You look more hourglass than rectangle to me. But maybe I don't really know what a rectangle is? Hmm.
I'm 5'0" and my measurements are 33-28-33. The width of my shoulders - measured straight across the front - are exactly the width of my hips. So to me that makes me an hourglass. I'm just an hourglass with a thickish waist!
But I also have a tendency towards inverted triangle, because when I gain weight, in addition to my stomach I gain first on my upper body. It takes a lot of weight gain before my lower body starts filling out.
The patterned dress you are wearing is fabulous on you. That dress, which is a really great shape for an hourglass, makes me think you are more hourglass. I am also betting once you get refitted for a bra, you are going to appear more hourglassy. And you really do have a waist - I would not call you an apple. Play up that waist.
Hmm, don't rectangles have more gradual waists? Which is probably why belts of all shapes and sizes work so much better for them.
Yes, I would recommend you first start with the hourglass recommendations, and see where that takes you. As you experiment, you'll figure out which guidelines work best. When I started dressing according to the hourglass guidelines, it was a huge difference, which clarified it for me. The part I borrow from inverted triangle guidelines is that I tend to steer away from tops with puff sleeves or epaulets and such - UNLESS I balance it out somehow in the bottom area (like wearing fuller cut jeans and not skinnies). I can get away with these sort of details, if I'm careful how I do it.
Make sense?
P.s. "Boxy" never even entered my mind when I looked at your photo. Eliminate that term from your head.
