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Shirts to Fit Every Figure: What Top Will Look the Most Flattering on You

Fashion

Mon, February 03

Finding shirts to fit your figure is extremely hard, but it can also be a game-changer for your wardrobe. The right shirt will enhance your appearance and complement your body. This task can be quite a challenge, which is why I’m here to help you out.

The key to finding the shirt for your figure is understanding your body type. While there are many different body types, and every one is unique, some of the most common body types are rectangle, apple, pear, hourglass, and inverted triangle. By recognizing and understanding your body type, you can feel your best in the shirts you choose to wear.

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Understanding Body Types

To figure out and understand your body type, you can try to look for some of the main signs. For a rectangular body type, the shoulders and hips are balanced with a less defined waist.

Photo by Raphaël LR on Unsplash

Secondly, the apple body type is recognized by a rounder midsection, broader shoulders, and a fuller bust compared to the hips.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Furthermore, the pear body shape is defined by the narrow shoulders and a wider hips area.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Additionally, the hourglass body type is recognized by a well-defined waist with a balanced bust and hips.

Photo by Abhinav Choudhary on Unsplash

Lastly, the inverted triangle shape is defined by broader shoulders and narrower hips.

Photo by Drew Dizzy Graham on Unsplash

By figuring out and understanding your body type, you can decide on the best types of shirts to wear for your figure to feel more comfortable, confident, and captivating.

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Rectangle Body Type

As discussed earlier, the rectangle body type does not have a defined waist, so the key to finding the perfect shirt would be to create the illusion of a defined waist. This can be done by choosing shirts with some structure and definition. Shirts with large necklines, such as V-neck and scoop necklines, will help with balancing proportions and creating the illusion of curves.

Photo by Khanh Dang on Unsplash

Additionally, shirts with detailed sleeves, such as puff sleeves and ruffle sleeves, will add volume to the shoulders and create the mirage of curves. Lastly, peplum tops are also excellent as they create the illusion of a defined waist by de-emphasizing the straightness of the body.

Photo by Etty Fidele on Unsplash

Furthermore, some celebrities with rectangular figures are Kate Hudson and Reese Witherspoon. These celebrities are fashionable and are mostly seen wearing large necklines such as V-necks. Kate Hudson draws attention to her waist by wearing V-necks quite often and creating the illusion of a defined waist. Additionally, Reese Witherspoon is often seen wearing peplum tops, which look extremely flattering because of the cinched waist and curve at the hips.

Apple Body Type

If you have an apple body type, then you have a wide torso and slim legs. When finding the perfect shirt for this body type, look for styles to draw attention away from the full midsection and elongate the torso. This can be done by opting for shirts with a low and wide neckline, such as a low V-neck, which will help elongate the body. Furthermore, necklines with embellishments and details will help to draw the eye away from the torso.

Photo by Thirdman at Pexels

Photo by Brian [censored] at Pexels

Photo by The Feligrapher at Pexels

Additionally, to take the attention away from the midsection, the sleeves should emphasize the upper body and arms. This is done by detailed, loose, or flared sleeves. Furthermore, empire waist shirts and loose and flowy shirts are ideal for balancing appearance by accentuating the neckline and elongating the torso.

Lastly, some examples of celebrities with an apple body are Liz Hurley, Lindsay Lohan, and Kate Winslet. These celebrities look absolutely stunning in the dresses they wear. This is mainly because their dresses show off their slim legs and detailed sleeves, distracting the audience from the wide midsection.

Pear body type:

The pear body type is characterized by narrow shoulders and wide hips. To find the perfect shirt for this body type, drawing attention to the upper body type while drawing attention away from the lower half of the body is the key. Shirts with horizontal stripes are excellent; they help to broaden the narrow torso and balance the body.

Additionally, necklines that are low and wide will help balance out your hips and shoulders, emphasize your waist, and add volume to the top half of your body. Examples of these necklines include off-shoulder, boat neck, and ruffle neck.

Photo by Jason Daley at Pexels

Furthermore, halter neck tops help to broaden your shoulders and add more volume to your bust, helping with balancing your wider hips. Shirts with asymmetric hems help to break up the line across your hips, narrowing them so they balance with your narrow shoulders. Off-shoulder tops are extremely flattering and help with balancing your hips and shoulders. More examples of flattering shirts for pear body types can also be found in the image below.

Photo by Ali Pazani at Pexels

Photo by Jasmin Chew at Pexels

Some examples of celebrities with pear-shaped bodies are Jennifer Lopez and Illeana D’cruz. These celebrities draw attention to their upper half and de-emphasize their wide hips. Jennifer Lopez has been seen wearing a turtleneck dress, which brings attention to her upper half rather than the lower half.

Additionally, Illeana D’cruz has been seen with a low, deep, and wide neckline that brings attention to her upper half and defined waistline while drawing attention away from her hips. The sleeves of her dress are also flowy and loose, which helps to balance the hips and narrow shoulders.

Hourglass Body Type

As seen in the beginning, the hourglass body has a defined waist with balanced shoulders and hips. The solution to finding the perfect shirt for this figure is to bring attention to the waist. Fitted shirts that are cinched at the waist will be sure to showcase the defined midsection.

Additionally, wrap shirts and peplum tops are flattering because they help accentuate the waist and create a balanced look. V-necklines are quite favorable for hourglass figures, they help elongate the neck, and draw attention to the bust, and down to highlight a defined waist.

Photo by Renan Rezende at Pexels

Similar to the advised shirts, which flatter the hourglass figure, the sleeves of a shirt should also balance the natural silhouette. The most flattering sleeve is a fitted one. This is because they follow the body’s natural silhouette and curves.

The goal of dressing an hourglass figure is to highlight the defined waist. Salma Hayek is a gorgeous example of the hourglass figure. She is seen wearing a dress with a V-neckline and a cinched waist.

The V-neckline and cinched waist ultimately draw attention to the defined waistline. Another iconic celebrity with an hourglass body is Marilyn Monroe. She is seen in a white dress that has a deep V-neckline and a cinched waist. This is clever and immediately brings our attention to the defined waistline.

Photo by Bo Shou at Pexels

Inverted Triangle Body Type

If you have an inverted triangle body type, then you likely have wide shoulders and narrow hips. The guide to finding the perfect shirt for this figure is to minimize the broadness of the shoulders. This can be done using slim and long necklines.

These minimize the width of the shoulders and provide softer and narrower shoulders. Deep and narrow scoop necklines are great examples of this. Furthermore, asymmetrical necklines help to break up the chest vertically. Additionally, wearing halter necks can be flattering and help to elongate your figure, especially if you have a smaller bust.

Photo by Amir Abbaspoor at Pexels

Almost identical to the necklines, the sleeves of shirts for the inverted triangle body should create the illusion of narrow shoulders. Dropped shoulder sleeves make the shoulders appear slimmer than they actually are, helping balance the body. Additionally, choosing tight-fitted sleeves will avoid adding any extra weight to your shoulders.

When wearing long sleeves, adding volume around the hips is suitable. This can be done by wearing soft, flared sleeves. Some examples of this are raglans, kimonos, and Dolman sleeves.

Photo by Sakshi Patwa at Pexels

Celebrities with the inverted triangle body type, such as Kim Cattrall and Demi Moore. Kim Cattrall is seen in a bright red dress that has a low and wide neckline with wide stripes. This neckline makes her shoulders appear softer. Demi Moore is seen in a white dress with a deep and narrow neckline and wide straps, which flatter her and help her balance her proportions.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, finding the perfect shirt for your figure is a challenge. But it can also become the key to finding confidence and comfort in your appearance. The guide to finding the perfect shirt for your figure is to understand body types and which one is yours.

While everyone is unique, the main body types are hourglass, inverted triangle, rectangle, pear, and apple. Knowing which body type you have will ultimately help you decide what shirt to choose.

Aadya Verma

Writer since Dec, 2024 · 2 published articles

Aadya Verma is a high school student and is passionate about learning and writing. She enjoys spending her time reading, writing, playing sports, sketching, painting, researching, and hanging out with friends. She is a part of her school's newsletter team and is currently writing her own novel in leisure time.

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