Do you think you have a curvy body shape? Curvy bodies are soft and luscious. They’re beautiful and real. Your curves (smooth or lumpy) are evidence of a life well-lived and a body that has served you well for years, at work and play.
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, booties, cellulite, and stretch marks.
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. You can read our detailed dressing tips on:
Further reading: How to Dress as A Curvy Girl?
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, and 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.
1. Triangle
A triangle shape is one of the hardest to dress. If your shoulders measure wider than the largest part of your hips, you’re probably in 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.
2. 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 the widest part of your booty.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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. Bootcut 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.
Do Men 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.
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.
Further reading: 10 Reasons Why Men Love Curvy Women?
Final Words
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 yourself.
