I love it when styling is easy, just put on anything and look stunning. In the real world, it doesn't just happen like this, and we all know how frustrating it is to buy things that don't fit. As an adult, I am tired of wasting money on things that end up not looking good on me. Some of us, through trial and error; which translates money, have been able to figure out what works for us. Yet, for others, it remains a challenge; building a personal and unique style. Understanding our body type would undoubtedly help us quickly figure out what works and what doesn't work for us.
Five years ago, I went for an interview for what I thought was my dream job. I got ready; I bought a new pair of navy blue, three-quarter trousers. I had a nice blazer on, and I had my lovely shirt. Little did I know there was something I forgot to check. I forgot to practice wearing clothes. On the interview day, before leaving the house, I looked in front of the mirror, and I felt so fly. I took myself out of the house looking that way, feeling confident, feeling good, ready to smash the interview. Then this was what happened to me.
The interview was an hour and a half away from me, and I took the train. What I didn't realize was that those trousers would keep falling off my waist the whole time! That was me looking to the left and the right, and then pulling up my trousers the entire day. At the interview, they were asking me," So tell us about yourself" I was praying," God, let my trousers not fall. God, let my trousers not fall" It was the most awkward and frustrating interview I had. I didn't even get the job at the end of the day. I blame those trousers! No matter, I'm here to make sure that that never happens to you.
Measuring Your Body
Now, dressing for your body type is only a tool. Please do not get hung up on the whole science of, "What is my body type?" and "Oh, I can't wear this because it's not going to suit my body type." Style is meant to be fun. Fashion is fun. Knowing our body type is like learning our superpower so we can dress accordingly and accentuate our best assets.
As we begin measuring, this is not the time to start complaining about how your tummy. We are trying to objectively look at our body to make sure that we accurately know what our body shape is. Let us forget about our insecurities for the moment and focus on our measurements.
You are going to need:
- A measuring tape
- Phone to record measurements
- Fitted clothes
It is best not to wear a bra or any underwear so we can get more accurate measurements without any padding. Stand in front of a mirror, especially if you do not have anyone to take your measurements.
We are going to need four measurements, the shoulder, the bust, the waist, and the hips. Measuring your shoulder is straight forward. When measuring the bust, make sure it's the center of the bust. Please take note that when measuring the waist, we do not measure where the belly button is. That is more of your lower waist. Our waist is at the centre point from under our bust down to our hips. Finally, the hip is the curved part of your lower waist at the center of your pelvis.
Make sure you have these measurements in your notebook or phone, somewhere that is easy for us to access whenever we need it. This is also useful for online shopping. Search out their size charts. Even though some of the clothing might differ a bit, it is always a useful guide. This would really help you save time.
5 Body Types
- Inverted Triangle
- Rectangle
- Circle (also known as the apple shape)
- Triangle (also known as the pear shape)
- Hourglass
The widest part of the body for the inverted triangle is the shoulder or the bust. You will notice that your shoulder and your bust are more than 5% bigger than the measurement for your hips.
For the rectangle body shape, you will notice you do not have a very defined waistline. Your shoulder, bust, waist and hips are a similar measurement.
When it comes to the circle body shape, the most significant part of your body will be your waist. Sometimes, your waist and your hip can be about the same proportion, and your bust and your shoulder are the smallest parts of your body in measurement. This body type has the least-defined waistline.
For the triangle body shape, the widest part of the body is the hips. Yes, your hips don't lie! Research has shown most women fall under the triangle body shape compared to other body shapes.
Finally, the hourglass body shape has the bust and the hips right about the same measurements with a very defined waistline.
I like to feel that if you can choose the right styles, you can mimic whatever silhouette or body shape that you desire.
Loving Our Body Development
You also may find out that you have more than one body shape. There are some ladies who have that hourglass body shape, but then the shoulders are also the widest part of the body. This makes it almost like a combination of the inverted triangle shape and the hourglass body shape.
At some point in my life, I was an hourglass figure. I then moved rapidly into the triangle figure. I'm happy with this because I've learned what works for my body type, and I'm able to show off the parts of my body that I like to show off and I'm able to conceal the other parts that I don't want showing.
Now, when I think back to those ill-fitted trousers that cost me that amazing job, I think they were more suited for the apple body shape and they weren't going to be great or flattering on my body type. Even though they fit my hips, the waist was just so loose. They did not have any belt loops, so it didn't help me to look as glamorous as I wanted.
Beautifying Bodies, Beautifying Minds
Listen, ladies, we can work with what we have. We don't all have to have the hourglass body shape, even if we desire it. There are ways that we can style ourselves so that we can bring out our best assets. Were you able to figure out your body type when you did your measurements? Once we know our body type, then every other thing falls into place and we are going to make better styling choices when it comes to our body type. In another post, I will be going into styling tips to bring out the beautiful features that we all have in our body as women.
Do check out the video when you get the chance. It’s your girl Kelly here to help you stay confident, stylish and successful. Do tag me on instagram if you’ve used any of these tips or have any suggestions!