Dressing a pear shaped body

Jenny wrote a helpful post recently about dressing an apple body shape that inspired me to look up guidelines for my body shape.

I'm a pear - see helpful "so flattering" image above.

The top half is slender including the neck, bust line, arms, and shoulders and the waist is generally smaller and defined. The bottom part of the body is usually 1-2 sizes larger than the top half. I'm a 0/2 on top and a 2/4 on the bottom. These guidelines were found online and I added my own critique at the end.

1. Apparently shoulder pads are my best friend...thats awesome if I was born a decade earlier and yes I realize they are making a come back but they are not for me. NEXT!

2. Black pants and skirts are musts for my wardrobe. Look for fabrics that do not cling and that have elastic in the waist. Hum...for me personally I do choose dark denim and in general solid color bottoms but I love some skinny jeans and of course I think it can be done in a dark fabric with a blousy top that can balance the extra weight on the bottom. I won't wear clingy skirts, period.

3. Boot cut pants and jeans are flattering to balance a pear shape. I totally agree with this, boot cut or a "barely boot" are my favorite styles to wear.

4. Wear jackets, shirts, or tunics that end below the widest part of the hip. Call attention to the waist by wearing a belt but make sure the top can hide the hips and make them look smaller. I understand this piece of advice, I always choose longer tops but my rationale wasn't because of my pear shape but because I have a short waist with long legs. I like to make my torso look longer. Oh and I love a belt, either a very skinny one or one of the wide ones with the elastic in the back.

5. Generally a blouse and skirt are easier to fit than a dress. I totally agree with this, though I rock more dresses than skirts it is significantly harder for me to find dresses that fit correctly. I like shirtdresses that are meant to fit loose or A line dresses best. I only have one shift dress because they are such a challenge to fit and wrap dresses are a total no go for me.

6. Avoid full or gathered skirts. Yep this is true, I tried on a cute pleated khaki skirt years ago and it just looked awful. And those prairie style skirts? Eek! Certainly weren't cut for my body shape.

7. Just a common sense comment that I'm going to add. As a pear I like to draw the eye upwards. I like wearing patterned or brightly colored tops, scarves, jewelry, and jackets that keep the focus on my upper half.