Dressing my pear shape, and a K/R - YouLookFab Forum

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About: How to Dress the Pear Body Type

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Dressing my pear shape, and a K/R

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Pics 1-3 is a top I ordered from Gap. I don't think this works for my pear shape. I'm not sure why, other than it seems to emphasize my hips with the way it drapes, and in the front it ends just below my widest area. Pic 3 is the side view. On the other hand, I think pic #4 works for my pear shape, and I never would have worn a belt pre-YLF!

So does the flowy top in pics #1-3 work? I was wanting to wear it with capris in the summer. Or, as I am thinking, is it a return?

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25 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

kellygirl

Veteran

I didn't realize you were a pear. I always thought of you as an hourglass. That being said, I think the top is cute on you. You are so slender that I think whatever hip emphasis it may have, it still looks terrific. I'm curious to what others think. (FWIW, I think that kind of hemline works on me. It helps to balance my shoulders.)

carter

Veteran

I don't think you're a pear. You are a skinny little string bean. The top definitely works for me, and the outfit in #4 is fabulous!

abc

Veteran

I think it's the hem. Pic 4 is so flattering. The belt helps a lot.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

"A skinny little string bean!" Ha! In my dreams, yes. Kellygirl, my waist and hips fit the hourglass description, but my bust, well, that fits the "flat as a board" description.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Karie you look like an hourglass to me. I don't see any pear at all. The blue top hides your waist, which may be what is bothering you.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Shevia, yes I thought that too, but I have other tops that hide my waist and I like them. Not sure what it is that's throwing me off about this one. Here's a pic that hides my waist that I like:

Maybe I need to balance out the top half with a scarf, but I might not want to do that in the summer..

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Gigi

Veteran

I agree that it looks like you are hourglass and not pear. My understanding is that an hourglass does not have to have a big bust. It just means that your shoulder width and hip width are relatively balanced, and you have a waist. I know that I am a figure 8, which is a type of hourglass, and I am pretty flat chested.

I don't think the top looks bad at all, but you clearly aren't in love with it or you wouldn't have posted it! For that reason alone, I say return. Keep only what makes you happy!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Okay. I am going to disagree with everyone here. How's that for controversy?

I think you are a rectangle / slim hourglass. What's most striking about you is your long, slender limbs. You can define a lovely waist with a belt, absolutely. But mostly, your body is straight lines.

As a tall, slender rectangle with a small bust, I think you look absolutely smashing in that top! You wear it spectacularly well. if you don't like to surrender your waist, well, okay -- but to my eye, it's gorgeous on you. I would wear it with white, probably -- not the denim. And/ or a tube skirt.

Also, the colour is spectacular on you as well. It just lights you up. Proving, probably, that you are some species of "spring." This kind of blue is magical on springs.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Sorry, I cannot allow you into "pear" camp because you are not
I think slim hourglass is more accurate description for you.
And I agree with Suz: this shade of blue is spectacular on you!
I think it is not waist hiding but rather shoulder minimizing which throws you off. The way the shoulders are cut in that blue top makes them visually smaller and therefore makes hips bigger. However it looks great in my eye and your hips can stand all attention with pride!

anne

Veteran

Yes, I agree with Suz as to your body type

Anonymous

I don't see a pear here. *confused*

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Suz and Sveta, good gravy! All I see when I look at me is belly and hips. I'm glad I posted this because now I'm re-thinking the pear thing. Yes, Sveta, I think it's the shoulder minimizing thing that's throwing me off.

I'm going to try your suggestion, Suz, and put this on with my white Matchstick's and with my VC tube skirt before deciding whether or not to return. I do like the color, and what drew me to it was the waist surrendering shape. Perfect for a hot summer day (I think I remember what those are like!).

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Umm, yeah, I'm having trouble with pear as well. I thought I was a pear forever until coming here, and even now barely see the hourglass above it. But you my dear are much more straight up and down. I do know that shirts hitting at the wrong spot make me feel off.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

You could probably semi tuck the blue top and resolve any length issues. While it's true you are very slim, I see curves not straight lines, I see a slim hourglass all the way. Hourglasses, in my opinion, are like moderate or minimal pears. I think the hip guidelines for pears are spot on for me at least, and I am an hourglass. But the other pear guidelines, like for tops, just don't work on me as I have a very short waist and fit and flare, belting etc, doesn't look good on me.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Well, okay, I will modify to slim hourglass, but I do think the rectangle guidelines would be useful as well. Or at least, I find them extremely helpful, personally. I know my body type is not the same (much shorter, alas) but where Karie and I are similar is that we have small busts vs. a larger bust. So the rectangle guidelines for the top are much more helpful than the hourglass top guidelines.

Karie -- my method is thus: I pay most attention to the rectangle guidelines for my top half. I pay some attention to the hourglass guidelines there, especially if I want to emphasize my waist.

I then pay most attention to the hourglass guidelines for my curvier bottom half, while also paying note to the pear guidelines and giving a nod to the rectangle guidelines for that part. In my case, the "rectangle" tendency on the bottom comes from relatively narrow hips (still defined, but not super broad) where the "pear" part is my curvy thighs and bottom. In your case, the curves are more in your hips whereas your long, slender limbs are more rectangular.

karymk

Veteran

It looks great and will be so wonderful when it warms up. Keep!

Gigi

Veteran

Suz, it seems to me that sometimes even two sets of guidelines aren't enough for dressing a body well. I steal from almost all of the guidelines, even though I am a figure 8 hourglass as my main shape. I have the flatter chest too, and the longer limbs, so rectangle is helpful there. I also have a smidgen of IT in my shoulders and have used tips from the IT body type. I prefer to dress my body by thinking of the individual elements (long neck, high hip, flat chest, etc.) rather than by thinking of body type. I find it very versatile and helpful.

Gigi

Veteran

Karie, it's hard to tell from these pix, but do you think that you are a figure 8 hourglass? That figure has a high "shelf" hip. It's what I am, and what Mo is, and both of us used to think we were pears because the hips are so prominent (and love to attract fat!). Here is the link if it's helpful:

http://www.insideoutstyleblog......pes-8.html

Most figure 8s are short waisted, I think. Not sure if that describes you.

Liz A.

Veteran

I think it looks wonderful on you!

EveningMood

I am with the rest, this top is amazing on you. All it emphasizes is fabness

April

Veteran

I think the dress is more balanced because it gives you more of a shoulder line. I don't know if that's the dress or if it's you, but I suspect the reason the trapeze shape of the Gap shirt isn't exciting you is that it kind of minimizes your shoulder and then swoops outward at the hip.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

April, you hit the nail on the head re why the shirt is not exciting me. I think if it had sleeves I would like the looks of it better because it would balance out the shoulder line with the hip line. The thing is, I want to like it because it hits all my "must have" points - longer, asymmetrical, loose, and even thought I rarely do sleeveless, this one doesn't gape under the arms and show my bra, which is another bonus. If I sound like I'm trying to talk myself into it - I'm really not - I will try it on with my white jeans and tube skirts per Suz's suggestion, and if it's still a "no" to me, I may shed a tear, but back it goes...

On another note, this thread is so interesting to me because I find it fascinating that you see what I don't - I feel like I must be looking in a fun-house mirror here at home! Do you ever feel that way?

kerry

Veteran

Karie, I don't know much as I am new here to YLF but here's my stab at it. I love all three looks you've posted and I think you've got the figure to pull off just about anything. I agree that the belted dress and the dolman tunic with scarf are more balanced than the sleeveless top. I think the reason you like the waist-surrendering tunic sweater better than the sleeveless top is not just the scarf but the sleeves (especially that they're dolman-it creates volume at your shoulders and chest). Since you love the waist-surrendering of the blue top for summer why not try it on with some of the summer bottoms you had planned to wear it with? It'd also be interesting to see how the top reads with whatever summer footwear you were thinking. The tall boots create more volume on the bottom thereby emphasizing more the lack of volume at the shoulder.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Kerry makes an excellent point. Try this with your refined summer footwear and a tube skirt or narrow cropped pants. Truly.

Now - I have to confess, I have serious sugar eye for trapeze styles. And it's partly because I used to think I was a pear!! Then I realized that my square shoulders actually do balance things out and it's nice to show them off vs. trying to show off nonexistent cleavage.

You are looking in a fun-house mirror. I think our own eye automatically goes to those places we consider our "trouble spots" and we just don't have the ability to see much else sometimes.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Wanted to add, Gigi, that I agree with you. The general guidelines are a good start, but really, it's helped me to think about proportion first, and then specific areas that are a bit outside the normal proportion, e.g. long neck, flat bust, shorter legs, square shoulders, etc.