“Size isn’t everything” many people say, but often times it’s definitely something we let dictate our lives. Celebrating when we go down a size and crippling our ego when we go up. The truth is, size doesn’t matter. Just like your shape shouldn’t either. While to some this may be a surprise, I am pear shaped. 36″, 29″ 43″. And damned proud to be in fact. On top of that sizing in at only 5’5″ I have a shorter torso. If I listened to all the articles that told me what clothes to wear for my shape then shopping and layering during the summer would extremely problematic. But as I like to remind you guys, the great thing about personal style is you get to make your own rules. So here are some of my tips on how to rock layers for pear shaped ladies:
- Pay attention to fit. This is extremely important when it comes to making yourself look shorter or taller. A jacket or shirt dress ending at the wrong spot can make you appear far shorter than you really are.
- Find a way to highlight your waist. I love all things high waisted but when you’re rocking a dress or jacket it’s important to try to find a way to define your waist. In this look I simply buttoned my jacket but if you’re not a fan then try a belt or purse.
- Play with patterns. Being on the shorter side I like to use patterns that make my body appear longer. Of course vertical stripes are perfect but so are grid patterns and even polka dots.
- Use colors to your advantage. If you’re looking to appear slimmer, then layer with a color that’s darker than your base. Here I used a darker denim jacket. Though it’s oversized shape should make me look bigger the contrast between the jacket and my dress do just the opposite.
Often times my clients and even my readers have a hard time believing that I can relate to their shopping struggles. But if you follow me on Instagram and check out my stories you’ll see I too have my own struggles shopping for clothes. For example this past weekend I went into H&M and tried on 3 different styles of blazers. One fit perfectly in a size 12, the other looked amazing in the size 10 while the third looked great in an 8. I wanted to show everyone that even in the same store I can be 3 different sizes. It served as a reminder that clothes were made to fit us and not the other way around. So instead of beating yourself up, we need to recognize there’s a bigger issue with how clothes are manufactured. But that’s a conversation for another day. Just remember that you are amazing at your current size and deserve to feel beautiful. If that means you have to try on a few different sizes to get the right fit, so be it. You’d rather have clothes that make you feel amazing than pieces that make you feel bad about yourself.
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Pitaya Sunglasses (Similar)|Forever 21 Jacket (Similar)|MISSGUIDED Dress (Similar)|Nike Shoes (Similar)
Check out the latest on Lil Miss JB Style TV with even more ways to wear layers as a pear shaped women!
**Photos by Jordan Bowens
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Love the way to style this look! It’s something that I’d wear 😀
http://www.bigdreamerblog.com
Thank you so much, I’d definitely love to see your take on it Mei!