A new silhouette is rarely wrong for anyone. What changes between bodies is where it needs adjusting — the rise of a trouser, the length of a jacket, where a waist is marked or left alone. The principles for dressing each body shape do not change year to year, and the guide to dressing for your body shape covers them in full. This page applies them to the shapes being worn right now.
Five silhouettes, five body shapes, and for each combination the one adjustment that matters most. None of this is about making a body look different from how it is. It is about proportion — where a garment's volume sits relative to your own. More guides are in our Body Shape Styling section.
This page is organised by shape. If you are not sure of yours, the calculator uses four measurements — including shoulders — and publishes the thresholds it uses.
The Five Silhouettes Being Worn Now
Wide-Leg Trousers
Full through the whole leg, falling straight from the hip to the floor. Usually high-rise, often in a fabric with some drape. They pair easily with fitted tops and flat shoes.
Barrel or Curved-Leg Jeans
Fuller through the thigh and knee, tapering slightly at the ankle, so the leg has a gentle curve. Usually high-rise and slightly cropped.
Oversized Tailoring
Blazers and coats cut generously through the body, often with a longer length and a dropped or soft shoulder. Worn over something closer-fitting.
The Column Skirt
A long, straight skirt that falls close to the body without flaring — often ankle-length, often in a fluid fabric or a fine knit.
The Dropped Waist
Dresses and tops where the waist seam sits at the hip rather than the natural waist, giving a long, relaxed line through the body.
How Each Silhouette Works for Your Body Shape
| Silhouette | Hourglass | Pear | Apple | Rectangle | Inverted triangle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide-leg trousers | High rise, fitted through the hip | High rise, fabric with drape | Mid rise, flat front | Any rise; add a belt for shape | Full leg balances the shoulder |
| Barrel jeans | High rise, lightly tapered | Soft curve, not exaggerated | Mid rise, relaxed through the thigh | Full curve works well | Full curve balances the shoulder |
| Oversized tailoring | Worn open, or belted at the waist | Hip length or longer | Unstructured, worn open | Any length; works as it is | Soft shoulder, not padded |
| Column skirt | Fluid fabric, defined waist | Bias cut or fluid fabric | Soft waistband, ankle length | Any fabric; works as it is | Any fabric; works as it is |
| Dropped waist | Works with a fitted top | Waist seam at or below the hip | Waist seam at the hip | Works as it is | Works as it is |
Hourglass
Your proportions follow most garment patterns closely, so the adjustment is usually about keeping the waist visible. A high rise on wide trousers and barrel jeans does that on its own; with oversized tailoring, wear it open or add a belt so the jacket does not hang straight from the bust.
The column skirt and dropped waist work best in fluid fabrics that follow the body rather than standing away from it. Read more about the hourglass shape.
Pear
Wider through the hip than the shoulder, so fabrics with drape matter more than cut. Wide trousers and barrel jeans both work in a high rise; look for a soft curve rather than an exaggerated one on barrel shapes.
Oversized jackets that end at the hip or below read more intentional than cropped ones. On a dropped waist, a seam that sits at or below the widest point of the hip works best. Read more about the pear shape.
Apple
Fuller through the middle, often with a slimmer leg. A mid rise with a flat front is usually more comfortable than a very high one. Unstructured, open tailoring falls cleanly without needing to close.
The column skirt works well with a soft or elasticated waistband, and ankle length keeps the line long. Read more about the apple shape.
Rectangle
Shoulder, waist and hip close in width, which means almost every current silhouette works without adjustment. Barrel jeans and wide trousers add shape through the leg; a belt adds definition at the waist when you want it.
Oversized tailoring and the dropped waist both suit a straight frame particularly well. Read more about the rectangle shape.
Inverted Triangle
Broader through the shoulder than the hip. Fuller leg shapes — wide trousers, barrel jeans — balance the shoulder naturally, which makes this year's trouser shapes a good fit.
With oversized tailoring, a soft or dropped shoulder works better than a padded one. Read more about the inverted triangle shape.
Getting the Size Right in These Shapes
Volume in the cut is not the same as size. An oversized blazer should still sit close to your own shoulder at the seam; a wide trouser should still fit at the waist. If the garment is large everywhere rather than full where the design intends, it reads as the wrong size.
For trousers and jeans, read jeans for your body shape and how jeans should fit, and convert by measurement with the jeans size converter. For dresses, dress types and how they fit covers the dropped waist and other shapes, and the dress size calculator tells you which measurement is deciding your size.
When a Silhouette Is Simply Not You
Some shapes will feel wrong regardless of body shape, because they do not match your personal style. A dramatic oversized blazer on someone whose style is natural and relaxed can feel like a costume, even when it fits perfectly.
That is a style question, not a proportion question, and it is a perfectly good reason to skip a trend. The personal style quiz gives you a dominant and a secondary style, which makes it much easier to tell which new shapes will feel natural.
Body Shape Calculator
Hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle or inverted triangle, from your measurements.
Try this free calculator to find your exact match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can every body shape wear wide-leg trousers?
Do barrel jeans work for a pear shape?
How should oversized tailoring fit?
What if a trend does not suit my body shape?
How do I find my body shape?
For background on how body shape categories are defined, see female body shape.
Brand and sizing data on this site is reviewed quarterly. If a figure here is wrong, email fashion@womensfashioneu.com and it will be checked and corrected.
