How to Buy Flattering Clothes

Learning how to buy flattering clothes seems like an amazing feat, but once you get the basics down, you'll very rarely find yourself wondering, "Why did I buy this; what was I thinking?"

The first step to determining how to buy flattering clothes for your body is to decide what type of body type you have.

Apples are larger on the upper half of their body than the lower overall, but tend to gain weight around the middle. They store fat in their tummy/waistline areas. Avoid very low-rise jeans that can give the "muffin-top" effect and instead choose jeans that sit higher on your hips. Choose shirts that fall to below the problem area, usually around mid-hip. If you're the apple type who doesn't have broad shoulders but does have a round midsection, give empire-waist shirts a try. They're fitted in the bust area, then flow out.

If you're an apple type but your body reminds you of an inverted triangle shape due to wide shoulders, you can play those down by avoiding shoulder pads, wearing v-neck shirts, and playing up your bottom half with light colored fabrics and jeans that don't have back pockets.

Finally, if you're an apple type mainly because of a large bust, there are ways to make it look smaller—boatneck shirts or short or patterned bottoms with solid-colored tops.

Pears are obviously larger on the bottom than the top and tend to store their fat in their hips, thighs, and buttocks. Buy dark colors for your bottom half (with angled pockets if you can find them) and lighter colors on top. Skip the horizontal distressing on your blue jeans and choose vertical instead. Don't call attention to the waist area with belts, tucked-in shirts, or details near the waist/hips. If you have great legs, don't be afraid to show them off!

Rectangles/Rulers are about the same width from top to bottom and lack curves; when they gain weight, it's evenly distributed. If you're a rectangle/ruler, belts are your friend because they give the illusion of a more hourglass shape. Flared skirts, ruffled shirts, thin straps, and layers do the same thing. The good news is that you're balanced overall and just need a bit of tailoring to create the illusion of curves.

Hourglasses are often considered the luckiest shape of all, the ideal shape because they're curvy and proportional while maintaining a distinct waistline—even with weight gain. To continue to look balanced on top and bottom, stay away from pieces that will create bulk in one area or another, such as ruffled tops and very baggy pants. Wear fitted pieces that bring attention to your small waist. Wide-leg or flared jeans, halter tops, slightly cropped jackets, and skirts with slits are all great choices.

If you're shopping but don't have much time or you're shopping online, there are wizards you can utilize. For example, Zafu.com can help you find your jeans, pants, and even bras based on your body shape and problem areas. You simply click through a questionnaire to discover your perfect fits and where to get them.

Opt for the busiest patterns on areas of your body that you like rather than those you wish to disguise. Stick to solids or small pinstripes on areas you'd like to downplay or make appear thinner. For example, if your thighs are larger than you'd like, you could choose charcoal grey pants with small black pinstripes but should steer clear of large plaid.

Similarly, if you wish you had a little more on top, you could wear bright, fun patterns there and solids on bottom. Don't wish to look as busty as you are? Skip the large, busy patterns on top.

The basic rule when it comes to fabrics is to keep the chunkier fabrics to the areas you want to emphasize. Use thinner fabrics—even layered—on the areas you'd prefer to hide.

No matter what your height, sometimes you may want to downplay it and give the illusion that you're shorter or taller.

You can flatter your body and look taller by choosing heels along with tailored pinstripe suits. Go for solids over patterns and put together monochromatic looks when you can.

To avoid looking taller than you are, your goal will be to break up the vertical line. Do so with wide cuffs at the bottoms of your pants and/or wide belts at the top. Tailored pieces make you look taller, so if you can choose flowing tops, do so. Of course, flats are always a better option than heels when you don’t want to add height.

Learning how to buy flattering clothes for your body is really all about knowing a few basic rules and what shape your body actually is. Once you learn the rules, use them to minimize or emphasize certain things about yourself but don't be afraid to break those rules to play up something that the fashion world doesn’t deem ideal.

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