Style Tips To Celebrate Your Body

Let’s be clear: You do not have to look a certain way or have a certain body type to wear the clothes you want to wear. Fashion is for everyone, and no one should feel limited by their size or build. Style is meant to express your personality, your individuality, and your mood, so if you see a trend you want to try, go for it. The old rules don’t apply: All that matters is that you feel good in whatever you put on. Ultimately, dressing your body is about celebrating it in whatever way makes you feel happiest and most confident. With that in mind, here are a few ideas.

Highlight Your Favorite Features

A lot of the guidance about dressing for your body type — whether hourglass, triangle, oval, etc. — is about disguising certain features to make you look taller, slimmer, or curvier. Those tips can be helpful if that’s your goal, but don’t feel boxed in by what other people deem “flattering.” While certain styles and silhouettes can indeed enhance your shape, you don’t have to only wear those silhouettes — or wear them at all. If you have wide hips and love them, accentuate them with fitted skirts and pants; if you like your arms, show them off in tank tops and sleeveless dresses. Focus on highlighting your favorite features, rather than hiding or camouflaging your body to fit a certain mold.

Pay Attention to Fit

Fit makes all the difference, not just in how you look but also in how you feel. If something doesn’t fit right, either because it’s too small or too big, you’ll be physically uncomfortable and adjusting your clothes all day. And if you’re uncomfortable, you won’t be confident, which is key to pulling off any look.

Don’t worry about the number on the label; instead, pay attention to how a garment fits and feels on your body. If your usual size feels snug and you need to go up one, do it — sizing is relative to a brand, and can even be inconsistent within a brand, so the number is virtually meaningless. Don’t be afraid to get things tailored, either: Most clothes are mass-produced and made for specific proportions that don’t account for how individual bodies (especially bigger bodies) are actually built, so you may need alterations to make something fit the way it should. That’s not an issue with your shape; it’s an issue with the garment.

Have Fun With Accessories

Anyone can wear a dress; it’s how you style it that makes you stand out. That’s where accessories come in. Accessories — which include jewelry, hats, bags, and eyewear, among other things — are as much a part of an outfit as your clothes are. Not only do they add a little personal flair to your look, but they also can help highlight your favorite features or play up your natural shape. A belt, for example, can accentuate your waist, while necklaces or long earrings can draw attention to your collarbone. 

Play With Patterns and Fabrics

There are all sorts of rules regarding prints and patterns — for example, that you shouldn’t wear horizontal stripes if you want to look slimmer — but many of them are outdated or just plain wrong. While it’s true that patterns can create optical illusions, any print can work on any body with the right styling. You don’t have to stick to small, geometric prints just because you have a small frame, nor do you have to only wear large, feminine florals if you’re fuller-figured. Instead, experiment with different patterns to find what you like on your body, and what fits your personal aesthetic.

The same goes for fabrics. Certain textiles, such as denim, leather, tweed, brocade, and corduroy, naturally have more structure than others, such as cotton, jersey, or satin. Garments made from the former are more likely to hold their shape than adapt to yours; garments made from the latter will do the opposite. Neither option is inherently better — it just depends on what you want and feel best in. Different fabrics also feel different against your skin, so if you’re sensitive to rough or itchy textures, you’ll want to make note of that, too.

Be Confident!

No matter what you wear, wear it with confidence. Get rid of (and stop buying) clothes that don’t make you feel good about yourself, or that don’t fit your personal style. If you dislike what you’re wearing, other people will pick up on it. Instead, build a wardrobe you love, with pieces that reflect who you are and what you love about your body. And don’t forget to stand up straight — some research shows that good posture can actually boost your self-esteem.