New Me, New Wardrobe for Pear Body Shape?

by Karin Londt
(UAE)

I have made some excellent progress style-wise with your help and have one more hurdle to leap. However,I need more of your specialized help. I sincerely hope you can help me.

I have recently had a massive wardrobe clean-out and am left with some big gaping holes in my closet. While I have the basics (LBD, black pantsuit, pencil skirt, blazer,etc.) I need a few items to make my wardrobe pop.

I have a pear-shaped body, with a rounded tummy, but on a good day (i.e.Spanx) I can get away with fitted clothes. I recently had a baby, moved to a new (more conservative) city and got a promotion, so please bear this in mind when considering suitable picks. Anything short, tight, see through, low-cut or clingy would be a no -no.

I like some of the trends this season but have no idea how to incorporate it into a working wardrobe.

Florals are pretty but can I wear them without looking like I'm trying too hard (I'm 37)? Cropped, leather biker jackets look super cool , but the same issue arises. I like the grey jeans trend but I can't do skinny... bootleg or straight all the way.

I want to do something in ruffles but am still quite droopy in the chest area (ahem!) and wouldn't want to draw the attention there. I love opaques,especially with dresses, but live in a hideously hot and humid climate, so can't do that.

I need to know what the best shapes are for a curvy figure in tops, sweaters, t-shirts,etc. I kinda have the bottom half sussed, but the top half has me beat, especially since the baby added some nice new additions there!

My look for weekend and holidays currently is the straight leg or boot leg dark wash (sometimes with distressing), a vest or tank in a solid colour, a little fitted jacket, a long scarf, flats or heels, and a huge bag. At work it's a pencil or an a-line skirt or staight leg pants with a shirt, or a sheath dress with a cardie, flats or heels and my trusty Aldo's work bag in black leather. All of these are in solid colors.

I would like to wear little floral or patterned dresses at the weekends, but don't know "wear" to start. I would also like to wear some more daring things for evening, perhaps in metallics or shiny fabric?

For work I would like to do a geometric print but am generally overwhelmed by the selections in stores.

As you can see I'm in dire straits. Please help.

Thank you for this wonderful site. It's so full of information, tips and tricks that it's become my (and many of my friends') go-to site of choice.


Hi Karin, congratulations on your new bundle of joy and the promotion :) Thank you for your kind words, and I really appreciate you and your friends frequent visits :-)

You're lucky as the current fashion trends such as floral and ruffled tops and shorter-hemmed jackets are perfect for your pear body shape because they give the illusion of a balanced body. Basically, we want to make the top half of your body look more equal to the lower half. You just have to pick the right style and cut and color that look suitable for your age as well as disguise your droopy chest.

Here are some suggestions for what type of tops and sweaters compliment your pear body shape:

Best Clothes for Pear Body Shape

Tops, tees and Sweaters

1, 2, 3, 4

1. Anything that hits your hip bone is ideal because it divides your body proportionally. Cropped styles are also flattering as long they're loosely-fitted.

2. Short to long sleeves are a must because they add more width to your shoulders. Voluminous and flared (kimono, flutter sleeve, etc.) sleeves suit your body shape perfectly. Any tops with details around the shoulders like for example ruching adds width too.

3. Striped top and sweaters. Horizontal details help widen your upper body. To look more polished in striped tops, opt for 3/4 length sleeves.

4. Scoop and square necks visually widen your shoulders, giving the right balance to your pear figure.

Dresses

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1. A-line dresses balance out your bottom half.


2. Pleated skirt slims your curves and a nipped waist emphasizes your waist for an overall leaner look.

3. Empire waists rock your pear shaped body by minimizing hips and showing off a tiny waist.

4. You can also look good in prints as long as the patterns on the bottom half are shaped vertically. Any dress with lots of prints on top will suit your figure.

5. Shirt dresses usually feature a collar which adds some volume to your upper half.

Latest Trends

1, 2, 3, 4

Regarding your concern about wearing the current fashion trends; you can definitely pull off some of the trends without looking like you're trying too hard. The trick here is to choose timeless, slightly modest styles:

1. Floral: This is an example of how floral can look age-appropriate; demure wrap neckline and soft floral print - nothing flashy.

2. Ruffles: If you want to implement ruffles into your style without highlighting your chest too much, I suggest you go for something solid and dark colored because it disguises and minimizes the lumps and bumps. You can spruce it with a belt around the waist or a pair of earrings.

3. Metallics: Metallic tops can also look good on you because they draw the eye to your upper half. You can start with a metallic tank top or a flowy tunic top. If you're worried about showing off too much skin with a tank, add a short cardigan on top of it.

4. Geometric prints: For your body shape I would suggest a top or dress with 3/4 to short flowy sleeves. You can pull off most prints as your goal is to emphasize your upper part. Scoop and boat necks look good on you, but you can also wear V-neck as long as you make sure the sleeves are flowy.

Cropped Leather Jackets

1, 2

Your body shape is primed for short jackets so I encourage you to try some of the cropped biker jacket styles. I've encountered women in their late 30s and early 40s who looked amazing in these type of jackets - they combined a cropped leather jacket with a refined tunic shirt or ruffle blouse with dark wash bootcut jeans and a pair of leather boots. You should definitely try it out! Just keep it simple and mix it with tailored clothes and you'll look chic and age-appropriate. Here's an outfit example:



I hope this cleared up your concerns. If there is antyhing else you need help with or if there's anything that sounds unclear just leave a comment :-) Again, thank you so much for supporting this website!

Products you may be interested in:

Your 24/7 Private Stylist

Affordable Color Analysis

Quality Color Swatches

"Color Revival" e-book