Body Shape is the first Body Element of the 5 Body Elements. It’s first because it’s the main element everyone already talks about. The different shapes often are categorized into fruit (apple, pear) or geometric shapes (rectangle, triangle, circle, figure 8, inverted triangle). What most people don’t understand is that this Body Element gives you clues to what design lines enhance your natural beauty.
When creating my logo, the five girls, I created them with different body elements in mind. I wanted to show that the right shift dress for each’s Body Elements can create balance and enhance her natural beauty. In this new series of posts, I’ll highlight each Body Element for each girl and the clues that Body Element gives her.
In this post you’ll learn about each girl’s Body Shape. You’ll notice I don’t use fruit or geometric shapes. I don’t use them because they have negative connotations. Therefore, I use letters of the alphabet. I want you to know, no matter your Body Shape, that you’re beautiful just the way you are. You were created perfectly.
Body Shape
To determine your body shape, look at the difference between your:
- Shoulders and waist
- Waist and hips
- Hips and shoulders
Body Shapes fall into two categories:
- Angular — Waist isn’t significantly smaller than both your shoulders and hips
- Curved — Waist is significantly smaller than both your shoulders and hips
Go to Body Shape to determine which body shape you have and which category it falls into.
Clues
Body Shape gives you two clues:
- Silhouette of clothes
- Placement of horizontal and vertical lines
If your body shape falls into the angular category, look for clothes with angular silhouettes. This means, look for clothes that have a rectangular feel to them.
On the other hand, if your body falls in the curved category, look for clothes with a curved silhouette. These clothes curve in at the waist. Many times this is done through darts and princess lines.
Horizontal lines stop your eye, emphasize an area, and make it appear wider and shorter. The placement of horizontal lines is critical. Don’t place them in your widest area because it’ll appear even more out of balance. You want to place them in a thinner area to create balance. For more information on horizontal lines go to: Horizontal Lines — Friend Or Foe?
Vertical lines move your eye up and down and make the area appear thinner and longer. Placement of these lines isn’t as critical but placed in the right area will create more balance. Don’t place them in just your thinnest area because your wider areas will appear even wider. Place them in your wider areas to make them appear thinner and create balance. To learn more about vertical lines go to: Vertical Lines Can Be A Foe.
Body Shape -- Sam
Sam has an H Body Shape. Her shoulders, waist and hips appear to be the same width. Unlike the other girls, she’s lucky because this is the shape most of the fashion industry designs for. I believe it’s because any design line looks great on it.
Silhouette Of Clothes
Sam’s H Body Shape falls into the angular category. This means she’ll look for clothes with an angular silhouette.
Placements Of Horizontal And Vertical Lines
Based on her H Body Shape, Sam can place both horizontal and vertical lines anywhere. However, she still needs to consider her Body Proportion when placing these lines. More on that in a future post. Also if there is an area she doesn’t want to bring attention to, such as a large stomach or bust line, she should avoid placing horizontal lines in this area.
Body Shape -- Monica
Monica has an O Body Shape. Her waist is wider than both her shoulders and hips. Having this Body Shape doesn’t mean she’s fat. Her bone and muscle structure play a big part. I see very thin women with this Body Shape. Their rib cage widens out at the waist. Monica has to remember that no matter her Body Shape, she’s beautiful just the way she is.
Silhouette Of Clothes
The O Body Shape falls into the angular category and as a result, Monica will look for clothes with angular silhouettes. She also needs to look for designs that give a little extra room at the waist. However, she could also get a size up to fit her waist and have the shoulders and/or hips altered so these areas will fit her body.
Monica needs to remember that clothes in the ready-to-wear world don’t fit most women. They chose a well-proportioned (for more information go to: Body Proportion: Out Of Balance?) H Body Shape with a medium butt, around 5’5” to 5’6” tall. Anyone not having this body will need to have some sort of alterations done. Monica isn’t alone. The fashion industry isn’t evil or mean; it’s difficult to take into consideration all the different lengths and curves of women’s bodies.
Placements Of Horizontal And Vertical Lines
Monica can balance her body through the use of horizontal and vertical lines. She wants to avoid placing any horizontal lines at the waist. This will bring attention to this area and make it appear wider creating more contrast between the waist vs shoulders/hips. But placing horizontal lines in other areas like the shoulders will bring balance to her overall body.
On the other hand, placing vertical lines at the waist will make that area appear thinner and pass the eye over that area. Vertical lines like raglan sleeves will only emphasize her wider waist by making her shoulders appear thinner. She needs to avoid these vertical lines.
Body Shape -- Alice
Alice has a V Body Shape. Her shoulders are wider than both her waist and hips. She has a difficult time finding tops, dresses and jackets to fit her body well. Alice will need to buy clothes that fit her shoulders and then have them altered to fit her waist and hip areas. Finding a tailor/seamstress who can help her make these alterations is important. She’ll consider this person just as important as her hairdresser.
Silhouette Of Clothes
A V Body Shape is in the angular category and as a result Alice will look for angular silhouette clothes.
Like Monica, Alice will most likely need to have some of her clothes altered for example, tops, dresses and jackets. To fit her wider shoulders, the waist and hips might be too big and when those areas are too big they’ll need to be altered. Also like Monica, she needs to know her body is perfect just the way it is.
Placements Of Horizontal And Vertical Lines
To create overall balance, Alice won’t place horizontal lines in her shoulder area but will place them at the waist and/or hip areas. However, many women with this Body Shape carry extra weight in the chest and/or tummy area. In this case horizontal lines at the hips are the best placement for these lines.
The best placement of vertical lines is at the shoulders. Any design lines from the armpit to the neck/shoulder interaction are perfect for her. These lines will make her shoulders appear thinner and balance out her body. Also vertical lines starting mid-shoulder also create balance. She should avoid princess lines that start at her mid-arm/shoulder area.
Body Shape -- Grace
Grace has an A Body Shape. Her waist is thinner than her shoulders and her shoulders are thinner than her hips. The clothes she has the most difficulty finding are pants. To fit over her hips the waist is too big. Whenever they fit at her waist she can’t get them around her hips.
Grace’s Body Shape is solely created by bone and muscle structure. Her butt and thigh muscles are well developed making pants even harder to find. She has to remember no matter what people around her say about her body it’s perfect just the way it is.
As with Monica and Alice, Grace will need the assistance of a tailor/seamstress to help her alter clothes to fit her body perfectly. She’ll find that when she has her clothes altered to fit her body, she’ll be able to tap into her confidence and personal power. This will allow her to feel like she can conquer her world.
Silhouette Of Clothes
Grace’s A Body Shape falls into the curved Body Shape category. As a result, she’ll look for clothes with curved silhouettes. She’ll look for tops, dresses and jackets with waist darts and princess lines. For pants, since most have an angular silhouette, she’ll look for ones that say “curvy” fit. Even though they say curvy fit she still might need to have them altered because her waist is smaller.
Placements Of Horizontal And Vertical Lines
The place Grace will avoid horizontal lines is at her hips. Placing them at her shoulders creates balance between her shoulders and hips. Top hems should fall at her waist, mid-hip or at least 2 inches below her hips. The best placement will depend on her Body Proportions between her:
- Bust and waist
- Waist and hips
- Hips and knees
- Torso vs legs
Vertical lines are her friend in the hip area but not in the shoulder area. She should avoid raglan sleeve design lines and princess lines that start at the shoulders. Princess lines should start mid-arm.
Body Shape -- Veronica
Veronica has an X Body Shape. Her shoulder and hips are the same width and her waist is significantly smaller than both.
She can find some clothes to fit. As with Monica, Alice and Grace, Veronica will need the assistance of a tailor/seamstress to help her alter clothes to fit around her waist. Because she has big goals in life, she wants to tap into her confidence and personal power through clothes. This will give her the edge to help her take the next step.
Silhouette Of Clothes
Veronica’s X Body Shape falls into the curved Body Shape category. As a result, she’ll look for clothes with a curved silhouette. She’ll look for tops, dresses and jackets with waist darts and princess lines.
Her biggest problem is pants because the waist is always too big when they fit in the hips. She can find some basic pants that fit when they’re labeled “curvy fit.” For tops and dresses she wears a lot of belts to show off her smaller waist. Veronica can take regular fit clothes that fit all of her other body elements to a tailor/seamstress to transform the clothes from angular silhouettes to curved ones.
Placements Of Horizontal And Vertical Lines
Veronica is like Sam, any placement of horizontal lines looks great on her Body Shape. However, she still needs to consider her Body Proportion when placing these lines.
Also the placement of vertical lines looks great on Veronica’s X Body Shape. Along with the placement of horizontal lines she’ll need to understand her Body Proportions.
Summary
Each girl has a different Body Shape resulting in different design line needs. By understanding her Body Shape she takes the first step in knowing what design lines enhance her natural beauty. Ultimately this knowledge will help her tap into her confidence and personal power. As a result she can take steps forward to pursue her passion, create impact and make this world a better place to live.
In the next blog post, you’ll learn about each one’s Face Shape. It’s called: Face Shapes — The Girls.
Wear Your Greatness!!
