There has never been a better time to be a curvy girl who knows how to work with what your mama gave you. Fashion houses are starting to embrace fuller-figured woman, and finally, finally, many designer brands and clothing manufacturers are slowly following suit (they still have a long way to go).
What is a pear-shaped body?
Grab a mirror, and take a look: If your hips and backside are wider than your shoulders, then you’re the lucky owner of a pear-shaped body. Pear-shaped bodies typically have a smaller bust line as well. Depending on your overall proportions, bustier pears might actually be an hourglass body style.
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Which celebrities have a pear-shaped body?
Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Christina Aguilera, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton and Rihanna all have pear-shaped bodies. Yep, these gals, and many more, tend to be both hippy and hip!
Stylists’ secrets: Find a celebrity muse
Style challenges include finding clothing items that fit both your waist (tiny) and your hips (a bit wider). Dresses can be a challenge because slim-cut fashion might not flare enough to accommodate the bottom half of your pear-shaped body while remaining tailored to the top half of your body. Speaking of tailored, find a good tailor, and keep him or her on speed-dial. Fashions that don’t fit quite right can quickly be remedied with a dart here and a tuck there.
“The best tip I give to my customers when helping them find a dress for their body type is to look at a celebrity with a similar body shape as their body,” says Tina Lo, founder and designer of the modern women’s clothing line Klarety. “The similarities between the celebrity should be the bodice and arms (sometimes height if you can tell from the image). Review about three to five or more images of that celebrity wearing dresses you like, and you will see which dresses are best for your body type. The majority of the time, celebrities stick to a certain style for their body type as they feel it is the most flattering. Plus, celebrities have stylists who are helping them find dresses that look great on their body to feel confident. In the end, women just want to feel confident in the dress they wear.”
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“For example, if you like Queen Latifah who has a pear-shape body and are drawn to the dresses she wears, then she is the celebrity who can help you choose what dress is best to wear for your body shape. The dresses she wears are form-fitting and are typically an ’empire’ dress design. An empire dress has a design seam or design element right beneath the bust. Plus, she is comfortable showing off her arms as the dresses she wears are typically sleeveless or off-the-shoulder,” says Lo.
She continues, “Then, from a different perspective, if you like Melissa McCarthy who is also a pear-shape body and are drawn to [what] she wears — Melissa tends to choose less form-fitting dresses than Queen Latifah. The dresses she wears are semi-fitted and a bit loose. Although different from Queen Latifah, she looks great in the dresses she wears. For Melissa, she tends to wear dresses with sleeves, so you will see her dresses are long sleeves or three-quarter sleeves.”
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