The Pretty Pear
April 21st, 2006Update: there is a more recent post that updates these guidelines for 2007.
The pear shape is common amongst women. Good news – it is easy to streamline and you have lots of options! You’ll want to create the longest looking line with everything that you wear in order to balance the difference between the top and bottom part of your body.
Drawing attention upwards:
- Always wear slim fitting tops, sweaters, cardigans and button down shirts. Choose styles that define your waist and show off your torso – never opt for anything boxy.
- Select styles with wide cuffs and bell sleeves. Choose embellishment, rushing, seaming detail, large collar/lapels and princess lines. This automatically balances out the wider bottom part of you by drawing attention upwards.
- The length of your tops should always catch you on your hipbone. Avoid lengths that finish straight over your bottom. Avoid tops that stop just on or above your waist. This emphasizes your disproportionate top to bottom ratio.
- LAYER your garments. The layers create a visual balance between the top and bottom half of your body
- You are the girl that looks best in shirts, girly blouses, and jackets. You look fabulous in jackets and coats and your wardrobe should be plentiful of these!
- Wear A-line wrap tops & dresses – they emphasize your upper body, and accentuate your feminine décolletage, while slimming down the wider part of you. Look for dresses that have top detail. Avoid sheath dresses at all costs.
- Accessorize the top part of your body well eg. necklaces, specs, earrings, hair clips (but not all together!)
“De-emphasizing” the bottom and elongating your legs:
- Keep your bottom choices plain and simple thereby saving all the visual interest for your tops.
- Keep the hems of your pants wide, boot cut or flared. Pants that just skim along the contour of your thighs always work best and back pockets are essential. Simple rule: the curvier your bottom, the longer and wider you’ll need to wear your pants and the higher you’ll need to wear your heel to balance out your silhouette.
- Keep all your bottoms structured – no drawstrings, no front pleats and no elastic.
- Keep the top front part of your pants free of detail .You do not want to attract attention to an area that is not your best. Side entry pockets are fine, and so is detail at the bottom of your pants e.g., turn ups, embroidery and slits. Stay away from combat pants or anything with cargo pockets on them.
- If your pants fit you perfectly everywhere else but not on your waistline, have them altered.
- A-line skirts are best. They should be knee-length or just below. Stay clear of bias-cut skirts and pencil skirts.
- Wear pointy toe shoes with pants that are wide at the hem – this will make your legs look longer and slimmer.
- Wear heels whenever you can as this will help your legs look longer and create balance. Wear enough heel height to elongate the vertical line you are trying to create. If you wear boots with skirts, they should always be long and emphasize your slim ankle.
Enjoy your ultra-feminine body!
May 5th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Idea…Angie’s dictionary…I’m not familiar with some of the styles recommended or terms used. What is “A” line, bell sleeves, rushing? What do you think? Smash or trash idea?
oxox, me
May 5th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Very good idea - thank you!
May 22nd, 2006 at 6:04 am
[…] Charlize Theron, Naomi Campbell, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellwegger and Michelle Williams are amongst the most famous “inverted triangles”. You have broad shoulders, narrow hips, slender limbs, a straight waist, flat bottom and varying bust line. You are a rare breed and the least common body type found amongst women – the “pretty pear” being the most common female body type. It is interesting that it was your unique body type that was chosen to represent clothing best on the catwalk from about the 1960’s onwards. Twiggy started off this trend! Despite the fact that you are easy to dress – you’ll still want to think about how clothing affects your shape. Defining your waist and softening your shoulders is what you’ll need to think about most. […]
September 12th, 2006 at 7:51 am
[…] The new season speaks volumes, especially when it comes to sleeve detail. Voluminous sleeves on girly tops, romantic blouses and jackets are ideal for pear-shaped body types. Any form of sleeve embellishment draws attention upwards, thereby balancing out the wider part of your body. […]
September 20th, 2006 at 7:37 am
[…] Longer length tops are most flattering scrunched up to just above your crotch point, or extra long to cover your thighs (but still above your knees). Pretty pear body types need to stay clear of longer lengths that fall in-between the 2 lengths described above. […]
February 13th, 2007 at 9:19 am
[…] Wear clothes best suited to your body type – whether you are pear, apple, rectangle, hourglass or inverted triangle, refresh yourself with which shapes are best for you before you make your Spring shopping list. […]
February 16th, 2007 at 7:09 am
[…] Pointy-toed heels are especially good for pretty pear shaped bodies that need the extra height. The length of the point elongates the leg, giving it that slimming effect. The “stumpy” look of round-toed shoes does exactly the opposite, making your legs look shorter and wider. […]
March 6th, 2007 at 8:38 am
[…] Keep it short. Above or on the waistline is preferable especially if you are a pretty pear or petite body type. […]
April 5th, 2007 at 7:59 am
[…] The pretty pear (winner by far!) […]
April 10th, 2007 at 8:11 am
[…] All body types can look fab in the right dress. It’s a question of knowing which style is best for you. With Spring’s dress explosion and mid-season sales upon us, it’s an excellent time to buy frocks. Pretty pear body types look wonderful in A-line or what I call “fit-and-flare” dresses (fitted at the top and flared at the bottom). The key is to define the waist and torso and add a bit of volume at the bottom. […]
June 21st, 2007 at 5:50 pm
[…] It isn’t always easy finding a pair of jeans when you are a pretty pear. Here are three important style features that will help to narrow your search: […]
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:28 am
[…] The pretty pear Perfect pants lengths Your fashion persona Smart casual for ladies The racy rectangle The androgynous look Body type balancing act Rethinking the skinny The inverted triangle Dressing your age Summer Day Wedding Evening Wedding « The new fancy flat […]
September 15th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I love your website. Very informative. I’ve been following most of your advice for the pear shape for years and it’s paid off for me, thank God. I get a lot of compliments, however, what kind of tops are flattering to a smaller bust? I don’t want to increase my bust with surgery, but I sure want the best appearance! My husband appreciates me either way. (smile)
September 15th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
When you have a smaller bust Neecy, you need to keep your neckline higher and keep your shoulder line strong. Wear garments that fit you well on the shoulders and layer tops with low cut necklines with camisoles.
October 24th, 2007 at 10:03 am
I know I am a pear shape, but have not found dressing myself easy by any means!! I have a smal waist and bigger bottom and thighs. If pants fit me at my hips and thighs, they are HUGE in the waist. And if I find a pant or jean that does fit well at my waist and hips, then they are old lady tapered leg and not flattering (or stylish!!). I am SO discouraged. I am a busy mom of 5 and don’t have the time to get out and shop, shop, shop. When I do go out, I try on a million things and come home discouraged. When I look online, I find some things that “look” like they will work, but I feel like I’m so hard to fit that I shy away from ordering clothes this way. And of course, budget is always coming into play. I want to look classy and stylish but I can’t spend over $100 on a pair of pants!
Why do I feel like I am the only one who has this problem?!?? Help!!
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Cynthia -
You may want to consider finding yourself a good seamstress who can tailor your clothes - it would be a huge time-saver (and stress-saver!). I also recommend Kendall Farr’s book “The Personal Stylist,” which is a great resource to learn about everything from body shapes to tailoring and sizing. The “What Not To Wear” books by the original WNTW British hosts Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall are also worth a look and will make you laugh too.
Best of luck!
June 25th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
I am clearly an inverted triangle, but I have an…ample…chest! I am really frustrated with and self-conscious about clothing. I wear a 36D, have a wide upper ribcage and broad shoulders (now one of my favorite features, especially in tube tops or halter tops, which show them off), but narrow hips, a none-too-dramatic waist, and short torso/looong legs (I am 5′10″).
I feel like I am pieced together out of misfitting parts! Like, my shoulders are wide and toned, but…when it comes to jackets, work suits, button down shirts, etc., they are a pain (same with the boobs!). Then, there’s the issue of finding pants long enough for my legs, and items with waistlines that accomodate my uni-torso/waist/butt. I also have a thick (not fat, but thick) waist, which is strange with my super narrow hips. Dress shopping is a nightmare–I look like a professional swimmer in a shapeless drape or something.
ANY suggestions on what to wear and look good would be appreciated. I feel like Frankenstein’s monster when clothing shopping.