a guide to choose a sweater for your body type
A Guide to Choose a Sweater for Your Body Type
With winter chills freezing our bones, it's time to bring out the sweaters. But no longer do you need to wear outerwear that doesn't really work for your style. In fact, with this guide on picking the right sweater for your body type, you can truly work magic with sweaters.
Slimming Fabrics, Anyone?
Mixing fabrics can be a great way of making the entire look less bulky. A heavy sweater teamed with a lace skirt can actually make your look more streamlined and flattering.
Do you get that perennial feeling that your sweater makes you look dowdy and drab? Have you ever thought that may be, just may be, it's the result of choosing outerwear that just does not flatter you. If you thought sweaters, since they are meant to keep you warm and cozy, need not be well-fitted, and that you don't need to bother about body type, then you couldn't be further from the truth. The right sweater not only makes you look more stylish, but it will also give you the illusion of an almost flawless figure.
Picking the right woolen wear not only requires you to be aware of what suits you, but also what your body type is. So, before we tell you which style is best suited for which body type, we also tell you how to determine what your body shape actually is.
Did you say pear?
Do you often feel like your bottom overshadows the upper part of your body? Did you just nod your head in agreement? You may just have a pear-shaped body if you identify with these other characteristics as well.
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Your aim when you have such a body type is to lessen how (for lack of a better word) disproportionate your upper body seems in comparison to your lower body. It is ideal if you pick a sweater that ends at your waist so that you don't draw attention to your hips. Large necklines like cowl, boat necks, etc., are flattering on women with this body type as they draw attention to themselves. Also, short sleeves with details help in taking away focus from your derriere. Your goal with your sweater should be to create a sense of balance.
- Your upper body, i.e., your chest and shoulder area is narrower than your hips.
- Your waist is small and well-defined.
- Your bottom is fuller than the rest of your body, and you have, in proportion to your waist, shorter legs, and big thighs.
Hourglass? What is that?
Think Christina Hendricks and Salma Hayek, and if you realize that you have a similar body shape, then congratulations! There are about a million women envious of you. Here are the defining characteristics of the body type you are blessed with.
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The best way to pick a sweater for this body shape is to find one that actually accentuates your figure instead of trying to camouflage unflattering features. So opt for sweaters that highlight your naturally narrow waist, and are cinched there with a belt. Pick cardigans with low buttons or embellishments below the chest area to show off your bust line. Always pick sweaters that are figure-fitting as loose sweaters tend to look dowdy on this body shape. Wrap sweaters are your best bet; invest in at least one of these.
- With (almost) symmetrical proportions, you have a full bust and derriere, and a waist that is prettily defined.
- The width of your shoulders and your hips is roughly the same.
- When you gain weight, you tend to do it evenly throughout your body.
What? I look like an apple?
Now a fruit may not seem like an ideal comparison but it is actually quite the effective one. If the majority of your weight is at your mid-section, then this is probably your body shape. Women who are pre and post natal often fall in this category.
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First and foremost, avoid sweaters made of very bulky fabrics as these will add an illusion of weight to your body. Pick sweaters that have vertical knits and details. Look for boat, square, or v-shaped necklines which draw attention to your upper body. The outerwear you pick should at least reach the top of your hips, if not be longer in length. If wearing a cardigan, leave it unbuttoned so that it doesn't look like you are squeezing yourself in.
- You have wide, broad hips, an undefined waist, and what is commonly known as love handles.
- You probably also have heavy upper thighs and a large stomach giving you the illusion of having a round shape.
- Women with an apple-shaped body tend to have slim hips and well-defined, slender legs.
Huh! My body is like a ruler?
Don't be offended, because you are in the company of supermodels. Often defined as a boy-type figure, most clothes work on this body shape. Here's how to identify if this is your body type, too.
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The reason most supermodels are chosen for their figures is that it is easiest to create an illusion of an hourglass figure with this body type. So, while picking a sweater, you need to look for one that has some form of definition, and is figure-flattering. You can choose, in fact, to cinch the sweater with a belt for some added definition. Choose bulkier sweaters to add some curves. Turtleneck sweaters look great on women with this body type.
- If you have a ruler-shaped/rectangular body, then you have an upper chest which is just as wide as your hip, and a bust that is much smaller.
- You will also have arms and legs that are much thinner than the rest of your body.
- Your waist will follow the contours of your chest and probably lacks definition.
A triangle you said?
Geometrical shapes may seem an unlikely comparison, but it is more than possible that your body resembles a triangle which has been inverted. How do you get the shape correct? Well, here are a few pointers that may help you understand if the inverted triangle is your body shape.
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It should be your aim to soften your wide shoulder line and give it the illusion of being softer and narrower. It is important that you pick a fabric which is soft and drapes well. Pick outerwear which has soft sleeves and shoulder lines. There shouldn't be much detail on the collar line. If you are comfortable with longer lengths, then pick a sweater that has a tiny waist and then flares downwards.
Once you have picked a sweater suited for your body type, there are some other points that you should definitely consider.
- Your body is bigger on the top and smaller at the bottom.
- You have small hips and a flat bottom, and there is very little definition between your waist and your hips.
- Your shoulder line appears straight and squared off.
- Always take into account what you wear under the sweater. If you try to stick a thick, puffy arm into the sleeve of a slim cardigan, it will only seem bulkier.
- It is never a good idea to pick a sweater that is so over-sized that it will hide your body. Finding something that fits well is essential. If you do want to be on trend and wear an over-sized sweater, ensure that you wear it with a slim-fit pant/skirt.
- Picking the right color is also essential. A black/dark-colored sweater will make you seem a lot slimmer as compared to a sweater in a lighter color.
- The right fabric of sweater is also essential. Cashmere is a great fabric to invest in as it is warm, drapes very well, and never itches. A cotton knit sweater, while comfortable, will lose its shape fast, and a loose knit sweater will always sag. So choose carefully.