
Get exclusive shopping offers and guides
Straight to your inbox
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Ladies, take a minute in front of the mirror to consider what best reflects your body shape. Do you have broad shoulders and a small waist? You’re a strawberry. Heavier on the bottom, lighter on top? Perhaps you’re a pear. Got boobs and butt? Hello Beyonce.
As women, we generally have a good idea about what assets to flaunt and what to wear to boost our confidence. But let’s take a closer look and determine exactly what shape you are and the dresses you should be buying this summer. Hey, we could all use an excuse for a wardrobe overhaul. Let’s get to work – it’s time to up your style game.
A guide to buying the perfect dress
The strawberry body shape is the opposite of a pear body shape. If you have a strawberry-shaped body, you have a broader chest, wide shoulders and a narrow waist. Look for dresses that emphasise the lower part of the body.
Look for styles that are plain on the top and party on the bottom. The goal is to soften the shoulders by drawing the attention below the waist. Examples include A-line dresses, peplum dresses and swing dresses.
Gemma Ward
It’s all in the hips, baby! A pear-shaped woman has a wider lower body compared to her upper body and her hips are wider than her shoulders. Highlight the upper body and elongate from the waist down to balance your figure.
Fit and flare dresses will be a wardrobe essential. Dresses that are fancy on the top include frills, shoulder-baring and V-neck styles, cinched at the waist and flare on the bottom. Dresses that fit this shape should emphasise the shoulders, torso and stomach. Try an A-line hem or cut-out and wrap dresses.
Leighton Meester (Settle in to watch Gossip Girl for #inspo, guilt free!)
If you’ve been blessed with an hourglass figure, you’ll be curvy in all the right places (boobs and butt!) with a smaller waist. You want to embrace your curves by wearing feminine, figure-hugging styles.
One word: bodycon. Highlight your best assets by wearing slim, silhouette-style clothing.
Beyonce
You’ll carry weight around your middle and you're broader in the back, ribs and shoulders while being slimmer in your legs. The trick here is to draw attention to your legs and minimise your midsection.
By creating symmetry all over your body with dresses that don't accentuate your waist, you can bring the attention to your arms and legs. Think short hemlines or bare shoulders.
Amy Schumer
A rectangle shape is similar in size across both shoulders and hips. You want to trick the eye and create an illusion of curves with your clothing choices to avoid looking boyish.
Emphasising or enhancing curves with dresses that cinch in at the waist are top of the list. Feminine styles that are frilled, collared or embellished will work in your favour as well as styles that focus on the arms and legs.
Alexa Chung
READ MORE: Your ultimate guide to Australian Fashion Designers
READ MORE: The Aussie fashion bloggers to bookmark
READ MORE: This season's hottest swimwear
Find out which cheese brand offers the best taste, the best texture and the best value for money.
Find out the seven best options for hiking backpacks to lug your gear around in the great outdoors.
These are the six best men's watches you can buy right now in Australia.
These are the 6 best Samsung Galaxy Note 20 cases you can buy in Australia right now.
These are the seven best carry-on bags you can buy right now in Australia.
What you need to know before launching an alterations business.
These are the 6 best pieces of shapewear you can buy right now in Australia.
These are the 6 best eskies and iceboxes you can buy right now in Australia.
These are the 10 best wireless earbuds you can buy right now in Australia.
Our expert editors have found the best Bluetooth headphones to help you block out the noise during your commute.