Summer Dresses to Suit Your Body Shape

Last year I wrote a series of posts about dressing for your body shape. From hourglasses to pears, there was no shape untouched. And now we are in summer (well kind of when the sun shines) we can think about getting out the legs and fake tan and donning a dress!

Finding a dress can be tough enough, but when it’s for a specific shape, our requirements get a little more defined. Like with the last post we did on body shape, the same rules, apply, but we are going to fine tune them and polish them up for Summer and the all important dress.

The top of the dress is a good place to start. The strawberry shape tends to have broader shoulders than hips, so you need to balance that out. We are aiming for hourglass, so by avoiding anything that's too detailed on top, you bring the eye line downwards to take in the whole look.

If you are broader, you don't want to add any features like embellishment. But this year, the tops of dresses  went for the pared back look which is a good thing for this shape. Moving downwards, here is where you can focus. Look for peplums, which give a nice shape around a narrower hip, as well as an a-line or even a tulip style skirt on the lower half. Or try a dress that has a simple top, and more "featured" skirt, like sequins, patterns or print.

Now where can you get your hands on such a dress? Ah, well, you fashionista is at your service.

You can see from the three styles above that the detail is towards the hips and skirt. In terms of necklines, v-necks and round necks are the ideal, but don't be put off by something with a boat neck, once the fabric is a block colour. If you fancy something a bit more casual, then I've picked out some of my high street favourites.

One thing I love about dresses for this shape is that, this season, colour is in abundance especially print and plenty of shades of red! These particular pieces are v-necks which is a popular cut from Oasis and Warehouse for Summer 2015. You can even add some more detail, and shape by popping on a belt for any dresses that are a block colour. Watch out for texture too! Plain tops and mixed texture bottoms, like the peach dress from Oasis that has a pretty pleat in the skirt. Very good for swishing on dancefloors!

So ladies, anyone a strawberry out there? What dresses have you in your wardrobe that you love? Share your tips ladies! More to come on bodyshape over this week and next, so let me know if you have any particular questions and what type of body shape are you?