Choosing the right clothes for your body can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to look to find items that make you feel beautiful in your own skin. Although many believe the size of an article of clothing is all that matters, the style itself may look different depending on people’s body type. For instance, something that accentuates an hourglass figure may not look the same on an apple-shaped body. Follow along to learn more about your shape and how to choose the best jacket for your body type.
Determining Your Body Type
In order to choose clothes that suit your unique body, you must first know your body type. If you’re unsure how to match your shape to one of the six commonly acknowledged body types, follow along to learn more about each shape and how to place your figure in the correct category.
Take Your Measurements
Although you may be able to see your dimensions just by looking in the mirror, taking your measurements is the best way to determine your body type. Follow these helpful steps to understand where and how to measure your body.
- Remove most of your clothing to prevent skewed measurements, and stand before a full-body mirror. This will help you ensure accurate measurements.
- Use a flexible measuring tape, and measure all the way around your shoulders. Write these numbers down, so you remember them until you finish measuring.
- Next, measure the fullest part of your chest. Be sure to keep the measuring tape snug around your body, but avoid pulling it too tight.
- Find the smallest part of your waist, usually below your ribs but above your belly button. Take the measurement and jot it down.
- Locate the largest part of your hips, wrap the tape around your body, and take the measurement.
Now that you have a list of your measurements, you have what you need to identify your unique body type.
Identify Your Body Type
Identifying your body type is an excellent thing to do, as it can help you choose clothes that suit your figure and help you feel fabulous. Your measurements are important to know for sure what shape you most closely resemble.
- Hourglass: Your hips and bust are close to the same measurement, and your waist is the smallest measurement.
- Apple Shape: Your waist is bigger than both your hips and bust measurements.
- Rectangle Shape: Your hips, waist, and bust are approximately the same size.
- Pear Shape: Your bust and waist are both smaller than your hip measurement.
- Inverted Triangle: Your bust is larger than your waist and hips.
- Round or Plus Size: You carry your weight around your body evenly; you have a full chest, waist, and hips.
After learning your body type, you can move on to find the ideal jacket for your unique shape. Each figure is beautiful, but different styles suit specific body types. Follow along to learn more about choosing the best items for yourself.
The Hourglass Figure
If you have an hourglass figure, any style suits your shape. Whether you choose a long jacket or a waist-length shacket, you can’t go wrong. Although you’ll look fabulous in almost anything, wearing a jacket with a belt or cinching at the waist is the perfect way to accentuate your figure. It may be hard to decide on a coat, but the good news is that you can fill your closet with countless different styles to change up your style daily.
Apple-Shaped Body
With an apple shape, you already know that your waist is the most significant part of your body. Therefore, you may want to draw attention away from this area. Consider a long jacket with a thin or medium thickness. Although many jackets and coats come with various quilting patterns, you should opt for smooth surfaces, as the quilting can add extra volume to your body. Dark colors are better; they have a slimming effect and go with almost every outfit.
Rectangle Shape
Because rectangle shapes don’t feature much curviness, creating it with your clothing is the goal. With that said, a short puffer jacket creates a rounded effect near your hip and waist area, which is excellent for creating shape. You can also opt for a long coat that flares at the bottom to create unique dimensions for your body type.
Pear-Shaped Figure
As a pear-shaped figure, your hips are the widest part of your body. With that in mind, you should consider a shorter jacket that falls at your waist, as this will add more volume to your upper body to create a nice balance. If your shoulders and bust are significantly smaller than your hips, you may benefit from wearing a jacket or coat with a larger collar to offset your hip measurement.
The Inverted Triangle
If you have an inverted triangle shape, your shoulders are wider than your waist and hips, and you may create balance issues by wearing the incorrect jacket. For instance, a form-fitting option will emphasize the triangle shape, and a larger collar will draw the eyes to your upper body. On the other hand, choosing A-line boutique jackets will add volume to your waist and hip area, creating a nice balance with your shoulder width.
The Round or Plus-Sized Body
Because you carry weight in your waist, bust, and hips, you may appear rounded. That said, your primary goal may be to avoid adding extra volume to your body. Consider choosing a thin material for your jacket that fits your body without squeezing or being baggy. Additionally, you should avoid styles that cut into the waist, as they may make you feel uncomfortable or bigger than you are.
After learning how to choose the best jacket for your body type, you can easily select the ideal outerwear. Everyone needs at least one neutral jacket in their wardrobe, but you may not feel as though you’ve found the right one yet. Remove the unflattering choices from your closet and shop for the style that’ll make you feel fantastic.
