How to dress for your body shape

We often have ladies coming into the styling room with a dress in mind they are determined to buy; but as we all know not all designs suit everyones body shape and often a particular cut can be a lot more flattering than another. That is what we are here to help with... as the dress you end up purchasing may be one that didn't even stand out to you.

An example is a a lovely lady who visited our Smitten Boutique last week. She was a size 16 and quite busty and had her heart set on the Dandelion Fan Dress which has a more fitted bust and a seam just underneath the bust opening into an A line skirt (pictured below.)

Due to having a larger bust we found the seam sat too high rather then underneath the bust as the design intends too. We suggested trying the Boat Neck Maxi dress which has similar length and an A-Line cut but no seam which allows it to adjust to peoples own body shapes better. It also has a very elegant high boat neck which was far more flattering, especially with a bigger bust as it appeared to elongate her body.

It is our aim to have you not only looking fantastic but feeling fantastic both confidence and comfort wise and that's why it can be important to know which designs may flatter you best.

The length of a dress can hugely alter the way it looks on somebody - it's incredible how much of a difference a hem line makes. We recently introduced the Ellie Dress, featuring a boat neck line, which we personally feel is one of the most flattering necklines for all body shapes and sizes as it draws peoples attention to your shoulder blades and nape of the neck rather than chest. The Ellie dress also features 3/4 sleeves and a very simple A-line cut finishing above the knee. This dress is great for shorter people (like myself) as it gives an elongating effect or for taller people can be a great tunic option worn with leggings. The final feature of this dress is it's pockets which blend into its A-line cut.

Another design that is flattering on all sizes is the Audrey Dress. It has a straight cut and high boat neck with 3/4 sleeves. If you are smaller we do recommend going down a size in this design as there is a lot of room in the cut. If you are curvier or slimmer it can look great with a belt to give you a bit of a waist of alternatively just leave to straight and accessories with a necklace to draw the eye upwards

A few other tips when it comes to choosing the perfect dress:

1. Use seams to your advantage to create a waist like the Fan and Jackie dresses.
2. Length in a dress such as the Maxi Dresses is actually very elongating so don't be afraid of the maxi if you are short.
3. The Mary Dress is popular among more mature aged women as it offers a relatively high boat neckline, a waist seam line to create shape, an A-line cut for flow and 3/4 sleeves to cover the tops of the arms.

Be sure to call us or pop into our Battery Point Boutique if you want any assistance with choosing the right dress for you.