Have you ever wondered how to figure out what shape your body is along with the best clothes to compliment your shape? Do you find yourself trying to find the best clothing to bring out the best in your body shape but end up failing miserably?

It all seems to take up so much time. I mean, what are the options for an inverted triangle or an apple shaped woman? These clothes DO NOT come labeled as such, so how do you know what will fit well?

Personally, I leave it up to the stylists at Stitch Fix to handle this for me. Because they have an intake questionnaire that serves as a body shape quiz , they can usually help you determine the best clothing for your body shape.

However, you may want to still know your body shape, so you can perform exercises for areas you want to improve or even understand how your posture can be affected by where your weight is carried on your body. On the fashion side, you probably want to just find cute clothing that accentuates the good while minimizing the not so good of your physique.

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How to Figure out What Shape your Body Is

The best way to do this is to simply look in the mirror and visually detect how your body’s weight is distributed. Do you have broad shoulders? Is your waist smaller than your hips? Are your hips wider than your bustline? Is your torso more of an hourglass or a block shape? These visual characteristics can help you determine your body shape.

Related resource:

Stitch Fix Helps Your Find Clothing for Your Body Type

What are the Different Body Shapes?

While there’s no official or scientific classification for different body shapes, there are some generally recognized body shapes accepted by the fashion and fitness industry. These are a few different body shapes, but there can be more. It’s also important to note that you could be a combination of body shapes — having body shape characteristics that overlap into different body shapes.

Apple Shape

An apple shape body tends to have a larger bust, minimal waist definition and smaller ships. Apple shapes can also have smaller arms and legs.

Pear Shape

This body has a smaller bust and larger hips. If you are a pear shape, you could also have larger thighs and legs with smaller, more defined calves.

Hourglass Shape

This shape is probably one of the most well-known when it comes to body shapes. An hourglass body shape has an almost equal bust and hip measurements with a smaller waist.

Inverted Triangle Shape

This shape has a larger bust with narrow hips along with an undefined waist.

What Flatters My Body Shape?

There are stylists who are well-versed in finding clothing that flatters a certain body type. They have an eye for colors, patterns and clothing cuts that work well for different body types. The best route is to find out clothing styles that work well for your body type.

Here are a few examples that many stylists agree on for different body types:

• Apple shape-  Wear things that can accentuate your waistline and give it more definition. Flowy dresses from your bustline are also a good option as well as pants that flare at the leg like boot-cut jeans.
• Pear shape- You’ll want to make your shoulders and bust appear to be larger than they are. Padded bras and scoop-neck tops will help with this.
• Hourglass shape- There are many things that will look good on you, but the key is that they must be well-cut or tailored to your body shape. Anything that brings out your small waist will be a win: blazers, pencil skirts, etc.
• Inverted triangle shape- You should wear clothing that minimizes broader shoulders and attempts to bring out hips to create balance between the shoulders and hips.

How Can I Find Clothes for My Body Type?

You could scour the web to find clothing that flatters your body shape, order clothing and see what works versus what doesn’t. You could also go to different clothing stores and try on various pieces until you find the best fit. To me, this simply takes up too much time!

Personally, I have really come to appreciate the stylists at Stitch Fix. As I mentioned, once you complete the initial style questionnaire with details around your body shape, styling and pricing preferences, the rest is a breeze. Your stylist will send you clothing, with your body shape in mind, as often as you like. You can get a combination of shoes, jewelry, and other accessories in addition to clothing that works well for your body type and fashion preferences.

Anything you don’t like, you can send back in a postage-paid envelope. It’s that easy!

The best part is that you don’t have to stand in the dressing room with socks and hairy legs glaring at you while you figure out if the outfit you’re trying on will work based on your imagination. When I get my Stitch Fix shipment, I’m able to relax, pull out shoes, accessories and even get a little dolled up to try on my clothes in style. Since they are curated specifically for me, I don’t have to cry about how badly they fit and how hairy my legs are. It’s a relaxing clothes shopping experience, for sure.

Ready to buy clothes according to your body shape? You should try Stitch Fix . Get access to a $25 coupon to try it out:

$25 Stitch Fix Credit

Aja McClanahan

Aja “A.J.” McClanahan is a writer, speaker and entrepreneur.