Thank you for reading Styling with Esther!
This week we will talk about the Inverted Triangle, a.k.a. the fashionable Strawberry. Why fashionable? Because most models have this body type.
Perhaps you are not a primary Inverted Triangle, but you might be a secondary one, meaning, an Apple, Hourglass or Rectangle shaped woman who has broad shoulders. That’s very possible because most women are a combination of two body types.
But what’s an Inverted Triangle? It’s one of the 5 main body types. If your bust and shoulder measurements are fuller than the waist and hips, then welcome to the Strawberry Club!
THE ART OF DRESSING WELL
The art of dressing well requires two elements: attention and self respect. Attention to identify our body type is relatively easy to obtain, yet respect regarding our personal beauty requires discipline.
By the word “respect” I mean that we should never try to copy or compare ourselves to others. We all have our special beauty and when we respect that, we become more conscious of it when shopping.
A woman who thinks about the beauty of others before her own is fated to struggle with frustration that can even expand beyond her personal fashion concerns. It can literally expand to all aspects of life. Love yourself. You are way more beautiful than you think.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE STRAWBERRY BODY TYPE
Since styling is all about bringing harmony, always remember that your upper body is in evidence, so the best way to dress your body is to soften it and thereby divert the attention given to your bottom half.
How?
V and U shaped necklines will elongate your neck and bring attention down to your waistline. V and U fake collars, necklaces or scarves tied in this shape will create the same illusion. Why not try a mirrored V? You can wear a blouse with a V neckline—with a V necklace on top of it. It will look marvelous. The same trick applies even if you wear a crew neck top under your V-neckline.
Prints also play a major role when wearing knit tops.
When wearing a solid color top, the eyes will instinctively focus on the curves of the upper body.
When wearing a printed top, the eyes will instinctively focus on the print. It’s as simple as that. Do a test yourself. Try out a printed top, and then a solid color top in front of a mirror and have fun with the experiment!
Before wearing a waist-less top, look at your side view in a mirror. Does it look alright to you? Does it give the impression you are larger than you actually are or does it falls beautifully from bust line down? If you like waist-less tops, the trick is to go with soft fabrics, as stiffer fabrics will show an unrealistic side view, enlarging your silhouette.
Soft fabrics, especially when worn in a drape fashion harmonize your shoulder line. It’s all about softening the top and bringing simplicity to it.
Therefore, avoid tops which may include stiff fabrics, shoulder pads, broad lapels, pockets at the bust area (small pockets are fine), embroideries, fringes, flares and most embellishments placed on top. The same applies to puffy sleeves and boat necklines, as they may make your shoulders look broader.
And this is where respecting your own beauty comes into play: since an Inverted Triangle shaped woman pays a lot of attention to her top, she almost instinctively buys blouses and jackets that have embellishments at the bust and shoulder level.
Perhaps these tops will be great for other women, but for you, my dear Strawberry, before taking that piece of clothing off of the hanger, close your eyes and remember these basic and easy to follow guidelines.
Focus on loving and accepting yourself the way you are, and then, shop with a joyful consciousness of what will fit you the best!
As an Inverted Triangle myself, many times I feel that way when shopping. I see a beautiful top with a huge shiny lapel and amazing shoulder pads and think “Gosh! That’s great! I just love it!”
But then I quickly realize that such top will look way better on a woman with another body shape. And so I accept my body type, giving it the respect it deserves and put that top away wishing my best for the other woman who will eventually wear it. Just a few minutes after, I always end up finding the top that was designed for me!