STYLE STRATEGY GUIDE

FOR BALANCING A WIDER SHOULDER LINE AND ELONGATING THE LOWER BODY

📐 BODY CHARACTERISTICS

Body Type: INVERTED TRIANGLE
Length: Balanced
Hip: High Hip/ Standart
Lines: Curvy

🌟 YOUR BODY'S NATURAL BALANCE

Your shoulders are the broadest point on your frame, naturally drawing the eye upward. Our styling goal is to create visual harmony by enhancing the hip and lower body area to balance proportions and elongate the silhouette. We do this by minimizing volume and attention up top while adding softness, volume, and detail below the waist.

🔑 STYLING PRINCIPLES

Key Objective:

Balance your silhouette by visually softening the shoulders and creating subtle volume on the lower half while elongating your silhouette.

Balance Focus:

✔ Draw attention to: Neck, Wrists, Waist, Hips, Shoes to create balance between shoulder and hip

✘ Avoid emphasizing: shoulders, upper chest, and outer arms

GARMENT STRATEGY

UPPER BODY: Keep it Clean, Simple, and Fitted

✔ Invest In:

  • Silhouettes: Straight lines, Shift, A-line, Tent, Empire, Peplum, Balloon, Tunic, Trapeze, Princess. 

  • Tops, Shirts, T-shirts, Sweater, Jackets: Solid Colors, Fitted, Oversized, Spaghetti Straps, Button-down shirts, V-necks, crew necks, wrap tops, straight-cut blouses, Tube, Halter Tank, Vests, Pin tuck, Smock, Tunic, Turtle neck, Cardigans, Vertical Zippers, pockets on hip area such as in sweat shirts, and cardigans. 

  • Necklines: Jewel, Crew, softly curved V-neck (not too wide), Sweetheart, Keyhole, Sabrina, Strapless (Straight or Sweetheart), Tie Neck (loose tie), one shoulder, medium Lapels, Stand Up Collar.

  • Sleeves: Halter, Raglan, Kimono, Batwing, Cuffed, Cap, Loose rolled-up sleeves T-shirts, Bell, Poet, Dropped shoulder, Long Layered, Bat, Long Cape, Butterfly, Cowl, long Sleeves should always be longer than wriest bone if fitted, otherwise roll up.

  • Shoulders: Halter cuts, Raglan, Dropped Shoulder, shoulder seams placed directly on or slightly inwards the shoulder bone towards neck.

✘ Avoid:

• Silhouettes: Garment should NOT be fitted on your Hip Area, Sheath, Bodycon, Slip Dress, Mermaid, Column

• Tops: Over Sized shoulder Paddings, Off-the-shoulder, One shoulder, Wide Scoop Necklines, Sailor, Fitted T-Shirts (Under jackets or paired with Big Bold Earrings).

Bulky Sweaters, Over all Pockets Placed on your Chest Area. 

• Necklines: Enhance your chest area, Off-the-shoulder tops, wide scoop, horizontal, Strapless (straight across), Wide Lapels, Sailor, Boat Neck, Wide Open Collar.      

• Sleeves: Petal, Bishop, Puffed, Circular Cap, Marie, Peasant, Button Tap, French, Ruffle, Leg-of-mutton, Juliet, Cap Cape, Shear Sleeves, Peplum, Roll Up, Lantern.

• Shoulders: : All kinds of Details, Busy Prints, Textures and Volume, Cut Of, Shoulder Pads. Seam Line Exactly at the Outer Shoulder Line.

 

🛀 LOWER BODY: Create Volume, Movement, and Detail

✔ Invest In:

  • Bottoms: Loose Fit Pieces with Volume on Hip Area, Pleats, Pockets, Details, Prints, Side Buttons, fabrics some Stretch, Flowy, medium weight to give you structure.

  • Pants: Wide-leg, Flare, Parashoot, Palazzo, Sailor, Pegged, Straight, Skinny (only when paired with oversized tops), Pant-skirts, Tiered or Layered Pants, Pleated,

  • Skirts/Shorts: A-Line, Pleated, Short Skirt, Pleated, Gipsy, Godet, Accordion Fix Box Pleat, Layered, Paneled, Ruffled, Cowl, Peplum,  Bubble, Wrap (tied on the side), Semi/Full Circle, Asymmetric, Sarong (tied to the side), Peplum, Gipsy

  • Dresses: A-line, Shift, Empire, Wrap, Shirt dress, Trapeze, Tent, Peplum, Ball Gown, Yoke, Princess Cut, Jumper, Slip Dress (only if A-line from waist down)

  • Rise: Low to Mid Rise (When wearing high rises make sure it is A-line, it should always fit loose on your hip)

✘ Avoid:

  • Bottoms: Clean Lines, Fitted around the Hip, Stretchy Fabrics, Side Zippers

  • Pants: Bell Bottoms, Straight, Boot-Cut, Flare (fitted at hips), Jodhpurs, Sailor (fitted at the hip), Cropped Bell.

  • Skirts/Shorts:, • Pencil, Dropped Hip Pleat, Bias Cut (Best), Straight, Wrap (tied in front), Trumpet, Fly Skirt, Skirts with Vertical Frontal Seam line, Centered Buttons, Tulip, Sarong (tied in front), Mermaid, Tube.

  • Dresses: Bodycon, Sheath, A-line, Slip dress (bias cut fabric), Shirt dress, Wrap, Pegged, Mermaid, Column

  • Rise: High Rise (only if A-line)

🧵 FABRICS & TEXTURE

·       Match texture — mature skin benefits from texture (e.g., crepe silk instead of smooth silk)

 

·       Upper Body:

• Lightweight

• Stretchy and light weight for Fitted Pieces

• Thin and Flowy]

·       Lower Body:

• Low to Medium Weight Fabrics

• Structured or flowy fabrics that hold shape without hugging tightly

• Minimal Stretch

·       Avoid:

 

Upper Body:

 • Structured

• Bulky

• Medium to Heavy Weight

  

✔ Lower Body:•

• Stretchy

• Lightweight bias-cut fabrics

 

PRINTS

 Use prints where you want to draw attention — The Lower Body.

✔ Invest In:

 Upper Body: No prints On Upper Body, Unless applied in over sized Piece, a Dress or Matching pieces (top and Bottom)

 Lower Body: All prints Shall be Applied on your lower body

 

Shapes and Scales Chart:

 

• Small Prints Enlarge

• Large Prints Reduce

• Angular Prints Enhance Curve

• Curve Print Minimize Scale

 

Invest:

 

• Medium Size Prints

• Curvy Shaped Prints, such as Flowers, Abstract Curvy, Poka Dots, Puzzle

Avoid:

 

• Vertical Stripes On your Upper Body

 

LINES & SHAPES

Favor Curved and Soft Lines

✔ Invest In

Details to Look For:

• Curved shapes and lines- Eye Wear, Buttons, Lapels, Earrings, Jewelry, Buckles, Nails, Bags silhouettes

✘ Avoid Angular Lines:

·       Sharp Seams, Square or Rectangular Shapes, Straight or Boxy Details (specially on Upper body)

·       Angular Accessories (e.g., Square Sunglasses, Boxy Bags)

Lines and Shape Chart

• Straight Lines Amplify Body Scale, Curvy Line Reduce Body Scale

 

ACCESSORY STRATEGY

✔ Invest In:

  • Necklaces: Tennis or dainty necklaces layered in different lengths, especially one that sits on the collarbone

  • Bracelets: Cuffs, bangles, stacks — highlight the wrist area

  • Belts: Medium belts at the waist

  • Bags: Shoulder bag should seat at your between your elbow and hip line.

  • Shoes: Platforms, wedges, block heels, uncle to high knee boots, Fun and funky shoes, Delicate and softly curved tips.

✘ Avoid:

  • Bulky earrings

  • Accessories that widen the upper body

  • Shoulder bag that seats by bust line

 

SCALES – Plus, Petite, Average

This Scales are Applicable for Belt Width, Bags, Buckles, Buttons, Accessories, Prints, Eye Wear, Jewelry, Nails, Laches, Hair Accessories.

 

Plus Size Body – Big Scales

 

Average Size Body – Medium Scales

 

Petite Size Body – Small Scales

 

PROPORTIONS & LENGTHS

Length Proportion: Based on your Height Proportion and Body Structure

✔ Invest In:

·       Upper Body: The perfect length for all your upper body garments should be your hip area – ideally, the highest point should be a palm above your hip line, and the lowest point two palms below your hip line. All jackets, coats, and sweaters longer than that should hit the widest part of your thigh. If you opt for cropped tops, make sure they are fitted and paired with all the recommended silhouettes listed in the Silhouette session/lower body, or paired with low contrast colors.

·       Lower Body: There are 4 main length proportions that you should follow to create a balanced look:

o   The thickest part of your thigh

o   The thickest part of your calf

o   A palm above your ankles

o   The plant of your foot

Avoid:

·       Loose fit cropped (a palm bellow your belly button is considered copped for your body type) tops, jackets, sweaters, and coats unless paired with a lower body piece with extra volume.

·       Shorts, skirts, or pants that hit any other area of your legs will create an unproportional look.

SHOES: GROUNDING THE LOOK

✔ Invest In:

  • Platforms, block heels, wedges, kitten heel

  • Ankle straps

  • Straps over all

  • High Knee or ankle boots

  • Curvy Tips

  • Delicate flats, slingbacks

✘ Avoid:

  • Chunky Shoes

📆 FINAL NOTE

Style is not about hiding your features — it’s about celebrating and harmonizing them. When your wardrobe works with your natural proportions, you’ll feel more confident, comfortable, and aligned with your authentic self.