The clothes you choose can boost confidence, create an enviable silhouette and even turn back the years on your appearance.
An expert has exclusively shared what each body type should wear to achieve these goals.
The key to looking younger and feeling confident in your outfits starts by identifying your body type, according to fashion expert and writer from Margo Paige, Joana Walker.
She listed the main body shapes women have – hourglass, triangle, round and athletic.
Women should choose the most flattering styles for them
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For each category, different styles are going to be more flattering than others. Joana said: “While human bodies come in various shapes and sizes, experts have put some effort into categorising them so that efficient clothes shopping became within everyone’s reach.
“The more you dive into the details of your silhouette, the more accurately you can use the following advice. This understanding empowers you to confidently dress for your unique body shape, taking control of your style and enhancing your natural beauty.
“Let’s take the main women’s silhouettes under a magnifying glass to learn how to display each one’s unique charm.”
Triangle or pear shape
This is for those with narrower shoulders and busts compared to their hips, and the bottom half of their body is typically fuller.
Joana recommended: “To achieve balance, this body type needs attention in its upper areas. Such figures benefit from crop tops, chunky knitwear, neck blouses, fitted and ruffle shirts, tops with bust pockets, and off-the-shoulder tops.
“Wear trousers in muted colours with wide cuts, flared skirts, and A-line dresses to create a balanced look. Additionally, waist tops or wrap dresses will emphasise the narrow waist.”
Hourglass shape
This is a much less common body shape and is identifiable by having a bust and hips that have similar measurements, with a narrow, well-defined waist.
Joana recommended: “Dressing an hourglass body type is a piece of cake. All you need to do is follow the natural flow of your forms.
“The focus is to dress the top and bottom proportionally and further accentuate the waist. Avoid unintentionally drawing attention to the lower or upper body.
“You can do it by investing in a good bra, choosing simple, clean garments, and showing off the waist, for example, with belts, nipped garments, or darker colours in this area.
“This silhouette will lose its charm if you wear shapeless clothing and will seem too cluttered if you use too many eye-catching embellishments.”
Round or apple shape
This is defined as having a bigger bust than hips, with more weight around the middle and a less defined waist.
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Dressing correctly can take years off your appearance
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Joana recommended: “The key with this body type is to create the illusion of a waistline and balance your hips and shoulders.
“One strategy is to wear a single colour from head to toe. If you have this body type, consider wrap dresses, A-line dresses and skirts, peplum tops, embellished necklines, and loose sleeves.”
Athletic or rectangular shape
Athletic body types have a waist that is about the same size as the hips and the bust.
Joana said: “People with this body type don’t have easily visible curves, so no curves around the waist are noticeable when they stand up straight.
“Here, you will aim to add a curve and break up the rectangle by defining the waist. Invest in voluminous sleeves, belted waist, high-waisted bottoms, off-the-shoulder necklines, flare bottoms, and crop tops that hit a natural waist.”
