Undertanding Your Body Type

Ever found yourself admiring a dress from the display window of a store and in your mind you can already picture yourself in this dress looking all types of gorgeous ,where to wear it and how to pair with your favorite accessories. You get into the store excited to try on the beautiful piece and upon slipping in it you can’t even look at your reflection on the mirror. The dress doesn’t flatter you at all, the fit is wrong and the excitement of adding a new piece to your wardrobe is crushed .Often you hear stylist and fashion gurus talk of dressing your body type, but what does that even mean? What’s a body type? How do I know my body type? Why is it important to know your body type? We help you answer this question in a very simple way.

What’s a body type?
In reality, bodies come in a wonderful variety of shapes, frames and heights. A body type is the general skeletal outline of your body frame. Meaning its how your upper, mid and lower half are in proportion with each other. It’s determined by four key vitals of your body namely; shoulders, bust, waist and hips.

How to know your body type

Understanding your body type is a very important aspect of building your personal style. There are two ways of determining your body type:

1. Step a few feet away from a full-length mirror and observe your overall body shape. Focus on the shape of your torso. And visualize a dress form - shoulders to hips. It’s the contours of your torso; from the thinnest part of your waist to your rib cage and hip line that will determine your overall body shape.
2. Using a cloth tape measure take the measurements of your Bust, Shoulders, Waist, Hips. When measuring, be sure to stand straight with arms to the side. Make sure the tape is snug against the body.

• Bust size—the circumference measured around the chest over the fullest part of the breasts, while wearing a properly fitted bra.

• Waist size—the smallest circumference measured around the natural waist, just above the belly button.

• Hip size—the largest circumference measured around the hips over the largest part of the buttocks

In general there are 5 common body types;

Pear :Torso and upper body smaller than your hips with waist definition

Inverted triangle:Torso and upper body wider than your hips - with little waist definition

Rectangle ;Torso and upper body are the same width as your hips - little waist definition

Hour glass; Torso and hips are approximately the same width - with waist definition

Apple; Torso and upper body wider than your hips - with little or no waist definition. You might have weight surrounding your waist.

Importance of knowing your body type

1. Improve your self confidence. When you understand your body type you know how to dress your body hiding all the figure flaws you're insecure about.
2. Understanding body proportions. Knowing your body type helps you to achieve a balanced body proportion using an 'Enhance & Minimize'-trick.
3. Helps to identify and build your personal style. When you understand your body type you’re able to identify with a certain style. This makes your shopping easier.

As a rule of thumb there is never just one category to box you in, what we want to do here is give you a general idea of things to think about pertaining to your shape when you shop, so that you can always step out looking like the best version of you!