Dressing For Your Body Type - Pear

Before I explain how to dress a pear shaped body, I will define exactly what it means to have a pear shaped body. It is simple really, your hips are larger than your chest and/or your waist. This is also the most common female body shape.

As you might have noticed, the pear shape can be one of the hardest bodies to dress. This is because of an uneven weight distribution. When you carry your weight in your hips, or lower half, it can be frustrating because all clothes are made for either an athletic figure or an hourglass figure. So how are you supposed to create a sense of balance? Obviously, you will need to focus on making your upper body larger while making your lower body look smaller.

To accomplish this there are a few rules/guidelines to follow:
- keep your pants as streamlined and tailored as possible, a slight flare would work for your body type but avoid pleats, tapered pants (tight at the ankle), capris and pockets that sit at the hip.
- stick to an a-line or pencil skirt. The a-line will distract from the shape of the hips and the pencil will accentuate the curves in a flattering way.
- tunics and leggings are a great idea for you. Just make sure that the tunic grazes (not clings) your hips.
- with jackets, make sure the shortest point DOES NOT sit right at your hip! Go for something a little longer.
-elongate your body and draw attention to the girls! This does not mean you have to let it all hang out but Do go for a deep v and a tank or a plunging necklace. The point is to distract the eye.
- show off your sexy, slim shoulders. A strapless maxi is a great option for you in the summer and with a cutoff jean jacket you could wear one into the fall.
- keep prints on the top half of your body!
- wear big earrings, scarves, bold necklaces, anything that can attract the eye to your face.

Celebs with pear body shapes: Beyonce, Lily Allen, Cynthia Nixon, J.Lo, Keira Knightley, Kim Kardashian, Shakira.

Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials - Essential #4

My #4 wardrobe essential is, non other than, the LBD.

By the picture above you've probably come to realize LBD stands for "Little Black Dress". This is an essential for many reasons. That HOT date you've been waiting for, a formal event, a nice dinner party... even hitting the club.

This is every sexy girls go-to-item because it is a great way to show off any figure.

Ways to wear the LBD:

The first look is for work. A sexy black dress is just as good as a power suit for a woman. Notice it is paired with a white blazer, this tones down the sexiness and allows you to look polished instead of skanky.
Look 2 is the sex kitten look, don't cover up too much, this dress was made to kill. Show off everything you have to offer with this stunning look.
Look 3 is made for the club, add a little bling and a funky shoe and you've set the mood just right to party all night!

For the skinny girl - Look for form fitting dresses that hug what curves you do have. Stay away from the draping fabrics and even find a dress with some peek-a-boo cut outs.

For the thick girl- SHAPEWEAR, SHAPEWEAR, SHAPEWEAR! I cannot stress this enough. The LBD is a sexy, slimming look but you have to realize where your flaws lie and work with them instead of fighting them. Look for empire waisted dresses, a-line skirts, and wrap-dresses. These are the most flattering cuts for your body type.

For the in-betweens - Again I say SHAPEWEAR! If you wear a fitted dress and you have a belly bulge... it will only be exaggerated. Know where your problem areas lie and work with them instead of fighting them. If you have big hips do not be afraid of the pencil skirt. The last two dresses in the first picture would look great if you had an hourglass or even bottom heavy figure. Top heavy? Go for the two above them.

The secret to ANY LBD is confidence. So if you try on a fabulous dress and you love it but are nervous about wearing it in front of anyone DON'T BUY IT! You can't be sexy and confident while tugging on your dress all night. You can't be sexy and confident if you are too worried about boob slippage. You also can't be sexy and confident if you are too covered. It's called a LITTLE black dress for a reason :)

Happy Shopping!

Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials - Essential #3

Essential #3 is the suit!

Okay, so you are sitting there saying to yourself... Why on earth would I need a suit? I am not a professional. I am too young to wear a suit. I am too fashion forward to wear a suit.

This is where you are WRONG! I am not even asking you to wear a suit. I am not saying that the suit you buy should be worn once a week. I am saying, you will get TWO essential wardrobe items out of a suit!!!

Piece #1
The Blazer- Okay, a fitted blazer looks good on ANY body type. It's shape allows any woman the ability to seem like she has an hourglass figure. The lady above is pencil thin and has no chest or hips to speak of BUT the suit gives her the illusion of an hourglass shape. It's nipped at her smallest point and flares out towards her hips

How to Wear a Blazer

Above are some ways to wear a blazer. Example #1 is a casual daytime look that can easily be worn at night. Example #2 is a night out look. Example #3 is a daytime look. All three use the blazers from a suit. Note that NONE of the blazers are boring. The one on the left is even bright pink and there is nothing wrong with that.

Piece #2 - The pencil skirt, a-line skirt or dress pants

All three are wardrobe essentials, so no matter which one you choose you can't go wrong :)

How to wear a pencil skirt

Example #1 is a work-to-night look. Examples 2 and 3 are fun and flirty day looks. A pencil skirt shouldn't be just for the office or limited to the professionals. They showcase curves and give the illusion of curves to those who don't have any.

How to Wear an A-Line Skirt

KEEP IT SIMPLE! The fullness of the a-line is all the accessory you need. Adding too much can make the outfit seem bulky. It's fine to have some embellishment (see Ex. #2) but make sure your top half is fitted. Also, larger girls should look for A-lines that do not have too much extra bulk. The lining should be thin and the skirt itself shouldn't have too much extra fabric.

How to Wear Dress Pants

In this example I will give my best example for each body type (Skinny, Medium and Luscious)

In Example #1 I have paired cropped, skinny, floral pants with a funky racer-back top! This is a fun and funky look only you skinny girls can pull off. Embrace the big floral prints because they look FAB on you. In

Example #2 I went with a wide-leg dress pant and a peplum inspired top. This outfit will hide anything you have problems with and enhance your figure. If you are medium-but curvy this look will still work for you, just make sure you have a GREAT bra!!!

And for Example #3, the straight leg pant is the BEST option for the thicker girl (make SURE you have figured out your size before purchasing a pair or you WILL look lumpy!!) because these pants work with your curves without adding to them. The pants above have a slight boot-cut and that is fine but avoid anything that says flare. Layering pieces also allows for the illusion of curves (if you need it) and hides flaws (if you need to) and the pointy toe on the shoe also helps to elongate the body.

Now you can see why most stylists add this to their essential's arsenal! It is a fabulous way to add so many elements of style to your wardrobe!

Hope you've found some inspiration today!!

How to Make Spring's Trends Work For You! Neon

And for the final trend of the season!

Trend #10 - NEON
Who doesn't love an 80's throwback! Harem-pants, neon, side-ponys, they have all made their fabulous come-back this season and in season's past. Now, I am not a fan of harem-pants (ehem, Hammer-pants) but the other two trends I have embraced fully. Even tights with skirts/dresses was embraced in the 80's.

For the luscious ladies - This trend can be EXTREMELY hazardous for you! Neon is not your friend. Anything you put a neon color on is going to look bigger! It will show EVERY lump and bump you have. Am I saying "Don't embrace this trend!"? Of course not. All I am saying is do not wear a solid neon top or pair of pants/skirt. Find patterns with neon colors! I right now am wearing a top with a neon green and black pattern. Also, do not forget, purses, shoes, even nail polish this season had been touched by neon. Above is some nail polish I purchased this season. The wonderful neon colors have infiltrated almost everything this season so keep your eye out for the patterned dress, the nail polish. And, DO NOT buy anything in neon that is clingy. Yes, that t-shirt is a wonderful shade of green and it looks fab with your skin tone, but also notice that where it clings is where the eye is going to go, all of your flaws will be showcased.

For the skinny girl - Wear neon EVERYTHING! Neon can give you the illusion of curves because it is a color that deflects light. With the rays bouncing off of you, you will have an amazing figure and people will be astonished at your overnight transformation. This is another chance for you to rock the color-block as well. See the skirt above? It's sexy, it's fabulous and you are the only one who can pull it off!

For the in-betweens - Use caution with this trend. It's a fun way to show off your flirtatious side. Keep the neon to the part of your body you are most comfortable with. A neon top on a small chest can make it look much bigger. Neon deflects light and therefore will make you look curvier than you really are. Big hips? Avoid the neon skirt/pants, it will only make them look bigger. Make this trend work for you. Again, I want to reiterate the thing I seem to say to YOU most often, DON'T let the clothes wear you, YOU wear the clothes. If you are comfortable with your body (and have no tummy, back fat or cellulite) try an all over, solid color. *See pink dress above

How to Make Spring's Trends Work for You! Peplum

Trend #8 - Peplum
This is a trend I truly never wished to see again. Why? Because it is so stinkin' adorable and it looks hideous on me. It is a retro-inspired trend that works great for girls who want curves but don't really have them. However, if you have curves... I will leave it up to you to decide how you feel about it. I have seen girls like Beyonce pull it off but I have to be honest, I think it is her confidence that makes it work for her.

For the thick girl- this is a trend that could work for you. It gives the illusion of an hourglass figure. However, if you have a large butt and/or hips, this trend will only exaggerate those areas. This is a great way to hide a bit of baby fat or even that little protrusion you can't seen to get rid of. Just make sure that if you are trying to hide a belly that the fabric goes PAST your largest point. You don't want to draw attention to that area by drawing a line in the middle of it. Note the tan pencil skirt above, even the white and pink dress, these items have a longer overhang. This could be perfect for you. Also, do not be afraid to try a pencil skirt. Yes it will hug your sexy curves but you have a womanly figure, use it to your advantage. And do not be afraid of shapewear, a pencil skirt in a light color may show a bit of that cellulite. Shapewear will fix that problem and you will look ravishing!

For the skinny girl- This trend will give you the hips you've been lusting after your whole life. If you have a boyish figure you can embrace this trend with open arms. The lady I have seen pull this trend off the best is Emma Watson. Her slim, slightly boyish physique, is complimented greatly by peplum. Her athletic body is hugged by the tight fabric that gives way to a rich fullness, ending mid-hip to give her the illusion of an hourglass figure.

For the in-betweens - This trend can work for you as well. Keep in mind the tips stated above for both thick and skinny girls. Know your problem areas and know the ones you want to showcase.

Trend #9- Metallic Heels
This is a trend for the masses! Metallic heels have been a classic item for a very long time. They are glamorous and make a girl feel absolutely stunning. I know when I wear my metallic heels I feel like the whole world is looking at me. It may just be me, because if I saw a pair of fabulous, sparkly shoes I would be fixated, but it is a great trend none-the-less.

My advice (and this is great advice) METALLICS ARE NEUTRAL! (this is actually advice from Stacey London but I believe it as well). Metallic colors, minus the sheen, would fall into either nude, grey, brown, tan or black. Why should a sparkly sheen change that?

Trendy vs. Classic

Okay, so for the fashion challenged out there I am going to write a little bit on "trendy vs. classic" and what the two words actually mean. For example, a trendy bag in the 90's was the reinvented backpack, now it's the reinvented clutch. However, the clutch has NEVER gone out of style. This makes it a classic and I believe (big or small) it will continue to stay in fashion. Also, along those lines, leather... It NEVER goes out of style either. The way that it's worn has simply changed over the course of time. We've seen the leather mini, the bomber jacket, the biker jacket, the leather dress, leather pants. The trend would be (again) HOW it's worn. Even for a time leather jewelry was all the rage and I will admit I still own some.

Also, if you just can't bring yourself to wear something (like me, with the whole feathers in the hair trend) then it's probably a trend. Things become "classic" for a reason.

Some things that are trendy right now are color-blocking, day-clutches, mint green, leather, ankle straps and florals.

These pants are probably the greatest example of a TREND because they are the pants that get shoved to the back of your closet, all photos are burned and you pray to God that no one remembers once the trend is over. Funny thing, just because I remember my grandmother wearing this doesn't mean it's classic. (BTW I am old enough to remember Hammer pants and just because you've now deemed them harem pants DOES NOT MAKE THEM COOL or classic.)

Does this mean all trends will eventually become a bad thing? Of course not! It does mean that some things are seasonal, it does mean that some things will cause you future embarrassment, and it does mean that trends will come and go so don't invest too much money into those items.

Some things that are classic are pencil skirts, a-line skirts, structured jackets, wrap-dresses, boot-cut jeans and to be perfectly honest... classic isn't really about any particular item of clothing, it's about CUT!
What do I mean by this? ANYTHING that flatters the female figure ends up being CLASSIC.

Yes, the outfit I chose is a trendy item but I foresee this quickly becoming a classic item. Look at the way it fits her. You essentially have the classic pencil skirt with the classic ruffled top! (Busty girls, stay away from ruffled tops!!) And the belt creates the empire waistline.

The great thing about classic items is that they will complement your trendy items nicely. That sexy black pencil skirt will look amazing with your new neon colored top :). Also, this is what you'll want to invest your money into. Those killer stilettos, that great suit, that amazing wrap-dress, those jeans that fit JUST RIGHT are what you need to make a killer wardrobe 365 days a year!

*Both items are from Forever 21.