The Best Dresses For Your Body Shape

The Best Dresses To Flatter Your Figure, whatever shape you are…

Is your body type more suited for an A-line dress or an empire waistline? Here is my guide to dress shopping so that when it comes to your photoshoot you have all the tools to look absolutely fabulous!

A-line – Very forgiving and can work for all figures

This dress steadily tapers out from the waist to the hem in strong, straight lines, revealing a silhouette like the edges of a capital letter A.

This is a very forgiving silhouette and can work for all shapes, depending on the neckline…

A halter top is perfect for a triangle (a bigger bottom half and a smaller chest).

Wide-set straps are perfect for an inverted triangle (a larger chest and shoulders and smaller hips).

 Corset – great for sucking in that waist and creating an hourglass

The focus of this dress is in the tight, torso-hugging band from the navel to the bottom of the bust; it’s often reinforced with boning inserted into the stiff fabric to pull in the stomach and push up the bust.

It’s another silhouette that works well for all body shapes, depending on the placement of the straps. A well-made corset will cinch in the waist a couple of inches and release at the hip, this is a perfect way of achieving an hourglass figure.

Empire – Perfect for Rectangle or Triangle figures

The bodice of this dress hits just below the bustline and tapers out to the hem, as if from a very high waist.

If you are a rectangle (your shoulders, waist and hips are roughly the same size), pick an empire dress that fits snugly around your chest and flares out to give you the illusion of a high-defined waistline. For a triangle (a bigger bottom half and a smaller chest), this silhouette will pull the eye up and make your legs seem long and lean. This is because they perfectly show off your smaller top half and the extra flare on the bottom is great for accentuating your curves. It will naturally focus attention on your curviest and most beautiful parts.

Halter – Great for triangle figures

The straps of this sleeveless dress start toward the front centre of the garment, then attach behind the neck rather than over the shoulders, revealing an open upper back.

It’s the perfect piece for a triangle (bigger bottom half and a smaller chest) in a fluid, midweight fabric to downplay your bottom half.

Off-the-Shoulder – Great for rectangle figures

The straps of this dress are designed to wrap around the arms, below the shoulders, revealing bare shoulders and an open neck area.

If you are a rectangle (your shoulders, waist and hips are roughly the same size), pick an off-the-shoulder dress with a flared skirt—this will widen both your shoulders and your hips to create an hourglass figure.

Princess Seams – Great for everyone!

These are form-fitting, curved seams that mimic the hourglass shape, running down the right and the left front of the dress.

Princess seams work great on all shapes, as the seams define and slenderize your frame. 

Strapless – Ideal for hourglass figures

This dress has no straps (obviously) running over the shoulders or arms, this creates a horizontal or sweetheart neckline. This then shifts the focus to your narrow waist, curvy hips and fuller chest.

Strapless dresses are the best dresses for your body shape if you have an hourglass-shaped body (Your shoulders and hips are roughly the same size, and you have a smaller, more defined waist).

Wrap – Great for everyone!

This dress is created by cross-wrapping fabric and securing it (usually with a tie or bow) on the front, side or back of the top, which creates a V-shape neckline.

A wrap dress also works for everyone but choose one with a shoulder that best suits your frame. Also be sure to choose one that is slightly fitted and not too boxy. There is no way to lose with either piece.

Many thanks for checking out my tips for the best dresses for your body shape! I hope they help you to feel more confident and fabulous when you are planning to wear a dress!

Are you thinking of booking a boudoir or Gorgeous You session for yourself. Get in touch for prices and availability! You’ll be so glad you did!! ☺

Remember, if you’re thinking of booking a boudoir photography shoot for a special occasion. Your boudoir shoot will need to be booked in for roughly 4-8 weeks before you need the images. This depends on whether you want an album or just digital images, as it can take a while for production.

Please Contact Me for more information about my photography packages and to check my availability before it’s too late!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this Blog.

Ginny x