How to dress a pear-shaped body
Shopping for bridesmaid dresses is an exciting time, but it’s important to understand that every body shape is different and what looks good on one shape might not look as flattering on another.
If one or more of your bridesmaids has a pear-shaped body, you need to know what types of dresses will fit and complement their natural silhouette as well as the style of your wedding. In this article, we’ll be looking at how to effectively dress a pear-shaped body so you and your bridesmaids can choose the perfect dress that they will look and feel amazing in.
First, what exactly is pear shape?
Because of a high waist, wider hips, and a narrower bust and shoulder line, the pear body shape is named so, and the bulk of the weight is carried through the stomach and hip line. It is the opposite of the inverted triangle and apple shapes.
Due to this weight distribution, the widest part of the body is the stomach area or hip line instead of around the bust or shoulders. The pear is the most common body shape, meaning there will be a lot of dress options for your bridesmaids. Some key characteristics of the pear body shape include:
- Shoulders that are narrower than the hips and might be sloped
- Small top half and small bust
- A defined waist due to bigger hips
- Broad hips and/or thighs
- Full or muscular legs
- Weight gains that are first visible around the hips, thighs, and lower midriff
How to dress for a pear shape
A pear-shaped body is heavier on the bottom than it is on top, which creates an imbalance. To dress this body type well, focus on the upper body and defined waist, and avoid drawing attention to the wider hips. This will help you create the illusion of volume on the top half of the body whilst emphasising the waist and downplaying the lower body to form a balanced silhouette.
Highlighting the upper body
By visually adding more weight to the bust area and shoulders, you can take the focus away from the hips and thighs and balance the silhouette. This look can be achieved by:
- Focusing on structured shoulders to broaden the shoulder line
- Use good push-up bras to lift the chest
- Use brighter colours and accessories on the upper body
- Include bold prints, textures, and details to purposely generate interest on the top half of the body
Dresses for a pear shape
Dresses for pear-shaped bodies should highlight the waist and conceal the lower body. By contrast to what you might assume, dresses with a wider shape at the bottom are more effective in balancing out the hips. This is because tighter fitting dresses outline the hip area, whereas looser dresses will nicely skim over it.
Dresses in thick fabrics should be avoided as well as ones with a dropped waist. Straight cut dresses make pear shapes look heavier as they hide the waist. When it comes to long dresses for a wedding, wrap bridesmaid dresses and square neck bridesmaid dresses are two of the best styles for pear-shaped bodies as they both strike the balance between top half and bottom half and form a stunning silhouette.
With all this in mind, we think our Heidi dresses and Allegra dresses are ideal for pear body types. They come in comfortable, light fabrics and a wide range of colours to suit any style of wedding.
Summary
Equipped with the tips and tricks of dressing a pear-shaped body you’ll now be able to find the perfect bridesmaid dresses UK for your girls. Shop our beautiful collection of dresses that are the best fit for pear-shaped bodies online and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
