This part of dressing your body can be less than fun.  Unless you are the perfect hourglass shape, some of the other ones are less flattering, but it really does help to know.  Have you ever spent hours in dressing rooms, trying on clothing article after clothing article and nothing looks good?  Maybe you’re looking at the wrong kind of clothes.  Knowledge is power… and cute clothes that fit right.  Stand in front of a mirror in your undies and be brutally honest with yourself.  It might save you some stress in the dressing room later.

Hourglass figures have the same size hips and shoulders, with a well defined waist.  You have an hourglass figure if the fullest part of your hips and the fullest part of your bust are the same width and your waist is well defined.  Hourglass figures most likely have a “balanced” vertical body shape.

Hourglass figures should wear:

• Fitted and semi-fitted clothes
• Soft, clingy, flowing fabrics
• Low to medium-low necklines
• Dresses with defined waistlines
• Straight and gently flared pants
• Straight and gently flared shirts

Hourglass figures should avoid:

• Stiff, bulky, fabrics
• Baggy styles
• Very High necklines (unless you have a small bust)
• Skirts with open pleats
• Very tapered pants

Inverted Triangles are proportionally large busted or have broad shoulders, sometimes both.  They also have narrow hips and a well defined waist.  Typically, inverted triangles are a long leg vertical body shape with proportionally slim legs.

Inverted triangles should wear:

• Flowing fabrics
• Low to medium-low necklines
• Set-in sleeves
• Three-quarter length sleeves
• A good fitting, well adjusted bra
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waist
• A-line skirts
• Flared pants

Avoid:

• Stiff, bulky, fabrics
• Styles that emphasize your shoulders
• High necklines
• Big collars
• Tapered skirts and pants

The triangle body type is also called the pear-shaped. The fullest part of your bust is proportionally narrower than your fullest part of your hips and you have a well defined waist.  Many triangles have narrow shoulders and full thighs.  Typically, a balanced or short leg vertical body shape accompanies a triangle shape.

Scarlett Johansson is the common pear shape, with more weight below the waist than above.

(Via)

Triangles should wear:

• Short-sleeved tops
• Accessories and designs to draw attention to your upper body
• Shoulder pads to broaden your shoulders. This may sound very 80s advice, but they really do work. However, they should not be visible
• Medium to high necklines
• Garments to emphasize your waist
• Skirts and dresses that are straight or slightly flared
• Low rise pants to avoid gaping at the waist
• Boot leg and straight pants

Triangles should avoid:

• Stiff fabric
• Baggy Garments
• Garments that add bulk to your hips
• Hems or design lines at hip-line
• Open pleats on skirts or pants
• Tapered skirts or pants

Rectangle bodies are about the same width at the fullest part of your bust and the fullest part of your hips, but there is little waist definition.  Legs and arms are typically slender.  Bust may be small to medium in size.  A balanced or long leg vertical body type often accompanies a rectangle.  Rectangles often look shorter and wider than they really are, which is why wearing clothes that fit is so important.  Take out any extra bulk!  Rectangles may have been hourglasses when younger or slimmer.

• Semi-fitted clothes
• If you have firm upper arms, short-sleeves and sleeve-less tops and dresses
• Medium to high necklines
• Dresses that wrap or flow through the waistline
• Straight to gently flared flat-fronted pants
• A-line shirts
• Shirts with minimally padded shoulders.  Shoulders pads should not be visible.  Just enough to add some curves.

Rectangles should avoid:

• Clingy Fabrics
• Fitted clothes
• Low necklines
• Baggy tops
• Baggy pants
• Narrow skirts

Oval bodies are often called apple-shaped.  Ovals have the overall appearance of being round, especially around the waist-line, as the waistline is undefined.  Ovals may have a large, low stomach and love handles.  The upper thighs are usually full.  Diamond shapes have the same qualities, but they carry their tummies high, rather than low.  The tips are the same though.

• Ear-rings, necklaces and other focal points designed to draw an observer’s eyes up towards your shoulders and face
• Shoulder pads to emphasize your shoulders. This may sound very 80s advice, but they really do work. However, they should not be be visible
• Semi-fitted and loose fitting clothes
• Good fitting, well adjusted bras
• Support underwear
• Tops and bottoms in the same colors
• Low necklines
• Un-tucked tops
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waistline
• Straight flat-fronted pants in soft, flowing fabric
• Straight and slightly flared skirts

Apple shapes should avoid:

• Clingy fabrics
• Fitted clothes
• Fabric with large patterns
• High necklines
• Large lapels
• Belts
• Tucked-in tops
• Pleats
• Narrow or tapered skirts
• Narrow or tapered pants

Body shapes change as we age, gain weight, lose weight, take up new lifestyles and exercise habits.  Just because you fit into one shape now, doesn’t mean you have always been that shape, or always will be.  All body shapes are beautiful.  Knowing how to choose the right clothing will help you accentuate the great and draw attention away from the not so great. 

Good Luck!

Krista

I have a family reunion coming up at the end of the month in Idaho.  I just read an email with info on the event and almost had a heart attack when I read there is no internet.  AAAHHHH!  So, I need some help.  I’m looking for a few people to share some tutorials on While He Was Napping while I’m out in the wilderness.  I don’t care if it’s a recipe, craft, DIY project, renovation, or whatever.  I don’t even care if it comes from your archives (back at least 3 months would be preferable, but I’m totally willing to negotiate on that). 

If you’d be willing to help out (and maybe get some free publicity to your site?  I know I’m not a “Big Blog” by any means, but 1200 people have at least heard of me…), please send me an email at whilehewasnapping[at]gmail.com  Please include what kind of tutorial you are willing to contribute, just so I can kinda get an idea on what kind of content there is available.  I’d really appreciate any help!  I’ll even put your button in my side bar for six weeks… For FREE.  Free is good, right?
 
Now, if I could just get people to link me up to the link parties, right?!  Hehehe.

Krista

I have a super sweet lady to introduce you to… Lauren!

Lauren runs an adorable little Etsy shop called Ima Bella.  What a great name!  It just rolls right off your tongue and you can’t help but say it with an Italian accent.  Lauren is 23 years old and married with two children.  Her daughter is her inspiration and the reason she began making accessories for little girls. She says,

“I believe it is a great way to let your little one show her personality. What a better way then being able to let her pick cute hair accessories, while teaching self care and building self esteem. My daughter often helps me design my bows and tutu’s. She loves getting to pick out the different ribbon, and knowing that other little girls will get to wear what she has help design.”

She has recently moved into a new home, and now focusing on her shop. Lauren loves to create new items and gladly welcomes custom requests. If you have an idea, she can make it come to life!

Lauren also has a cool birthday club for her customers.  Each year, get a 25% off coupon and a FREE alligator clip with your purchase!  Some of Lauren’s totally awesome merchandise includes:

How cute are those?  Lauren has some great stuff for little girls… I wish I had one!

Lauren is going to give one of you lucky ducks some great stuff!  Check out this gift package.  It’s fabulous!

This package includes a set of 8 alligator clips. The feather butterfly is included in the alligator clip count. The Monkey head is on a barrette along with the heart bow.  Along with the clips, the winner will also be enrolled in the Birthday Club.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED.
Here’s how to enter:
Mandatory Entry:
1)  Visit Ima Bella and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is.

Extra Entries:
1)  Heart Ima Bella on Etsy.
2)  Follow While He Was Napping blog via GFC.

This giveaway will close on Sunday, June 19 at 12pm PDT.  Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on Monday.  If you leave an email address with your entries, I will send you a notification email.  Otherwise, it’s up to you to contact me if you are announced the winner.  Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize and provide the necessary information for me to pass on to Lauren, who will get your prize to you.  Good luck!

If you just can’t wait to get your hands on some of Lauren’s amazing creations, she is offering 10% off your purchase from her shop.  Just enter SUMMERSUN at checkout!

So, I have a confession.  I’m a shop-aholic.  Well… more like a window shop-aholic.  I don’t have the budget to be a real shop-aholic.  Anyway.  Recently, I was going through my closet and couldn’t find anything I liked.  It all made me look pregnant or frumpy.  They were baggy, and not bohemian chic kinda flowy baggy.  So, I did something I don’t get to do often these days.  I went shopping for me.  But I spent an hour and a half walking around several stores and in several dressing rooms, only to leave empty-handed and frustrated.  I was looking for smaller clothes, wasn’t this supposed to be easy?! 

I have another confession.  I have a thing for What Not to Wear on TLC.  But, we don’t have TV, so the TLC website has become a friend of mine.  I realized I wasn’t shopping for my body shape.  When I lost weight, the shape of my body changed and my clothes didn’t compliment it anymore. 

Here’s the first how in dressing for your body:
1)  Determine whether you have a long torso and short legs, a short torso and long legs or if you are fairly balanced.  I am pretty close to balanced, but have a slightly longer torso. 

To figure this out, measure your total body height.  Then measure to the fullest point of your hips.  Determine where that comes in correlation with your total body height.  For example: I am 60 inches tall.  My hips are the fullest at 29 inches.  So, I have a slightly longer torso.
Long torsos should wear:

• Jewelry, scarves and garment designs that draw the observer’s eye up towards your shoulders and face
• Short to medium-long tops
• Tucked-in tops (if slim)
• Layered tops
• Medium or light tops and dark pants or skirts
• Medium to wide belts
• Straight skirts
• Straight or boot-leg pants
• Pant, sock and shoe colors the same
• Medium to high heels
• Pant hems to the ground

Long torsos should avoid:

• Long tops (if you are short)
• Pants or skirts with a dropped waistband
• Tight or tapered skirts
• Tight or tapered pants
• Cropped pants

Balanced bodies should wear:

• Jewelry, scarves and garment designs that draw the observer’s eye up towards your shoulders and face
• Medium-long tops
• Un-tucked tops
• Tops and bottoms in the same color
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waist
• Skirts and pants with narrow waistbands or no waistband
• Straight or flared skirts
• Waisted, low-rise or hipster pants
• Straight or flared pants

Balanced bodies should avoid:

• Short tops
• Empire line tops and dresses
• Wide belts
• Pants or skirts with a high waistband

Long legs should wear:

• Design details that draw the eye down, such as border prints on skirts and pants (unless you are short)
• Medium-long to long accessories (unless you are short)
• Skirts and pants in the lighter colors than tops
• Medium-long to long tops (if you are short, no longer than knuckle length)
• Un-tucked tops
• Tops and dresses that flow through the waist
• Skirts and pants with narrow waistbands or no waistband
• Straight and flared skirts
• Low-rise or hipster pants
• Straight and flared pants

Long legs should avoid:

• Focal points that draw the eye upwards
• Pin stripes
• Short tops
• Empire line tops and dresses
• Wide belts
• Pants or skirts with a high waistband
• Tapered pants and skirts

Welcome to the final day of Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping!  It’s been a fantastic week of amazing giveaways!  Each day, from June 6-11, three new giveaways will open.  Giveaways will be open for four days, so make sure you get your entries in before they close.  You will need to visit the host blog to enter.  Entry requirements vary per host.  Make sure you get your entries into all the other giveaways, most of them are still open!  

Today’s giveaways are courtesy of:

Jayna @ Rock N Regalia has another great hair accessory for this summer.  This one is perfection with a nautical theme.  Who wouldn’t want to wear this adorable statement piece? 

Melissa @ Kensington Cottage has a whole heap of burlap goodness up for grabs.  What a gorgeous memo board!  And that wreath would be perfect all year long!  The flowers can be worn as hair clips or as a pin.  AND… check out that $15 gift card to Target!

Tanya @ Sew Many Dreams has the perfect accessory for every diaper bag!  A shopping cart cover!  If you’ve ever watched in horror as your precious little one moved toward that cart handle, mouth agape and tongue just itching to taste that germ-ridden surface, you know that this would be a life-saver.  One or two licks of the bacteria-infested handle may not be life or death, but it sure would make mommy a little less squeamish and grossed out!

These giveaways will close on Wednesday, June 14, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for all of these fantastic prizes. 

If you haven’t entered these giveaways from yesterday, head over and do that now too!

Stephanie @ Luxe Boulevard has some more pretties for your sun-bleached tresses.  These great fabric rosettes are perfect with their array of colors, lending to a fun and fancy-free look.  The perfect look for a warm summer day.

Emily @ Insanity Rules isn’t just celebrating summer!  With her year-round, seasonal word frames you can add some decor that will be perfect, no matter what the weather may be. 

Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims will help you get the perfect piece of stylish jewelry for the season.  With a $20 gift certificate to Your Girlish Whims, her Etsy shop, you’ll have the perfect excuse to indulge in the some pearls.  It is June, after all.