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I personally own all of Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine‘s books and their original book What Not to Wear, which was published in 2003, is my bible of sorts. I’ve always been a fan of their “no nonsense” approach when it comes to dressing your body shape. If you don’t own this book, run to the bookstore NOW!
My best friend Jill and I often joke about being the Trinny and Susannah of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have the big boobs, Jill has no boobs. (OK, really that isn’t true at all!). Jill has the amazing waist and I have not waist at all. I could go further into all the details, but I’ll spare you. If you are familiar with Trinny and Susannah, you can guess which one of us favors which one of them. The point being, we are opposites in body shape.
Studies show that most woman dislike something about their body shape. I’m definitely one of these women. I’ve learned that I can curse it (silently, of course) or embrace it. While I stand steadfast to the idea of dressing for your AGE, I also stand steadfast in dressing for your BODY SHAPE. Once you get it down, it really makes shopping a breeze.
So let me address my personal body shape: The Apple
Someone with an apple shaped body carries most of her weight above her waist, most noticeably in her stomach. She often has large breasts, narrow hips and thin legs. A protruding tummy is the hallmark of the apple shape and the cause of continuing frustration for the woman who must dress this figure type. Below are some tips from the What Not to Wear book and some of my thoughts. Do I break these rules sometimes? Yes, but I do regret it every time.
Dress: Similar Tadashi Shoji
Handbag: Brahmin
Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo
Earrings: Similar Azaara
Ring: TopShop
Tips:
Big Boobs, Big Arms, No Waist and Flabby Tummy
T-shirts with a wide-open neckline and 3/4 sleeves. Avoid high neck and sleeveless tees. I’m not a huge fan of sleeveless shirts anyway because my big arms are really not attractive!
V-neck tops that are looser on the chest and tighter around the waist.
Deep V jackets, small lapel and a shorter length.
Wrap dresses. My favorite are DVF.
Wrap cardigans for the same reason as wrap dresses. They pull in the waist.
Delicate jewelry at the wrist. I admittedly break this rule on a regular basis.
Flat front pants with a side zipper.
Secret jeans tip: the lift tuck technology of Not Your Daughter’s Jeans.
SPANX! Thank you to my amazing Tri Delta sister, Sarah Blakely.
Beth Anderson, CEO of Chic Galleria Publications, LLC, is a member of STYLE COALITION, an elite group of beauty and fashion publishers for HEARST DIGITAL GROUP. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest.
Financial compensation was not received for this post. Opinions expressed here are my own.
Tags: apple body shape, Beth Anderson, body shape, fashion
10 comments
Posted by: Rachel on April 2, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Great points! Every woman should be able to be comfortable with her shape and dress accordingly. Accepting oneself is so important to your mental (and fashion) health.
Posted by: Lisa Welch on April 2, 2012 at 4:32 pm
I may not be an “Apple” but I adore the wrap dress, I think it looks great on nearly every figure. I especially love the Tadashi wrap you have featured in the photo – gorgeous!
Posted by: Jo on April 2, 2012 at 4:35 pm
With a body that is all leg, and no room from the waist to the shoulders, I have learned, just as you said, that one must accept the shape one has and dress accordingly. Thanks for the reminder that one can be stylish with any figure, but it is necessary to know what looks best.
Posted by: Val on April 2, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Wish I could snap my fingers and this entire outfit would magically appear in my closet! The dress could easily go from work to date night and the Brahmin bag is gorgeous!
Posted by: Betsy on April 2, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Then there are those of us with no shape at all!
Posted by: Beth Anderson on April 2, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Oh Betsy! That can’t be true. Let me come up with some ideas for you.
Posted by: Ramona Eppes on April 3, 2012 at 10:45 am
These are excellent tips, especially since I’m an Apple body and find that most of the latest fashion just doesn’t do my body type any justice. As a woman I want to look my best all the time and this will help me do that as I dress for my body type. Keep the tips, suggestions, etc coming!!! I need them.
Posted by: theresa jones on April 5, 2012 at 10:45 am
What about us Pears?!? lol
Posted by: Beth Anderson on April 5, 2012 at 11:04 am
I promise I will write about all shapes. Stay tuned! xoxo
Posted by: Sofia on May 21, 2012 at 1:18 am
Great tips! I have learned to love my apple shape and everyone says no way am I an apple shape! It has a lot to do with how you dress and how you take care of yourself. At my heaviest I was starting to look like Ricki Lake and had almost no neck and my butt was looking flatter since I gain weight right above it(I was not even very heavy) but now at my thinnest I actually have a waist! It also seems losing weight makes my butt look more rounder but it’s just an illusion because everything around it (mainly my back) shrunk. Don’t lose hope if you have an apple shape!