How To Dress For Your Body Type
Hey there! I’m Ivy Calvert, personal stylist, and founder of Calvert & Co. Styling. I’m a Nashville personal stylist and image consultant, providing one-on-one styling services online all over the world, and in person in Nashville, Tennessee. I know from experience that when leveling up your style, one of the biggest challenges is dressing for your body type.
Dressing for your body type is a key step when taking your style and confidence to the next level. As a style and fashion consultant, I define each of my client’s body types in our first session, the Style Coaching, because it sets the foundation for all of our future work together. If you’re new to the Calvert & Co. Styling philosophy, I want to stress that learning about your shape is about more than just the torso area. It is essential to be aware of your overall proportions!
Let’s get into the details!
The first step is to get a clear idea of your shape from the front - this will establish your “visual shape”. Look into a full-length mirror; notice where you are comparatively narrower and wider. Be objective in your analysis and do your best to dismiss all preconceived notions about your shape (I know, it’s tough!).
I also challenge you to get rid of your old notions about body type. I.e. “fruit” types like pear and apple shaped, etc.
Based on what you see in the mirror, see if you visually match up with one or two of the following descriptions. The five main body types for women are triangle, oval, inverted triangle, hourglass, and rectangle.
You may not fit neatly into one of these categories! Many people are a combination of two body types or a modified version of one. It is important to dress for the unique and beautiful shape you are now, not what you wish or hope to look like at some point in the future. Our goal at Calvert & Co. Styling is to find what styles work for YOU in order to help you look and feel your best.
For men, the shapes are slightly different but the principles remain the same. The main body types for men are triangle, inverted trapezoid, oval, inverted triangle, and rectangle.
Once you’ve determined your basic shape, you’ll want to focus on creating balanced proportions in your outfits. For example, a triangle shape will want to add volume and movement above the waist to balance the width below the waist. Body type styling is all about balance! I always say that you can wear any style you want, it’s all about HOW you style it, and in this case, how you balance it.
Time to dive deeper - there are a few special categories still to cover!
For women, if you are taller than 5’7” or shorter than 5’3”, you may be in the tall or petite category. For men, it’s 6’2” and above or 5’7” and under. This knowledge can help you make informed decisions when shopping and/or tailoring. Additional body type styling goals for those in the tall category may be breaking up their outfit and creating focal points to diffuse their elongation. For someone on the petite side, it may be to elongate the line and take special attention not to look too junior in certain settings.
No matter what your unique shape is, choosing styles that balance your proportions will result in a wardrobe that you’re excited to wear! Your body type should always take preference over the latest fashion trends. Avoid buying clothes that don’t fit right now, or rushing the process because clothing is on sale. Aim for classic and timeless pieces to build your wardrobe.
This simplified version of body typing is intended to get you thinking about your shape in a new way. Learning about your shape is NOT limiting. It’s not about what you CAN’T wear; it’s about HOW you wear it. If you are truly ready to dress for your shape and proportions, our Style Coaching service may be the right step for you. We can get deeper into what it means to dress confidently for your shape. You deserve to wear clothing that makes you look and feel wonderful!