toned back

All the squats I do have paid off in the rear and my glutes look like bicep muscles :yahoo:

My toned, cellulite free thighs

My shoulders

My neck

Things about my body that I don't need to flaunt-

I like my legs as far as the tone and shape are concerned but I'm not leggy, so I don't wear things that make them look shorter

Even though my waist to hip ratio is .72 I don't feel like my waist looks defined enough from the front, although from the back it looks very defined.

I have a tendency to gain weight ALLOVER my body. The downside is that that includes my upper arms even with as a little as a 5 pound weight gain. The upside is that any weight gain is spread out allover so that with the right outfit I can hide a lot. For example both times I was pregnant people didn't notice until I was over 7 months a long.

Dressing to suit my body

Dresses- backless, or plunging back, strapless, halters, flutter sleeves, empire waists, ruched waists or some sort of detail at the waist in front for emphasis and a more cinched looked, etc

NO spaghetti straps or overly dainty looking tops. I feel like a line backer

Tops- Same as tops for dresses. Pretty much anything, but nothing with spaghetti straps or too dainty at the shoulders

Skirts- almost always above the knee, I'll go long for special occassions, but nothing just below the knee or mid calf

Jeans- Miss Sixty jeans fit me the best. I love the way they fit. I don't like super low rise, makes my torso look too long and my legs look shorter. I prefer just below the belly button and I like the the cut emphasizes the separation between the small of my back and my butt

A gentle boot cut looks best on me, it emphasizes my curves. I usually buy slightly longer lengths to wear with shoes that have at least a 2" heel.

Overall proportion of outfits-
Shorter tops, longer on bottom. Generally I dress to emphasize my curves. I love wiggle dresses!
 
#47
mockinglee said:
I am neither apple nor pear, I am a ruler.

I have narrow shoulders and hips, but a wide waist, so I'm straight up and down. Not an apple, because my shoulders and chest are small. Not pear because my hips and legs are narrow. When hip huggers and low-rise jeans became trendy it was a godsend, because finally I could find pants slim through the hip that I could actually button. It used to be either too tight in the waist or too loose through the hip/thighs. Tops are still difficult because I also have a long torso.
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i am also a RULER :sad: no boobs/butt/hips whatsoever.
but here is what i have found about this body type:

- low rise jeans are freaking awesome because they make you look like you have a butt (not crazy sexy butt but hey it looks like there's a bump back there) as opposed to higher rises that just flatten the butt area

- a little bit of a flare does seem to give me more of a curvier look.

- go for v necks to draw the attention downwards and not across my friggin semi man shoulders

- longer length shirts (longer than they are shorter) continue to draw the attention downward instead of stopping the eye around the not so waist-ish waist area.

- no no no no puffy sleeves. just draws attention across and not down.

- dresses and shirts that are darker around the waist area or that whole high waisted belt thing (ex: obi belt) give the illusion of a smaller waist.

i dunno how good these suggestions are... please other RULERS share!!
 
#52
wordpast said:
I don't know which fruit I am.
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Haha me either! Im 5'3'' size 32C, 25/26 inch waist 34 inch hip/booty. Im a wierd fruit. I have a pretty big butt but small thighs. Big boobs and small waist.
I heard a tip from Denise Richards about having your jeans tapered thin until your knees and then flare/bootcut out to the ground. This really makes your legs look amazingly thin.
 
#54
Babydoll Chanel said:
Yeah I'm 5 feet tall but a 34D in the chest and 35" hips with a 24 inch waist. Wierd I know. It's so hard to find clothes that are perfect!
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LOL! You sound like me and all of my aunts on my dad's side. Well, my waist isn't exactly 24in at the moment hehe but same body shape nonetheless. I need help, too! Watching "What Not to Wear" taught me us busty girls should stay away from round neck shirts and turtlenecks.
 
#55
Question -

I'm an hourglass - my hips and bust are exactly the same width, and my waist is smaller. However, my torso is SHORT...but drop-waist jeans/trousers just do not look flattering at all (they look only slightly better than normal rise). Any suggestions?

ETA: I'm 5'7, and because of my bone structure, if I go below a US size 8 I look drug-addict skinny. So many cute clothes I cannot wear because of that.
 
#56
^ are you an hourglass in the traditional sense (ie. busty and bootylicious?), or are your bust and hips the same width but you're skinny all over?
 
#57
No, very traditional, when my waist is 28 inches, my bust and bootylicious hips are 36/37. Now you can see why I cannot get below Mediums and US8's...it looks quite strange. :nogood::laugh:

Not complaining; it's the way God made me. Makes finding flattering clothes harder, though, especially when I'm a bit larger (as I am right now..shame shame!). :shame:
 
#58
what a great thread with such interesting responses! it just goes to show that we come in all sizes and shapes, not just the standard two. :tup:

i'm 5'6" with a boyish figure - broad shoulders, long limbs, a WHR of 0.71, but my waist is not so defined from the front. i do the best with what i have by emphasizing my legs with heels (the higher the better!) and slim fitting jeans / pants / skirts. i used to wear alot of baby doll, empire waisted, and flowy tops because i thought tight shirts would make me look too top heavy, but now i realize it just emphasized the disproportion that way!

now, i prefer pencil and slim fitting skirts, tailored tops that hit right at my pelvic bone (to elongate my torso), and belts to accentuate (and create!) my waist. my go-to designer is dolce & gabanna - they are amazing at creating the illusion of an hourglass figure (which is what i wish i had!) and i still prefer heels over flats. in my experience, adding a few inches of height ALWAYS helps create the illusion of a different torso / leg ratio, and we all know more leg never hurt anyone!
 
#59
fabgrabs said:
Question -

I'm an hourglass - my hips and bust are exactly the same width, and my waist is smaller. However, my torso is SHORT...but drop-waist jeans/trousers just do not look flattering at all (they look only slightly better than normal rise). Any suggestions?

ETA: I'm 5'7, and because of my bone structure, if I go below a US size 8 I look drug-addict skinny. So many cute clothes I cannot wear because of that.
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You sound exactly like me Fabgrabs-- same body type and height!

It sounds counter-intuitive, but try a higher rise wide leg pant with heels, paired with something more fitted on top. You have the perfect proportions to pull it off, because your waist is small and it will make your legs look miles long. Also look for dresses that tie or are belted at your natural waist, which will be up higher since your short waisted. Also wrap tops, tops with belts or a waist tie, or even just a fitted v-neck, will look fantastic when paired with something that flares away from the hips a bit like an a-line skirt or wide leg trousers. For me, the most flattering thing I can wear is a 3/4 sleeve, v-neck/ knee-length wrap dress and a pair of heels. It shows enough skin to be sexy, emphasizes the waist and the curves, but hides everything I'd want to hide :lawl:

Hourglasses have tons of options! Just look for things that follow your natural curves (without clinging too much) and emphasize the waist! :flowers:
 
#60
My bust and hips are 36/37, short waist, etc... I used to hate shopping for dresses because if it fit on top it was a bigger size than I wear for other types of garments (I finally overcame my fixation on size, er, for the most part) and the hips and waist would usually be too large for me. I find that anthropologie dresses ( I know it's a store not a brand, but I think with some of the garments they order enough to dictate sizing consistency) usually fit me best. I've had pretty could luck with vintage dresses too, especially ones from the 40's-50's. Seems like women were shorter but curvier back then. Maybe it was all those corsets!
 
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