Pear or Triangle Body Shape

Pear / Triangle

One of the most common body shapes is the pear or triangle.  You are considered pear-shaped if your hips are wider than your shoulders but have a defined waist.  Most pear shapes tend to gain weight around the hips, buttocks, and thighs, and generally, have smaller breasts.

The goal to is to elongate your figure so that you look less bottom-heavy.  Create a more proportionate look by keeping your lower body low-key and drawing attention to your neck and shoulders.  You can also create an hourglass silhouette by accentuating your waist.

LOOK FOR:

• A good-fitting push-up or padded bra
• Solid, dark-coloured bottoms and bright, patterned tops
• Tops and dresses that feature design elements that focus attention to the neck and shoulders to draw attention away from the hips and thighs
• A line dresses and skirts that skim over the hips and define your waist
• Accessories that draw attention to your neck and shoulders such as necklaces and scarves, and slim belts to highlight your slim waist

AVOID:

• Tight, short skirts, skinny jeans, cigarette pants, denim in light washes and embellished jeans
• Wide belts
• Baggy tops and tops that hit at the hip
• Low-waist pants
• Pants with pleats and big, bulky pockets

STYLES THAT LOOK GOOD ON YOU:

Dresses - A-Line and fit ‘n flare dresses are your go-to styles because these nicely conceal your broad hips and thighs while accentuating your narrow shoulder and torso to create a visually balanced look. Play around with details on the neckline and sleeves, and choose those that have adornment like beadings, lace, ruffles, and frills as these add much-needed bulk in the top part of your body. Wrap, belted or banded dresses also look great and help draw in the waist to create an hourglass shape.

Tops - Tops with fun colours, prints, and detailing on the neck and shoulders are great choices for pear-shaped women. Necklines such as boat, wide V, off-shoulder, sweetheart, and cowl elongate your neck and make your shoulders appear broader.  Tops with ruffles, embroidery and wide collars and sleeves such as kimono and frill sleeves create visual balance for pear-shaped women. Choose tops that skim over your hips or those that end just below your hip bone as these extend your torso and mask the widest part of your hips.

Trousers - Visually, dark-coloured pants give a slimming effect as the eye tends to skim over dark colours.  Dark neutral colours as black, grey, navy and brown not only create a slimming effect but easily matches with other colours for a coordinated look. Choose well-fitting, flat-fronted pants in bootleg, straight or flared cuts to create a balanced hip to hem silhouette.

Jeans - Bootcut jeans, straight-leg or those with a slight flare make your legs look elongated, and balance them with your wide hips and defined waist. Go for a mid or high-rise waist in darker denim washes for an overall slimming effect.

Skirts - Longer skirts work well for pear-shaped women as the longer length draws attention to the endpoint rather than at the hips or thighs, thus creating a slimmer silhouette. Knee-length or one that falls a little past your knees are very flattering. The A-line skirt is every pear-shaped woman’s best friend, as are flowy ones and those with asymmetrical or hi-low hems. Also, a flattering style for pears is the trumpet skirt.  A trumpet skirt wraps around the hips and flares outward at the end. The close fit at the top shows off your curvy hips while the flare at the hem balances your hips and lower body.

Outerwear -  Layering pieces look great on pear-shaped bodies because they add visual interest and much-wanted volume to the top half of the body.  Waisted jackets or blazers that hit above or below the hipbone are perfect for defining your waist and creating volume on the upper body. Jackets with a belt or those with details on top such as lapels and wide collars are good options.  Select one in a bold, fun print or a lighter, brighter colour to draw attention away from your lower body.