What Exactly is a Curvy Body Shape?
Curvy body types are defined as having a hip measurement greater than 37 inches. To measure your hips, lay a measuring tape flat around the largest part of your booty.
Most people have heard of the common ones like an apple shape or a pear-shaped body. Those of us who are blessed with a curvy body shape are lucky enough to have some extra fruity shapes like mango and strawberry.
The media bombards us with images of the “ideal” female body; however, did you know that all of those are photo-shopped and airbrushed? They’re not real women. Real women have curves. They have hips and booty’s and cellulite and stretch marks.
Four kids later, my body looks nothing like it was 20 years ago. At 48-44-45, I’m a well-padded curvy girl. And hubby loves it. I was curvy when we met but the extra 20 pounds has rounded things out and given me a bubble butt.
I’m not a fan of the lumpy bits. And sometimes I cringe at the site of my stretch marks. But he doesn’t care. To be honest, I don’t think he’s ever noticed them. To him, the boobs and ass are the best features and the only ones he really sees.
There are evolutionary advantages to having a larger hip measurement and extra padding. Beyond the benefits in your childbearing years, a curvy shape and some luscious padding imply strength, and the ability to survive tough conditions. It invokes thoughts of hearth and home.
Even though media would have you believe men only want super skinny blondes, that simply isn’t true. Most men will freely admit to preferring some padding. Who wants to snuggle up to boney prominences anyway?
How to Dress for Your Curvy Body Shape
Dressing a curvy body shape can be challenging. Popular brands tend to include plus sizes as an afterthought, simply enlarging existing sizes. This ignores the unique fit needs that we plus-size curvy ladies need.
Clothing companies are doing better these days at using inclusive models and sizing. They’re not doing so good at designing clothes for the more voluptuous of us curvy ladies. Often, they simply enlarge existing styles and call them plus size.
That ignores the different shapes our bodies come in. Dressing a curvy body shape can be challenging. With some of these tips and tricks, you can build a sexy wardrobe that makes you feel confident in your clothes.
We deserve beautiful clothes too, and we need a flattering dress for curvy figures. We deserve to feel confident and sexy in our clothes no matter our body size.
What’s Your Body Shape? Different Curvy Body Shapes You Need to Know
Do you know what shape your body is? There are 5 shapes we talk about for curvy ladies.
• Triangle
• Pear
• Strawberry
• Mango
• Oval
To figure out your shape, grab a measuring tape. You should measure with the tape flat and snug but not tight. You’ll want to measure your shoulder width, the fullest part of your bust, the narrowest part of your upper body (this will be your waist), and the roundest part of your booty.
These measurements will help you decide what body shape you are. Once you know what shape your body is, you can figure out the best way to dress to make you feel confident and sexy every day.
If the largest measurement is the width of your shoulders, you’re likely a triangle shape. If the measurements of your shoulders, waist, and hips are close together, you’d be a curvy rectangle body shape.
Pear shapes tend to be heavier on the bottom with a bubble butt, a well-defined waist, and narrow shoulders. Strawberry shapes have broad shoulders, a larger bust line, and narrow hips.
Mango’s have less booty, pronounced hips, and thick thighs. The last shape is oval. Oval shapes are sometimes called apple or round, as well. With an oval shape, no single feature is more prominent than any others. It’s very similar to the rectangle shape but unique to us luscious ladies with more to love.
What’s The Best Dress Style for a Curvy Figure?
There isn’t one dress style that’s the best for all curvy body shapes. The most flattering dress for a curvy figure will be different for each of the five shapes we talk about here.
Whether you are a curvy rectangle body shape, a curvy hourglass shape, or a triangle, using your wardrobe to give the illusion of balanced proportions and the coveted hourglass shape can be tricky. Hopefully, these tips and tricks will make it easier to choose the perfect wardrobe pieces for your lifestyle.
The search for the best dress style for curvy figures can be a lot of work. Once you know the styles that best fit your curvy body shape, clothes shopping can be a little less painful.
Triangle
A triangle shape is one of the hardest to dress. If you’re shoulders measure wider than the largest part of your hips – you’re probably a triangle shape. Finding clothes that flatter your body type is all about balance. Or the illusion of balance, anyway.
Wider leg trousers will give you a balanced silhouette while skinny pants can emphasize your larger shoulders. Pair those wide-leg pants with a peplum top to accentuate your waist for a winning combo.
Any waterfall-style jacket, blazer, or cardi will be your best friend! The lines of this style will soften your appearance while increasing the femininity and grace of your style.
Pear
Pear shapes tend to be bottom-heavy. If you have narrow shoulders, a smaller bust, and a well-defined waist contrasted with a super booty, you’re probably a pear.
Tops with a little something extra to draw the eye will help balance your silhouette. Anything high-waisted that emphasizes your waist will be a winner. Tailored fits, not tight-fitting styles, will be your best bet.
Wide or plunging necklines will help your shoulders appear wider and offer that balance that’s so important for a chic and stylish outfit. A structured or tailored blazer will complete your outfit. You should opt for a long-line blazer instead of the traditional length. The last thing you want is a blazer that hits at the widest part of your booty.
Strawberry
A strawberry shape is rare but one of the easiest to dress. Your bust line is the most prominent feature. Pain points like tummies and booty are not as obvious. Dressing to balance out your silhouette will be simple.
Women with a strawberry shape should choose darker colors for tops. This doesn’t mean you’re limited to only black shirts, though. You should choose a top that’s a darker color than your pants, which opens a whole rainbow of choices.
Avoid spaghetti straps – these will emphasize the largest part of your body. Strawberry bodies tend to have long, and slender legs so opt for midi skirts to them off!
Avoid skinny pants opting instead for a wider leg to give that illusion of balance. Similarly, swing tops skim and float so nicely that’ll offer that same sense of illusion of balance.
Mango
Mango shapes feature prominent hips, larger bottoms, and heavy thighs. The shoulders and bust are smaller, in comparison to these prominent features.
Tiered skirts made with lightweight fabrics like chiffon will skim over your hips and thighs. Floaty skirts are beautiful, feminine, and so much fun to flirt in. As an added benefit – they will disguise the heavier thighs. Pairing with a fitted top will give you that balance that’s so important in pulling together a chic and trendy outfit.
A-line midis and shift dresses are also very flattering on mango shapes. Avoid poufy anything, at all costs! High-rise waists will help define your midsection. Empire waists should be avoided, as they will suggest maternity clothes.
Oval
An oval shape is widest around the middle, with narrow shoulders and hips. The key to dressing this curvy body shape is to create the illusion of a defined waist. Think a little snug at the waist with floaty and lightweight fabrics on the bottom.
V-neck shirts or plunging necklines will draw the eyes upward and elongate your figure. Both styles of tops will emphasize your neck, shoulders, and collarbones. A little bit of cleavage will further draw the eyes up and away from the mid-section. Straight-cut trousers with a waist belt will help define your waist. Boot cut pants with a great heel paired with a lightweight v neck sweater will be a winning combo.
The most flattering dress for a curvy figure with this shape is a wrap dress. Wrap dresses will create the illusion of a waist by their design.
The goal is to provide that crucial balance and the illusion of more curves and shapeliness.
What Is the Perfect Female Body Shape?
There’s no such thing as the perfect body shape. But … as a curvy lady, curvier is the way to go.
The perfect body is the one that can do all you need it to do, all day long. Every day. My body has never let me down. Sometimes, I need to prop it up with coffee and Advil but even on the coldest day, I have enough strength and endurance to work full time, freelance part-time, chase 4 kids, and a dog.
There’s no doubt that we are inundated with airbrushed and photo-shopped women that are portrayed as thin, beautiful, and ideal. In the real world, real women come in all shapes and all sizes. And they’re all perfect.
Since at least the 1950s, the ideal female body was traditionally 36-24-36. That’s the classic and traditional hourglass figure and represents a balanced bust, waist, and hips. It’s not so much about the numbers as it is the proportions and ratio.
The styles we’ve talked about here will help you balance your silhouette and give the illusion of that curvy hourglass shape.
Dresses with geometric shapes and lines that narrow at the waist will help all body shapes gain a defined waistline. Belted wrap dresses look great on almost any body type for the same reason.
Everyone has their own preferences and there are as many definitions of the perfect body as there are people in the world. That’s billions of people with their version of perfect.
It even varies by culture. Western culture, through media influences, favors the hourglass figure and extreme thinness. But many other cultures favor bootylicious women.
In Greek and Italian cultures, a woman with some extra padding is considered ideal. It’s no coincidence that both those cultures also feature such rich and wonderful cuisines. Food, like life, should be savored and enjoyed.
Do Men Really Like Curvy Girls?
Do men like curvy girls? Yes, absolutely. Otherwise, expressions like more cushion for the pushing wouldn’t exist. Granted, not all men do. But most? Definitely.
More to hold, more to love. Also, men love boobs. They love them in all shapes and sizes, I assure you. But men are simple creatures. Curvy and larger busts go hand in hand.
There are other reasons a man might prefer a curvier lady. Maybe he’s into sports and wants a woman who can hold her own on the soccer pitch. Or keep up with him on that hiking trail. Curvy ladies are beautiful and tough; they have the endurance to hike that 10-mile trail you’ve been dreaming of.
More fun, in and out of bed, curvy girls aren’t afraid to polish off that tray of nachos or split a 6 pack on game day.
If a man isn’t a boob man, then he’s an ass man. In all the clubs and bars, I’ve been to in my 40 years, I’ve never heard a song about flat bums. Or missing bums. Or bony bums. It’s always about the junk in the trunk and the baby that got back. Is the song running on repeat in your head now??
Can you imagine how awkward your date night would be if you’re picking at rabbit food and he’s putting away a 16 oz steak? You might not feel awkward, but I guarantee he will.
Lastly, a man can be real in and out of bed with a curvy lady. Some men worry that they have to be careful with skinny girls in bed. Plus, all those bones can leave bruises. Softness cannot be overrated.
On a biological level, curvy shapes with larger breasts and wider hips imply fertility. Even if he’s not thinking kids or long term, biology will get him every time. When his subconscious sees lush and curvy, he’ll want to rock your world. There’s a bit of the caveman still hiding in the subconscious of every man.
Curvy Shapes Are In and We Rock
An estimated 60% of US adults carry some extra pounds. That means there are more of us than of the artificially thin models. That’s good news.
No matter what your body shape is, it’s gorgeous. Dress to flaunt your assets and make yourself happy. An outfit that makes you feel confident and sexy is the best one for you, regardless of what the fashion magazines would have you believe.
Different clothing styles can help hide areas you don’t like and emphasize the ones you do like. The secret is to dress for you. You’re not dressing for a man you haven’t met yet and you shouldn’t be dressing for your co-workers or girlfriends.
Capsule wardrobes are very in right now. It’s better to have just a handful of high-quality, well-fitted options than a closet full of stuff that just doesn’t fit right. Pick a color palette and choose multi-purpose styles. You can then mix and match to create a dozen outfits using just those core pieces.
Go through your closet and pull out anything that doesn’t fit just right. Those pants that you don’t like because of that weird seam? Pitch ‘em. In the words of Marie Kondo, “Does it spark joy?” If the answer is no, pitch it. Your outfits should spark joy and reflect your personality while being comfortable and practical.
It’s harder for us plus-size women to find options that are perfect but not impossible. And as a side note? Those jeans that have been hiding back there for 10 years because you just know, one day you’ll fit them? Get rid of them. They do not spark joy!
Don’t be afraid to use accessories, either. The perfect scarf or belt can be just the finishing touch needed to turn your outfit from blah to wow.
Your clothing choices should be comfortable and individual, building on your confidence to bring to light the hidden sex goddess that lives in all of us.
So, ladies, pack that junk in the trunk and get your sexy on.
