Dresses are one of the most popular attires for women all over the world. Thanks to their popularity, designers have come up with thousands of dress styles. But not all styles may suit you. While some may enhance your overall appearance, others can have the opposite effect. So how do you choose? There’s probably only one answer: understand your body type. Below, we’ve listed five different body types and helpful dressing tips for each.

1. Hourglass frame
Women with an hourglass figure have wider busts and hips and a narrow waistline. Finding readymade dresses is difficult for this body type. If the bust and hips fit, the waist feels loose, and vice versa. Peplum dresses are perfect for such women. Fit-and-flare dresses and wrap dresses are also suitable. The advantage with the latter is that you can give a more structured look to your waist by tightening the ties.

2. Apple-shaped body
People with an apple-shaped body find it difficult to pick the right dress styles and end up choosing clothes that are too tight or ill-fitted. People with this body type have heavier busts when compared to their waists and hips. Deep V-necked and A-line dresses look beautiful if you have an apple-shaped body. But wear printed dresses that take the attention away from your heavy busts.

3. Pear-shaped body
Have you seen women with moderate busts, small waists, but big hips and thighs? These are characteristics of a pear-shaped body. Clothes that balance out the broader parts work well here. Remember to pick slightly looser tops that give a comfortable fit below the waist. You can also wear deep-necked dresses to draw attention away from the bottom half. Boat-neck dresses also help balance out the wide thighs and hips.

4. Rectangle-shaped body
Women with rectangle-shaped bodies don’t have a lot of curves. Their shoulders, hips, and waist are evenly sized, so getting a silhouette can be problematic. The best dress styles for such people are those that give the illusion of curves. You can pick ruffled dresses, layered dresses, and even sweetheart neck dresses. The more layers you add, the more beautiful you look.

5. Petite body
Petite women are shorter and more compactly sized. They find regular clothes too long and have a problem picking up the correct dress styles. The best bet if you want to choose ready-to-wear garments is to go for dresses with three-quartered sleeves. These make you look taller, so do midis and high-low dresses. You can also go for lighter-colored outfits and off-shoulders.

Even after you’re thorough in all these dress styles, how you carry yourself in the outfit matters. Pick up clothes you love and wear them confidently. The confidence will show in your face for sure.