When it comes to dressing your body shape, it's important to focus on enhancing your proportions. The goal is to create a balanced silhouette.
For the apple body shape, the goal is to draw attention away from the midsection and highlight your arms, legs, or neckline. The key to dressing an apple shape is to elongate the torso and create the illusion of a more defined waistline.
Apple Body Shape: How to Dress
The apple body shape is characterized by a fuller bust, a less defined waist, and slimmer legs. People with this body type often gain weight around the midsection, which can make the waist appear less defined. The key to styling this shape is to create structure and draw attention to your legs, neckline, or arms, while downplaying the midsection.
- Shoulders: Broad
- Bust: Full
- Waist: Less defined
- Hips: Narrow
- Legs: Slim
Apple | Hourglass | Inverted Triangle | Pear | Rectangle
Put in IMAGE: Apple Body Shape Overviewß
Key Styling Goals
- Create vertical lines to elongate the torso.
- Define the waist in a way that feels natural and comfortable.
- Avoid adding bulk or embellishment to the midsection, as this can make your waist look less defined.
- Draw attention to the legs, which are often a defining feature for apple-shaped bodies.
Tops, Jackets, and Coats
When choosing tops, jackets, and coats, look for styles that create a lengthened silhouette and bring attention to your upper chest and shoulders rather than the midsection. These pieces can work wonders in shaping a streamlined look.
Recommended Necklines
What Looks Best:
- V-Neck and Deep U-Neck: creates a vertical line that elongates the torso and draws attention away from the midsection.
- Scoop Neck: This soft, rounded shape helps balance the fuller bust and upper body, while creating a flattering, open neckline.
- Sweetheart Neckline: enhances the bust and adds definition to the chest area, while also drawing attention upwards.
- Wrap Necklines: Often seen in wrap tops and dresses, these create a diagonal line across the torso, drawing the eye upward and creating a slimming effect.
Put in IMAGES: Deep U or V-Neck, Sweetheart, Wrap
Avoid:
- High Necklines (Turtlenecks, Crewnecks): shorten the torso and draw attention to the upper body, making the midsection appear fuller.
- Boat Neck and Off-the-Shoulder: emphasizes the width of the shoulders and upper body, making the torso look broader.
- Square Necklines: can make the upper body appear boxy and emphasize a fuller chest and midsection without offering elongation.
- Strapless Necklines: Without the support of straps or a neckline that draws the eye upward, strapless styles can highlight the upper body and make the torso look heavier.
Put in IMAGES: High neck, Boat-Neck, Square, Strapless
Sleeves
Sleeves can have a major impact on the overall balance of your outfit. The right sleeves will help draw attention away from the midsection and highlight the arms.
What Looks Best
- Three-Quarter Sleeves: Highlight the slimmest part of the arm and create balance.
- Flutter Sleeves: Soft, flowing sleeves add movement and shift focus away from the midsection.
- Dolman /Kimono Sleeves: Relaxed sleeves disguise a fuller torso while balancing the upper body.
- Bell Sleeves: Flare out toward the wrist, drawing attention to the arms.
Put in IMAGES: Three quarter, flutter, Dolman/ Kimono, Bell
Avoid
- Cap Sleeves: These emphasize the upper body.
- Puff Sleeves: Add bulk to the shoulders.
- Tight Sleeves: Cling to the arms and emphasize fullness.
Put in IMAGES: tight, puff, cap
Jackets
Jackets for the apple shape should provide structure and define the waist, helping to create a more balanced silhouette.
What Looks Best
- A-Line Coats: flare out gently from the waist, creating a balanced silhouette by adding volume to the lower half.
- Belted or Wrap Coats: draws attention to the waist, creating the illusion of an hourglass figure and defining the slimmest part of the torso.
- Tailored Jackets: Fitted jackets with structure around the waist help create a more defined shape, especially when they are longer and skim past the hips.
- Single-Breasted Coats: avoid adding bulk to the upper body and provide a slimming effect through the torso.
- Open-Front or Waterfall Jackets: drape softly without clinging to the midsection and create vertical lines that elongate the body.
- Empire-Line Coats: draw attention upward, away from the midsection, and create a flattering silhouette.
Put in IMAGES: A-line coat, Cocoon, Straight, Waterfall, Single breasted Coat, Empire
Avoid
- Boxy or Oversized Coats: These lack shape and can make the torso appear bulkier.
- Double-Breasted Coats: These add extra volume around the chest and waist, which can emphasize the midsection.
- Cropped Jackets: Ending at the waist, they can draw attention to the midsection and create an unbalanced look.
Put in IMAGES: Double breasted, cropped, boxy
Dresses and Skirts
Dresses and skirts for the apple shape should focus on creating balance by adding definition around the hips or drawing attention upward. Flowy, draped fabrics help to create a soft, streamlined look.
Dresses
What Looks Best
- Empire Waist Dresses: These sit just below the bust, drawing attention upward and away from the midsection, while elongating the torso.
- Wrap Dresses: The diagonal lines create a defined waist and a flattering silhouette, drawing the eye away from the midsection.
- A-Line Dresses: flare out gently from the waist, creating balance by adding volume to the lower half and minimizing the focus on the midsection.
- Shift Dresses: skims over the torso without clinging, creating a streamlined, flattering look.
- Fit-and-Flare Dresses: define the waist while gently flaring out at the hips, balancing the figure and highlighting the legs.
Put in IMAGES: Empire, Wrap, A-Line, Shift, Fit and Flare
Avoid:
- Bodycon Dresses: These tight-fitting styles cling to the midsection, emphasizing the tummy area.
- Dresses with Too Much Waist Detailing: Excessive detailing around the waist can draw unwanted attention to the midsection.
- Straight or Boxy Dresses: These lack shape and can make the torso appear fuller, without providing waist definition.
Put in IMAGES: Bodycon, Boxy, waist detailing
Skirts
What Looks Best:
- A-Line Skirts: flare out from the waist, creating a balanced silhouette.
- High-Waisted Skirts: sit above the natural waist, and define the slimmest part of the torso.
- Wrap Skirts: diagonal lines create the illusion of a more defined waist.
- Flared or Skater Skirts: add volume to the lower body, balancing the figure.
- Pleated Skirts: help disguise the midsection and add movement.
- Bias-Cut Skirts: softly skim the midsection, adding curves without clinging.
Put in IMAGES: A-line, wrap, high waisted, pleated, bias
Avoid:
- Pencil Skirts: can cling to the midsection, emphasizing the tummy and creating an unbalanced look.
- Low-Waisted Skirts: draw attention to the widest part of the torso.
- Tight, Bodycon Skirts: highlight the midsection by clinging to the waist and hips, offering little room for balance.
- Skirts with Heavy Detailing: Skirts with large pockets, pleats, or embellishments around the waist add bulk to the midsection, making it appear larger.
Put in IMAGES: Tight, Low-waist, Pencil, Heavy detailing
Trousers and Shorts
For trousers, it’s best to choose styles that balance the torso and create curves around the lower half of the body. Selecting mid- to high-rise styles helps elongate the body and draw the eye downward, creating a more balanced look.
What Looks Best:
- Straight-Leg Trousers: create a long, lean line and avoid clinging to the midsection.
- Bootcut or Flared Trousers: balances out the upper body and draws attention away from the waist, making the legs appear longer.
- High-Waisted Trousers: define the waist by sitting above the natural waistline, where apple shapes tend to be slimmest.
- Wide-Leg Trousers: add volume to the lower body, balancing the proportions while skimming over the midsection without drawing attention to it.
- Tailored or Structured Trousers: styles that have minimal detailing around the waist and hips, which will create a clean, flattering line.
Put in IMAGES: Straight leg, Bootcut or Flared, High-waisted, Wide leg, Tailored
Avoid:
- Low-Rise Trousers: draw attention to the stomach and can create a muffin-top effect.
- Skinny Jeans or Trousers: highlight the midsection and narrow the lower body, making the torso look larger.
- Trousers with Pleats or Large Pockets: add bulk around the waist and hips, making the midsection appear bigger.
- Elastic Waistbands: make the waist look undefined and highlight the tummy.
- Cargo Pants or Heavy Detailing: create bulk and imbalance.
Put in IMAGES: Low-rise, Skinny, Trousers with Pleats, Elastic Waist, Cargo
Conclusion:
For the apple body shape:
- Emphasize vertical lines in clothing to elongate the torso and balance the shoulders and hips.
- Opt for styles that create a defined waist without clinging to the midsection.
- Draw attention to your legs and chest with tailored pants and open necklines, respectively.
- Avoid bulky styles around the midsection, such as double-breasted jackets, cropped tops, and body-hugging dresses.
- By selecting clothing that flows over the torso and gently accentuates the waist and legs, apple-shaped figures can achieve a beautifully balanced silhouette that’s both flattering and comfortable.