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How to dress your figure: Pear-shaped

Janelle Vreeland

Guidelines for hippy women

If your hips are your biggest problem when dressing, never fear, this guide will help you dress your pear-shaped figure!

How to dress your pear-shaped figure tip 1: Go for darker washes

If your hips are the widest part of your body, and you find yourself self conscious, invest in darker washes of jeans, slacks and skirts. Darker washes and colors will help make your hips, thighs and butt appear slimmer and smaller. This will help balance out your proportions, especially if you don’t have a very narrow waist or a large bust to help provide definition. And avoid any “distressed” washes, like whisker wash or darker jeans with distressing down your thighs. The light colors attract attention and make your problem areas appear larger than they are.

How to dress your pear-shaped figure tip 2: Looks for specific cuts of jeans and slacks

Another way to help balance out your hips is to clothe them properly. Look for denim that stretches, this will flatter your curves and make your jeans more comfortable to wear. Also, look for “curvy” style jeans and pants. These are going to be roomier in the butt, hip and thigh area and will allow you to flatter your curves without having to go up several jean sizes. Cuts to avoid are super low-waist styles and skinny styles. Both of these will attract unwanted attention to your hips and skinny jeans will only make your hips, butt and thighs look larger. Instead, stick with a loose boot-cut or straight leg. These will help make your legs appear longer and thinner as they flatter your curves.

How to dress your pear-shaped figure tip 3: Balance out your bottom

Once again, you want to create an hourglass shaped figure, so you’ll need to define your waist and enhance your bust. Define your waist with a belt or tapered shirt that fits the smallest part of your waist. Then, draw attention to your bust by wearing tops that flatter and enhance your bustline, either with patterns, embellishments or with a deep V-neck.

How to dress your pear-shaped figure tip 4: Avoid voluminous skirts and dresses

The last thing you want to do when trying to balance your shape is to make yourself even more bottom heavy. Voluminous skirts/dresses or skirts with several tiered layers are just going to add width to your bottom. The best cuts for skirts and dresses are going to be pencil skirts and A-lines. The A-line skirt will flare out slightly from your bottom, balancing your hips out and also drawing attention away from them.

How to dress your pear-shaped figure tip 5: Avoid jeans, pants with embellished back pockets or no pockets

Pockets are a blessing but they can also cause problems. Definitely buy jeans with back pockets, as they detract from your butt, but make sure the pockets aren’t overly embellished. Embellished pockets, pants with writing on the butt and pants with no pockets will all make your bottom look bigger than it is.

How to dress your pear-shaped figure tip 6: Wear jackets that are long enough to meet your hips

Longer jackets and shirts can be your best friend, as long as they aren’t too long. The hem should just come below the start of your hips. This will help make your hips look slimmer, especially if the shirt flares out slightly at the hem.

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