This week I looked into the ‘pear shape’ female body.

Yes I know what you are thinking; shut up it just sounds like an insult! However it’s just a label ladies and to be honest I know my models (after taking the chanel 4 quiz) found it quite useful knowing the tips and tricks to dressing your shape.

If you do fit into this category then firstly you are not alone and secondly look below for the result of the questionnaire taken by my pear shape model.

You are a medium-height pear shape!

Oh you juicy, juicy pear! It’s time to embrace your voluptuous femininity and make the most of your assets. You have a flat stomach most women would die for so accentuate your curves with a wrap-around dress and go for big bold patterns. Avoid clingy fabrics and instead work stiff or floaty fabrics that don’t stick to your thighs. When it comes to buying jeans, try a boot-leg cut - they will lengthen your legs. If you are wearing heels, buy a pair of jeans which are long enough to skim the floor. Choose a pair with extra big back pockets and your bum will look smaller! 

Image-Credit/Words Above: Channel 4 ‘Pear’ Body-shape

So anyway below are the top picks I found on my travels for all you ‘Pears’ out there :

(Excuse the poor image quality the photo’s were taken on a phone as pronto as possible before the store assistants told us off! )

Primark Black Smock Dress £13

There is an urban myth that curvy people can’t wear baggy/ floaty clothes because they drown out the body, adding excess pounds and that the best way to flatter is to wear clothes that cling to show of your shape. This is not necessarily always true, it depends on the item of clothing, on the material and the way it sits on your body so I think you can definitely mix between the two. This dress is great because:

1. It’s black and everyone looks good in black, it’s simple, it’s original and it’s classic.

2. The floaty hippy like style drapes over the widest part of a pear shape body- the hips and so creates a much more smoother silhouette.

H&M Leather Bodycon Skirt £12.99

Before you run away screaming at the word take a step back and give it a chance. I myself have never owned anything leather until recently and now its one of the staple items in my wardrobe. This skirt is flattering because:

1. It’s black- literally the colour is a girls best friend for hiding the odd bump here and there.

2. Yes it’s a bodycon skirt however as you can see for a pear shaped figure instead of highlighting the parts of your body you may be unhappy with such as hips and thighs it pulls in at the skinniest part of your body; your waist. Peared with a loose chemise or t-shirt and it makes for a smooth outline.

3.It’s leather-look and leather has been all over the runways this season.

Topshop £25 (Sale)

This jumper is a must have for the winter season, its a jumper dress so it fits just like you would want a jumper to: loose where it needs to be and long enough so that it can be worn with leggings. Buy this jumper because:

1. Another urban myth: vertical lines slim and horizontal ones widen. Normally this is true, but with this jumper the orange and black stripes actually create an illusion and the end result is a jumper that looks good, fits well and is something you don’t need to just wear around the house.

2. IT’S IN THE SALE- was £40 and now £25. Buy It Now!

Topshop Green Maxi-Dress £45

Everyone wants that one dress that makes them feel a little bit like they are walking on the red carpet and this is defintely one of those items. To be honest it would probablly be even more flattering in black as it does cling to those wanted and also nwanted places however I wanted to use something that shouts ‘look at me’ and not ‘look at me i’m wearing black…again’. Invest in this dress because:

1. Pear-shapes tend to have small top halfs and this dress fits someone with a smaller chest. Hurrah!

2. It’s floor length elongates the body without even putting on six inch heels.

 These are just a few little pics for you to look at, if you are like my model and have a pear-shaped body don’t hide away the curves completely just dress to flatter.

Obviously i’m not stating that if you do happen to have a bodyhape similar to the one above it does not then mean you must stay within the limits and can not wear other items of dress such as shorts and jeans, you can wear whatever you choose to wear; just the shapes above tend to flatter your figure well.

Think: Cinched in waists, foaty fabrics, clothes that elongate rather than shorten.

Thanks for reading

Josie x

This week I have been looking at the clothes for all of you petite ladies out there. So most people presume that if you are petite you basically have it made because you are slim and anything looks good on you, but obviously all you of you know thats definitely not true. There are definitely clothes to pick and ones to stay away from!

Below is the result of the questionnaire taken by my beautiful petite model:

You have a short and slender shape!

“I bet you never run out of compliments! Slim women are often thought of as the luckiest women on the planet but you and I know better - that sometimes you can feel a little boyish and bereft of big bazookas! It’s time to inject some femininity into your tomboy existence. You should embrace ruffles and frills as they will create fullness around your bust and hips. Keep your necklines as high as possible and attention will be drawn to your waist. If you ever feel overlooked because of your height and frame, think big and bold with prints or sequinned, sparkly fabrics.”

Image Credit/Words above: Channel 4 ‘Pear’ Body-shape

Topshop Black Dress £32

Yes I like black. Let’s just get that out into the open shall we? I know you are probally a bit sick of seeing it in this blog however this dress is a great version of the little black dress so it had to be done! Go to Topshop now because:

1. Its a great fit, creates a more defined waist and adds curves.

2.Its the perfect option if you have a works christmas party or family do because the length is just right, not too long and not too short.

H&M White Smock Dress £24.99

This dress is a perfect ‘Florence and the Machine’ replica, look at the sleeves, colour and the fit, its definitely something you would want at a festival. It’s perfect because:

1. It’s a smock dress that doesn’t drown the smaller figure.

2. The embellishment at the top highlights the smaller frame showing off the fit on the shoulders and collar bone area.

Topshop leather Pencil skirt £36

This is something that maybe if you do have a petite frame you would normally stay away from, but just take one second and have a look at it because:

1. Its high-waisted and it’s body-con which means it creates the illusion of curves on a body-shape that usually is straight up- straight down.

2. It’s bang on trend, leather and pencil skirt all rolled into one!

Topshop Print Pencil Skirt £38

Looking for something elegant and sophisticated this winter then check out this flower print pencil skirt from Topshop. Try something new because:

1. Any clothing that has print on tends to be super flattering because it hides any bits that you don’t really want to exhibit.

2. The length is great it lengthens the body as it makes your legs appear longer then they actually are, floor length items seems to drown out height completely making you look small and shorter hemlines can make your legs look really long and you torso extremely short in height.

Those are just a few examples of clothing my petite model tried, to show off what looks good on someone with a smaller frame.

As I mentioned in the previous post i’m not saying that these are the limits you must stay in when shopping for a smaller fram, these photographs are just here to help, to inspire and to encorage you to maybe pick something up that you wouldn’t normally.

Think: Pencil skirts, clothes that add curves and stay away from floor length items.

Thanks for reading

Josie x

Not sure what bodyshape you are?

Why not try out this Quiz from channel 4’s beauty section, its quick, easy and a fun way to find out what shape you are out of these 8:

(Images taken from: http://www.channel4.com/4beauty/style)

I’m a Pear!

Thanks for reading

Josie x

I have decided to write this because like the majority of the female population I like fashion.

I love looking at the latest trends coming hot off the catwalk and try to take inspiration from them in the way that I dress.  

Like about 99% of the world I do not and will never look like a supermodel- which after   21 years I have finally come to terms with!

The only thing I would like is to know which store to go to when I want something thats fashionable and fits.

I’m going to talk about a particular body-shape in each post and then using examples of the newest trends check out which stores fit best!

Below is a list of the key trends I want to investigate (excuse the handwriting, its definately been the same since I was eleven):

Look out for the next post, i’m going to post a link to a quiz.

Thanks for reading

Josie x