This is my second post in a series on dressing your body. You’ll learn how to flatter your figure and assess your proportions. Check out my Intro to Body Types for an overview of the 4 main body types.
Today I will describe the 8 main additional body proportion considerations. Along with your body type, these considerations can help you choose clothing that best flatters your body. It will also inform whether petite, tall, or plus-size options may work for some or all of your clothing. The key is to even out disproportionate features as we find balanced, symmetrical features to be most appealing – I’ll go into detail in future posts but let’s start with an overview:
- Neck length – Neck length affects which necklines and accessories (necklaces, earrings, scarves) will most flatter you.
- Bust size – Just like neck length, your bust size can influence your neckline and accessories choices. It will also affect whether you look top-heavy. Personal style will dictate whether you want to wear cleavage, cover-up or enhance your bust size.
- Torso length – The length of your torso determines the silhouette and sizing of your tops, jackets, and dresses. Also, torso length is related to leg length. Those with long torsos may need to create a longer leg line since their legs will appear shorter.
- Stomach size – In addition to the 4 main body types, sometimes an additional 5th type is used for women with larger stomachs, often called “Apple”. The reason I don’t include that as a type is because I consider a larger stomach to be a body modifier, not a body type. Depending on your stomach size you may prefer to hide/minimize or show it off.
- Butt size – Your butt size will determine which pocket details/shapes will flatter you and which skirts/dresses/pants will look best on you.
- Leg length – Leg length is critical to balancing out your proportions. This is why heels are so popular! Key note to remember: Just because your tall, doesn’t mean you have a long leg line. It’s all about proportion. As noted above, if you have a long torso you may find that your leg line is shortened despite your height.
- Calf size – Calf sizes will influence how you fit into knee-high boots and skinny pants/jeans. Those with wide or narrow calves may need to shop for boots designed for sizing needs.
- Foot size – It may seem like foot size doesn’t really matter but you’d be surprised how large or small feet can look disproportionate and odd when assessing an entire outfit. Keep this in mind.
In upcoming posts I’ll dive into the details of each body feature listed above. You’ll learn how to determine your proportions and how to dress your shape in the most flattering ways!